Cebuano trail runners conquer race of a lifetime in the Alps
CEBU, Philippines — Cebuano trail runners Terence Nicolas Go and Anwar Satina felt so joyful and incredibly proud of themselves after they conquered the Hoka Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) TDS, the most competitive trail ultramarathon in the world passing through Mont the highest mountain in Western Europe.
For the 41-year-old Go, finishing the grueling high altitude foot race with a total distance of 145 kilometers and an estimated elevation gain of over 9,300 meters that kicked off in Courmayeur, Italy and ended at the Chamonix Valley in the French Alps was a dream come true.
“This is one of my dream races and lifelong goal that someday I’ll become a finisher. As added motivation, my batchmate Afshin Ghassemi, asked me to do this for a greater purpose which is to run for a cause. I’m running this to help others through 2kcares.org. This really pushed me to focus and train harder to get this done. I’m so happy that I did it,” Go shared.
“Dreams do come true but the real hero of this journey is my family especially my wife Aren who is my rock and my kids who give me inspiration everyday to be a better human being. Thank you to all who followed my journey, cheered, supported and helped me in anyway especially people who supported 2kcares.org. Never stop believing!” Go added.
The father of four said the race was not for the faint-hearted. Even though the views were spectacular, the technical rocky terrains made it more difficult to hurdle.
“The climbs were steep and very long, most of the time, exposed to heat and strong winds at above tree line. This also equates to steeper, longer downhills which is a quad buster. Every step was unforgiving,” Go added.
“Coming from an island with no big mountains, I have to dig deeper mentally and fight each step to the finish line. I was also battling sleep deprivation since I finished at 38 hours, 29 minutes, and 51 seconds. I had to be extra cautious and focused every step of the way especially on the high part of the mountains with single track terrain in order not to fall off from the side of the mountain.’
In the end, hurdling the tough challenge was a surreal experience for Go.
“Every step was hard but at the same time, I found peace and joy while I was there. I will not forget this experience because of its authenticity, respect to everyone, solidarity, friendship, community and raw beauty of nature,” he continued.
For his part, the United Kingdom-based Satina was similarly happy for being able to push himself to the limit by completing the 57-kilometer UTMB Orsières-Champex-Chamonix race.
“I ran the race to challenge myself what I am really capable of. I got to know who I am when in difficult situation. I nearly conceded defeat but every time I think of giving up, my heart is telling me to keep going,” said Satina.
“This was by far my toughest race since joining ultra marathons. I have previously done five 50K ultra marathons in the UK, so I thought I was prepared for this one but I was wrong. The mountains of the Swiss and French Alps are of a different level. No wonder why they hold the world championships for ultra trail runners every year here in Chamonix. I have learned so much about this experience running in Chamonix, not only I got to know myself more but it’s the respect from your fellow ultra runners and the crowds that cheer you on.”
Like Satina, the UTMB adventure was a humbling experience that taught Go several lessons in life.
“I’m humbled by this experience for the reason that nature is bigger than we are. In all sense, we can’t exist without nature. It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of myself as I learned to be focused and more determined. We are all capable of more than what we believe we can,” Go ended.