We are happy to announce the Lam Dong Trail in Dalat, Vietnam, as a new ATM Candidate Race from 11 to 13 November 2022. Organised by VietnamJoy and the Green Hat Joint Stock Company, the new event features several race categories of which the 70k is the flagship. Host venue of the event is the Valley of Love, not far from Dalat City.

Lam Dong is the name of the province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, already very popular among trail runners due to the moderate climate and cooler temperatures. The event is part of a bigger community initiative called VietnamJoy, which was born with the desire to bring people back to nature through forest paths, climbing waterfalls or magical cloud-piercing peaks. Running terrain is not only a test of the toughness of the body, but also a connection with nature. Every breath, step by step opens up every beautiful scenery of Vietnam.

Despite the estimated elevation gain of 2850 hm, the terrain in and around Dalat is known to be quite runable. November marks the start of the colder season, and runners will be treated by mystic foggy landscapes in vast hilly pine forests. If 70k is too long, runners can also choose between 45km, 21km or 10km race categories.

Dalat is well-connected via air and road from Ho Chi Minh City. It is a tourism destination in its own right, which has plenty of accommodation options and things to see and experience.

All detailed information can be found on the official website, in both Vietnamese and English.

Jeffery Budin was the surprising but well-deserved winner of Ultimate Trails of Penang 105km last weekend, while local trail hero Siokhar Lim confirmed her current top form with a clear victory in the women’s race. Budin’s success ranks among the greatest upsets in ATM race history. Having been around for a few years in the lower half of the Top 10, Budin rose to the occasion when most of the pre-race favourites weren’t paying attention early in the tough race and went off course. Apparently, a local marshal at an aid station to be used twice in the race, pointed them into the wrong of two directions. But surprisingly, most of the affected runners continued for plenty of kilometers before realising they were on the wrong of two different loops. Others trusted their GPS watches’ warning signals and turned back earlier. It’s a classic unfortunate situation, which ultimately demotivated some of them to throw in the towel all together and DNF. Wilsen Singgin, aware of the opportunity to safeguard his Top 5 spot in the ATM Malaysia ranking that qualifies him for our ATM Championship Final in December, did continue his race, however. According to Thimo Kilberth, who had a slow start with “blocked legs” due to a delayed travel from Europe, Singgin probably was only 40th when he saw him and rejoined an out-and-back section of the proper race course.

Meanwhile, Jeffery Budin, Seiji Morofuji, Ben Lee Ben Siong and Nem Chee Ng found themselves in the lead of the race with about 75 km still to go. This is where Budin earned his victory. He didn’t go the wrong way, suddenly found himself in a race leading position, then managed to stay cool and focused, ran with determination while, arguably, unlocking powers he did not realise he had himself, and brought it home in style. Not only is it Budin’s first ATM race victory, it’s even his first podium finish! A wonderful story for the humble and talented Malaysian, who has been supported by Sportlicious Malaysia for a few years already and who reportedly has very little chances to do any real training for races. Could this be a game changer for Budin? In any case, having been a busy bee in ATM already, his Top 5 spot in the ATM Malaysia ranking seems secure and Budin can expect to be part of his country’s team in the Final on Mount Apo.

The very experienced and solid competitor Seiji Morofuji was trying and hanging on about ten minutes back for most of the race, but eventually cracked and even still had the resurgent Wilsen Singgin pass him in the last three kilometers. Singgin’s Strava record read 121 km after the race, indicating he had been off course for a total of about 16 km… That’s 16 km of tough, technical hilly rainforest terrain. Kudos to the Sabahan for not giving up, his reward is big: it is actually his first ATM podium of the season after 3 fourth places earlier. Morofuji was all smiles, too. For the KL-based Japanese runner it was his second ATM podium finish after Merapoh Trail in 2019. His qualification for Team Japan at the ATM Final also seems secure. Pre-race favourite Thimo Kilberth eventually arrived in 7th place and was nevertheless a happy finisher.

Lem Chee Ng was in contention for the podium, too, but missed out by just 11 minutes. He crossed the finish line together with Siokhar Lim, who proved how much progress in running pace she has made since 2019. Being one of the most technically skilled female trail runners, Siokhar Lim, with this kind of form, could be a podium contender at the ATM Championship Final. The women’s podium was completed by Philippines’ Irish Glorioso, who ran a remarkable race herself, overtaking Thailand’s Siriporn Leumathong in the final sections. Both scored their first ATM podiums, and Glorioso even placed herself in contention for the ATM Philippines Top 5.

