Baguio City—The country’s top Filipina skyrunner Sandi Abahan vows a return to the top podium when the National Skyrunning Championship kicks off in neighboring Itogon town in Benguet on Feb. 10.
The winner of the 2014, 2015 and 2017 edition of the race around Mount Ugo in the mining town of Itogon said she is ready to reclaim the crown she lost to Majo Liao last year when she made a wrong turn and lost precious six kilometers.
“It was a costly mistake and I hope to erase the stigma of that bitter loss,” said Abahan, who will fly to Hong Kong this week and run in the 9 Dragons Ultra, a multi race event from Feb. 1 to 3 in the former Crown Colony.
The centerpiece of the race presented by Hoka One One is a 50-mile (89 kilometers) race that has a 5,070-meter elevation. A 50-kilometer race will see a 3,550-meter elevation gain.
“Though this is much a pretty different race (Akyathlon) now, since the distance is increased from 42 to 49 kilometers, I expect to do much better this time so I will return to the top podium,” said the Barlig, Mountain Province, Ifugao native during a press conference held Monday at the Department of Tourism – Cordillera office here.
Last year, Abahan was trailing Itogon native Gretchen Felipe when both took the wrong turn.
“She (Gretchen) is a local and I thought that she knows the rail so I followed her,” she recalled.
Elias Tabac will be returning to defend his 2018 Skyrunning title in the men’s side even as he has Jeffrey Aligan, who gassed out at the downstretch to lose to the former. But eyes will be on Vonson Ramos, the top skyrunning prospect who has won most of the vertical kilometer running events in the country.
Elite runners are hoping to earn points for the Asia Trail Master Series, of which the Itogon event is part of.
The 49 Km SkyMarathon in Itogon is part of the Pilipinas Akyathlon or the Philippine Skyrunning National Championships.