Godwin Mirar and Kimberly Flores dominate Marilog Ultra

Godwin Mirar took an important step forward towards qualification for his country’s team in the upcoming Season 11 ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam. At last weekend’s Marilog Ultra in the western Marilog District of Davao in Mindanao, the 25-year-old ran in the lead from basically start to finish to take another ATM race victory, just one month after MUSPO 100. It was his third race of the season in our series and he now totals 1260 points. In a country such as Philippines that is most likely not enough, given the high number of competitive runners in the country aiming to be part of the Championship team in Vietnam. In the ATM points ranking, it’s the best four results of each runner that count. Mirar is scheduled to run Jagoi Ultra in Malaysia next in two weeks.

While Roberto Cain III - himself still aiming for a team spot for the Championship Final - Zaire Abecia and Yoyong Sacayle were running second, third and fourth for nearly the entire 70km race at Marilog, it was the youngster from Santa Cruz Danny Gumia who reached the finish line in second place! Showing great stamina and grit for such a young trail runner over this distance, it was an eye-opening ATM debut for Gumia.

Roberto Cain III managed to score third on the podium, just ahead of Yoyong Sacayle, who at age 40, is incredibly almost a veteran in this region of the Philippines. While narrowly missing out on the podium, Sacayle did completed the third level of his Grandmaster Quest and is now a 3-star Grandmaster. Moreover, he kept his chances alive for qualification for the ATM Final. Zaire Abecia finished in fifth, ahead of Reymar Taleon and Marvin Buizon, both very consistent top finishers this season.

In the women’s 70km, it was overall ATM points leader Kimberly Flores who scored her fourth race win of the season! The runner from Bukidnon, also still just in her twenties, took a conservative start, but chased down early leader Valerie Mae Marcos after the second aid station and consolidated her winning margin afterwards. Marcos held on to a superb second place, her best performance so far in an ATM Qualifier, especially considering she stayed ahead of Shally Yuson in third. When it comes to female trail running in Mindanao in Season 11, it was all about Kimberly Flores. Only Angelie Cabalo had the measure of her in Hardcore 100 Miles in Luzon at the start of May.