Salomon X-Trail Pilipinas 2014 – Results Discussion

Super extreme trail run. Uphell & Downhell talaga

Just wanted to say that race route was very, very hard; nevertheless, it did what a mountain, trail run should be showing. Thanks you again for the race and hoping to run again on this route the next year. =) Surely, a survival run and really need to train more.

Very nice race route…It was really very very hard…after the race i figured out that i need to train harder for this kind of trail…# 1 water discipline #2 hiking skill #3 endurance…Thanks salomon for the humbling experience…

According to the race route for 32km, going down from the highest point, there was supposed to be a water station pero, umalis na sila, naubusan ata. wala kaming tubig masyado. grabe. after 3 mountains pa ulit nagkaroon. I only made it til km 23. there were still 2 more mountains to go (9km) but with only 1 hour left, sabi samin ng mga marshals na hindi na kami aabot sa cut off so we pulled out na.

Also, sana before pa sinabi na may cut off at km 18.76, not the day before, so we can really pace ourselves. glad i made it 20 minutes before the 9am cut off, but still, iba pa rin pag mas matagal kang informed para mapaghandaan.

Also, there were lots of 32km runners, including me, ang naligaw in some place na dapat the 24km runners lang were supposed to run at, kasi walang nagsabi or sign. suggestion, sana naglagay din ng markers kung ilang km na kami sa trail, like yung mga distance signs sa mt. ugo, kahit temporary lang, just so we can gauge and pace ourselves.

Lastly, ok din sana kung 3am na lang yung gunstart. medyo pointless na yung headlamps kahit nung start pa lang ng run eh.

thanks for the experience and I will never forget it. revenge ko ito next year! :)

I finished the race within the cut-off time last year from 24km category of this run. Tougher than last year course. This time I failed. I already know that I cant beat the cut off time at 22km mark but I climb the last uphill and never quit instead of DNF. Mountain run is very different from trail run. what ever the result I will cherished and learn many things. Thank you Salomon for this memorable experienced

Definitely my most extremely challenging trail by far. It was a 12k hell route. I almost wanted to cry, kaya lang baka masabihan ako na BAWAL ANG IYAKAN DITO, instead i S**T endless times to vent my frustration on the difficulty of the route specially the UNENDING BIG BOULDER ROCK PATH!!! Ngayong lang ako nakakita ng ganun kalaking mga bato sa buong buhay ko. But still finished the race even if i already DNF to prove to myself that i can do it.

Ang hirap. Bow. even a BDM 102km finisher got DNFed in in this race hihi. Got to train more in the mountain next time. Bawi na lang next year. Sana mas mahirap pa!

I joined this race hoping to achieve a good finishing time, but as the race progressed, my goal quickly shifted to making the cutoff time in one piece! I did not expect the steepness of the climbs and descents, the unstable footholds, the roots that gave me countless close calls, and most especially, the giant boulders towards the finish. Looking back, I truly had an adventure because of the exotic location and the danger involved. Kudos to the organizers!

Difficulty and very technical route, im glad i was able to make it within the cut off for 32k. midway cutoff time was posted A DAY BEFORE THE EVENT, which is a no no.

What kills most of the runners are less hydration station and the heat, you have GATORADE as a sponsor but what i saw 2-3 hydration stations with it .. no bananas , water is not enough. Less markers midway and not enough KM marks.

NO FINISHER’ KIT, and they’re rushing to end the event.

Oo nga, at least sana nagbigay man lang ng finishers kit for us na hindi nakaabot sa cutoff. Pero great experience.

Route is HARD!!! And it was even harder because:

1. Marshal in Powerline 1 entance where three routes intersect directed us to route where we came from and there was no clear sign where the 24KM participant should go.

2. By the time we reached 360 trail entrance, there was NO WATER provision available.

Other than the two items I experienced, the event could’ve been a humbling and fulfilling run.

* I don’t know why cut-off times and start times were released late. That’s the reason why the Salomon store staff also don’t know the details.
* The trail was technical and really hard…
– Which was good if the trail was wide and there were no bottlenecks. We really spent a lot of time due to the line up to the peaks.
– Which was good if there were enough water stations. It looks like the organizers invested in the location instead of the signs and water stations.
– Which was good if the marshals were well-oriented and concerned. Some knows what they’re supposed to be doing (guiding the runners) . But some doesn’t care at all. Some even gave wrong directions.
– Which was good if there were enough route signs and KM markers.
* What is the finishers stub for?
* The location was good. I just wished there were more transportation options for commuters.

