Earlier this month England's Joanna Plumbley was the first woman to cross the finish line of MF 42, short for Myamit Falls Marathon, a race in the Philippines that serves as a warm-up for the upcoming main event of the season: Clark-Myamit Falls 50 miles. That race will be organised already for the fifth time on 22 November, and is of course a points-scoring race in the Asia Trail Master series. But MF 42 is no walk in the park neither: Plumbley required 6h15' to cover the distance, 17 minutes quicker than second place Maricar Hiponia. 

With her victory in the bag, and CM 50 coming up, Joanna Plumbley is an excellent guest for our new 'Talking Trail Running'  interview series. Talking Trail Running will be published on our Asia Trail Master website on a regular basis, each episode with a different runner in the spotlight. A few weeks ago, we already focused on China's Yang Longfei. Join our RSS feed below to get notified when there's new material being published, and if you have any suggestions post them to info@asiatrailmaster.com or on our facebook discussion page. 

Q: First, about yourself, what brings you to the Philippines?

oanna Plumbley: I am out here with work. I work for Thales Australia and we are putting in a new Air Traffic Management system across 42 sites in the Philippines. It’s a big project so it keeps me pretty busy

Q: When and why did you decide to take part in  a trail running competition?

have been a runner for a long time – both on and off road- but here in the Philippines the trail running has just been the best way to see some of themore remote and beautiful locations that the Philippines has

Q: Where do you come from in England, and was running part of your upbringing as a child and teenager?

Running was not really part of my upbringing at all. I got into running when I joined the army reserves in my early twenties – I started from nothing but quickly became addicted

Q: How is life in Manila as an English woman? 

ot! But super friendly and some really beautiful locations – I hate the manila smog and traffic but when you get out of the city there is so much to explore – I love it

Q: What sort of training do you do to become a race winning trail runner?

I run as much as I can – less now I live in the city but I still try

Q: Have you ever run a road marathon (42.195km) and what was your time?

I have run many- my best time was in Belfast (Ireland) where I ran 3 hours 26 minutes.

Q: Do you have a specific objective in trail running, or you just wish to run for fun?

Mainly for fun – but I always love a new challenge– and there are still so many places in the world that I can explore. I love the feeling of accomplishing something I wasn’t sure I could finish- that is always the drive. Placing or winning is just a bonus if it ever happens – never the goal!

Q: Do you have any sports heroes? If yes, who and what is so special about him / her?

Many- from the world of triathlon Chrissie Wellington, and basically all the long distance cyclists (particularly the English ones – Bradley Wiggins/Chris Froome etc) The Tour de France is one of theultimate endurance races and I admire all of the participants

Q: What is your view on trail running in the Philippines and do you see differences with similar events in the UK?

It can be very different out here. You really never deal with really hot conditions in the UK so that is one major difference. We do have to deal with the cold though – ice and snow haven’t been a problem out here! In general the trails are muchtougher out here – steeper and less established.. I think in the UK the endurance running scene is more limited to a hardcore set of dedicated runers. I love the way that in the Philipines many ‘slower’ and less experienced runners also take on these tough courses and manage to complete them

Q: Dealing with the heat is a key aspect for elite trail running. How do you cope with it? Do you drink a lot during races? 

As an English runner I am NOT used to heat but I have adapted really well – it’s a strength for me out here. I don’t need to drink too muchso I haven’t had many problems. I love not shivering on the start line or freezing in mists and blizzards.

Q: Have you ever taken part in a race in another country, and did you feel any difference compared to racing in the Philippines?

I have raced in several countries, including the Himalayan 100 in India. Every race is different but again the main difference in the Philippines is the mass participation – even with the ridiculously early start times you have here!

Q: Are you aware of ITRA? Would you argue it a good thing that the IAAF, via ITRA, is trying to streamline the sport of trail running via new regulations and guidelines-to-follow? 

I am not really aware – but certainly interested

Q: Many trail running races in Asia have large to enormous levels of elevation gain. Is that your cup of tea, or would you rather see races that have more 'runnable'  courses?

I have found the severity ofthe runs out here a bit frustrating. A ‘challenge’ is great- but it's nice to get to really run as well. (The MF42 was excellent in that respect)

Q: What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series? Could this be a goal for your 2016 campaign? 

Certainly- I have only just started learning about it but the races look amazing. Time to start saving for some racecations!

