UTKC returns with a bang

Ultra Trail Unseen Koh Chang was the first big Thai hit in the Asia Trail Master series and we are certainly happed that after a one-year-hiatus the event in the south of Thailand is back on the agenda - and on the Asia Trail Master Championship calendar. UTKC was sold out very quickly and already several months ago proving that runners, too, were hot hot hot to return to this technically challenging but great island race. The event still features the traditional 100km and 70km as points races, and also offers shorter categories for the less ambitious. In a period where many races in Asia are getting cancelled due to the corona virus epidemic, we can warm ourselves up for a hot battle between Sanya Khancai, Hisashi Kitamura, Arnie Macaneras and between Joanna Kruk, Fredelyn Alberto and Montha Suntornwit.

The 100km is the classic distance and is known to be very technical in parts, as well as very hot in daytime. Sanya Khancai knows very well as he chased Jay Jantaraboon all the way to the finish two years ago. Khancai, now age 45, is one of those very talented trail runners in Thailand who is hardly known outside his home country. Hisashi Kitamura and Arnie Macaneras will certainly learn quickly this Saturday. The Japanese Uglow ace is still seeking his best shape after a stomach bug prevented him from training properly since Tahura Trail a month ago. Macaneras is entering uncharted territory: UTKC will be his maiden race outside the Philippines. For those wondering: Macaneras is the guy who put himself between Kitamura and John Ellis at The Punisher race at the end of last season.

Tomohiro Mizukoshi is opening his ATM season this weekend as well, and this is a race that - for once - he has been preparing exclusively for for quite some time. When fully fit, Tomohiro can cause the upset at UTKC - especially if he gets away well in the first kilometres.

Nikom Tongjai was a top 10 finisher in the ATM Championship last season and you do not achieve that without reason. A solid trail runner throughout, Nikom is one to pick up the spoils when the others drop out.

In the women’s we are happy to see the return to the ATM Tour of Joanna Kruk after more than a year. The police officer from Adelaide won this race back in 2017 and in fact has gone undefeated in our circuit with race victories in UT Chiang Rai, UT Panoramic and Borneo TMBT as well. Who can stop Kruk? If she is still as fast as in 2018, it might be an uphill task for the likes of Fredelyn Alberto, Ann Jilian Pulanco, Montha Suntornwit and the other women. Fredelyn Alberto is very keen to get her ATM campaign going and word is she has been working on her pure running speed in the off-season. A 100K race always needs to be run first, so who knows Alberto gets it together against Kruk just like she did in Moon 100 against Cartoon Wipawee on Koh Phangan last year.

The 70km on the programme of UTKC is also offering ATM Championship points as well as a Grandmaster point for all finishers. The winner scores 370 points for the Championship, and the hot favourite in the men’s is Hong Kong-based Britain Ryan Whelan.

We will be covering the UTKC races live via our social media channels, in particular facebook, as usual.

Three years after winning a first time, Joanna Kruk is once again a hot favourite to win the women’s 100k

Arnie Macaneras launches his 2020 ATM campaign with UTKC

Will Sanya Khancai be able to do another salto like he did when winning UTCR 2018?