HOKA brings back trail running

MANILA, Philippines —  Close to 100 runners, among them prominent mountaineer Romi Garduce,  tackled recently the exciting five-kilometer Timberland Mountain Bike Park course wearing the versatile and popular (All-Terrain Running) 7 shoes.

HOKA Run Club members and friends ran the route that began with an uphill 900-meter concrete road entering the trails, passing through a gauntlet of fire roads, lush vegetation,  mud and gravel, before returning to the area where they began.

The scene would have made Frenchmen Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-luc Diard, the co-founders of HOKA – meaning “To Fly” in the Maori language – proud considering their business began in 2009 creating shoes known for their being lightweight, comfort, stability and durability for the rigors of trail running.

“It is good trail running is back. Something that is both enjoyable but in a different running environment,” noted Garduce, the first Filipino mountaineer to climb “The Seven Summits,” including Mount Everest in Nepal.

“We want to draw more runners to hit the trails and experience a different form of running. For runners and nature lovers as well, this course is good exposure to the unique challenges that comes with the sport,” said HOKA Philippines representative Sharon Salvacion.