Help top Filipina trailrunner compete in UTMB

Dear Friends,

Do you have a dream, but only to have that dream remain out of reach because of financial limitations?

We are Ahon, a local producer of trail running and mountaineering products, and we are helping deserving athletes to achieve impossible goals.

Maria Josephine Liao, or “Majo,” recently qualified to join the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 2017 and, sadly, she knows her salary as a teacher is not enough. Not everyone can simply to go to Europe and run international races, especially if you are not a professional athlete. Aside from securing a visa to visit Europe, it is also expensive to fly and stay there. Thus, we want to make her dream come true: to become the first Filipina to finish the “World Cup of Mountain Marathons.”

Held yearly between August and September, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) follows the hiking trail of Tour du Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. This is a challenging event, for there is rain, snow, and cold winds at altitudes that dangerously have thin air (less oxygen). The distance is 171 kilometers with a total of 10,300 meters ascent, and has been touted as one of the most difficult foot races in Europe. The UTMB route is an 11-day trek, but the fastest can blaze through in 21 hours of non-stop running. Thousands join from all over the world, and the Philippines is being represented by Majo (as the lone female UTMB registrant).

What is amazing is that Majo is not a full-time runner or a professional athlete. She is a college professor who happens to love running. UTMB is her dream race, and, together with Ahon (and with our kindhearted sponsors and donors), we hope she can achieve her dream of running and finishing UTMB. Majo holds a degree in Medical Technology and had practiced as a Registered Medical Technologist for some time before finding her passion in teaching. This 2017, she even started her Master’s degree in Public Health. Despite her schedule, she has managed--and still manages--to almost always snag the female champion spot in ultra trail races. She has been crowned the female champion in 15 races from 2014-2016.

One of Majo’s personal goals is to promote trail running among women. There is a meager 5 to 10% participation of women in Philippine trail events. And Majo would like to see more women join trail races. Moreover, she hopes to be the catalyst in having more Filipina trail runners join international events such as UTMB. Majo wants the world to know that there are strong Filipina trail runners, and UTMB is one stage where she can show the global running community what Filipinas can do.

In exchange for your support, we shall be giving you a token to show our appreciation. Majo may be running UTMB alone, but she is carrying not only her country but each of you to the finish. Her success is your success. The pressure and burden of finishing a physical feat of running 171 kilometers (for 2 days) is overwhelming, so let us carry some of that burden away from her by supporting Majo. Thank you. Maraming Salamat.

Notable Achievements 2016 2nd place, Women’s (80 miles Trail Run) Nov 27 Clark-Miyamit Ultra Trail at Clark, Pampanga Women’s Champion (50k Trail Run) Oct 30 Mapawa Trail Run at Mapawa Nature Park, Cagayan de Oro 3rd place, Women’s (100k Mountain Run) Oct 8 MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge at Central Java, Indonesia 3rd place, Women’s (42k Trail Run) Aug 28 Tawid Mountain Marathon at Bontoc, Mountain Province 3rd place, Women’s (50k Ultra Trail Run) Jun 5 Cordillera Mountain Ultra at Dalupirip, Itogon, Benguet Women’s Champion (Vertical Race) Jun 4 Cordillera Mountain Vertical Race at Dalupirip, Itogon, Benguet Women’s Champion/Hall of Famer (100miles) May 19 Hardcore 100miles Trail Ultramarathon at Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Mt. Pulag 2nd place, Womens’ (100k Trail Ultramarathon) Apr 30 The North Face 100 PH at Baguio, Benguet Women’s Champion (21 km Trail Run) Apr 24 Lagalag Sundown Trail Run at Timberland Heights Women’s Champion (32k Trail Run) Apr 9 Salomon Xtrail at Subic, Olongapo 2015 11th place, Women’s (100k Ultra Trail Run) Dec 12 The North Face 100 HK at Hong Kong Women's Champion (80k Trail Ultramarathon) Nov 22 Clark-Miyamit Ultra Trail at Porac, Pampanga to Mt. Miyamit Women's Champion (42k) Oct 25 Mapawa Trail Marathon at Cagayan De Oro Mountain Marathon Women's Champion (42k Mountain Marathon) Sep 13 Tawid Mountain Marathon at Bontoc, Mountain Province 2nd Place, Women’s (50 km) Sep 6 Cardimax-Clark Road Ultramarathon at Clark, Pampanga Women’s Champion (100 km Mountain Run) June 12 The North Face 100 PH at Nuvali-Batangas Women's Champion (100miles) May 22 Hardcore 100miles Trail Ultramarathon at Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to Mt. Pulag Women's Champion (32k Trail Run) Apr 25 Salomon Xtrail at Hamilo Coast, Pico De Loro, Batangas 2014 Women’s Champion (80 miles Trail Run) Nov 23 Clark-Miyamit Ultra Trail at Clark, Pampanga 1st place Women’s (25k Trail) May 24 Taal 360 25k Trail Run Challenge at Taal Volcano Island, Talisay, Batangas Women’s Champion (100km Mountain Run) May 3 The North Face 100 PH at Baguio/Benguet Women’s Champion (25k Trail Run) Apr 12 Salomon X-Trail at Hamilo Coast, Pico de Loro Women’s Champion Feb 20 Hardcore 100miles Trail Ultramarathon at Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya 2nd Place Women’s Overall (36k Sky Race) Feb 08 Pilipinas Akyathlon (Sky Running) at Mt. Ugo, Itogon Benguet