Masafumi Yamamoto was another high profile finisher at UTOP, because the Ho Chi Minh City-based trail runner collected his 20th Grandmaster Quest point, and therefore has joined Hisashi KItamura as a 4-star ATM Grandmaster. Miri’s Yvette Chong Mi Chin accomplished her Grandmaster Quest, too, with her fifth ultra finish of 2022, following MMTF in 2019. And also Lim Jyh Horng completed his Quest at UTOP! Jyh Horng started with three races in 2019, the points of which are still valid this year, and added Cameron Ultra, Ultra Trail Chiang Mai and UTOP to it. Congratulations to all three great trail runners!

Masafumi Yamamoto: now a 4-star Grandmaster

Yvette Chong Mi Chin: Grandmaster *

Lim Jyh Horng: Grandmaster *

The 4th Malaysian points race in the 2022 Asia Trail Master Championship series provides an opportunity for a few competitive runners to bring themselves in a more comfortable position towards qualification for the ATM Final in December. Team Malaysia is certainly one of the tougher teams to get a spot on, given the vast elevated level of trail runners in the country. Race favourite for the tough but beautiful UTOP 100km race on Penang island is Wilsen Singgin, a busy bee and always at his best on tough courses. Singgin will be running his fourth ATM points race of the season and with another good result would basically be assured of qualification. This year’s points ranking is based on a ‘best-four-count system’. Singgin and Mount Apo also sounds like a good match!

Buff Epic Ultimate Trails of Penang is organised by Endurance Nature, the event management team around Malaysian ultra legend Seow Kong Ng and Allan Lee. ATM followers know their other, older, event Penang Eco in Bukit Mertajam already very well. Before covid-19 hit, it had been agreed that we would be alternating Penang Eco with UTOP as ATM points race event in the coming years. It has taken longer than expected, but finally we will now have UTOP making its debut on our ATM Championship calendar. Runners who have done it already, argue that UTOP is a step-up in terms of trail technicality but the overall difficulty is counterbalanced by incredible vistas of the island and the ocean around it. Some even claim UTOP 100 is on paper the toughest trail race in Malaysia.

The dominator of Borneo TMBT Ultra 100, fellow Sabahan Milton Amat, is sitting this weekend out and will thus not add any points to his total. Amat currently has 1000 points out of two races and can be overtaken by Jeffery Budin and Bernardo Linus, both also competing in their fourth race of the year in Penang. Malaysian points leader Muhammad Affindi, like Amat, won’t be running this weekend.

Wilsen Singgin probably needs to watch out most for Aqmal Adzmi at UTOP 100. The tall runner is very keen on earning a spot on Team Malaysia as well and this weekend’s race could give him a great shot at collecting a podium and a big points haul for that purpose. Not entirely satisfied with his performance at TMBT three weeks ago, Adzmi had barely crossed the finish line and already talked about UTOP that night. What can Sarawak’s Abang Jamadi do on a technical 100k? Jamadi is probably best known as a 50k podium competitor, but will be going for it tomorrow on the double distance. 2017 ATM Champion Steven Ong features on the start list as well, but having recently completed TOR in Italy he is reportedly changing to the 60k race category, which at UTOP does not provide any points for the ATM ranking. Ong has had global event ambitions this year and is not a factor in this year’s ATM Championship. Andy Lee and Jack Oh are outsiders for a podium spot this weekend, and last but not least also Thimo Kilberth. The Bali-based German is returning from a stint in Germany, where he a.o. ran the Cologne Marathon, and will be testing his resilience on the 100 km in Penang. Kilberth has been competing almost primarily on Indonesian trails, so UTOP is also a bit of a step into the unknown for him. Similar with Wilsen Singgin, it’s his fourth ATM race of the season so his qualification for Team Indonesia will be cast in stone if he finishes. Another Indonesian, Abdul Rahman Muhammad Ishak, is currently sitting third in his country’s points ranking and is also doing his fourth ATM race already. Not immediately a podium contender, but a decent race finisher nonetheless who has been collecting points left and right this season while some of his better-known compatriots have been idle.

In the women’s race we can probably expect a battle for the win between Halimatun Sa’adiah, one of the exciting newcomers on the scene this year, and Grandmaster Siokhar Lim, who is running at home. Can the youngster keep the very experienced and ultra distance specialist behind as the finish line approaches? We already know from Cameron Ultra that Sa’adiah can grit her teeth together if she must, but we have also seen a very fresh-looking and consistently strong SIokhar Lim over the past couple of months. We can imagine she’d like to win UTOP this time.

