VJ100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2027

VJ100 Ultra Trail Challenge is a high-altitude trail festival based at the Open Field in Camp John Hay, Baguio City, using the pine-forested trails of the Camp John Hay Forest Reservation at roughly 1,500 metres above sea level. The 2027 event offers 5K, 10K, 20K, 50K and 100K categories, giving newer trail runners a short entry point while the longer races are serious mountain-ultra challenges.

The signature course is built around a roughly 10K loop through forest singletrack, rolling terrain and repeated climbs and descents. The measured 100K course is 101.33 km with about 6,542 m of ascent and 6,542 m of descent; the 50K measures 50.67 km with about 3,217 m of ascent, while the 20K is 20.27 km with about 1,288 m. The 100K carries ITRA and UTMB Index recognition, and all long-course runners should expect an extreme, hilly profile rather than a fast runnable ultra.

The 100K starts at 07:00 on Saturday 9 January and has a 32-hour final cut-off at 15:00 on Sunday. The 50K starts at 23:00 Saturday with a 16-hour limit. On Sunday, the 20K starts at 07:00 with a 5.4-hour limit, the 10K at 09:00 with a 2.82-hour limit, and the 5K at 12:00 with a three-hour limit. An all-category awarding ceremony is scheduled for 15:30-16:30 on Sunday.

Race kit claiming and mandatory gear checks are conducted at the Open Field shortly before each category, followed by a compulsory pre-race briefing. Mandatory equipment varies by distance and is subject to checks before, during and after the race. The organiser also operates a No Frills entry option covering the essentials such as registration, timing chip, aid-station supplies and race bib, but excluding items such as event shirts, finisher medals or tokens, and pre/post-race food. Registration is published through 26 December 2026, with regular and late pricing tiers after the early-bird period.