It’s a good practice to provide feedback for this kinds of events so future participants know what to expect and organizers know what to improve on :D

i can really say its tough route, my first time but i can hear from fellow runner and hikers it is more tougher than last year. Glad i joined this and so glad i did lots of training for strength, yes i didn’t made it to cut of time but who cares…… i finished the route and i have a big smile , more than a finisher kit can give me. I truly enjoyed it and learn many thing among fellow hikers, made friends and we learn to care more :-) God bless you all and more power Salomon, till next time again . cheers

SUGGESTIONS:

1. Don’t change the route…I personally want to return and conquer the trail within cut off time…32 k po sinasabi ko…

2. Hydration station placement…sana bgo umakyat po at pagbaba ng bundok meron tubig…hindi after 3 bundok pa…may dala ako hydration bag 2 liters kulang pa din dahil sa layo ng pagitan especially sa bundok area…

3. Take suggestions from the top finishers…I think it will help a lot…

Overall it was a nice event…Thank you salomon…

This was supposedly my revenge climb for failing to finish within cut off time last year but instead Pico De Loro once again humbled and even shamed me into taking a pick up truck ride back to the events venue at the 23rd km. at 12:30 noon. I took my revenge on sinigang na salmon instead. next year instead of 24 km mag-6km na lang ako. To bring home some consolation of having finished something legit sa Salomon.

There are very rare moments where I doubted myself if can successfully do something. Today, it is one of those moments. Salomon Xtrail Pilipinas 2014 was the toughest trail route I encountered ever since I started my running career. I was really close to fainting as I completed the race at 7 hours and 55 minutes for 32 kilometers mountain run category.

Having no finisher’s kit was okay for me since the race has a cut off time of 7 hours. But one thing is for sure as of the moment. I’ll never do Salomon Xtrail Pilipinas in the near future. Hahahaha.

Commendations:
* Race route is superbly HARDCORE and ELITE-ish.
* Hamilo Coast – Pico de Loro is very beautiful.

Recommendations:
* In NEED of additional hydration stations may it be on the top or on the foot of the mountain. There’s this one instance where runners are running for 6KMs and there’s no sign of hydration stations. It’s very risky and life threatening at the time.
* More trained marshalls. They should be equipped with proper way of delivering information as to where the route is heading. Marshalls should not cause confusion to runners with regards to directions.

#TimeForRecovery #IndiRunner #ohohleo #i626leo #Salomon #TrailRunning #SalomonXtrail #ThatInAllThings#GodMayBeGlorified #UOIGD

ang hirap ng route… inde pedeng hand held lang na hydration bottle… kailangan hydration bag tlaga… after tower trail ala na akong water, tas pag baba ng tower trail alang water… may water pero tubig dagat, tas pag dating mo dun may kubo na nakarelax lang ung mga taga roon, nag kakape pa… hehehe…

babawi ako next year… pero baka 12km lang… hehehe… ganda ng takbo na to and sarap mag beach pag tapos… :) ito na ang benchmark ng mahirap na pa-takbo, para sakin… hehehe… ang saya! revenge next year… :)

To the race organizers, please make sure that all details across all channels of communications are the same. On the event website (https://www.salomonxtrailpilipinas.com/), the 12k run was supposed to start at 6.30AM. We got to the starting line at 6.04AM to be told that 12k already started at 6AM. This is a simple matter — nothing to do with preparing a hard trail — but is nonetheless critical. I suggest that next year, you have one point person for all communications regarding the event and that person be responsible for all communication channels that you will be using.

Comments q lang sana hinabaan nila yun cut off . Mag test run sila. para alam naman nila kung ano sinapit natin lalo na sa mga naubusan ng tubig pag baba dalawang bundok pa for LAST WATER STATION!!!.. Sana may Banana rin..

OK yun MOUNTAIN RUN PATH wala ako reklamo don sa oras lng saka sa tubig yun lang…. Masaya lalo na yun Downhill para lang kaming tarzan…

Mas ok sana kung 4am nag start gun fire sa 32k then 4:30 yun 24k para naman d maabutan ng init..

