Brunei Darussalam Ultra Trail Marathon has claimed a rightful spot on the trail calendar with its daring loop concept. The inaugural event last weekend had received the ATM Candidate label and saw a fine competition on a 5km loop course that was - as so often in Brunei - more challenging than most had anticipated. Race-wise, we saw an impressive performance by Sabah’s Wilsen Singgin, who of course always thrives when the trails are tough. Singgin took victory on the 50km by passing local hero Sefli Ahar on the last lap. In the women’s competition, Mailin Salungin -also from Sabah- was the strong winner.

BDUTM took place at night time in the Tasek Lama Recreational Park and had over 3000hm of elevation gain for the 10-lap 50km race. Other than the 50km, there were also shorter distance categories, with Milton Amat winning the 30km, for instance, as he prepares for his upcoming ATM points races BUTM 50 and Lantau 70.

As in almost every race he starts, Sefli Ahar decided to set the pace from the beginning. A multiple race winner in ATM in the early seasons, Ahar returned to the scene at TMBT last year and scored second behind John Ray Onifa on the 50km. Now approaching 50 years of age, Sefli is still very fast, but the much younger and technically very skilled Wilsen Singgin turned out to have a little more power left at the end. Singgin will also be featuring at BUTM 50 and Lantau 70 in March. Sefli Ahar came second ahead of his countryman and ATM Grandmaster Alexander Chung Kwei Ming.

The experienced Mailin Salungin, who has scored podium places in a.o. TMBT in the past, was leading most of the race, with Kona Liau and Jennyifer Townsend joining her on the 50km podium.

In early June, runners can score ATM Championship points in Brunei as well at the Simpur Ultra event.

This weekend there is also an interesting ATM Candidate Race on the programme in Brunei. BDUTM, shot for Brunei Darussalam Ultra Trail Marathon, is taking place in the capital city on a 5 km loop course, which should create a running festival atmosphere. The longest race is 50km, i.e. 10 loops. The start of the main race is at 21:00 local time on Saturday, which implies a night time race in cooler temperatures.

The event is organised by HJ Khai Event Management and is centred around the Tasek Lama Recreational Park. BDUTM is meant to promote the country as an outdoor and trail running destination with the Tasek Lama Park being the most iconic region to do so. Estimated elevation gain for the 50km is 3100 hm, which is considerable! Moreover, people who have been running in Brunei know the hills are often quite steep and more technical than expected.

The event has attracted very competitive field for its first edition, mainly coming from Brunei itself and other parts of Borneo island. That includes, amongst others, Wilsen Singgin and Gustin Tiam. Both from Sabah and unafraid to test the waters of something new. They will face very well-known local stars such as good old Sefli Ahar, last season still second at TMBT 50 behind John Ray Onifa. Sefli certainly has home advantage and could be the top favourite for the victory. Amirul Tuah and Alexander Chung are other ATM Grandmasters who can shine this weekend.

Also the women’s 50km looks very good on paper. Here we find Sarawak’s Sally Yap on the start list. Still young for trail standards, Sally was the 2022 vice -ATM champion. 2023 did not really go as planned - from a racing point of view - and Sally has also picked up further university studies again, restricting her options to travel and compete. It will be interesting to see how she fares this weekend, as the extra rest between races might actually do her some good. Experienced Sahabans Kona Liau and Mailin Salungin are other contenders, and Laslin Sarawi cannot be underestimated either.

ATM will be reporting live from the BDUTM event from start to finish on our usual channels.

We are happy to announce the latest new ATM Candidate race in Brunei, scheduled for 17/18 February 2024: Brunei Darussalam Ultra Trail Marathon, abbreviated as BDUTM. The event is organised by HJ Khai Event Management and is centred around the Tasek Lama Recreational Park. On the programme are four race distance categories, of which the 50km is the longest. Less ambitious runners can also opt for the 30k, 15km or 5km. Note: this a race with loops, which means the 50km is 10 loops of 5 km. BDUTM is part of the ‘Brunei Loop Series’ .

BDUTM is meant to promote the country as an outdoor and trail running destination with the Tasek Lama Park being the most iconic region to do so. Estimated elevation gain for the 50km is 3100 hm. People who have been running in Brunei before know the hills are often quite steep and more technical than expected. Heat is another obstacle, as of course in many Southeast Asian races. At BDUTM the decision has been made to have the 50km flag off at 21:00, implying most of the race will be held at night with cooler conditions. The looping of course allows for a fun and entertaining event for fans and friends as well, given runners will be passing by on a regular basis.

Registration is open and can easily be done via the official website linked below. The website also has English contact details and everything you need to know in terms of mandatory gear, cut-off times and other race regulations and entry conditions.

Tasek Lama is close to Brunei’s capital city Bandar Seri Begawan, where there’s plenty of accommodation options. BBS also has an international airport.

The BDUTM Loop of 5km around Tasek Lama Recreational Park