Angelie Cabalo and Miguelito Carranza delivered some fine performances in the tough VJ 100 Candidate Race in Baguio, Luzon, Philippines, last weekend. Cabalo won the 100k race and Carranza the 50k in Camp John Hay on a 10km loop course that contained about everything one can imagine in a trail running race, including 700 metres of elevation gain per loop. That made especially the 100k race a pure physical and mental challenge. The men’s 100km saw Thailand-based Russian Dmitry Rusin on the top step of the podium, after overtaking Jon Lacanlale on lap 3. In third place was Tribu Pakaras ace Florence Alave, who finished his last ultra of a very busy year.

Organised by Intrepid Spirit, VJ 100 was held in ideal running conditions, sunny but not really hot. The orga team paid great attention to detail and we are looking forward to some of their other trail events in 2025.

We are happy to announce that VJ 100 Ultra Trail Challenge in Baguio City is a new ATM Candidate on Luzon in the Philippines. Organised by the experienced team Intrepid Spirit, VJ 100 aims to highlight the beauty and the challenge of trail running in the Cordillera region. This is a logistics-friendly, and supporters-friendly event at the end of the year, scheduled at the Camp John Hay in Baguio City itself for the weekend of 14-15 December.

VJ 100 is just one event in the extensive portfolio of Intrepid Sprit, Inc. Also e.g. Pulag 100 and the Philippines Mountain Trail Festival are organised by this team led by Robert Watson, a long-time resident and organiser in the country. VJ 100 is essentially an endurance run on a 10km loop that can be done once, twice, five times or -indeed- ten times for a 100k. The course is very solid: there’s 700m of elevation gain in just 10km, and you will be running on soft trails and rolling hills through countless ascents and descents. If you are a beginning trail runner, the 10k - maybe even the 20k - is a perfect start to your (mountain) trail journey. If you are experienced and aim for the 50k or the 100k, you better do not take this race too lightly. No matter what choice you make, you will encounter various different trail conditions and be challenged while enjoying the beauty of the pine forests and the Cordillera mountains.

The cut off time for the 100k is set at 32 hours for both men and women. A distinction is made for the 50km and the shorter distances, e.g. 15h15 for men on the 50km, while women can allow themselves 45 minutes longer (16h).

As the event takes place in the city, suitable accommodation is plentiful and there is no official event hotel. To reach Baguio, you could fly to Clark (CRK), which is a 2,5 hours bus drive from Baguio. Alternatively, just fly into Manila, which will then take you 4,5-5 hours to reach the event destination.

Registration and details on specifics, such as mandatory gear, can be found on the official website, which you can link to below. VJ100 also has a Facebook page that you can follow for quick updates.