THE BANAUE ULTRAMARATHON will be the Philippine Trail Running Championships on February 25-26, 2023.  This will be held in the mountain trails of the town of Banaue and nearby towns in Ifugao province.

This is the final Championship event which shall identify the Filipino athletes who will be part of the National Team for trail running under PhilTRA.  Selected runners from the different parts of the Philippines who are top ranked based on the three legs of the PHILTRA Championships series and other invited runners are expected to toe the starting line of the competitions. Please see the selection process at philtra.ph. Invitations will be sent on January 9, 2023

The event  shall have an open category as follows:

• 50K - P3,500 
• 25K – P2,500
• 12K – P1,200
• Kiddie Run – P600

Early bird rates for paid registration on or before December 20,2022 are 

• 50K - P3,000
• 25K – P2,000
• 12K – P1,000

All participants will get event shirts, medals and post race meals. 

Please see event rules, terms and conditions.  This will updated on this page and notifications will be sent via email.

The event also aims to support the local economy in Banaue by employing locals as the event crew, promoting the homestays and tourist attractions as side-activities, providing food to participants, among others. The event also aims to take new trail runners to their first mountain trail experience in the beautiful trails of the North.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines and are considered to be the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by many Filipinos. The terraces are carved in the mountains of Ifugao and were most likely done by hand. There have been rice terraces in the mountainous regions of Ifugao and northern Luzon Island for over 2,000 years.

The terraces were first constructed as a practical solution to the problem of growing rice on land that falls away in front of you at vertigo-inducing angles. The terraces soar to around 1500m above sea level and, since they are located in one of the most remote parts of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, it takes a bit of a trek to get there, a fact that seems to deter the usual cavalcade of coach-bound tourists.

We would like to take the participants to the breathtaking views of the terraced valleys, the natural waterfalls in the area, allow them to experience walking on foot across the rice paddles surrounded with beautiful scarlet wild flowers. These experience will give anyone a deeper appreciation of the hand of those who built this and the locals who have been

maintaining this natural wonder of the world. This event aims to be at par with the world’s best in outdoor endurance sports

All participants are entitled to an event shirt.   However, we believe that not everyone may want one. Participants have the option to choose not to receive a shirt and instead P500 will be donated to the Philippine Trail Running National team on their behalf. Please choose No shirts during registration.

All finishers will receive a medal upon crossing the finish line.  However, we believe that not everyone may want one.  Participants have the option to choose not to receive a medal and instead P200 will be donated to the Philippine Trail Running National team on their behalf. Please choose No medal during registration.

1. It is the athlete’s responsibility to understand and know the rules and regulations before entering the course and participating in the competition.

2. Cut off time is 15 hours for 50K and 8 Hours for 21km and 4 Hours for 12km; failure to finish the race within the cut off time will mean a DNF (Did Not Finish) status on the race result.

3. Elite Racers will be released ahead

4. Athletes are not allowed to race bare chested. We must respect the culture of the people living in the race area. Failure to comply to this rule might result in disqualification from the race.

5. Athletes are required to report to the start area at least 30 minutes prior to the start of their designated wave. Reporting too late can result in not being able to start at all, or having to start in a later start group. The organization can decide if the time for starting later will be compensated or not.

6. For those parts of the course that public roads are used, athletes must respect traffic regulations and behave like (running) pedestrians are expected to behave.

7. Deliberately blocking other competitors progress will result in disqualification.

8. There will be no (time) compensation in case the competitor is blocked by another competitor, official, any other person or anything else.

9. Athletes are required to provide and accept assistance from other competitors in distress, whose safety, is endangered and/or who require medical assistance, up and until the moment this role has been taken over by volunteers or medical staff.

10. Outside assistance:

• Limited outside assistance is allowed from another athlete competing in the same event.
• No outside assistance is allowed from any person not competing in the same event. These include but are not limited to spectators, friends, family, volunteers, support crew, photographers, police or marshals

11. Athletes are obligated to:

• Know, understand and follow the rules and regulations at all times
• Practice good sportsmanship at all times
• Be responsible for their own safety and the safety of others
• Obey instructions from race officials and event staff at all times
• Treat other athletes, officials, volunteers, media, sponsors and spectators with respect and courtesy
• Not dispose litter or equipment on or around the course except at clearly designated places. All items must be kept with the athlete and disposed of appropriately at the end of the race
• Not attempt to gain unfair advantages in any way
• Have to be present at the briefing which starts 1 hour before the first start group starts.

