Playing with Mud in the Track: Witnessing a Competition with Time

Hello, Hivers 👋! How's everyone? I hope we are all well.

Let me share my weekend experience. We are about to witness the 2-Hour Endurance Trail at Barangay Mabuli, Tabogon, Cebu, Philippines. You can see in my previous blogs that I am an enthusiast of motocross and trail cross events. So I would not let this event pass without witnessing.

My kids were very excited when they knew that they would come with me. The venue is just in the next 2 barangay so I decided to bring them with me. They were also fond of this kind of activity.

The Venue

We arrived at the venue earlier. We got the chance to witness some riders do the track reading of the route. Some don't have the chance to do the track read due to their busy schedules so they just do it today. We got to choose a nice spot to get a nice view and see the race. A spot where we got the perfect shade of the trees.

The Race Begins

As the time ticks, the riders start to line up at the starting point. They were getting ready for the race to begin. At exactly 10:45 in the morning, the timer started for the 2-hour endurance trail. The race started and they were measured how their endurance on race for two (2) straight hours in the field.

As they set to go into the field, they ignited their engines and tried hard to be in the first spot. It will be a big advantage for a rider to get first in the line. The race track was a wide range at first with uphill and downhill tracks but afterwards, it was a narrow 1-lane ahead so the rider made sure to it to be first in the lane.

The first hour was very intense for the riders. They've got to full their throttle to be able to get the full speed they need. They have to overlap with other riders to be able to be a placer in this competition.

The villagers are very eager to keep an eye on the event. They even sat at the side of the race track to see the riders carefully and closely. They even cheer for them even if they don't know them. The kids don't think of the danger that they may take... all they are taught is the excitement and the view of the riders. They were even cheering for those who would get in the first place. They also shouted when a rider fell and slid in the mud and the wet grass.

Some riders got stuck in a small river. They had to cross the river to reach the other obstacles. Good thing some marshalls helped them by pulling their motorcycles. Some riders crossed the river on their own. They find ways on how to conquer the wet and muddy river. They will be crossing this path many times along the course.

The next obstacle will be the big tires together with a log. They have to be strong enough to hold onto their motorbikes. When they pass this obstacle, another 3 logs file up with each other. Some riders fell to the ground and some just easily passed on it.

Obstacles are made to measure their strengths, and critical thinking abilities on how they will handle themselves to conquer these obstacles. Some riders already surrendered and did not push through the competition. Some just take a rest for a while and go back to the race track. Some just go on with the race without resting, they may test their stamina already which they were sure they could do until the end of the race.

After the 2-hour-long competition, the riders showed how tired they were. They all sat in one place with haggard yet fulfilling faces. Even if they were tired of the race, they were fulfilled by the achievement that they have today. They were chatting with each other and telling their stories while on the track.

Little by little from a tired look their faces got smiles as they gained strength again. Their faces showed their hard work and that they wanted to reach a goal today. They started to look for food and they happily shared and ate together. A healthy competition it is!

That would be all for my weekend. Enjoy and stay safe everyone.