CLARK-MIYAMIT FALLS TRAIL RACE WITH DNF CHALLENGE

NOTE: Description of DNF Challenge below.

As a result of our run (see previous post below) at Miyamit last Sunday, the Clark-Miyamit Falls Trail Race  is a GO on 27 November 2011 but there will be only one event - 60k approximately.

The Miyamit trail from 2,500ft to 4,287ft (peak) is now rendered impassable to vehicles and dangerous to runners due to massive soil erosion on different parts of the trail. This means that setting up of aids stations is close to impossible and rescue operation, if any, very difficult. Thus, turn around point will be at the Miyamit Falls.

Unless there are at least 6 HARDENED ultrarunners (ideally 3 male and 3 female) willing to take up the DNF (yes, Did Not Finish) challenge to cover the entire distance from Clark to Miyamit (near Pinatubo) and back to Clark, trail condition and lack of aid station (for about 20K on hilly and remote territory outside of civilization) notwithstanding, the RD might consider accepting their registration. If you finished this challenge within the time barrier,  your  name would be forever inscribed on the Hall of Fame.

Registration is paperless  via email to: atty.jonnifer@gmail.com. Please include your full name, age, sex, email, mobile no., size shirt, key races so far finished  and your brief reason for joining which event.Those who qualified will receive an email from the RD for more details.

(NOTE: There is a huge probability that cash prizes will be given to top finishers for male and female in both events (at least to offset/defray incurred expenses). Announcement will be made in due time. So cross your fingers. Cheers :)

DNF CHALLENGE

For clarity on the CLARK-MIYAMIT FALLS TRAIL RACE. We have the 60k event (time barrier 15 hours)  from Clark to Miyamit and back. This has 4-5 aid stations strategically placed along the course and the other event is the DNF (yup, Did Not Finish) challenge which adds additional distance of 20k to the 60k event. That 20k starts from the last aid station of the 60k event going to the remote, uninhabited, cold, hilly terrain almost close to Pinatubo. HARDENED ultrarunners will go up from 2,000ft to 4287ft in 10k in quad-numbing, calf-ripping hills then turn around to go back to Clark joining the route of the 60k. Time barrier is 16 hours. In that 20k,  you are on your own.

Just to give a picture. While at our peak training for UTMB, Simon and I covered the entire 42k distance from Sapang Uwak to peak of Miyamit and back in 9 hours including the distance to the Falls (from 2,000ft drastically down to 500ft in a mere 1.5k distance and imagine one still has  go back up from the Falls). And one still has to consider the distance going back to Clark.

Doable but you have to be one heck of a gutsy HARDENED ultrarunner to attempt it. To this date, only 4 have covered (at least documented) the entire Miyamit course on foot - Simon, Isko, Jeff and myself.  Don Ubaldo said he will do the DNF challenge. Let us see. I just need 6 HARDENED ultrarunners to register for it. If anyone finishes this DNF event, I will prepare a pale of water (your choice of lukewarm, warm, boiling, cold, icy cold or freezing with alcohol of course :) and wash his/her feet (blistered,thrashed, cramped, with black nails and all) as soon as he/she crosses the finish line. Promise. Of course, your name will be included in the Hall of Fame plus the title "HARDENED" prisoner, I mean, ultrarunner.

You have been forewarned. Goodluck.