A tough candidate race in the outskirts of Davao with a 10-year history and a lot of runners. Datu Salumay can be called a classic and the event lived up to its reputation as being hardcore while at the same catering for runners of all levels.. Roberto Cain II was clearly the fastest man finishing the 85k in 16h45. That’s two hours ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Jomarc Ferrer. Quite a performance! The race was halted at some point due to a swollen river that became unsafe to cross. Kudos to the event organising team to react quickly and appropriately in this situation. Runners were rerouted to ensure safety. The adverse weather also meant nearly 40% of the 85km course was on concrete.

The female candidate race at DASAL was won by Metzi Joy Alson in 20h16’. She preceeded Tressah Banas and Stela Coronica on the podium. Despite being on the start list, former winner Julieann Morales did not take part in the race last weekend.

This weekend, points can be scored in Dalat, Vietnam, during Lam Dong Trail, but we also keep an eye out on the 10th edition of the Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run, a new ATM Candidate Race. Perhaps better known as ‘DASAL’, the event takes place some 80km outside of Davao City and - indeed - has a full decade’s history already! For this anniversary edition, the organisers have added a long ultra category of 85km that has instilled some fear in many participants. At least, it is regarded as a considerable challenge with 5000 metres of elevation gain on paper. Less ambitious runners will be eyeing the 42km and shorter categories this weekend.

The trails of Datu Salumay will have runners passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. The start is at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler.

Julieann Morales is a former female race winner at DASAL and as great technical trail runner ready to pick up the 85km challenge. She is one of a few courageous women on the start list that also includes Shekinah Velasquez, who also has a nice track record on rugged terrain. In the men’s race we will also see some big names from Mindanao, including Jomarc Ferrer, Florencio Alave, Yoyong Sacayle, Reymar Taleon, Roberto Cain and others.

The first Filipino Championship points race in Season 10 is still several months away (Mt Kalatungan Ultra), but there are several Grandmaster point races and Candidate Races coming up. The first Grandmaster points races are SC 70 and the Mt Apo Sky Race 100.

We are very happy to announce that the 10th anniversary edition (!) of the Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run in Mindanao, Philippines, is a new ATM Candidate Race scheduled for the weekend of 9/10 November. ‘DASAL’ ,as the event is commonly known, has grown from what was essentially a local interclub competition to a fully fledged running event that every year attracts hundreds of athletes to Datu Salumay, the venue approximately 80km away from Davao City. The longest race category is 85km, but there’s also 42km, 21km and 12km for less ambitious runners.

In recent months there have been quite a few Candidate Races in this part of Asia, but DASAL is one that already has a decade-long history in itself. The participants of the different categories race through the trails of Datu Salumay, passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. This is a major highway with public transportation available. Participants on the 85km should prepare well, as there’s about 5000 metres of elevation gain in this course. The start is at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler. The cut off time is 25 hours.

You can stay up to date via the event facebook page linked below. Registration can also be done easily online via RaceTech.ph .

Last year, Julie Ann Morales was a race winner at DASAL