There will be Water refilling stations along the Race Course It’s a must that you bring your own water bottle or Hydration packs to ensure proper hydration all throughout the race, no paper cups will be provided during the race and racers will be required to refill their own hydration system from the water containers provided in the stations.

50km: Each racer must be self-contained/ self-reliant complete with the following mandatory items:

• · Headlamp with extra battery
• · Jacket
• · Hydration bottle/ pack (at least 1.5L)
• · Trail food/ water
• · First aid kit
• · Whistle
• · Emergency blanket

25km: Each racer must be self-contained/ self-reliant complete with the following mandatory items:

• · Headlamp with extra battery
• · Jacket
• · Hydration bottle/ pack (at least 800ml)
• · Trail food/ water
• · Whistle
• · Emergency blanket

12km: Each runner must be self-contained/ self-reliant. Complete with the following mandatory items:

• · Hydration bottle/ pack (at least 800ml)
• · Water
• · Whistle
• · Trail Food (optional)
• · Jacket (Optional)
• · Emergency blanket

NOTE: These mandatory items will be inspected upon check-in at the starting line and during the race. Mandatory items may change depending on the weather and trail condition.

Participants should prepare and gear up for the high altitude and cold weather conditions in the mountain trails.

1. Numbers must be worn on the front of the body. Cutting numbers or altering with sponsor stickers is not allowed. There will be a warning for not having your number on the front of your body, second infraction will be a 2 minute penalty. A 10-minute penalty will be assessed for losing your run number.

2. Personal Audio/Music Devices: No type of sound/music device is allowed during competition. Examples: no headsets, tape players, CD players, MP3 players or 2-way radios may be worn.

3. Cutting the course: Short-cutting and/or cutting trail switchbacks or course is not permitted and may result in disqualification. A runner is required to stay on the designated trail that is marked and or specified as the racecourse. It is the runner's responsibility to know the designated racecourse. Lack of tape or barrier on the course will not be constituted as an excuse for cutting course.

4. Mandatory gear and equipment should be brought the whole time during the run.

1. Protests of any nature must be submitted within one hour of the finish time of the person lodging the protest. Protests must be submitted in writing and signed by the accuser. Saying somebody cut the course is not good enough – it must be written and described as accurately as possible. All protests will be investigated.

2. Because of the nature of off road races, it is not always possible to see infractions.

3. This race is in the woods, out of sight and marshalled only where necessary. In every case there will need to be verification of the infraction. Officials will not be drawn into a “hear-say” argument.

Penalties will be determined by the severity of the infraction. The minimum penalty will always be 10 minutes. The maximum penalty will be disqualification from the results of the event and/or a loss of prize money.

 Athletes should observe health and safety protocols prescribed by the Health and Safety Officer and the government.

February 25 -

8am - Tour Run

10am - Race Kit Claiming

2pm - Race Briefing

February 26 - 

1am - 50k

4am  - 25k

6am - 12k

7am - Kiddie Run

Schedule may change which will be updated here.

The event shall ensure that: 

• It respects and conserve nature, its flora and fauna, natural habitats and landscapes.
• It will aim to Integrate sustainability into event organization.
• Preserve and protect our trails and keep them litter-free.
• Reduce waste at source and support recycling.
• Reduce the event’s carbon footprint.
• Raise awareness of participants, volunteers, sponsors, suppliers and partners (collectively, “stakeholders”) about the importance of an environmentally friendly approach.

With this, we will implement an option for participants who prefer not to receive their medals and event shirts.  In exchange,  a donation will be made for  them for the funds of the Philippine Trail Running Team for 2023.

Philtra will also launch a pre-loved project in relation to our local grassroots program.  

Elite Category - Top 5 male and Female

Open Category - Top 3 per Age Group 

19 and below, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59,60 and above 

categories with less than 3 participants will be merged. 

Winners will receive tokens and sponsor prizes.  There will be cash prizes for the elite categorY.