Looking at the Malaysian ATM ranking, points leader Sally Yap is absent but quite safe with 1400 points in 3 races. For Sa’adiah it’s her fourth race, so she should normally be assured of qualification after this weekend, too. The numbers 3 and 4 are also competing for the fourth time: Norlela Ismail and Chong Mi Chin. That will put some pressure on others who are currently just with two or one race behind their name.

After UTOP 100, there are still many points races left this season. In Malaysia itself, of course MMTF 100 and 50 is still around the corner in Taiping on 19 November.

UTOP 100 takes place on the island proper and is genuinely tougher than it may look at first sight!

“Mr 4th place” this year. Can 2021 Malaysia Trail Master Champion Wilsen Singgin finally get on the ATM podium this weekend… and why not even win the race?

Halimatun Sa’adiah has been making a name for herself this season. Can she claim her first race win this weekend?

Aqmal Adzmi is looking for a better run than TMBT three weeks ago. If he finds his best legs, watch out!

Grandmaster Siokhar Lim : it’s her home race this weekend

Back from Germany, Thimo Kilberth will be eyeing a great result on unfamiliar territory

Season VII of the Asia Trail Master Championship series is currently in full swing and the tension towards the winner-takes-all Final race between qualified runners in national country teams has been building up gradually. Nevertheless, the start of the new Season VIII is not that far away neither. As usual, there’s five weeks between the end and the beginning. The ATM event calendar for 2023 is taking shape bit by bit, not as fast as we would like but it seems the nature of today’s world to have a shorter horizon to work with. In fact, several event organisers are still waiting for official permits by their local or regional authorities. In total, the ATM Championship calendar will again feature between 25 and maximum 30 points races in which runners can score points for the Championship qualification and/or for their Grandmaster Quest. The complete calendar will be revealed in due course, but for planning purposes we are happy to reveal the first four events that will open proceedings in 2023.

The new season will begin with four weekends-in-a-row. Thailand has the honour of having the opener with the classic Ultra Trail Koh Chang - UTKC - event in the south of the country and reachable via Bangkok, on the weekend of 21-22 January 2023. As usual, both the 100km and the 70km race categories will offer ATM points. One week later we move to Bandung in West Java, Indonesia, for Tahura Trail. Another classic and very popular for trail runners who prefer a shorter race distance (42 km) or for those wishing to prep themselves for longer races afterwards. Going into February, we find the V Trail in Laos on the schedule. A new date in the early season for the tough and technical race of 85km around Vang Vieng in the south of the country. From Laos we will head to Manila for the first Filipino race of the 2023 season and it’s a new entry on our Championship calendar: Santa Ines Mountain Adventure. A pretty spicy 80km in the Rizal mountains east of the Manila metropole, a successful Candidate Race last April.

After this quartet of events, we will have a break for two weeks until the new Candidate Race in Brunei, the Simpur Ultra Run on 25 February. Looking into early March, we can expect the traditional first Vietnamese points race event on the calendar: Dalat Ultra Trail, which should be officially announced soon.

Stay tuned for more updates on the 2023 ATM Calendar coming very soon.

We are happy to announce Matanao Mountain Marathon as a new ATM Candidate Race in Mindanao, southern Philippines, on 22 October this month. The event is set up by the well-known team of Vertical To Sky and Doi Calbes, and is supported by the local government to showcase the highlights of Matanao, famous for its beautiful caves, hidden gems of waterfalls, and scenic peaks & ridges.

The event has two race categories: a trail ‘marathon’ of 42 km and a ‘half marathon’ of 21 km. The start is at 4:30 am and 5:30 am respectively, so just a little while before sunrise. The course is nearly entirely offroad and on proper trails leading to caves and scenic waterfalls.

To reach Matanao from outside Mindanao, you fly to Davao. Then from Davao City to Matanao it will only take 2 hours drive or around 90 kilometers, then from Matanao proper another 30 minutes drive going up to the mountains or our venue at the Tourism Building, Sitio Talambato, Barangay Asbang. .

Matanao is also only 30kms away from Digos City, so if you’re coming from Davao City or General Santos City you can also take a bus going to Digos City, then from Digos we have lots of alternative way going to Matanao –by motorcycle, habal-habal, jeepney, etc., then from Matanao proper going to the venue at Barangay Asbang we will arrange transportation to all participants.

All details can be checked via the event’s facebook page.