THEN e2 last SANA hinayaan nila yun mga runners kahit na d pasok sa cut off na itapos yun buong race… fulfillment din yun para sa amin.. hindi yun sasabihan ka na tapos na po cut off deretcho na po kau sa finish line .. hindi yun after ng cut off nag sisialisan na mga mashals,,

14/500+ lang sa 24k category may medal… isa ako sa wala… pero for sure next yr meron na ako 1st run ko eto sa salomon great ultimate experience… sana maganda lng cut off next yr saka madami water station… yun lang GOOD JOB to organizer PINAHIRAPAN nyo kami NG TODO….

It is my first time to join the Salomon x-trail, I was able to join other trail runs before but this one is really tough. I’m at the 32k category and was able to finished with the time of 7H/30M, all the wrist lets are with me and when I reached the finish line I was way over 30 minutes and marked me as DNF. Is this how you will treat the finisher’s? someone should have advise us right before the cut-off time not to mention the extended time for 24k that seemed to be not fair and even no more finisher’s kit. Going back to the the trail run the flags are not visible anymore on some areas which made us lost our way, where are the martial by the way? and why is the water supply is so limited?
As they say there’s always room for improvement, just hope to see it next time…

i won’t whine about not getting a medal because I did not reach your cutoff time.

i wanted not to whine about the lack of water stations, but it says on your site:
https://www.salomonxtrailpilipinas.com/?start=6

“Hydration stations are spaced out around 2 to 3 km apart. They will be located prior to the ascents and after the descents. Hydration stations will provide both water and Gatorade.”

BUT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN.

what’s very disturbing is that Salomon Organizers PACKED UP AND LEFT even though runners were still up on the mountains!

is this how Salomon treats its participants in its events ACROSS THE GLOBE?!

its VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. tsk-tsk-tsk!

last year race, it was really tough… this year, it was tougher!!!!. we should be doing only the 24km run, but my buddies (team selfie) opted to go for 32km, for “level up daw”. By experience, we know that there will be problem about the hydration, its either you drink too much too soon that you’ll run out of supply along the way or there is no more water on the hydration area, kaya super tipid ako sa tubig (it made me realized how important water is) Ive had 2 energy gel, 3 energy bar to sustain lng ung “pag-akyat” not running.

It was good na nabago ung sequence ng bundok n inakyat nmin this year. nagulat agad ako that we need to traverse first the tower. i was expecting it to be the last.

For me, it is understood that upon joining this race, youll take the responsibility of whatever might happen to you.. Pero sana lng, for the organizer, im not asking to pamper the runners, but be considerate nmn. Ive had cramps along the way, and when i saw some marshals, i asked if they have some ointment. Sadly they only have pen and paper. I mean, ngdeploy n lng din nmn kau ng tao sa area, bakit di niyo pa sila pinaghanda man lng ng first aid kit.

im thankful that I was able to finished the race within the 7hours cut off time. I think lng that the cut off time should’ve been longer. If I remember it right, last year 24km cut off time is 6hrs (and it was extended 30mins, as far as i know). The 5hrs cut off time for 24km is really short. I saw some post, 14/500 runners only made it to the cut off time. Another, all runners who made it at the cut off km should’ve been allowed to finished the race if they want, hindi yung, patitigilin n lng since hindi n daw aabot sa cut off time. ksi, its how we gauge ourselves. its our basis for improvement and adjustment sa training.

Nevertheless, i consider this run as “the one to beat”. :-)

The cut-off time is unrealistic. Many elite runners didn’t make it to the cut-off time. Even those runners sponsored by Salomon didn’t make it to the cut-off period. I was first to DNF at KM5, not because of the route, but because of my poor planning of the race and inadequate time for my body to recover.

I agree with many of those who commented about doing a test run first.

This is a character building race with the climbs that is a really challenge and the descents that’s made for the fearless. It took me a long time but I’m glad to finish the race. Sharing my race review https://francramon.com/salomon-xtrail-run-2014-traillove/

