Global running shoe company HOKA staged the HOKA Speed Camp recently at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City, with participants, including top varsity athletes, giving high marks to the newly-launched Mach X 2 running shoe during the daylong session held under noted track and field coach Emerson Obiena.

The camp had the runners, some of them HOKA Running Club members and who ran the HOKA Trilogy,  being taught the proper form and technique in sprinting, which  included  drills with the supervision  of the father-coach of ace pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena.

The mentor had help from  Khrizzie Ruzol, 2019 SEA Youth athletic meet gold medalist and UAAP Season 85 women’s pole vault champion, former Palarong Pambansa and National pole vault champ Sean Harry Narag, National Open U18 titlist Francis Allen Sillar,  Mejen Sumbongan and Jessamarie Libres.       

”Sprint drills can significantly improve a runner’s time. For a lot of these runners, understanding the importance of proper execution is a game-changer,” Obiena, a pole vault silver medalist in the 1993 Chiang Mai Southeast Asian Games, explained.  

Based on the consensus of the campers, who wore the HOKA Mach X 2 during the workouts, Obiena said the shoe drew raves for “its good cushioning, adaptability and responsiveness during the drills.

“The Mach X 2 performed well. It’s joint-friendly and reactive. Each step felt smooth, and this technology definitely supports a runner’s ability to boost speed.”

“Definitely, the running shoe is good for tempo running and cross training,” Obiena, who also wore the shoe during the workout, said during the session that concluded with mini tests for the participants to display what they learned from the event.

HOKA Phils. Marketing Manager Sharon Salvacion pointed out that the "Mach X 2 is engineered to enhance runners' performances and times.  We're thrilled with the positive feedback we've received from participants about the shoe.”

An improved version of the highly-popular Mach X, the second generation running shoe boasts of an extra-resilient high tech midsole and an extended patented Pebax plate providing greater support and propulsion, according to Salvacion.

“These enhancements become formidable tools for runners who are aiming for peak performance,” she noted.   

Salvacion said that the  Mach X 2 is now available at HOKA stores in One Ayala Mall, GH Mall, SM Aura, and Ayala Malls Manila Bay, as well as Planet Sports Asia Trinoma, Planet Sports Galleria Cebu, Planet Sports Clark City Front Mall, Runnr BGC, Planet Sports Ayala Center Cebu, and online at HOKA.com.

For more information on the full range of HOKA products, follow the official social media accounts on Facebook (hokaphilippines) and Instagram (@hoka_philippines).