1st MMF Gravity Race

Racing is back at Teban Trail in DRT, Bulacan for a gravity race with the Kandila Gravity Riders, a few hundred riders, great weather and mega dirt. Not a bad Sunday with all of the best MTB has to offer.

WELCOME BACK

The pandemic has been hard on every industry — from entertainment to office workers and all the way to sports and sporting events. It feels like a very long time since we’ve had a race where almost EVERYONE was a part of or back, at the very least there to cheer each other on.

Last October 17, a Sunday, the inaugural Mayor Marie Flores Gravity Race brought out over 300 riders (229 finished) from 19-below, all the way to 50-up. Undeniably, it was an awesome day of riding and thankfully the weather cooperated and no one was seriously injured.

“We were just overwhelmed with joy,” Adler Paulino, one of the organizers and co-founder of Teban Trail, “we were worried no one would come, it’s a relatively new trail, Teban is about 6 months old and it’s pretty far.” Judging by the attendance, it looks like Adler had nothing to worry about after all, he joined the race as well, riding his YT Capra all the way to a cool 14th in his category.

TEBAN TRAIL

Teban Trail is on Mt. Lumot, around 500m above sea level and admittedly, when Adler first found it and with Larry Laya, experienced digger — a Patiis veteran, they thought it was a literal long shot. Adler tells us that they “just started digging and riding back then. It’s at 3.4 kms now, but we’re still digging, still working on it, 24/7 with the team.” Their goal is to build the longest gravity trail in the country, in time, turning DRT Bulacan into the MTB Capital of the Philippines. “Again, it’s only 6 months old,” Adler laughs.

The organizers were expecting at least a hundred to join, which of course was exceeded by more than triple, which the team took in stride, “I have such a great team,” he admits, “and when so many people showed up the hype, the energy was just so great, the vibe was super.” And the racing was, too. Unofficially, there are plans for a second race with additional lines by December or January next year, “so that people will be excited about riding new parts”, Adler says.

RACING CORONA

All in all, despite the obvious challenge of the pandemic, it was a successful and epic Sunday of racing and riding. With lots of smiles going around, safety and health was the primary focus not just for the organizers, but for everyone at the race as well, whether they were there to ride or to cheer their friends on. Rest assured, the organizers did their best in making sure everyone followed protocol.

The competition itself was dialed as well, with WJC Timing taking care of the timekeeping, making sure that every split-second that mattered got measured right and measured tight. The usual suspects were all present, from the local legends to the up-and-coming heroes, riders from every age, skill-level, size, and shape showed up and made it happen.

For full results, head over to WJC’s Facebook post HERE.