Joanna Plumbley at the finish of MF 42 on 4 October 2015. 

Joanna Plumbley in the middle with CM50 & MF 42 race director Jon Lacanlale on her left. 

One of the early protagonists in our inaugural Asia Trail Master series is China's Yan Longfei. Winner of the Tsaigu Tangsi Plus 58km race in his home country's Linhai (Zhejiang Province) in April, Yan Longfei continued with another solo victory only one week later on the 50 km race distance in Dalian. Before that, he had already beaten the course record on the Vibram Hong Kong 100 in January. As successful Yan Longfei has been in Greater China, outside of Asia fortunes have been more mixed in his first season as an international elite. Modest by nature, Yan Longfei knows his current limits and continues to train and learn to push those limits ever further. A short Q & A with an impressive athlete. 

Translated from Mandarin by Xiaozhao Zhao

1）You run a 2:15 marathon and were part of the China National Team, what made you make the leap to trail running instead?

YLF: I chose to end my career as a professional road marathon runner in 2013 out of my free will. Because I think, as I get older, I am more and more eager to be myself and do not want to live under the regime of a team. My first trail race is the 2013 Hanghzou 100km, but due to little experience in training for trail running, I hurt my Achilles tendon one month before the race and had to quit after about 20km.  However, I fell in love with trail racing from then on.

2）You won't miss the possibility to go to an Olympic Games? 

Of course, I would try again with a full effort provided there is a chance. Running the Olympic Marathon for Team China has been a kind of honor and a boost to my self-esteem when I entered the professional team.

3）What is your main goal to achieve in trail running?

I do not have any specific target and just like to keep running like what I have been doing. I enjoy running and racing, fulfilling my deepest love of the sport.

4）Where do you usually train?

I usually train in Shanghai, where the atmosphere within the running community is very good. But Shanghai is a city and relatively flat. So I have to go to Hangzhou for training on proper trails.

5）What is your favourite type of terrain? High mountain, hilly or flattish?

Hilly terrain and mountain definitely. After trying trail running, I have found road running to be quite boring. Perhaps I ran too much flat courses before, I prefer the alpines now.

6）How do you prepare for a race the day before?

Nothing special. Just prepare the necessities and my favorite food for the race,  and then have a good rest.

7）Do you drink a lot during a 100k race? What do you eat? 

I do not need to drink much. 3 litres is enough, usually. I eat some gels and bananas, plus some nuts.

8）What made you start running and try to become a professional runner? Did you have any idols as a child or teenager? 

I was a naughty boy in my childhood. I started running because I did not like sitting down in the classroom all day. Since I have become a professional runner, I have not really had any idols. I just admire and respect some people and I hope I will be better than them in the future.

9）You have won the Tsaigu Tangsi Plus 58k race and the Dalian 50k race, so you have a high place in the Asia Trail Master ranking. Are you keen to take part in a 3rd race of the Asia Trail Master series to try and become the 2015 champion?

If I have enough time, I will try for sure.

10）What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series? Could this be a goal for the 2016 year? 

The more quality races the better. But together with my sponsors I have to negotiate and select races for my international calendar.

11）What have you learnt from your races outside of China, such as Gran Canaria and Australia?

Running abroad has made me more mature than before. I can feel my own growth in thinking. I have learnt a lot about oversea races and have had more opportunities to communicate with  and study from elite runners all over the world.

12）Your more experienced compatriot Yun Yanqiao finished ahead of you in TNF Australia. Does that bother you? Do you think you can beat him next time?

I think no one is perfect and will be invincible forever. Most important is to remain humble to be able to enjoy the races.

13）You have won Vibram Hong Kong 100 in a new record time (9:52:42), will you defend your title there or rather try to win the 170km Ultra Trail Hong Kong on 19 February?

I will again run the Vibram HK100 in 2016. I fear races longer than 100 km are too long for me at this stage of my career.

14）How long do you need to recover after a 100km race?

I need around two months for full recovery.

15）What should be improved in the organisation of trail running races? 

I think it is vital to understand the needs and demands of trail runners. For example, what do runners need specifically in a given race?

16）There are more and more trail running races in China, some better organised than others. Do you have any tips for organizers in China?

I hope the trail running scene in China can keep on developing and attracting more people to come and enjoy the trails and open nature. I support any endeavor which is good for our sport.

Yan Longfei receives another set of prizes from Asia Trail Master sponsor Newline Sports at TT Plus.