 

The covid crisis clearly has not had much impact on the running velocity of Jeff Campbell. At last Sunday’s Ferei Dark 45 event on Hong Kong’s Maclehose Trail in the New Territories, Campbell dominated proceedings from start to finish and scored his fourth ATM points race victory in 5h05’. It was the first ATM points race in Hong Kong since The 9 Dragons in February 2019. The Canadian-born was of course quite familiar with the trails, but the fact it was a night race brought an element of uncertainty. In the end, it did not matter. Australian T8 manager David Longo was a very solid second, half an hour behind Campbell, but 23 minutes ahead of his company’s co-founder and reigning ATM Champion John Ellis. Ellis struggled in the early parts of the race with breathing issues on a very hot and humid night in Hong Kong. Never to be underestimated, however, Ellis fought back once again and managed to score the podium by overtaking Dennis Theodosis and Roy Chun Wa Tong in the dying moments of the race that finished in Tsuen Kam Au after more than 3000 metres of elevation gain.

The women’s race was actually more exciting to follow with lots of changing positions at the front. Natalie Webster looked like she could win it, yet Meg Sterling narrowly managed to outsprint her towards the end in 7h49. The podium was completed by Ka Yin Tong.

David Longo impressed with an unthreatened second place behind Campbell but ahead of Ellis and co

A difficult start, but still a podium for John Ellis on what is a short distance for his liking

Ferei Dark 45 was the first ATM points race in Hong Kong since early 2019

It’s been three-and-a-half years since the last edition of The 9 Dragons took place, the last ATM points race in Hong Kong. The cosmopolitan city had already been in socio-political turmoil before covid-19 struck , and still today, Hong Kong is struggling to find its feet in an ever-complex world. Once heralded as the heart of Asian trail running, Hong Kong started its season last month oncemore with hardly any trail event properly scheduled. Permits are issued at the very last minute, causing throbbing headaches for event organisers, who try to keep their legacies and their businesses alive. Today, any race above 50 km still has virtually no chance of going ahead. Covid infections remain too big a concern for the authorities. Yet, mandatory quarantine-upon-arrival in Hong Kong has recently been abolished. That means residents can now travel abroad again without too much hassle upon return. The door is open.

Local organisers make do with what they are permitted to. XTE Events is one of the city’s long-standing companies and is happy to announce two of their events going ahead this month. Starting with Ferei Dark 45 this Sunday, start at midnight. A 45k race on the Maclehose Trail that will see the return-in-action of John Ellis, still the reigning Asia Trail Master Champion. Ellis had zero incentive to try and defend his ATM title in 2020, but now we are two years further down the line and his hunger is very much back. This weekend’s 45k race is normally too short and too fast for him, but the Australian sounds keen to give his best and get his ATM campaign in gear. As a former ATM champion, Ellis only needs to score two ATM race finishes to get a wild card for the ATM Championship Final in December. For the Ellis of 2019, the Mount Apo Sky Race 75k is not an impossible task, especially given that race tactics will likely play a significant role there. To underline his ambition to try and renew his ATM title, Ellis has already booked a plane ticket to Davao himself..

At Ferei Dark 45 this Sunday early morning, Ellis will not rank as the top favourite to win the race. Amongst others, there are Jeff Campbell and Ryan Whelan on the start list. Campbell is as keen as Ellis to deliver a great showing in ATM this season. A former double winner of Tahura Trail in Indonesia and also Sungai Menyala in Malaysia, Campbell is moving up to 70k in a fortnight when he is scheduled to race in Vietnam. Similar to Singapore-based Belgian Vanja Cnops in the women’s competition, Campbell has been almost unbeatable over 30-50k race distances. But his competitive performance going beyond that distance is less certain. If he qualifies for the ATM FInal as part of Team Asia Expat, the speedster is likely going to be the first male runner reaching the foot of Mount Apo.

But this weekend, he has Ryan Whelan to worry about first. Whelan has been the coming-man for a few years, the covid pandemic not helping him. He won UTKC 70k in Thailand in February 2020, which could later turn out to be a milestone in his progress as a competitive trail runner. Whelan was fast during our 7 Missions virtual event in January 2021 and we are all looking forward to seeing his performance this weekend.

Given it’s been well over three years, we are bound to discover some new Hong Kong names appearing this month as well. Ferei Dark 45 and Ultramarathon de Sai Kung in three weeks on 22 October will be closely followed, indeed.

