One of the most exotic races in the Asia Trail Master series is the Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan, which will have its second edition this Sunday. It is a unique outdoor experience, as participants are expected to camp the night before at the race venue - the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Tamgaly Tas. The site has ancient rock paintings in some of the caves. After a successful debut last year, the event has entered the consciousness of citizens in the city of Almaty and around, proven by this week's interviews and feature on city television (see below). No doubt, the Tengri Ultra Trail has introduced trail running to Kazakhstan.  

The Tengri Ultra Trail runs through grasslands and canyons with snowcapped mountains from the Tian Shan range on the horizon. After the success of the inaugural race last year, the organisers have beefed up the longest course from 55k to 70k, which means that runners can also score one point for their individual Grandmaster Quest. There is also a 35k and a 10k for less ambitious runners. Elevation gain is rather limited, 1070 Hm, making this race a perfect opportunity for road runners to get a first taste of trail running. There are some technical sections, however, that should not be taken lightly. In particular, some of the trails through the canyons can be very rocky and narrow and if there was rain in the days before the race you will likely get your feet wet. 

Timur Arthyukin, organiser and race director of TUT explains: " We will show a new canyon to the runners this year, which means, there are 2 canyons on the 70k course. The last 15k will be along the Ili River to the finish at the camp site. " The long distance race will start at 6 a.m. and the cut off time is 12 hours. "Runners need to be prepared for hot conditions with lots of sunshine. All runners should equip themselves with a Camelback or at least 1,5 litres of water. There are several drinking stations along the course, but runners on the 70k and 35k  must take their own refreshments with them also." 

Given the last section will indeed be in wide open space, it is essential for runners to hydrate themselves well enough, and protect themselves from abundant sunshine via a cap or bandana. Something like the RaidLight desert and grassland cap, for instance. 

Almaty TV interview with Vadim Vinokourov, co-organiser of TUT (in Russian). 

Last year the race was won by local runners Georgiy Shejko and Akmaral Meirman. "This year we also have some strong runners from Czech Republic, USA, Russia and other Asian countries," says race director Timur. In any case, female champion Meirman has already confirmed her return and is in top shape, having just finished the Vienna Marathon in 3:07. Meirman was featured on our Talking Trail Running series a fortnight ago. 

The Kazakh running community is growing fast. "In Almaty our group is at least twice as big as last year, and I am sure several Kazakh runnes will also travel to take part in other Asia Trail Master races this year," according to the organiser. In fact, the winners of Sunday's race will be rewarded with a free race entry for the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia this summer, and vice versa. 

The organisation team of Tengri Ultra Trail is ready for the second edition!

Akmaral Meirman returns to Tamgaly Tas on Sunday in defence of last year's title 

The next points-scoring race in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series takes place in a new destination, namely South Korea. Not far from capital city, Seoul, Sunday's Korea 50k event in Dongducheon (DDC) proves the growth of trail running in yet another country with hundreds of runners registered for the race. The event will be a significant spectacle with plenty of media and international charity partner Operation Smile present as well. There is a high number of international runners, so it will certainly be an interesting race. 

Race organiser Jesse Yoo has been in trail running before most people even knew it existed. The first edition of Korea 50k last year was a success, and it encouraged him and his team to take things to the next level and increase international engagement. Other than a race for the national championship, Korea 50k is also the first ever Korean race in the Asia Trail Master series. It won't be the only one, with UT Mount Jiri and a third race in the pipeline for later in autumn this year.

The event is easily accessible from Seoul by subway, and there's plenty of hotel choices available in DDC as well. The race course is tough with 3100m of elevation gain to be conquered, but the length is reasonable with 59 km in total. A compact challenge in other words. 

All finishers on the 59km race will score 100 finisher points for the Asia Trail Master championship, and added to that are of course each runner's performance points on the basis of his ranking in the result list. 

Important in this event is the support any runner can  give to the cause of charity partner Operation Smile. The US-headquartered cause is omnipresent in Asia as well, and treats less privileged children to life-changing surgeries for cleft lip and palate conditions. Each participant in Korea 50k can help to make a big difference in life quality for these young children, and we as promoters of the event and managers of the Asia Trail Master series encourage everyone to take this into consideration when collecting your race number bib on Saturday.  Please see more information about how you can assist below and by going to the OS Korean website. 

 This weekend we will be reporting live from the scene, starting on Saturday afternoon with the press conference, and then of course before, during and after the race via our social media channels. 

Xu Xiatou starts as one the race favourites in Korea after his strong showing in UTHK 100. 

The first of many races this spring in the Asia Trail Master series is China's SuperTrail: Tsaigu Tangsi Plus in and around the mountains of Linhai in East China's Zhejiang Province was a runner's favourite last year, and all signs indicate this weekend will be no different. On the start list we find not only several hundreds of runners, but also the women's 2015 Asia Trail Master champion Ma Yanxing, and China's trail running super star of the moment, Yan Longfei. The main event is the 50 miles (82km) race, which is 25 km longer than last year. This new distance implies that all finishers also score 1 point for their Grandmaster Quest. With approx 5300 metres of elevation gain to be conquered, this race is definitely not a walk in the park and the cut off time of 24 hours could be challenging for several runners. 

Yan Longfei was unbeatable last year. Who can keep up with him on Saturday?

Among significant competition of other trail races within their own region in China, the event organisers have long term plans for Tsaigu Tangsi Plus, which is commonly called TT Plus as well. To stand out as a benchmark event in China is the objective, and last year's inaugural edition certainly backed up this ambition. TT Plus is part of the Asia Trail Master series for the second year, and it says something when Yan Longfei, who won the race last year, chooses to return to Linhai instead of doing another one elsewhere. Undoubtedly, the friendly champion, whose main focus of the year of course goes beyond Asia, starts as top favourite on Saturday to win and collect 550 points for the Asia Trail Master championship, led by Isaac Yuen Wan Ho with 900 points following his two top results in Hong Kong and Brunei earlier this season.

Interestingly, on the start list this Saturday is Matthew Kennedy, the number eight in the men's ranking at the moment with 400 points.  The British ultra runner  finished sixth in UTHK 156 last February and has a theoretical chance of overtaking Yuen Wan Ho .... if he beats Yan Longfei and wins the race on Saturday. 

Ma Yanxing opens her Asia Trail Master campaign at TT Plus this Saturday

The women's longest race will see the first appearance of the 2015 Asia Trail Master champion this year. Ma Yanxing, from Shanghai, is a pure ultra runner who seems to gain the edge over the opposition the longer a race lasts. Ma Yanxing may need to keep an eye out on another Chinese trail running star, Qu Lijie, whom we featured in our Talking Trail Running section earlier this week. Another very strong runner from Sweden, Lynn Nyman, is also taking part this weekend, but she chose for the 62km distance race and starts as a favourite in that one. 

As Tsaigu Tangsi Plus has been selected as China's SuperTrail this year, all finishers on the 50 miles and 62km races will earn 50 bonus points for the 2016 championship ranking. To find out more details about the race, please check our event cover page. 

On Saturday we will be reporting live from Linhai via our social media channel on facebook, instagram, twitter and weixin, as always subject to appropriate connectivity at the event venue.  The 50 miles race begins at 6 a.m. local Beijing time. 

The mountains around Linhai in Zhejiang Province, close to Ningbo

Last year event participants all gave thumbs up for TT Plus

The third race weekend in a row in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series brings us to Sri Lanka, the most western event, in terms of location, on our calendar. It's the second edition of the GlobalLimits Wild Elephant Trail boutique event, a stage race over 6 days and 210 km in total. In the course of next week, we will find out who succeeds Stephan Venray and Veronique Messina as champions. 

The WIld Elephant Trail is one of the smaller races in the Asia Trail Master series in terms of participation numbers, as runners sign up for a week-long package. However, that doesn't mean it is a small race in terms of organisation or difficulty level! German organiser Stefan Betzelt has built a reputation for delivering quality experiences in all of his three races in Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Cambodia. The stage race starting tomorrow is the youngest in his portfolio, and according to many also his most adventurous. The adjective "wild" in the event name is no coincidence. 

The race will start 100km northwest of Colombo on Sunday, and end at the top of the world heritage site, Sigiriya Rock next week on Saturday. In parts, the course will be technical and demanding. The longest stage is on Wednesday when 57km are on the agenda. 

You can follow the action and results via our social media pages throughout the week, as well as via the event organiser's pages as well. 

One week after UTHK, the second race of the 2016 Asia Trail Master series is already on the programme this Sunday with Brunei's first official trail marathon at Tungku Beach. The Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is a long-awaited event in the smallest but richest part of Borneo Island, and has environmental awareness as its key theme.

Beach Bunch is an NGO that aims to keep Brunei's beaches clean from pollution and has been very active on that front for a few years. The half marathon organised last year was a first test to see how local citizens respond to the idea of an endurance run on trails, and the result was: very positively! This weekend's race had sold out its available 300 slots already in December, which prompted the organiser, Rizan Latif -himself a trail runner- , to consider the possibility of 30 more slots. These also went out the door in no time. 

The Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is arguably not the hardest in terms of terrain, but the tropical heat (31 degrees and sunshine are forecast) will put each runner to a firm test. An army of volunteers will ensure that everyone stays hydrated at several checkpoints. Start and finish are on Tungku Beach, but the race does go inland into rainforest area with in total 630m of elevation gain. Fast runners with perhaps fewer technical skills have a chance at glory in this race, but will need to preserve adequate energy for the final 18km again run on potentially shoesucking beach sand. The locals will be cheering for Sefli, a very experienced road marathon runner with 2:41 as P.B. , and In the women's race for Melissa Woo, the 2015 Brunei Trail Master. From an Asia Trail Master championship perspective, last weekend's 4th placed UTHK 156k finisher Isaac Yuen Wan Ho is amazingly also racing in Brunei. A mere finish will already give him enough points to gain the lead in the Asia Trail Master standings ahead of his Hong Kong compatriot Raymond Ching! In the women's Malaysia's Tahira Najmunisaa is expected to open her points account in style on Sunday, and who knows with a race victory. It would not be her first: Tahira won Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra 100 in Indonesia last November. 

In any case, the event and all its participants will not go unnoticed. Media and government support is substantial, and already now there are more ideas circulating for the development of the sport in the country.

You can follow all the action this weekend via our facebook, instagram and twitter feeds. Stay tuned to Brunei's debut on the trail running scene!

Earlier today a press conference was held for the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge.

It is not only sand and beach during this race

The 2nd Asia Trail Master series are set to begin just after lunch in Hong Kong this Friday with a proper ultra trail race: UTHK. Participants from across Asia will either have 156km (7400 hm), 103km (4300 hm) or 54km (2800 hm) on their menus this weekend, and finishing will give them a handsome reward for the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship straightaway: UTHK is one of five SuperTrails in the series, which means 50 bonus points!  

Although the 156km longest race has a different starting venue, the centre of UTHK is the Duke of Edinburgh Training Camp site near Sha Tin in the New Territories, where the finish line of all races is drawn. There is a 48-hour cut off time for the 156k runners, and 32 hours for the 103km. Due to new regulations for trail running by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, race organiser Augustine Wong has had to change his course significantly compared to last year. The result is good news for fast runners as the so-called 'runnable' sections have increased and the total elevation gain is less, although still very respectable. 

Quite a number of prominent runners from last year's Asia Trail Master series will be competing at UTHK this year, including Philippines' running star Manolito Devina (double winner of CM 50 Ultra), Thailand-based Norwegian Jan Nilsen (3rd in Borneo TMBT in Malaysia and 2nd in CM 50 Ultra), Thailand's Phairat Varesin (4th in Vietnam Mountain Marathon, and 7th in Borneo TMBT) and Indonesia's Mila Marlina (winner of MesaStila Peaks Challenge and Gede Pangrango Marathon). The latter will be a strong challenger for the women's victory on the longest distance, and we can expect a fantastic race with defending UTHK champion Yuen Kit Shan, who will also be at the starting line. From China, the recent winner of the Ultra Trail Gobi Race is taking part and another favourite for the men's 156km race. 

Last year's winner Yuen Kit Shan

The current weather forecast indicates that it will be significantly milder than a few weeks ago during the HK 100 event, which surely is pleasant news for all participants. 

The race can be followed live via Race Timing Solutions. If you have a specific favourite runner, you can track him/her as well. 

The UTHK event is the first of many already scheduled races on the 2016 Asia Trail Master calendar. Runners can score points for the championship ranking in at least 14 Asian countries, and this year we will also see the first runners who complete the Grandmaster Quest (6 races of 70+ km within 2 years) and enter the Asia Trail Master's Hall of Fame! Among the elite runners, the defending Asia Trail Master champions are Arief Wismoyono (Indonesia) and Ma Yanxing (China). 

After UTHK, the series continue one week later in Brunei (Beach Bunch Trail Challenge), and there is also a 2017 Candidate Race in the Philippines, the Rizal Mountain Run. (Candidate Races are races set to join the Asia Trail Master series in 2017). 

For more information: 

Our event cover page:
http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/#/uthk2016/

UTHK event website
http://www.ultratrailhk.com.hk/

One of this year's race favourites: Manolito Devina from the Philippines

Trail running in Hong Kong always means plenty of steps

The 2nd edition of Kazakhstan's maiden trail race, the Tengri Ultra Trail in the country's east and close to Almaty, is scheduled for 8 May. What was suggested months ago has recently been confirmed: the longest race distance has been extended to 70km and will be an 8-shape loop, with shorter distances of 35km and 15km also on the programme. Venue is still the campsite at the Ili River bank called Tamgaly Tas, where all participants can camp overnight. The course features grasslands, rocky climbs and canyons with high snowpeaked mountains looming in the background. Race registration is open via our website here and more details here. Below is a translation of an interview done by the Kazakh site Athletex with the event's race director Timur Artyukhin. 

---

​Tengri Ultra Trail 2016  - What can you expect from Central Asia’s Leading Ultra?

Taken from Аthletex.kz / Translated from Russian by Pavel Toropov

The preparation to the unique ultra Tengri Ultra has started. Аthletex.kz decided to find out what can trailrunning enthusiasts expect this year, and so we asked one of the organizers of Tengri Ultra, Timur Artyukhin, a few questions. (Timur holds the titles of Master of Sports of Kazakhstan in orienteering, as well as that of the President of Kazakhstan Association of Skyrunning and Trailrunning). 

Hello Timur, could you tell us how you became an ultra runner?

It was very sudden! In grade 9 (15 years old) I barely passed the PE exam for 500m and so I decided to set things straight. I started by running 1 – 2km every morning. A year later I made it into the orienteering team of my city, and I started to train seriously. My first long race was an orienteering competition in East Kazakhstan and I had to cover the distance within 3 hours. These three hours seemed like an eternity to me, but I realized that I liked it. I started intensive preparations, training, reading up on the sport. The result was that I became a double nationallong-distance orienteering champion (8 hours of running, two man team), took part in 5 races around 100km in distance and in October 2015 I came 10th in a 110km ultra in Kapadokkia in Turkey.

Why do you like trail running?

It is the healthiest way to run, as well as the most interesting and the most productive. You run on natural trails, which is less damaging compared with running on concrete. Doing a trail run you are often surrounded by tremendous views, in nature, which you don’t get running in the concrete jungle.

You spend more effort running trail than road, which has a good effect on boosting your speed and endurance. Running on flat road after trail you feel faster than if you had only trained on the track and in the park. Another key part is the fresh air, which is something you don’t get when running in large cities. 

Did you get to see by yourself how popular trailrunning is outside Kazakhstan?

Yes, of course. I visited many countries, within and outside the former ex-USSR, and I can say with confidence that trailrunning is growing in popularity by day. People have an ever greater desire to get out of the concrete boxes where they spend most of their lives. To give you an example, I once raced in Sweden, and there were more than 20,000 participants! That would be great attendance even for a city marathon.

How did you get the idea to organize an ultra in Kazakhstan?

I wanted to share the emotions that I experience during an ultra with other people. There is great saying by a famous ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes: “If you want to run, run a mile, if you want to experience a different life, run a marathon, if you want to talk to God, run an ultra.”

Travelling around the world, doing different races, I realized that Kazakhstan has more places where you can do hard, interesting, beautiful and long ultras, than in a lot of other countries. We have mountains, deserts and alpine grasslands. These thoughts led me to the idea to create an ultra in the great steppes - Tengri Ultra Trail.

How did you select the location and make the course for the first Tengri Ultra last year?

I wanted to show the people that there are new and interesting places right“next door”. I wanted to find a little-visited place, and make an interesting course, not too difficult. After having gone through suitable locations we settled on the region of Tamagly Tas – here you have a section of the ancient Silk Road, a real steppe and also the beautiful Ili River.

It is very convenient that the entire race course is accessible by car. This is also important to ensure the safety of the participants.

Who are the people who had the courage to take part in a racing event so unusual for Kazakhstan?

It was a very interesting selection of people. We had professional athletes, businessmen, soldiers, students, housewives. People who took a decision to make a change in their lives. It was great to see people from 12 different countries who came just to take part in Tengri Ultra .

For many this ultra was their first trail race. These people had never run off-road before. After the race many said that it was exactly what had been looking for. The Kazakhstani trailrunning scene exploded after Tengri Ultra. Many people started to train specifically for trail, and also teams appeared who train and go to races together. 

What can the participants of Tengri Ultra expect this year?

They can look forward to an awesome ultramarathon, to new trails and great views of the spring grasslands. The runners will follow the Ili River, traverse canyons and will be able to see the endless expanses of the steppe from the tops of the mountains.

In 2016 we offer a greater choice of distances – 15, 35 and 70km. Our race is the only ultra and Central Asia, it is unique and should not be missed. We also prepared entertainment programs for both racers and fans. We want everyone who comes to the races get into the spirit of the race, to absorb some of the culture of the steppe nomads. 

Race Director Timur Artyukhin and race winner Georgiy Shejko

Following the success of the first edition, the Tengri Ultra Trail returns to Tamgaly Tas in Kazakhstan on 8 May 2016 . One of the more remote races on our calendar, but therefore a unique chance for international runners to visit and enjoy the hospitality of the Kazakh people. The race course has been redesigned partially and the longest A race will measure 70 km in length. 

The inaugural edition in 2015 saw over 300 participants, amongst which a number of international runners from France, USA, Hong Kong, China and Belgium, spread out over three distances. There are good air connections to Almaty from various Asian neighbouring countries. Direct flights from Beijing, Seoul and Hong Kong are  a given. 

It is now possible to sign up for the 2016 edition via our online registration form. To find out more basic details about the event, you can check our cover page. Please note that this page will be further updated in January as information comes in from the organisation committee in Almaty.  For any specific queries, you can contact us at info@asiatrailmaster.com 

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. 

The 2nd edition of Ijen Trail Running, scheduled for the weekend of 21/22 May 2016, has opened the online registration this week. The event in Indonesia's East Java region offers three race distances, of which the 70km and 42km options are points-scorers for the 2016 Asia Trail Master series. Last August, Alan Maulana and Asia Trail Master champion Arief Wismoyono finished a joint first in the inaugural event.

Ijen is a popular destination for adventure travellers and hikers, and relatively easy to reach from Bali as well. The race will be one of five Asia Trail Master races in Indonesia in 2016, and on paper it is the most runnable as having the least amount of elevation gain. Nevertheless, 2448 Hm over 70km is still considerable and the 16 hour cut off time is quite tight. Runners will reach an altitude of 2300m when climbing the Ijen volcano. The marathon race distance of 42km, which does not go all the way up to the summit but stays on the mountain sides, has a 10 hour deadline. 

The 70km race also offers finishers 1 point for the Grandmaster Quest. 

The event, organised by Egon Trails, is held on Ijen plateau, in Sempol, Bondowoso. The course passes by the picturesque Ijen volcano crater, the world's largest highly acidic lake and isthe site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to the waterfalls, hot springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery. 

