HOKA went back to its trail running roots as close to 100 runners, including prominent mountaineer Romi Garduce, tackled the exciting five-kilometer Timberland Mountain Bike Park course wearing the versatile and popular HOKA Challenger ATR (All-Terrain Running) 7 shoes over the weekend.

On a bright early Sunday morning, HOKA Run Club members and friends ran a thrilling 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.

“It’s good that the sport of trail running is now making a return. It’s something that is both enjoyable but in a different running environment,” said Garduce, the first Filipino mountaineer to climb “The Seven Summits,” including the towering Mount Everest in Nepal.

HOKA Philippines representative Sharon Salvacion agrees, saying that trail running is perfect for both athletes and nature lovers.

“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,” Salvacion said.

“This is why we are offering a wide range options for trail running and hiking with one of HOKA’S most versatile model, the Speedgoat 6. This is one of the most widely-used shoes for off road performance running.”

Some of the runners ran with the sixth and latest model of the trail running shoe named after famous American ultramarathoner Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer, who has won more than 100-mile ultramarathons than any other athlete.

Among them was Takbo.ph writer-runner John Ladaga, who gave the thumbs-up to the trail running shoe after going through the demanding route.

“The HOKA Speedgoat 6 was phenomenal in tackling the trails around Timberland Heights in Rizal,” Ladaga said.

“Its Megagrip outsole and four-millimeter traction lugs (bumps on the outsole) provide excellent grip especially on steep climbs and sharp turns.”