Jeff Campbell will embark on a rather busy schedule with Dark 45 this weekend and VJM 70 in two weeks

Hong Kong runners can look forward to two ATM points races this month as Ultramarathon de Sai Kung has now officially received a permit to be held on the scheduled date of 22 October. This implies that all HK - based runners at least can score 2 race finishes, a first prerequisite to be eligible for participation in the ATM Championship Final in Davao, Philippines, on 17 December.

This coming Sunday, Ferei Dark 45 will be the first Asia Trail Master points race in Hong Kong in nearly 3,5 years following a period of civil unrest and covid. The 45km race will be previewed tomorrow and will be covered via our usual channels as well starting before midnight on Saturday night. XTE Events has now also secured the permit for its other event in the New Territories, UM de Sai Kung, albeit only for the 50k race. Anything longer than 50k is currently still not possible in Hong Kong.

T8 has produced these gems, the Team Hong Kong national country team tee for the ATM Final qualifiers

The 5 male and 5 female runners who score most ATM points will receive an invitation to join the team

The day before the race in Mu Cang Chai we had an opportunity to talk to Hau Ha, overall winner of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100 km two weeks earlier. Hau Ha is the new Southeast Asian trail star and one of the big favourites to become 2022 Asia Trail Master Champion this coming December. The full interview is in Vietnamese and summarised in English and can be watched via our ATM YouTube channel. The transcript highlights are below.

The interview was made possible by Trung Nguyen and Markus Gnirck, with special thanks to both!

Q: It’s only 2 weeks since your amazing victory at VMM 100K, how do you look back on that day and your unique performance today?

“On the way to CP4 on the longest climb I felt tired and had to let Gaetan Morizur go. But later at the CP they told me he was not that far ahead, and that gave me a big boost in confidence and so I decided to chase him down again, and by CP 6 I caught him and then left him behind me on the way to finish. “

“I am from Sapa and I know all the trails, which of course was an advantage for me.

Q: In Dalat in March, you finished behind Morizur, Nhon Trong and Nguyen Si Hieu. Now you beat them in VMM. Nhon Trong was even two hours behind you. Does that surprise you?

“In Dalat Ultra Trail I was still managing an injury, which slowed me down. Especially in the second part of that race. But in VMM, I was 100% fit, better prepared and so I was not surprised about my performance”

Q. It did not look like you were running at your top limit at VMM. You can still go faster if you have to?

“Yes, I can go even faster with water melon! My stomach needs water melon on race day!”

Q: You ran a couple of road marathons and also shorter distance races this year. Do you think it helped you to develop a faster pace on the trails?

“I don’t think running road marathon races helps my performance on trails, but the specific training for those marathons does, yes.”

Q: You are a single mum, you have a son, and you run a travel tour company. How do you find the time to train?

“I found a way to balance daily life and sports and I like to continue to do this moving forward”

Q: You are coached by Guim, a former elite athlete from Spain and based in Hanoi. How did you get to know him and how important is he for you when preparing for races?

“I like MUDE Sports, the apparel brand launched by Guim, and especially the philosophy behind the brand that is using 100% recycled materials, which is very environmentally friendly. Important for Vietnam. Also, Mude is produced locally, which helps our local economy. As a coach, Guim has helped me lot with my training plans and with custom designing the right products for me to use and wear while running. “

Q: Two years ago, you started running because you wanted to lose weight and now you dominate men in the most iconic race in Vietnam. Do you realise you are very quickly becoming a role model, an idol, for many women around Asia? What is your message to women in this context?

“I believe that all the women in the world can do the same, as long as they have a dream and the passion to pursue that dream. I believe that women who are passionate about sports will develop a strong character and also a nice, healthy body.”

Q: You were already a public secret in Vietnam before VMM, now dozens of thousands of trail runners across the whole of Asia know you. How does that make you feel?

“I do not feel anything special about it, I just feel passionate about sports, and it has become my lifestyle.”

Q: The ATM Championship is a goal for you this year. We heard that you are looking forward to racing against Veronika Vadovicova, Vanja Cnops and the other top women in Asia?

“Yes, it would be nice to compete against other top women in Asia on medium or longer distance trails. I am looking forward to meeting them and run with them.”

Last weekend’s Mu Cang Chai Trail saw the two anticipated race winners cross the finish line first, indeed. Hau Ha once more demonstrated her speed and trail skills to take the women’s and overall title, while Trung Nguyen proved that on his day and on his type of terrain he is always a serious podium contender. The leading lady of Vietnamese trail running won for the third time in ATM this season and is now virtually guaranteed of her spot in her country’s national team for the ATM Championship Final in Philippines on 17 December. T8 athlete Trung Nguyen also sees a major boost to his qualification chances for… Team Singapore. Because that’s the passport he is holding.

