James Tellias, the first Igorot who successfully finishes most difficult trail run in France

Photo Courtesy || James Tellias

Cordillera - A Cordilleran ultra-runner had successfully  made it to the finish line at the recently concluded UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) held in Chamonix, France on August 26 - September 1.

James Tellias, a native marathoner from Sagada, Mountain Province made it to the finish line just an hour and half before the cutoff time. 

Tellias is the 1249th runner who cross the finish line. There are around 2543 runners who joined the race.

The UTMB is a mountain trail-running event participated by elite trail-runners from all over the world. 

Each year, the elite runners find themselves and a race that is widely considered as one of the most difficult races in the world.

Each participant will have to draw from their strength and push their mental and physical limits in order to cross the finishing line.

A homegrown athlete, Tellias was the only representative of the Philippines in the trail event. 

In 2016, 36-year old Tellias became the first Filipino runner to finish and place third in the 100 km race during the Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon International Event held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.