I was given the opportunity to join salomon Xtrail run when my name was picked during race briefing of Pilipinas Akyathlon last February. I originally opted to run the 32K event but I requested to downgrade to 24K since I have a suceeding race this May. A few minutes before gunstart, I found out I had to run 32K since the admin was not informed of the downgrade and that it was too late already. Since I know I can finish the race, I decided to run the 32K. There were almost 150 runners during gunstart. As we descended the stony single track trail, a runner from a lower distance tripped behind me causing me to fall and hit face front on the rocky trail ground. Upon seeing blood on my left eye, she whistled for first aid or Marshall but no one came for help. I stood up, dabbed my eye and decided to run to the next aid station. After 2kms, I reached an aid station, but there was no medics. I sat down and iced my eye while I repeatedly asked the Marshall to contact the nearest medics. After 20 minutes, still there was no medics. The Marshall informed me that the ambulance was 4-5kms down the highway. Since there was little bleeding from my wound, I ran further the bike trail down the highway for medics. When I reached the highway, there were only Marshalls but still no medics nor first aid kit. Apparently, the Marshalls did not have any idea of their location and that they weren’t coordinated with any medics and other marshalls.
While I waited for the medics, another runner came complaining of dizziness. A lot of runners passed while I waited for medics for almost an hour.
The route was highly technical. There were no kilometer markers. Asking directions from the marshalls didn’t help either. They didn’t have any idea how far or how long is the location or the turnabout.
Most of the terrain were downhill along loose gravel with a handful of ropes to hold on to. Most of the time, runners either slide hands-free or take the risk of clinging onto tiny or thorny plants or shaky vines. We were like Jane and Tarzan clinging on to what ever we could hang on.
With almost one hour delay, I decided to finish the race no matter what. Together with a few runners, we moved on to finish line. Along the route, we spotted some runners who decided to give up and backtracked, some clamoring for a drop of water, some for medics and most for the sweeper to pick them. I reached the finishe line 30minutes after the cut-off time. I went straight to the medics, surprisingly they didn’t have any ointment for the minor cut so I had no choice but to ice it again. I had to get back immediately to BGC for medical attention.
I had fair training with the mountain trails of the Cordillera and had no single incident yet. I can say that although the trail runs are tough, I laud to the fact that it is safe enough for runners. Tall grasses are cut, visible markers are set and the trails are cleaned prior to race day. You’ll have villagers offering you water and food and cheering you on.

I am not a whiner nor a quitter and I am very much aware of that I should be responsible for my own safety but I guess it is equally the responsibility of the organizers to prioritize the safety of runners. This can be done by providing MEDICS and ENOUGh water in all stations and well-trained and informed directional marshalls. (It’s a wild jungle out there!)

For the first time, I felt real scare when it dawned on me that the Salomon Xtrail race almost cost my left-eye vision and perhaps a life changing circumstance in my running career.

Back in Baguio city, I went to see my Optha first thing in the morning. After thorough screening, I was declared clear from any eye impairment leaving me with a minor cut exactly on the dent of my left eyelid and several bruises on my knees and elbows. I still have to worry about the black eye in the next few days though…and two weeks of no running…
@kalyani-visionary runner

dapat nasa harap rin yung Finishers kit kasi sabi ng marshal wala daw yang Finishers kit, kaya madaming hindi naka kuha ng finishers kit… grabe naman kayo… kit na nga lang pinagdamot pa…. makukuha paba ng mga gustong mag avail nyang finishers kit nyo.. need responds at kung saan namin pwedeng kunin kung ibibigay pa ninyo sa amin….

I also availed of the shuttle service, and unfortunately I was in bus no 2 that got stuck in the middle of nowhere at around 2:30am on the way to Hamilo Coast. What is surprising is that- the host/representative did not give any instructions to the runners who were stuck. No apologies whatsoever. We had to get out on our own and in the middle of darkness waited for the other buses. Of course, most of us are in standing position for the rest of the ride to Hamilo.
I will definitely go back to Hamilo to enjoy the view and the beach but not to join another inadequately organized Xtrail. Surprisingly, the ORGANIZERS seem to be quiet about such issues…
@visionaryrunner

This is my first trail run and joined the 6k category. I enjoyed the run because the trail was challenging enough coupled with pain from my plantar fasciitis, PFPS and ankle sprain. I missed the cutoff by 4 minutes though so I will be back to conquer 12k! Please improve on these points so the runners can have a better experience: Bus schedules should be made available very early on to allow runners to decide appropriate mode of transport. Trail markers and trained marshals were sorely lacking. Gunstart time was changed at the last minute. Good thing I arrived early. Overall, I rate the event a 5 out of 10 simply because there were so many points that were not attended to. Races that I have joined that were organized by RUNRIO were almost flawless. You may want to engage them for next year.