Sta Fe Trail Run

Date of Race: January 17, 2016
Location: Ampucao, Benguet
Distance: 10K
Organized by: Frontrunner

Sta Fe Trail Run brings the runner to one of the most beautiful sites in Ampucao, Itogon. It had 10K runners doing an out and back to the Philex Ridge. It had the 21K runners climbing a steep Sta Fe trail back to Ampucao.

Front Runner organizes the Sta Fe trail run yearly. It features the Ampucao, Mount Ulap and Sta Fe Trail. It’s a really a scenic race route that include panoramic views of the cordillera mountain range. The 10K was an out and back to Ampucao Ridge while the 21K had to descend to the Sta Fe Trail Head and traverse the trail back to Ampucao. We opted for the 10K distance since we were just barely warming up for the new race year.

Race Route and Elevation Profile

Race Route is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

Elevation Profile is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

The Race Starts at Ampucao Elementary School and heads to Philex Road before entering the trail head at Km. 1. The next two kilometers is inside a pine tree forest with a total steep ascent of about 300 meters. The trail then enters the ridge for the next 1 kilometers with a rolling terrain. The climb resumes at kilometer 4 with a 80 meter climb hitting the u-turn slot at the Ampucao Ridge. The race then heads back to Ampucao Elementary School.

The Race

It was a cold day for a race with January being among the colder month in the region. The race just had the right amount of participants so the trails won’t be too congested. 21 Kilometer runners were sent off at around 5:30 am and we were sent off at 5:45 am. I made a mental note to try to catch sunrise by the ridge at around 6:30 am.

The first 3 kilometers is a long climb. The first goal was surpassing the first 3 kilometers climb the ridge area. Since the first kilometer on the road, it was a fast start for the most of us. The trails were a bit slippery owing to the early morning moisture in the soil. I took the climb at a more relaxed pace. I tried to be consistent on the climbs and rest up a bit on the flat areas.

The next two kilometers were on forested single track pine tree trail. The fresh scent of pine accentuated by the early morning dew made this stretch a lot better. There were certain areas giving you peeks of the mountains but the beauty of the area were the pine trees. There were sections that had steep and slippery ascent so I had to trust the traction of my shoes as well as use some stones for additional balance. There are also areas where the climb is moderate. This is where I try to speed up and recover. Whenever I feel tired, I will just remind myself that things will be easier once I hit the ridge part of the race.

Hello Sunrise!

I was at the ridge area around 45 minutes into the race. It was just in time for that wonderful view of sunrise. It was my reward for enduring about 300 meters worth of climb. The ridge area also had a more tolerable rolling terrain but what makes this area special is the panoramic views of the mountains. You have the trail view in front of you, the mountains view on both sides and the view of the rich pine tree reserve below you.

The next kilometer was a rolling terrain. The climbs here felt easier coming from a long climb. I tried to insert some runs on this stretch and would just slow down on some stretch that’s a bit technical. There are some deep ravines in some stretches and any misstep could mean falling. I just love running this stretch with the wonderful views and the cold breeze.

It was back to climbing at Kilometer 4. It shifts to a more technical route with some rocks and rock formation in between. Since it was slower moving here because of the technical surface, it didn’t feel as exhausting as the first climb. It was also great seeing runners on their way back either cheering you on or greeting you, good morning.

Heading Back

I was able to reach the ridge area, which was the halfway mark of the race. The ridge was still slippery at this time so I just appreciated the view from a far. I then went on my way back. The second half of the race was easier compared since it would be mostly descent. I waited to pass the technical part of the course before I started running again.

It was nice seeing cows along the route too. I adjusted my strides depending on the steepness of the descent and the type of surface. If it’s a bit steep, I try to be more careful. There were also several ascent so had to slow down on those areas.

Last 3 Kilometers of the Race

I was counting down the remaining kilometers. I was back in the Pine Tree forested trails at kilometer 7. It was all down hill from there. There were also trekkers along the route but they did give way to the runners on the trail.

The elevation is steep going down. I also get cautions on steep descent especially if it’s also slippery. A steep descent is as dragging as a steep climb. It’s just less tiring. I reached the end of the trail and back on the road surface for the final kilometer of the race. I went on a run – walk set until the finish line to finish just a few minuted before the cut-off. There was a post race breakfast, which is one of the things I love with local races here. There’s a community feel in it. Great Job Frontrunner for the race.