MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine running community celebrates a new milestone on Sunday, Oct. 19, as over 3,000 athletes converge at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite for the country's first-ever ASICS Meta: Time: Trials (MTT).
Unlike traditional races, the MTT offers a unique experience that shifts the focus from competing against others to racing against the clock – challenging participants to push their personal limits and set new records.
It’s a format that has already inspired runners in Spain, Thailand and Malaysia – and now, for the first time, in the Philippines, making this not just another race, but a groundbreaking moment in local endurance sports.
Far from the crowded, chaotic sprints to the finish line common in traditional races, the MTT offers a streamlined, high-performance environment designed to push each runner toward their personal best. Every detail – from the closed-loop 10km course to strategically placed pacers, hydration points and precision timing systems – is crafted to create optimal racing conditions.
This structured approach, combined with the celebratory atmosphere of a community-driven event, aims to bring out the best in every participant – whether elite athlete or weekend warrior.
“The MTT reflects Asics’ belief that movement uplifts both body and mind,” said Kabir Buxani, Chief Executive Officer of Sonak Retail Group, the official distributor of Asics in the Philippines. “We’re proud to bring this global concept to Filipino runners and to see how passionately they’ve embraced it. Today is not about competing with each other – it’s about discovering your own potential.” Some of the country’s top athletes will headline the race’s Invitational category, bringing speed and spirit to the forefront. They include national standouts Sonny Wagdos, Joida Gagnao, Richard Salano, Arlan Arbois and Eduard Flores, who are out to demonstrate the heights of performance Filipino athletes can achieve when given the right environment.
But the real story isn’t just at the front of the pack – it’s in the thousands of community runners, club athletes and newcomers, each chasing a goal as personal as it is powerful.
Participants will also have the opportunity to test Asics’ latest innovations in racing footwear – including the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, Metaspeed Edge Tokyo, and the newly released Metaspeed Ray – all engineered to help runners optimize stride length and cadence for faster finish times. These are paired with the Metaspeed Apparel Collection, designed to offer elite breathability and race-day comfort.
Adding inspiration to perspiration, Asics ambassadors and influencers such as Faith So, Alyssa Valdez, Kim Atienza, coach Ige Lopez, and Jaymie Pizarro (The Bull Runner) are also expected to take part in the race, embodying the brand’s enduring philosophy of “Sound Mind, Sound Body.” More than just a race, the event serves as a celebration of shared goals, community and personal breakthroughs – the kind that can only happen when innovation meets intention. TMT
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