By HENRY EMPEÑO | 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Subic plays host this weekend to Salomon X-trail, reputedly one of the toughest trail-running races in Asia today.

The race, which is organized by Primer Group of Companies and Extribe, Inc., takes off on July 22 at the El Kabayo Stables here and is expected to take participants along some of the wildest, wettest, and most wearying nature trails in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Salomon X-trail will involve two race categories – the Trail Run category for beginners with 6-km and 12-km distances, and the more technical Mountain Run designed for experienced runners with 24-km and 32-km distances.

But whatever the distance, the event will test runners’ wit and grit to traverse and conquer different terrain surfaces—a mixture that sets the Salomon X-trail series apart.

In Subic at this time of the year, that translates to rocky dirt roads, muddy mountain trails, swollen streams, slippery slopes, and overgrown grasslands, said SBMA Tourism Manager Jem Camba.

“These trails might be technical and challenging to some, but they will always showcase the beauty of the forests, rivers and mountains in the Subic Bay Freeport,” Camba said.

She added that the scenic race courses in Subic provides the biggest drawing power of this free port which also hosted the Century Tuna Ironman Philippines 2018 last month, kicking off the start of the rainy-day run season here with the first full-distance Ironman to be held in the country.

For the Salomon run, organizers said they expect around 3,000 local and foreign participants this year for the Luzon leg that will be held in Subic.

After this, the race will go to Davao on August 12 for the Mindanao leg, and to Iloilo on September 16 for the Visayas leg.

The upcoming Salomon Xtrail is one of the most anticipated races today, as it is reputed to be a more technical trail running race, with a mixture of different terrain surfaces including dirt, rocks, sand and concrete paths.

It is held throughout Southeast Asia with countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines hosting the event.

TOP PHOTO: Ayta tribesmen watch as runners set off in last year’s edition of the Salomon Xtrail at the Pastolan Ayta village in the Subic Bay Freeport (Photo by Jun Dumaguing)