Score a Grandmaster Point at Santa Ines Mountain Adventure

Runners seeking more Grandmaster Quest points should draw a red circle around Saturday, 8 February 2025. That’s the date of the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure Run in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. Alternating with Bagtit Ultra on our ATM calendar, this event is organised by The Pace Republic and 4-star Grandmaster Rhea Batac herself. The main race category is the 80km , that’s also the Grandmaster race distance. Please note that this is a Grandmaster-only race, i.e. there are no points to be scored for the ATM Championship ranking.

Santa Ines is about a 2h drive from Manila City and therefore quite convenient. Grab cars will take you there. However, the race start is scheduled for 4 am so make sure you arrange accordingly. The event was a Candidate in 2022 and a points race in 2023. From both occasions, we learnt that the 80k should certainly not be underestimated. This is a race to come prepared for, with several technical sections and many river crossings, some narrow, some wide. Accoriding to Rhea Batac, the 2025 course will be amended here and there compared to 2023 and this is still work in progress. Below you can see the profile of back then with Mount Irid as the highest peak of the race at about 1500m above sea level. Total elevation gain is estimated at 4500 hm.

The winners in 2023 were Elmer Retolado and Elizabeth Dangadan.

It is recommended to follow the official facebook page - linked below- to stay up-to-date with the latest news about the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure. Registration is opening soon.