Treat yourself to the MesaStila Peaks Challenge

The Mesa Spa & Hotel Resort group is happy to officially announce the official date of the 2016 MesaStila Peaks Challenge event. On the weekend of 8/9 October, trail runners from Indonesia and abroad will compete with each other over the traditional distances of 100km, 65km, 42km, 21km or 11km against the amazingly beautiful backdrop of Central Java's volcanoes.

Start and finish of the 6th edition of the event will be the MesaStila Resort in Magelang, which is close by the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Borobudur. Runners have the option of pure comfort and stay in the resort, which is ideally suited for families also, but there is other more modest accommodation nearby. In 2015, participants labelled this event a "hidden gem", given it has been taking place in the shadow perhaps of the more illustrious Indonesian races on Mount Rinjani and Mount Bromo. 

The main race courses offer a good mix of pure climbing and runable sections over various kinds of terrain. The ultimate goal of the event is the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge: 100km and over 7500m of elevation gain, that takes participants up to Gunung Merapi volcano at a height of nearly 3000m above sea level. For the slightly less ambitious participants there is the option of skipping the ascent of Merapi and do the MesaStila 4 Peaks Challenge over 65km, or the MesaStila Marathon over 42km. All three races will provide finishers with points for the 2016 Asia Trail Master ranking, and the 100km also qualifies for the Grandmaster Quest. 

In 2015 Arief Wismoyono won the race and laid the foundation for his overall championship victory there. Mila Marlina was the best woman. 

The official race registration will open soon, but travel packages are already available for those who wish a hassle-free experience. Packages include the race registration and race services, park fees, airport transfers (from Solo or Yogyakarta) and 2,3 or 4 nights at MesaStila including breakfast in double, triple or quadruple bungalows. The 3 and 4-night packages also include a sightseeing tour to Borobudur. Interested? Please contact us on info@asiatrailmaster.com for further details. 

Meanwhile, check our event cover page , and watch the below video clip to get a first impression of the race. You can also link to the event website itself.