The 2nd edition of the GlobalLimits' Wild Elephant Trail in Sri Lanka, a 6-day stage race over 220km was won by European runners. Great Britain's Nathan Montague was fastest in the men's, despite a late surge in the second part of the week by Spain's Xavi Marina. Another Spaniard, David Mora, completed the podium in third place. 

Christina Khinast from Austria was clearly the fastest woman in Sri Lanka. The battle for second was more tight, as Cambodia's Sophiethida Kong and Maria Rotger were quite evenly matched, although the Asian runner mainly had the edge. 

All finishers of the stage race score will enter this week's Asia Trail Master ranking with 100 finisher points and each with his or her own's performance points based on the result. The next GlobalLimits boutique stage race is the Last Secret in Bhutan, starting at the end of May. It is still possible to register for that event. 

Male:
1. Nathan Montague - Great Britain 19:10hrs
2. Xavi Marina - Spain 20:41hrs
3. David Mora - Spain 22:3ohrs
Female:
1. Christina Khinast - Austria 25:15hrs
2. Sophiethida Kong - Cambodia 28:12hrs
3. Maria Rotger - Spain 28:56hrs

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. 

Only one week after Ultra Trail Hong Kong, the Asia Trail Master series continue with another inaugural event: the Wild Elephant Trail” from 6-14 March 2015 in Sri Lanka.  A country that, moreover, is quite new to the sport of trail running.

As the official press release by organiser Global Limits reads: 52 runners from 23 countries from all continents in the world, including top Sri Lankan marathon runner Sanath Bandara, will compete in the stage race.  The Asia Trail Master series team is happy to promote this new event, and assist in the development of running opportunities for athletes in Sri Lanka. 

The course is expected to be quite adventurous and technical in parts, but filled with cultural landmarks as well.  The press release continues: the 210km, 6 stages race begins at the rock fortress of Yapahuwa, the short-lived capital of medieval Sri Lanka.  The runners will then head to Sasseruwa, the giant Buddha in “Freedom from Fear” pose, the picturesque Ritigala Mountains, and the Kandalama Lake.  The finishing line is set at the top of the World Heritage Site, the Sigiriya, ”The Lion Rock”.  In between the stages, the runners will stay at local pilgrim halls, campsites, and local village houses.  

Finishers of the stage race will collect a significant haul of Asia Trail Master points, and by coincidence the distance points - 175 - are the same as for last weekend's single-stage UTHK race. The rule for stage races namely says that 175 is the maximum number of distance points that can be won, which aims to avoid all-too-easy gains. 

Progress of the stage race can be checked via the GlobalLimits website, but also here and on the Asia Trail Master series facebook, twitter and instagram sites.