Cascade Trail Challenge Kayapa 2027 - CTC 38K

Cascade Trail Challenge (CTC) 2027 is a 37.78 km mountain trail race in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Hosted by Intrepid Spirit during the Philippine Mountain Trail Festival, it follows highland routes past waterfalls, forests, rivers and rugged slopes on the eastern edge of the Cordillera Central. The event is distinct from the festival's shorter Philippine Mountain Trail 14K/25K and longer Hardcore Ultra Trail categories.

Course and race day

The official route measures 37.78 km, with approximately 2,640 metres of elevation gain and an altitude range of about 950 to 1,921 metres. There are steep ascents and descents, technical trails and exposed sections where conditions can change rapidly. The organiser lists ITRA recognition and a UTMB Index rating. Bring route-navigation capability and prepare for a genuinely demanding mountain course, not a conventional road race.

Gun start: Sunday 2 May 2027 at 05:30 Philippine time (PHT, UTC+8) from Kayapa Central School. The overall cut-off is 18:00, or 12½ hours. The organiser also sets an intermediate time limit at Oyawi / Aid Station 3 (24.95 km), advertised as 13:30 local time. One part of the organiser's narrative describes that limit as '7.5 hours', but the published timetable corresponds to 8 hours after the 05:30 start. Follow the actual timetable and any later race-director updates rather than relying solely on the inconsistent duration wording.

Entry qualifications, compulsory equipment and conduct

Entrants must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily must have completed at least one 21 km or longer trail race. The organiser requires qualifying results between 1 April 2026 and 18 April 2027, verifiable online; some entrants without a recent qualifying race may submit a documented training history for individual assessment by the Race Director, who may reject entry or impose conditions. A signed medical certificate dated within six months of the race and a liability waiver are mandatory.

Carry the organiser's full required kit throughout the course, including an offline GPX-enabled navigation device, a charged phone with a Philippine SIM and load, a waterproof jacket with at least a 10,000 mm hydrostatic head rating, a suitable first-aid kit, headlamp, emergency whistle and blanket, at least 1.5 litres of hydration capacity, emergency food and sufficient cash. Disposable cups and cutlery are not supplied at aid stations. Gear inspections can occur before, during or after the run, with penalties or disqualification for missing equipment. Personal crew assistance outside authorised aid stations is prohibited.

Registration and collection

The organiser lists PHP 4,395 regular registration from 1 November 2026 to 28 February 2027; a later price of PHP 4,995 applies from 1 March to 18 April 2027, subject to availability and checkout conditions. Early-bird pricing expired 31 October 2026.

Race-pack collection is scheduled at Kayapa Central School Friday 30 April, 13:00–20:00, Saturday 1 May, 08:00–18:00, and Sunday 2 May, 02:00–03:00. The CTC pre-race briefing is Saturday 1 May, 11:00–12:00. On race morning, mandatory gear check/check-in is 02:00–03:30 and the final updates briefing 04:45–05:15. Plan transport to Kayapa well before flag-off; the town is in a mountain area and travel time can be considerable.

The start and finish are both at Kayapa Central School. The venue pin comes from OpenStreetMap's school feature, not a surveyed 2027 starting arch. Consult the official CTC 2027 guide and official registration system for updated GPX, entry approval, medical documentation and rule changes.