MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has adopted House Resolution No. 87, congratulating and commending Filipino trail runner John Ray “Stingray” G. Onifa for his first-place finishes in Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) World Series events in 2025. The resolution was adopted on May 13, 2026.
The recognition caps a breakthrough 2025 for Onifa. He won two UTMB World Series races that year: the Kaga Spa Trail Endurance 50 in Japan and the TransLantau 80 in Hong Kong. In August 2025 he also finished 40th overall in the OCC at HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, the Finals of the UTMB World Series.
About the Resolution
House Resolution No. 87 was adopted from HR 00960, which was filed on April 27, 2026. It replaced an earlier measure, HR 00506, which Rep. Antonio Legarda Jr. filed on November 19, 2025.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Resolution congratulating and commending Filipino trail runner John Ray “Stingray” G. Onifa for his outstanding first-place finishes in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc World Series events throughout the year 2025 |
| Principal authors | Reps. Antonio Legarda Jr., Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Richard Gomez, Steve Chiongbian Solon, Jose Manuel “JM” Lagdameo, Rebecca Maria Alcantara Ynares, Joseph Kim Yu, Gerald Cloyd Alexis Galang, Girlie Veloso and Audrey Kay Zubiri |
| Committee | Youth and Sports Development (Committee Report No. 247) |
| Adopted | May 13, 2026, as Resolution No. 87 |
Onifa’s UTMB Record
Onifa has raced the UTMB World Series and its Mont-Blanc finals since 2019. He has three World Series wins and two runner-up finishes. He holds a UTMB Index of 876, has 32 finishes recorded with UTMB. As a professional athlete, he races for Team T8 and was previously racing for the TNF Asia Pacific Aventure Team. His record is the fastest Filipino performance and placing on these races, the fastest Southeast Asian for OCC and CCC and second fastest in UTMB next to former teammate Jay of Thailand.
UTMB World Series events
| Year | Event | Race | Distance / Elevation | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TransLantau by UTMB, Hong Kong | TransLantau 80* | 79 km / 3,900 m+ | 7:59:20 | 1st overall |
| 2025 | Kaga Spa by UTMB, Japan | Kaga Spa Trail Endurance 50 | 58.2 km / 2,703 m+ | 5:54:46 | 1st overall |
| 2024 | Chiang Mai Thailand by UTMB | Hmong 50 | 50 km / 2,030 m+ | 4:46:34 | 10th overall |
| 2023 | TransLantau by UTMB, Hong Kong | TransLantau 50 | 47 km / 2,400 m+ | 4:57:00 | 1st overall |
| 2022 | Doi Inthanon by UTMB, Thailand | Pagoda 50 | 54.1 km / 3,140 m+ | 5:12:35 | 2nd overall |
| 2022 | Val d’Aran by UTMB, Spain | CDH | 105 km / 6,100 m+ | 16:28:05 | 68th overall |
| 2021 | Thailand by UTMB | Inthanon 6 (100-mile) | 168.8 km / 8,660 m+ | 22:35:00 | 2nd overall |
HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc, Chamonix (World Series Finals)
| Year | Race | Distance / Elevation | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | OCC | 61 km / 3,400 m+ | 5:46:52 | 40th overall (of 1,417) |
| 2024 | OCC | 57 km / 3,500 m+ | 6:25:10 | 57th overall (of 1,534) |
| 2022 | UTMB | 170.3 km / 10,050 m+ | 27:28:27 | 80th overall (of 1,789) |
| 2019 | CCC | 99.1 km / 6,105 m+ | 12:36:11 | 33rd overall (of 1,578) |
Outside the World Series, Onifa won several races across Asia and Europe.
Beyond UTMB: Continental Titles and Paying It Forward
Onifa is also a two-time gold medalist at the Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup (SEATRC), the gold medalist at the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships (APTRC), and a two-time Asia Trail Master champion. He has helped lead the Philippine team to two overall SEATRC championships and a silver medal at the inaugural APTRC.
Beyond his own wins, Onifa believes in paying it forward. He actively scouts fellow Antiqueño and Panay athletes so they get the exposure they need and shares his old gear and shoes to locals in Antique. Three of them now run for the national team: Larry Apolinario, Joebert Elmaquin and Ken Liboon and have their own medal placings in local and continental championships.
Within the national team, he mentors teammates and shares his race experience and race-plan strategy with them.
A Milestone for Philippine Trail Running
Onifa’s results put a Filipino on the podium of the world’s longest running trail circuit. His 2025 wins have now earned formal recognition from the House of Representatives.
Only a few members of our Philippine team have had the chance to race at UTMB. To date, only John Ray Onifa and Angelie Cabalo, who raced last year, have done so. The UTMB World Series is not an official race for the national team, but we plan to give some of our athletes this competition exposure. We believe it will make them stronger for the next world championships and continental cups. With our talent development programs, we know more Filipino athletes can reach, and even surpass, what John Ray has achieved. Given the chance, John Ray himself or any of our athletes can land a place on the podium. It will not happen overnight, but it is something we can rally for together,” said Tin Ferrera of PHILTRA.
“Sa bawat pagtapak ko sa starting line sa ibang bansa, dala-dala ko ang watawat ng Pilipinas. Hindi lang para sa akin ang panalo ko, para ito sa bawat Pilipinong trail runner na nagsasanay sa ating mga bundok na may malalaking pangarap. Para rin ito sa mga katulad ko na lumaki sa simpleng pamumuhay, na noon ay walang sapat na pantustos para makasali sa mga karera, pero nabigyan ng pagkakataon. Patunay ito na kapag binigyan ng tsansa ang atleta, kaya nating makipagsabayan sa pinakamagagaling sa mundo. Lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa House of Representatives sa recognition, at sana ay maipakita nito sa buong mundo na may puwesto ang mga Pilipino sa world trail running,” ani Onifa.
(English translation: “Every time I step on the start line abroad, I carry the Philippine flag with me. My wins are not mine alone. They belong to every Filipino trail runner training on our mountains with big dreams. They are also for people like me who grew up with little, who once did not have the means to join races, but were given a chance. This proves that when an athlete is given the opportunity, we can compete with the best in the world. I am deeply grateful to the House of Representatives for this recognition, and I hope it shows the world that Filipinos have a place in world trail running.”)
About PHILTRA
The Philippine Trail Running Association (PHILTRA) is the national association for trail running in the Philippines. It leads the growth and development of the sport nationwide, and selects and fields the Philippine national trail running team in regional and international championships.
