Filipinos Win Big at World's Highest Obstacle Course Race in Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro
Filipinos swept the men’s and women’s categories of the first-ever Altitude Obstacle Course Race (OCR) World Championships held earlier this month at Africa’s highest peak: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Elias Tabac and Sandi Abahan won gold while Monolito Divina and Seannah Gutang won silver.
The Filipinos bested competitors from 26 other countries in the OCR that tests mental as well as physical endurance and stamina.
According to the event website, the course description includes the following:
1. Mandatory multi-stage altitude acclimation to Uhuru Peak, elevation 19,340 feet
2. Descent into the Mt. Kilamanjaro caldera, elevation 18,864 feet
3. 100m obstacle course inside the crater
4. Refuel at Barafu Camp, elevation 15,091 feet
5. 2-day, 2-stage speed descent from Barafu camp to Mweka gate
“Results are ‘Furthest, Fastest;’ ranking is by the number of obstacles completed and then by the fastest time,” the website adds.
Based on the calculations of this site, the entire course runs eight miles and 9,950 feet of elevation loss.
The Filipino competitors are national team members of the Pilipino Obstacle Sports Foundation (POSF)
Tabac, who hails from Davao Del Norte and is currently an employee at the provincial government office there, completed 10 sets of physical challenges “which include crawling, carrying, climbing, hanging, jumping, balancing and trail running.” According to SunStar Davao, he has previously competed in the Mt. Apo Boulder Challenge in 2017 and 2018, Mantra Summit Challenge in Indonesia in 2017, and in Spartan Hong Kong in 2019.
Tabac has next set his sights on competing in another race in Nevada, U.S.
While OCR is a medal sport in the SEA Games, the POSF is campaigning for it to eventually be included in the Olympics in the future.
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