TMBT 100: Rejuvenated Daved Simpat outclasses Hisashi Kitamura
After five long years, Daved Simpat ran himself to the top step of the podium again in his most prestigious home race Borneo TMBT 100, which he had also won for the first time eight (!) years ago. Simpat was outstanding and did not give Hisashi Kitamura any chance on his way to a course record of 13h55 - 27 minutes faster than fellow-Sabahan Milton Amat in 2019. It is not always fair to compare finishing times between editions of the same trail running event as conditions are different and the course is hardly ever exactly the same (e.g. since 2019 TMBT 100 is actually 109km long), but last weekend’s winning time does indicate Simpat is relieved from all injuries that plagued him over the past. few years and that at 40+, competitive trail life is not over yet.
The longest race of the 11th TMBT event was held in hot but dry conditions throughout for the faster runners. Ireland’s Mark Steacy, fifth a year ago and confident he could do a bit better this time around, was clearly the most awake at the traditional sunrise start. After km 12 and the initial 500 metres of elevation gain, Steacy found himself in the lead by himself by a nice margin. Thoughts of a potential upset-in-the-making were quelled quite soon afterwards, though, as Daved Simpat upped his pace and followed his former teammate John Ray Onifa - who. was running the 50km race (see separate news) - all the way up to Kitamura and then Steacy by aid station 2. Already at that point, Kitamura did not look like he had an answer to Simpat’s pace - much like last year, when he trailed Milton Amat the whole race in vain. The Karate Kit pushed Amat to the very limit in 2019 and ever since has hoped to add TMBT to his victory collection. It was again not to be. His flight from Tokyo to Kota Kinabalu suffered a delay of 12 hours and destroyed his race preparation. However, mentally it must have been even more difficult seeing the energy and enthusiasm of a rejuvenated Daved Simpat, whom he had basically beaten comfortably in all races they ran together over the past five years. For a long while he managed to keep the gap limited to about 8 tot 10 minutes. But around km 75 he threw in the towel. At least for Kitamura there was a big void behind him as well, so his third consecutive second place in TMBT was never in doubt as long as he made it to the finish. Which he did, and immediately lay down to sleep afterwards. That was nearly two hours after quite an emotional Simpat started his victory celebration. This was a very popular win for the large trail running fanbase in Sabah.
In third place we found a very nice performance by a young newbie on the long ultra: Oswald Maikol . Another Sabahan and one who has scored several podiums before in local races on the medium distance. Maikol kept the very experienced Gustin Tiam behind in 16h27, and was still smiling and within his comfort zone at the finish. One to watch for the coming years. Busy bee Amierul Amin - second two weeks ago at Penang Eco 100 miles - never featured at the front, yet managed to end his race in sixth place behind Willy Wilson. Mark Steacy suffered in the second half of the race, hiking the majority of it to arrive in ninth. That was still better than many other prominent runners, such as Amir Zaki, Andrew Farmers and even Wilsen Singgin, who all DNFd before km 60. The same happened in the women’s race: Sally Yap and Lynda Marylyn to name two retired from the race. Evidence that the course of TMBT 100 may be a little underestimated?
Victory in the women’s race was actually only decided in the last kilometre. New local star Rejlen James and Indonesia’s in-form Shindy Patricia had been running together all day unthreatened by the rest of the field. James seemed to have the upper hand as Patricia was struggling with a painful knee. Two weeks ago the latter still won Bali Ultra 100, while James settled for the non-points 50km race at Penang Eco in order to be fully fit for TMBT. A strategy that paid off. James outsprinted Patricia to take a big victory that goes into the record books also: Rejlen James scored the Borneo Ultra’s Triple Crown: winning BUTM 100, Borneo MIler and TMBT 100 in the same year! She certainly also looks to be the new benchmark in Malaysia’s competitive women’s field. Shindy Patricia was happy with second nevertheless, after three consecutive ATM race wins this season. With the ATM Championship Final in her home country in December, she will now take a rest to be in peak condition at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. But that will also be Rejlen James next goal…
Until halfway the race Team Kolumpa’s Lynda Marylyn was in the game for third place, but serious digestive issues and cramps forced her to withdraw from the race. The young Marylyn was third in Borneo Miler in June and needs to find another race or two to try and get into Team Malaysia for the abovementioned Final in December. That seems not the case for Celeste Teo, who took third place and already seems to have her spot secured after a great season so far. Celeste Teo is not the youngest in the field but often showing her younger competitors how long ultras are done. Georgy Mimi Chu and Heliana Hj Mohd Arshad were four and five. 2022 Team Malaysia member Halimatun Sa’adiah backed up her decent Bali result with eighth place and appears to be slowly coming back to the type of form that gave her a great 9th place in the ATM Championship last season.
Check also:
