Philippine Trail Running Team Returns to World Stage, Shows Strong Progress at 2025 WMTRC

In a sport long dominated by European and American athletes — and staged in high mountain environments with altitude, steep climbs, unpredictable weather, and technical terrain — the Philippine team, which made its debut in 2023, returned to the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) in 2025 with renewed purpose and strength.

From Grassroots to Global Stage

Reaching the world stage is no easy feat. The journey began with the national federation — working on both local and international accreditation, mobilizing resources (volunteers, supporters, funding, administrators), rallying the community locally and abroad, and forming a competitive national team.

In the Philippines, many athletes come from underprivileged backgrounds. Ironically, many of them live in the very mountains where the sport is practiced — yet have limited access to opportunities.

PHILTRA (Philippine Trail Running Association) responded by building a structured grassroots program: establishing a national qualifying system since 2022 that has evolved and progressed todate, reaching remote communities, and organizing the National Trail Running Championships, now on its 4th edition in 2025.

With most athletes starting with raw talent and not even a proper pair of shoes, preparing them to compete at the highest level truly begins from the ground up.

Qualified athletes are supported through structured training, an in-house training camp with full provisions, ITRA insurance, medical support, nutrition, supplements, recovery tools, and essential gear. Travel and competition allowances are fully covered. PHILTRA also partner with overseas organizers to expose athletes — depending on performance and development plans — to international competitions in between major World Athletics, SEATRC, and ITRA-sanctioned events.

In 2025, the program was further strengthened by bringing in world-renowned coach Andy Dubois, who spent three weeks in the Philippines. PHILTRA also introduced a more stable monthly athlete allowances based on current performance.

2024 & 2025: Regional Dominance and Global Exposure

Following the 2023 WMTRC, the Philippines had a breakthrough 2024 season — finishing 2nd overall behind Japan at the Asia-Pacific Trail Running Championships, and dominating the Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup with a medal haul of 5 golds, 6 silvers, and 4 bronzes.

The 2025 WMTRC team was formed after the March 2025 National Championships in Danao. Athletes who ranked on top per category were invited to join the national team, with additional slots offered to promising athletes. These runners underwent training, time trials, and final selections.

Of the 14 athletes selected, 6 were pioneer members since 2023, while 4 were under the age of 25 — including several U20 athletes. This marked the first time the Philippines fielded a youth team at WMTRC after its establishment in 2024 — a key milestone in developing future international contenders.

The team arrived in the Pyrenees on September 12, 2025, after nearly three days of travel. They made the most of their time — walking the course, scouting the terrain, and preparing for the “big dance.”

Opening Ceremony and Camaraderie

Competition week began with the opening ceremony. While only five athletes were officially allowed to join the parade, the entire team traveled to Canfranc from their hotel in Jaca to take part in the experience and share the moment with athletes from around the world.

The next gathering would be on the mountain — racing shoulder to shoulder with world-class athletes. (Everyone had their “starstruck” moment meeting elite runners they’d only seen on YouTube or followed on social media.)

More than just a competition, the event was a celebration — uniting athletes from across cultures, backgrounds, and abilities, all representing their nations with pride.

The competition was held from September 26-28, 2025 in Canfranc, Spain. Details of the competitions are here. Here are the results for the PHILIPPINE NATIONAL TRAIL RUNNING TEAM.

Men’s Long Trail: Philippine Men’s Long Trail Team Sets Records and Ranked 18th in the World

Arnie Macaneras, in his second WMTRC appearance, led the men’s long trail team with a strong performance. He finished in 10:33 — a big improvement from 12:12 and 69th place in 2023 — now placing 52nd overall and setting the fastest record for men’s PHI long trail.
Larry Apolinario followed with a time of 11:02, improving from 12:36 and 79th place in 2023. Despite the time gain, his ranking changed little, reflecting the growing depth of the global field.
Joebert Elmaquin, competing in his first WMTRC, finished 84th in 11:20, rounding out a solid team showing. His time is still the third fastest record for long trail for Philippines compared to 2023.

The trio were the top three Southeast Asian finishers in the men’s long trail, with only 5 out of 11 SEA runners completing the race — three of them from the Philippines.

Among Asian competitors, the three placed 4th, 6th, and 9th. As a team, the Philippines ranked 18th in the world and 3rd in Asia — one spot higher than in 2023. The team’s combined finish time improved by over five hours, signaling both growth and potential.

Men’s Short Trail: Philippine Men’s Short Trail Team Climbs to 11th in the World

The men’s short trail team made a major leap to 11th in the world rankings, up from 27th in 2023 — a clear sign of upward trajectory.