The 50k race in the stunningly beautiful region of Mu Cang Chai did not go entirely smoothless. Alleged marking sabotage caused issues for plenty a runner, including Hau Ha. As in VMM two weeks ago, she had started and set a solid pace from the gun, but found herself off course quite a bit around the 15km mark. When she got back on the right trail, she had dropped down to fourth place overall. Yet, in no time she was catching up with male race leader Trung Nguyen and decided to stuck with him for the remainder of the race. Trung is indeed known and respected for his meticulous planning and ability to self-navigate using GPS. Some ten minutes behind the lead duo, South Africa’s Timothy Lombard and Nguyễn Đức Tuấn Anh had a battle for second place decided in favour of the foreign athlete. Nguyễn Đức Tuấn Anh is doing a great job for his ATM Vietnam ranking with his third top placing of the season and looks set for a Team Vietnam invitation in the ATM Final! The women’s 50k podium was completed by Vũ Thị Lan Hương and Nguyen Phuong, winner of VMM 100 MIles two weeks ago. In fourth place was Japan’s Harada Tamae.

Hau Ha and Trung Nguyen crossed the finish line together as race winners in Mu Cang Chai

It’s only two weeks after Vietnam Mountain Marathon, but this weekend our eyes are fixed on the country again. Mu Cang Chai Trail is a new entry on our ATM Championship calendar after a successful stint as a Candidate, and it features a 50k main race in a very picturesque region of Northwest Vietnam. Moreover, the fantastic overall winner of the 100k a fortnight ago is already back in action: Hau Ha!

As can be seen on the elevation profile below, the Mu Cang Chai Trail course has roughly nine identifiable hilltops, reminiscent of Jember Hills in Indonesia last month. On these hills, runners will adore astonishing views of rice terraces and the surrounding vegetation. Mu Cang Chai is also the name of the area, which is being promoted as a new adventure tourism destination. The event this weekend is a boutique event with homestay accommodation for participants in the style of Cordillera Mountain Ultra in Philippines, Bukit Lawang Orang Utan Trail in Sumatra and, indeed, Vietnam Jungle Marathon next month.

When she crossed the finish line at VMM, it was quite clear she had not gone to her limit. Already the next morning, Hau Ha told her coach that she feels ‘fine’ and ‘no pain anywhere’. Mu Cang Chai is therefore a go. This weekend, the objective is to collect another 500 ATM points and ensure her qualification for Team Vietnam in the Asia Trail Master Championship Final on 17 December: the Mount Apo Sky Race in Davao, Philippines. While she is of course the sky high race favourite, it is interesting to see Nguyen Phuong also on the MCC start list. Nguyen Phuong is the winner of the … 100 miles race at VMM two weeks ago!

The men’s race is quite open on paper. 2020/21 ATM points leader Trung Nguyen will be competing and has definitely podium potential. Technically Singaporean, Trung can also significantly boost his selection chances for Team Singapore in the ATM Final this weekend. Most likely, we will also get to know some new faces in this race, with local runners grabbing the opportunity to run themselves into the picture.

Ha Hau spent some time exploring the magnificent Mu Cang Chai region this week

You can now watch our race recap of last weekend’s 10th anniversary of Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, on our ATM YouTube channel or just here below on ATM Web. It will also be uploaded to our Facebook Page. Local hero Milton Amat won the flagship 109km race for the third time after 2017 and 2019. Just like before covid, Amat had to deal with the challenge of Japanese star Hisashi Kitamura, but the latter did not manage to reach his full potential this time around. Yakov Kozlov was a great third on the podium. The women’s 109km was dominated by Sieh Fat Lim, ahead of Sally Yap and Izzah Hazirah for a Malaysia clean-sweep on the podium. Not so on the 50k race category, where Singapore-based Belgian Vanja Cnops dominated proceedings ahead of Law Guan Shin and Megan Davies. The men’s 50k saw France’s Pierre-Victor Morales take the victory in a superb battle with Yasbie Ismail. The latter, unfortunately, got penalised for a mandatory gear infringement after the finish line. This moved Muhamad Affindi up to 2nd place and Jude Maikol to third.

The next Malaysian points race in ATM is the 100km of Ultimate Trails of Penang on 8/9 October.