Women's Run PH race director addresses frustrations over muddy venue
Women's Run PH founder Nicole Wuthrich-De La Cruz has addressed comments from runners who aired their grievances over the Oct. 19 running event at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Several participants took to the Facebook group "UP Running Community" to lament how their shoes were soaked and caked in mud during the 2025 Lactacyd Women's Run.
"There is literally a tropical storm, and nag-issue na yung DOST-PAGASA ng rainfall warning, yet the event still pushed through. I don’t understand why. If anyone got sick or slipped, would you take responsibility, Women’s Run PH?" one user asked the organizer.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was raised in Quezon City where the event was held on Sunday as Tropical Storm Ramil hit parts of the country.
Additionally, participants also took issue with how they had to walk through the muddy Sunken Garden to reach booths.
"Shoes are covered in mud kasi we had to walk through deep puddles para lang mag-drop and claim ng baggage, get our race entitlements, and visit the booths," they said. "Everything, everyone was soaked! Hindi pa nagsisimula 'yung race, mukhang pauwi na 'yung mga participants."
One user said that they still joined the run in the hopes that things would get better. "It was uncomfortable, messy and just disappointing. I don’t usually post or share stuff here, but the whole experience just left a bad taste for me. They should’ve cancelled or at least rescheduled," they continued.
Other users would echo these sentiments.
"Walang kaso 'yung rain or shine na run, ang kaso 'yung kailangan pa talaga naming lumusong sa putikan para makapag-iwan sa baggage at makuha ang loot bag," they recounted, adding that their friend helped out an elder woman who lost her shoe in the mud.
'I take full responsibility for the event'
Addressing the complaints, De La Cruz stressed that she is taking full accountability for what happened as the race director.
"I am truly sorry that many of you had to experience a muddy, uncomfortable activity area. That is not the experience I envisioned for you, and it fell short of the standards you deserve," she said in a statement.
According to her, she explored feasible alternatives for the event within a tight window, but that none of them could accommodate the volume of participants.
"As the organizer, this situation is painful for me too, and something I did not want to happen. I planned this for months with the hope that what I envisioned would materialize," De La Cruz said.
"Please know that this has been a painful learning experience for me. I’m listening, and I read all your comments," she added.
However, she requested the public to not make things personal by attacking her with insults.
"I understand the anger, but the cursing and below-the-belt remarks are unnecessary and hurtful. We are real people behind this event, people who care deeply, who worked hard, and who are heartbroken that we didn’t deliver the experience you expected. Your feedback is important to me and I’m here for it, let’s keep it honest, but respectful," the race director emphasized.
She ended her statement by expressing gratitude to those who made the most out of the situation.
"The heart of this event has always been to celebrate and empower women and to grow women’s participation in running. That mission stands, and I remain committed to earning back your trust. I may have disappointed you this time, but I will learn from this and do better," De La Cruz ended.
In the comments section, many showed apprecation for De La Cruz’s apology and accountability and highlighted how the incident should serve as a reminder for organizers to prioritize its runners.
Others, meanwhile, added their own critiques of how the race should have been rescheduled.
According to the Women's Run results website, a total of 8,486 registered participants finished the race across the 1KM, 5KM, and 10KM categories.