SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 8 Oct) — The death of a participant during the 50-kilometer Mt. Magdiwata Ultra Trail Run 2025 on Sunday has drawn mixed reactions online, with friends and fellow runners raising questions over the event’s safety protocols even as the organizers maintained that it was carefully planned and properly coordinated.
The death of Jesse James Manatad came two months after two runners also died on the trails of Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte who joined another 50-kilometer ultra race.
In a statement posted on its official social media page, the San Francisco Water District (SFWD), the main host of the 2025 event, said the trail run had been “carefully planned and coordinated with the concerned local authorities, medical teams, and support personnel” to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
“However, despite all safety measures in place, unforeseen circumstances occurred that were beyond anyone’s control,” the organizers said.
Friends of fallen runner Jesse James Manatad, in their reaction to the organizer’s post, have called for transparency and a review of the safety measures at the Mt. Magdiwata Ultra Trail Run, clarifying that their questions were not meant to criticize but to help improve future events.
They cited reports that the participant had already withdrawn from the race due to exhaustion, but was still made to walk several kilometers down the trail before collapsing. They also noted the absence of medics at one of the most difficult sections and the challenges rescuers faced navigating the terrain, which allegedly delayed response time.
The group also questioned the lack of qualification checks for first-time ultra runners and raised concerns over trail marking lapses. “With all these, can we still say the event was carefully planned?” they asked, urging organizers to strengthen safety protocols and ensure faster emergency response in future trail runs.
But Elmer Luzon, SFWD general manager, clarified that the incident was managed with urgency, cooperation, and adherence to the established safety protocols.
“The rapid coordination between the race organizers, medical teams, the San Francisco Emergency Response (SAFER) team of the Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Red Cross ensured timely intervention and appropriate medical care for the affected runner,” Luzon told local reporter in a press conference at their office on Wednesday.
Luzon refuted claims circulating online that the runner, Manatad, was forced to walk seven kilometers after collapsing from exhaustion. He clarified that Manatad was immediately fetched by a habal-habal motorcycle from the station where he was first seen struggling and having difficulty breathing, and was transported down to Sitio Sumugbong, where an ambulance was waiting to bring him to the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital.
He also said that, contrary to social media reports, a Red Cross emergency responder promptly placed an oxygen mask on Manatad when he began showing signs of collapse. The runner passed away at the hospital a day after the incident.
Luzon added that six other runners between Kilometer 38 and Kilometer 40 were safely evacuated by vehicle after failing to meet the intermediate cut-off time. “As per race guidelines, they were assisted and transported to ensure their well-being and proper course management,” he said in a written report.
Aside from the 50-kilometer ultra trail, the event also featured 12-kilometer and 25-kilometer categories. Organized for the first time by the San Francisco Water District, the race aimed to raise awareness about the rich biodiversity of the 1,652-hectare Mt. Magdiwata Watershed and Forest Reserve, which has been successfully restored to 97 percent forest cover this year—up from just 54 percent in 1997. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)