Please find key information on our own event cover page,  or visit the event website.  Take note that the early bird rate for the event ends on 15 January 2016. 

One of the most applauded events in this year's Asia Trail Master series was Tsaigu Tangsi Plus, a 58km mountainous run in Eastern China that saw one of the country's biggest running stars, Yan Longfei, take a splendid victory. Participants from first to last talked about the great organisation and wonderful race trail, so it is no surprise that Tsaigu Tangsi Plus has been selected to be China's Super Trail in our 2016 Asia Trail Master series. The international registration has just been opened via our website form. 

Tsaigu Tangsi Plus is scheduled for 16 April 2016 and features an updated and extended main race course. Race director Cai Yu, himself a fervent runner, announced the new 50 mile (82km) distance last week as the main race of the event. Less ambitious participants can go for the 60km or 30km options, bearing in mind that elevation gain is considerable for all. In fact, on the new 50 miles no fewer than 5300 altitude metres need to be conquered, and this within 24 hours. 

Linhai again hosts the spectacular event. A relatively small town in Taizhou, which belongs to Zhejiang Province. International runners can fly into Hangzhou or Ningbo, from where there are easy railway or bus connections to Linhai. It's a tourist town on the banks of the Lin River, which also features an ancient great wall from the Jin Dynasty 1600 years ago. The wall is still 5km long and provides opportunities for exquisite photos. Get an idea of what Linhai looks like via this link. As our event cover page mentions, there are a few hotels in Linhai that can be booked via international websites such as Ctrip and Booking.com. 

Yan Longfei running towards the finish to win the 2015 edition of TT Plus

TT Plus, as the event is commonly called, is an Asia Trail Master Super Trail, so finishers will score 50 points more for the 2016 championship when they finish the race. Important for high level runners who wish to become next year's champion! Super Trail is a new addition to our points system in 2016. In total, there will be five Super Trails and each in a different country. All details of the 2016 points system and set-up will be announced next week upon completion of the Ancient Khmer Path in Cambodia, which is the final race of this year's Asia Trail Master series. 

As 50 miles exceeds 70 km, Tsaigu Tangsi Plus now also qualifies for 1 point in the Grandmaster Quest. 

Registrations are open and expected to sell out quickly. While international runners have a bit more time, do not wait too long to sign up for one of China's trail running highlights of the year!

Little known, but wonderful trail running terrain

Participants loved the 2015 edition of TT Plus

Another exciting new entry in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series is The Magnificent Merapoh Trail in peninsular Malaysia. The 2nd edition of the event has been scheduled for the last weekend of July and will be upgraded to have a 100 km as main race distance. And good news for the pure runners among you: the Magnificent Merapoh Trail is very runnable and has only limited elevation gain. 

In total, the event - organised by Running Project - offers three race distances:  100 km, 60km and 30km. Finishers on the two longest distances will score points for the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship, and finishers on the 100km will also earn 1 point for their Grandmaster Quest. 

Participants will run on beautiful trails through the Merapoh caves and wade through rivers, all in the immediate vicinity of Malaysia's famous Taman Negara National Park, which can be visited on a side trip before or after the race. As mentioned above, it is a fast course with few technical sections and caters for beginning trail runners as well. There is a cut off time of 20 hours for the main race, of 12 hours for the 60km and  of 10 hours for the 30km category. The section through the caves is obviously not that long, but definitely a unique highlight of the event. Participants in the inaugural race last September were thrilled! 

The Magnificent Merapoh Trail was founded as an event to save the Merapoh Caves. Our main objective is to preserve this national heritage, which includes  at least 85 precious limestone hills and dozens of rare species of flora and fauna. These national heritage is under the threat of destruction from a big-scale planned cement production project in the area.

The organiser is working closely with the local people in Merapoh to promote sport and outdoor events in supporting local eco-tourism. The next five years will be dedicated to create more events in Merapoh including trekking, trail running, MTB, caving and adventure trips.

Please read more details on our Magnificent Merapoh Trail cover page, which includes a link to the registration form and key info regarding logistics.