TNF100: A Riveting Trail Run

L-R: Tagaytay Highland’s Alfredo labadan II, TNF Regional Brand Manager Ken Co, Majo Liao, TNF100 Female Champion, Primer Group AVP Dinah Yau Lim

The TNF100 was staged in Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna for the first time this year and winded through the scenic ridges of Tagaytay and through the rugged foothills of Talisay in Batangas. The runners were met with some of the most craggy and undulating hills that veteran trail runners have ever encountered!

At the start (22k) with Franc Ramon and the Running Atom

To say that the 100k run or even the 50k distance was very challenging is the understatement of the year! It can only be described as an epic pain in the arse ultra trail run as it was utterly debilitating even demoralizing at some points, according to my friends who ran both distances. True enough, statistics would tell. Out of the 231 starters of the 100km race, only 49 were able to finish the distance while for the 50k runners, a better percentage of 121 runners completed it out of a total of 162.

For the shortest event, the 22k distance, 458 runners finished out of a total of 570 runners. Results of the race could be found here: http://www.thrillofthetrail.ph/finishers

As a consolation, many of the veteran runners who have ran the 3 previous TNF100k stagings in Baguio said that the present course in Nuvali is trickier and more arduous than those staged in the former venue. The very hot and humid weather at Nuvali proved to be the downfall of many participants!

Assault to AS7

AS7

Clearly, the course was not designed for the average trail runner. And contrary to what many perceived as an easy course compared to that of its previous Baguio venue, this year’s TNF100 was a monster route, not designed so that everyone can easily finish. Many runners, took the course very lightly and few were prepared to race on one of the most technical trail routes for this event.

So while the ultra distances were very tough, one would expect that the short 22 km distance (which i participated in as a media/blogger observer) would also have its own bells and whistles of a killer course. Surprisingly, it was tame, very manageable and with as little a challenge as doing a speed training run on the roads. The course is mainly on single tracks with some parts surrounded by lush greenery, a small stream and some gentle rolling slopes of both ground and concrete.

I was able to run two-thirds of the distance with 3 other wonderful female trail runners, Vanessa who i was able to train with during the Mt. Marami Trail Test Run a few weeks ago, her friend, Tess and a hiker and mountaineer, Marissa. I sort of set the pace of doing a run-walk method which worked out really good because it kept us from walking too long or running too fast. It also let whomever was leading to choose when they wanted to walk, and for how long. Mostly it was just the steep hills that we would walk, but later in the race we started to walk a bit more (and laugh a lot more). Just keep on moving, that was our only goal– to finish the race before cut-off time.

L-R: Marissa, moi, Tess and Vanessa

And finished we did… more than an hour before cut-off time and it was great finishing the 4 of us with our hands clasped together as we crossed the finish line! It was reminiscent of my Mt. Sembrano Trail Run Challenged when i crossed the finish line with 2 other female runners.

With trail runner friend, Ricky Francisco

We start as a group of people…we finish as a group of friends!

Thanks to Aileen Frugal, Media Relations Officer of the Primer Group of Companies for inviting me to run and observe the TNF100 proceedings, to the organizers and volunteers for putting together an outstanding race and to all the runners who toed the line, finished or not—job well done, guys!

TNF100 2015: Elevate yourself
The North Face 100 hosted the boldest trail running competition of the season, gathering the country’s top ultra-marathon runners to best it out in the Nuvali-Batangas challenge.

For five decades, The North Face remains to be the leading outdoor brand that supplies authentic, technically-innovative outdoor gear and apparel for active lifestyle enthusiasts. Whatever may be the nature of one’s outdoor inclinations, one can always find an extensive range of outdoor essentials at TNF.

Going beyond its position, at the heart of TNF is ensuring that outdoor recreation continues to flourish which ultimately inspires the brand to innovate as well as to reach out to various outdoor communities whether by sponsoring top athletes or raising the bars of a sport through its groundbreaking events. And one of the which is the biggest trail-running competition of the season, The North Face 100 or TNF100.

Hailed as the most challenging test of endurance for hardcore runners, TNF 100 was inspired by the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc race in Europe, a single stage mountain ultramarathon that takes place once a year in the Alps, of which the main sponsor is also The North Face.

Like the UTMB which is widely regarded as the most difficult foot race in Europe, it is TNF’s mission to elevate the standards of the community and urge runners to defy their limits. Once more, TNF100 did exactly that as it hosted the Philippine-leg of the competition last June 12 to 13 at Nuvali, Tagaytay, and Batangas.

With the first-ever TNF100 Philippines held in 2008, the race had gone from merely having a hundred participants to nearly 2,000 as it has come to be most highly anticipated trail running event that offers a truly unique experience and immensely challenging terrain. Over the years, TNF100 have had races in challenging and diverse terrains including ones in Clark, Batangas, Camsur, and Baguio, Benguet. This year, the route began and ended at Nuvali in Sta. Rosa Laguna, and encompassed the scenic trails of Tagaytay and Cavite all the way to Talisay, Batangas.

The race was divided into three categories – 100km solo, 50km solo, and 22km solo – for both men and women. On Day 1, the 100k began at exactly 4:00am while the 50km began at 5:00am which required runners to traverse the trail of Nuvali. Meanwhile, Day 2 saw the most competitive runners test their mettle as they race to the finish line from Nuvali all the way to Talisay, Batangas and back to Nuvali. The following day, another batch of runners gathered at 5am for the 22km race.

In the end, the toughest and most enduring runners stood out as they proved to be the very epitome of defying one’s limits. Recognizing what could be the most pivotal point of their trail running experience, the winners were awarded with medals and trophies as well as big cash prizes and TNF products to to equip them with the necessary resources they would need to continuously defy their own limits and elevate the community in the process.

Once more, TNF has held a wildly successful event that brought together the entire community of runners for a two day celebration of their unified passion for the sport and the great outdoors. The TNF100 2015 marks another significant milestone for the brand and the community as it paves the way for two important things. One of which is to showcase the breath-taking landscapes of the country to inspire everyone to go outside and explore and secondly, TNF had once again took part in raising awareness for the sport and elevating the community to a whole new level as it hosts a bigger and bolder race each year.

The North Face 100 was made possible in partnership with NUVALI, SEDA Hotel Nuvali, AXN, Gatorade & Summit as it’s official hydration sponsors, the Primer Group of Companies, R.O.X., Department of Tourism, LGUs of Laguna, Cavite and Batangas, Tagaytay Highlands, Municipalities of Canlubang, Tagaytay and Talisay . Thanks also to our media partners Business Mirror, Business World, Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, MB Sports Digest, Speed Magazine, and Men’s Health.

(Press Release)