John Ray Onifa initially crossed the line in 32nd place at 5:26 but received a one-hour penalty for gear non-compliance, affecting the team’s final position.
Romnick Tongkaling, our youngest short trail athlete, finished his debut race, just 10 minutes behind Onifa, placing him 56th, and the fastest U20 participant.
Randolf Gonzales delivered a strong race in 5:45, improving from 99th in 2023 to a 69th place this year.

The team’s combined time improved by one hour from last year. Despite Onifa’s penalty, the younger athletes Tongkaling and Gonzales showcased their potential. The experience serves as a vital lesson for all. Onifa still sets the highest performance for the PHI in a World Championships at 32nd and a 4h time in Thailand. Tongkaling is second. All three has set the fastest performance by PHI in a short trail competition.

Among Southeast Asian nations, the three runners were the top finishers. At the Asian level, individually, they ranked 2nd (7th after the penalty), 4th, and 5th. The team retains its position as the second-best in Asia, behind regional powerhouse Japan.

Women’s Short Trail: Sets the Bar High for Filipino Women in the Worlds

Joy Beltran finished 97th, making her the second-fastest Southeast Asian in the field. Only two out of 10 SEA athletes completed the race — including Europe-based Cambodian Gerard Lucile, who finished just four minutes ahead.
Joy’s time was 27 minutes slower than Christabel Martes’ 7:06 in 2023, but her placement was the highest ever by a Filipino in this category, finishing ahead of 85% of the field.
She ranked 4th among seven Asian finishers. A total of 19 Asian athletes, including Noemi Fernandez (who missed the cutoff by just four minutes at KM 30), did not finish.

With a 32% DNF rate — 7% higher than last year — the race was widely considered more brutal than the 2023 edition.

As her first high-level international race, Joy’s performance shows strong promise for the 22-year-old. It also underscores the importance of PHILTRA’s Girls Running in Trail (GRIT) program to discover, support, and develop more women in the sport. (Notably, GRIT provided her flight support to join the final qualifiers in Benguet at the Cordillera Mountain Ultra.)

Women’s Long Trail: Climbs to 44th in the World and Sets a Strong Female PHI Record

Elizabeth Dangadang, in her second WMTRC appearance, improved from 14:36 in 2023 (63rd place) to 12:33 and 44th place — finishing in the top 50% of the field.
With a 30% DNF rate, Ely stood out as the top Southeast Asian woman, and 3rd among Asian finishers. She was one of only 7 Asian women (out of 19) to finish, and the only Southeast Asian woman to complete the course two years in a row.
Angelie Cabalo missed the cutoff at the final checkpoint, along with 36 others. Despite a strong early split, she struggled through a technical section and suffered stomach issues approaching the 65th kilometer in Candanchú.

Ely and Angelie’s steady improvement reflects their growing confidence and experience. As they say — there’s no way but up. The two athletes have paved the way and inspired women athletes in the sport.

U20 Mountain Classic: A Fast Debut Race for our Youth Team

Ken Libo-on completed the course in 42 minutes, placing 72nd.
Evan Sitoy finished in 53 minutes, placing 59th.

Both athletes hit their target times and gained valuable global race experience in a highly competitive field stacked with junior specialists from track and cross-country.

Senior Mountain Classic: Strong Showing by our Young Guns in a Senior Classic Event

The senior classic was dominated by elite runners from Kenya and Uganda, USA and European countries.

PHILTRA fielded its U23 athletes Charlotte Sitoy and Sam Manuel as part of its development program:

Sam clocked in at 1:23 (118th).
Charlotte finished in 1:45 (103rd).

These events have inspired us to explore further the creation of more mountain classic events to provide a platform for younger athletes to compete.

A Proud Finish — and a Promising Future

The Philippines ranked 34th globally and 3rd in Asia across all events — a result to be proud of, considering the team had solo entries in the mountain classic and none in the vertical uphill (VK).

But more than rankings, this year was about growth, exposure, and building for the future. Of the 14 athletes, 6 had raced at WMTRC before, while several promising new talents were under 25 — including 4 U20 athletes.

It marked the first-ever youth team fielded by the Philippines — a milestone moment for PHILTRA and the sport.

We may not have won the world championship (yet), but we are winning the long race — building the future of Philippine trail running, one athlete at a time.

Until the next World Championships.

PHILTRA would like to thank the following:

Our Officers and Volunteers who pooled their resources – both financial and volunteer work to support the athletes from training to competition.