JP Alipio: In it For the Long Run

Here runs a man who believes access to nature can change a nation.

If you’ve spent any time in the Philippine outdoor community, you’ve heard the name JP Alipio. He founded the Cordillera Conservation Trust, one of the country’s most respected and longest-running environmental organizations. He built the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, now a pilgrimage race for trail runners across the region and beyond. And years ago, he became one of the youngest Filipinos ever invited to join the National Geographic Society, recognized for his work in sustainable mountain development and conservation.

He has built trails, protected watersheds, uplifted villages, and introduced thousands of Filipinos to the outdoors through adventure. But for JP, the CMU has always been something deeper than an event. It’s a living network of people, mountains, and stories that shape and reshape each other every year.

“I think at this point, the CMU has a life of its own,” he says. “It exists for the mountains, for the villages, and for the runners who’ve made it their yearly pilgrimage.”

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The Roots of the Trail

For JP, the motivation behind the CMU has always been about more than racing. It’s about returning—returning to friendships, to landscapes, to a community that continues to grow with the mountains themselves.

“Some people I’ve known since our first races,” he says. “Holding the event each year gives them a reason to return to the Cordillera, and it gives me a chance to reconnect with everyone again.”

His work with the Cordillera Conservation Trust is inseparable from the race. The CMU was shaped by their belief that adventure and conservation can drive sustainable development in mountain communities. A decade ago, JP was explaining to local leaders in Mt. Pulag that trail running could create an “adventure economy.” Today, many of those communities are thriving.

“The results speak for themselves,” he says. “In places where we’ve done the race, we’ve raised household income significantly—enough to send kids to college, enough to build proper toilets, enough to change the direction of a village.”

Their homestay programs—now widely replicated—began as a way to shift income away from destructive farming practices. The impact is visible.

“These days, they’re successful entrepreneurs in their own right,” he says. “Seeing the next generation move away from forest-degrading commercial farming is a win for both the community and the environment.”

Building trust wasn’t instant. “Communities are always cautious when a new entity arrives,” JP explains. But over time, as the race became the biggest employer in some villages during race weekend, support grew. The race created opportunity—and connection.

“Storms pass, mountains heal, forests regrow. The path isn’t always clear—but it always reveals itself.”

Running With Purpose

For JP, trail running, conservation, and community development all flow from the same source: getting people outside.

“At the core of all this is getting people outdoors into nature,” he says. “You build a constituency around nature by letting people experience it.”

Through CMU and Cordillera Conservation Trust programs, he estimates they’ve helped introduce over 10,000 Filipinos to the outdoors. That exposure is powerful—it shapes advocates, unlocks empathy, and expands what people believe is worth protecting.

“Outdoor experiences shape advocacy,” he says. “We protect these playgrounds because they’re important to us.”

He’s clear-eyed about impacts. Trail running is, in his view, one of the lowest-impact mountain activities, especially in the tropics where vegetation heals fast. But he believes the bigger issue is access—and that the Philippines is moving in the wrong direction.

“We keep putting paywalls on nature,” he says. “How do you build a constituency for the outdoors when most Filipinos can’t afford to experience it?”

For JP, this isn’t idealism—it’s math.

“It costs the country very, very little to make our outdoor spaces free for everyone,” he argues. “And the return: health, tourism, gear purchases, food spending, stronger communities—is far greater than the cost.”

The Runners’ Experience

Ask him what makes the CMU special and he’ll answer fast: “The Cordilleras are a rare place. Beautiful mountains, deep culture—it’s really special.”

The race reflects that spirit. It is tough, scenic, and welcoming. The 15-hour cutoff for long courses is among the most generous in the world, giving beginners and veterans alike space to finish with dignity.

The route is crafted not just to challenge runners, but to connect them with the land and its people. Villages prepare the food. Locals serve as marshals. Trails pass through ridges, valleys, farms, and mountain homes.

“You get to see how people actually live in these deep mountain communities,” JP says. “That connection is intentional.”

There are countless stories over the years—tight podium battles, finish-line proposals, birthday runs. But what hits JP the hardest is generational continuity.

“When I see kids of the original runners joining the kiddie races—it’s special. That’s the future right in front of you.”

REGISTER to the Cordillera Mountain Ultra here

The Bigger Picture

After decades of trail work, advocacy, and exploration, JP has strong opinions on the direction of Philippine outdoor recreation. He believes access is the key that unlocks everything else.

“Most of our cities have no natural spaces. And then we charge people fees to access the wild ones we do have. That’s backwards.”

The outdoors needs to be free, he argues—not discounted, not regulated to death—just free.

“Access creates advocates. Without it, nature has no defenders.”

And what about the next generation?

“I hope they see past performance,” he says.
“Nature teaches us the way. Just being out there is enough to change people.”

Even JP doesn’t claim to be the same athlete he once was. “I’m getting older, creakier,” he laughs. But his love for exploration hasn’t dimmed. Three years ago, he took up kayaking, which gave him a new vantage point of the mountains—this time from the rivers that carve them.

“Going with the flow and not muscling through it—it’s a great teacher.”

The mountains, he says, have given him many lessons. But one stays with him.

“Storms pass. Mountains heal. Forests regrow,” he says. “The path isn’t often clear, but it always reveals itself eventually.”

For runners joining the CMU, he has three reminders:

“First: train. When you’re fit, you can actually enjoy where you are. Second: stop and look around. The mountains like to show off. Third: share your experience. The story of nature needs to be told so more people will join you next time.”

In JP’s world, the outdoors is not just a playground. It’s a teacher, an economy, a community, a responsibility. And as long as there are trails to explore and people willing to lace up and meet him there, he’ll keep building, running, and protecting the mountains that raised him.

Share this experience… the story of nature and the mountains must be shared so others become brave enough to join you the next time you come exploring.

REGISTER to the Cordillera Mountain Ultra here