Inaugural trail run sets framework for community-based sports events in Apayao

What began as a founding anniversary activity may become a template for community-based sports tourism in Apayao.

The first Marag Valley Trail Run, staged on February 21 as part of the province’s 31st Founding Anniversary, drew runners from within Apayao and neighboring provinces including Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Cagayan. For the Office of the Vice Governor, which led the organization of the event under Vice Governor Kyle Mariah Chelsea S. Bulut-Cunan, the turnout exceeded initial projections.

Besides participation numbers, the run demonstrated the viability of Marag Valley as a venue for endurance events. The terrain offered challenge and visual appeal, while local vendors and service providers benefited from the influx of visitors who arrived ahead of race day.

Provincial organizers are now studying the possibility of conducting similar runs in other identified sites in Apayao. The approach aims to distribute activity to different municipalities, giving communities an opportunity to host events that generate movement in small businesses, transport services, and food stalls while advocating public interest in fitness.

Marag Valley carries historical significance as well. During the closing program, Apayao Lone District Representative Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang joined 2LT Bonifacio Marquez (Ret) and Col. Walfrido Felix Querubin (Ret), among the liberators of Marag Valley, in recalling the area’s past. The presence of veterans during a modern athletic event stressed how spaces once defined by conflict can now host gatherings focused on health and community.

Participants described the course as physically demanding, mentioning steep segments and uneven ground. Many welcomed the challenge, seeing that organized trail events encourage regular training and discipline among young athletes.

For the province, the trail run had clear operational value. It tested local capacity to mount outdoor sporting events, introduced Marag Valley to visiting runners, and signaled a bigger direction. That is to link wellness programs with tourism development in ways that are practical and community-based.

If sustained, the Marag Valley Trail Run may become a recurring fixture, aside from being simply as a race, but as part of a long-term effort to position Apayao lands as working venues for sports, local enterprise, and public engagement.