Use of Funds

To be honest, Majo needs financial help. So far, she has been training while handling her job as a college professor, and the reality is that her salary as a professor cannot cover all expenses. Her training program is 20 weeks, and during that time Majo will be – and has been – facing pressure on several fronts: mentally, physically, and financially.

Any form of financial donation is appreciated, so please feel free to message us on Facebook (@majotraillove) or send us an email ([email protected]) for any questions. In exchange for your generosity, we shall send you a token. We shall also thank you publicly, for the world to know that there are kindhearted people like you (if you wish to remain anonymous, please tell us).

Thank you so much for your time.

Majo in the Press/Web Featured photo, Salomon X-Trail Pilipinas, Philippine Star, April 26, 2016 Leading Ladies of the Trail World, FrontRunner Magazine PH, Issue No. 1 RUNNING: Newbie Divina, first-timer Liao leave favorites in the shade in Salomon, SpinPH April 13, 2014 Majo Liao is Blazing New Trails, Pinoy Fitness, May 2016 15-day journey across Cordillera beckons, Philippine Star Sports, March 28, 2015 Divina and Liao Victorious for Two Consecutive Years

UTMB Costs and Estimates

Training Expenses

• Training Equipment - $1,000 (℅ Salomon, Suunto, Ahon and friends)
• Personal Training - $100/week for 20 weeks = $2,000
  • Run 6x a week (15 to 20 hours, 100 to 150 kms)
  • Strength conditioning 2-3x a week (One Life Studio)
  • Track workout (form, intervals, repetition)
  • Cross training (bike)
  • Food and nutrition

• Training Races - $1,000
  • Training race registration fees (local and abroad)
  • Travel expenses and accommodation
  • Nutrition (℅ Tailwind)

Travel, Acclimatization, Race Day, Recovery

• Visas and Roundtrip Plane Ticket - $1,500
• Race Equipment - $1,000 (℅ Salomon, Suunto, Ahon and friends)
• Accommodation (for 15 days) - $1,000
• Daily Expenses (for 15 days) - $1,500
• UTMB Registration Fee - $350

Crowd-funding and Paypal Fees - $1,150

Total Estimated Expenses - $10,500

Online Fundraising Target - $3,000
Offline Fundraising Target - $2,000 (thru Ahon shirt sale)

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This fundraiser is brought to you by:

Ronald Declarador
AHON co-founder, Sports and Fitness Advocate

Aldean Philip Lim
AHON co-founder, Endurance Junkie, Multi-sport Enthusiast, and Fitness Advocate

Maria Josephine Liao
College Professor, Ultra-Trail Runner

Arvin Pedregosa
Digital Marketing, Collab Asia Digital Solutions

Sponsors

AHON, a Philippine outdoor brand that actively supports trail running and mountaineering. They take pride in hands-on product development and testing and whose products are well adapted for the Philippine trails, which are tough, wild, raw.

SALOMON, The Salomon Group is a sports equipment manufacturing company that originated in Annecy, France. The company was started in 1947 by François Salomon, his wife, and son Georges. Salomon' commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts for skiiing, running, mountaineering aimed to enhance the performance of athletes around the world.

SUUNTO is a company at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers and sports instruments used by adventurers all over the globe. From the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, Suunto physically and mentally equips outdoor adventurers to conquer new territory.

TAILWIND Nutrition All you need, all day. Tailwind was created when its founder was racing the Leadville 100. It’s designed to overcome the nutrition problems faced by endurance athletes in events like 50's, 100's, 24-hour, and multi-day epics. Tailwind combines complete fuel, hydration, and electrolytes in a tasty drink that won’t turn your stomach into a brick. Its COMPLETE with ENERGY+ELECTROLYTES+HYDRATION.

ONELIFE Studio Pilates works.