Malico Grand Ultra took place for the second time last weekend featuring a 75km race course with a Grandmaster point for all finishers on offer. Brought to you by Mark Caldez of Marcado Trail Quest and the Maharlika Series team of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the event took place in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio. The 75km is a challenging course with four distinct peaks to conquer, for a total elevation gain of over 4000 hm. Conditions matter, but runners also always learn and this year’s winners were significantly faster than last year. Jordan Bugnay was the rather surprising man on the top step of the podium, winning in 12h32 - well ahead of established ATM competitors Sean Aying and Maynard Encornal. For Sean Aying, finishing Malico meant scoring his 15th GM point , which now makes him a 3-star Grandmaster!

Strongest woman was Ann Jilian Pulanco, who managed to outpace Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez in 16h21. Whenever Grandmaster Pulanco decides to compete and race, she is always a victory contender. In 2023 she also won Sierra Madre. At Malico a year ago, she was preceeded by Michella Aradanas, however. Julieann Morales was 10th in last season’s ATM Championship with three wins inside the Philippines during the season. The first ATM Championship points race of Season 10 is coming up on the first weekend of March in Bukidnon, the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra’s 55km race.

Brought to you by Mark Caldez of Marcado Trail Quest and the Maharlika Series team of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the second edition of Malico Grand Ultra in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio, offers a Grandmaster point to all finishers of the 75km race on 18/19 January. The event was a Candidate Race in 2024.

As of the new Season 10 and following popular demand, a number of events on our calendar will only offer Grandmaster finisher points and no ATM Championship points. Malico Grand Ultra is the third of these.

Stunning panoramic views of Villa Verde ridges and pine forests, Malico Grand Ultra offers a unique blend of history, challenge, and natural beauty. Run through trails that were once significant battlegrounds during World War II. Immerse in the tranquil surroundings of Cabalisian River and move across the Andalasi hanging bridge to witness the crystal-clear waters of Ambayaoan River. Meanwhile, do not forget to take in the breathtaking mountain views of Mt. Ugo and Mt. Pigingan. One of the main highlights in the 75k category is the exhilarating downhill adventure at Mt. Valdez, that will undoubtedly challenge your skills and endurance. In fact, the 2024 edition showed this is a tough 75km that should not be underestimated. Miguel Carranza won the men’s race in 15h39’ and he is by no means mediocre! Carraza even preceeded other established technical trail runners such as Bhert Orpiada and Sai Tonog II. The women’s race had a surprising winner in Michella Aradanas, who managed to outpace Ann Jilian Pulanco.

Another element participants in the 75km GM distance should prepare for is the cold weather. It is January and close to Baguio, you will need more than just a running tee at night!

Registration for the event is open. Please go to RaceTech PHI to sign up. Event details can be obtained via the official facebook page.

Winners of the 2024 Candidate Race

Malico Grand Ultra in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio, was held for the first time as an ATM Candidate Race last weekend. Organised by the Maharlika Team that also brings you Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in March, Malico turned out to be quite a tough and technical course with the 75 km long distance winner requiring 15h39’ to complete the distance. Miguel Carranza is not a soft cookie, though! The weather was cold in parts, but Carranza likes long ultras and was in his element to take the measure of a strong Bhert Orpiada, who took second and Sai Tonog II , one of last year’s Filipino protagonists who narrowly missed out on qualification for the ATM Final. One of the Finalists and pre-race favourites, Avelino Versola III suffered from hypothermia in the cold weather and decided to DNF with a long season ahead.

A great newcomer on the ultra distance has won the women’s Candidate Race: Michella Aradanas! She managed to outpace none other than last year’s Sierra Madre winner Ann Jilian Pulanco on the technical terrain. Pulanco came second. As you can hear in the post-race chat, Aradanas has a background in ultra cycling and bodybuilding training, so the basic fitness level is clearly there!

The next Filipino Candidate Race is already coming up in 2 weeks in Cebu: Danao City Ultra Marathon, which will have several big names at the start. The first ATM Championship points race in the Philippines will be Bagtit Ultra next month, followed relatively quickly by Mt Kalatungan Ultra and Sierra Madre Trail in March. The first quarter is indeed the trail high season in the country.

The men’s Top 3 on the Podium of the 75 km race with Miguel Carranza as winner

Michella Aradanas scored a nice win of AJ Pulanco in one of her first ultra races

Last year’s Sierra Madre winner Ann Jilian Pulanco had to settle for second

The first ATM-affiliated event in 2024 is a new Candidate Race in the Philippines: Malico Grand Ultra in Santa Maria West, San Nicolas, Pangasinan on the weekend of 13/14 January. Organised by the Maharlika Trail Series team that also brings you the great new ATM points race Sierra Madre Trail in March. Malico Grand Ultra has more race categories than the aforementioned, but 75km is also its longest distance. Less ambitious runners can aim for 42km, 21km or 10km.

Pangasinan is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon, and basically south of Baguio on the map. International runners can fly to Manila or also to Clark, if available from your port of origin. The race uses some historical trails of Villa Verde, as you can see in the images below this is a very scenic region. The cut-off time for the 75km is 20 hours, so just like Sierra Madre you better have some preparation in the legs before you take the start.

Registration is open via RaceTecPH , which you can access via the event facebook page and webpage. Please also make sure you fulfill all conditions of entry and have the mandatory gear at your disposal.