Last weekend two ATM Candidate Races took place in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Malaysian Transnaning Ultra Challenge, directed by 2017 ATM Champion Steven Ong, turned out to be an extremely tough effort for even the most experienced and toughened ultra trail runners. That was expected, too, of course, and it was no real surprise that the two winners of the “Legend” five-loop race - 100 miles+ with almost 12000 hm - were Wilsen Singgin and Siokhar Lim. Singgin already had credentials for this type of challenge, having won the Ultimate 230 of Ultra Trail Chiang Rai in 2019. Siokhar Lim was 5th in the ATM Championship and is a Grandmaster who showed numerous times already that she will be there up front when things get really tough. The cut-off time of the Legend Race was 60 hours. Wilsen needed just under 50, and was over four hours ahead of Chin Han Keong and six-and-a-half ahead of Oh Jin Heng. Siokhar Lim timed her effort so as to finish within the cut off in 59 hours and 37 minutes. The other two finishers were Maihazan Nurafendy and Yuen Loong Ho. Milton Amat won the 4-loop race, Ahmad Tanjong the 3-loops, Mohammad Syahmim Nazmy the 2-loops together with Seiji Morofuji and Wai Kit Wong was quickest on the single loop. Sanisah Bujang was fastest female over 34km, Ellie Pang Hui Yi over 2 loops, Leumathong Siriporn over 3.

Over in Bali, many of the top runners were present around Mt Batur in Kintamani for the Candidate Race Bali Ultra Trail, which had been planned since 2019 but never happened until last weekend due to the corona crisis. On the programme 80k and 50k as the main race categories, with also a surprisingly competitive 25k and 10k. Overall, BUT also proved to be tougher than expected, with more technicality than the BTR Challenge last May.

The 80K race was won by “good old” 2015 ATM Champion Arief Wismoyono, who once again proved to be back at his best level. Initially, he was dropped by Lombok’s Abdul Salem and Sulawesi’s Rachmat. Two very fast runners who have made name for themselves on the domestic Indonesian scene. Wismoyono knew, however, that his favourite terrain - Mt Batur - would come at the end and he was able to stay within ten minutes of the lead duo. Rachmat Septiyanto once again had to settle for a fourth place just off the podium, as he was ‘best of the rest’. Wismoyono actually still made it look easy in the last part of the race and finished with an ample bonus of 45 minutes over Salem and 1h15’ over Rachmat. With this kind of form, Wismoyono will be top contender to regain the Asia Trail Master Champion’s title on Mount Apo in Philippines on 17 December.

On the 50k we also had a very strong quartet competing for the podium. Initially they were even five, but Alan Maulana oncemore suffered from stomach cramps and pulled out over halfway distance. Up front, the twin brothers Sobari and Sobiri battled with their fellow-Bandung runner Taofik Hidayat and Riyadi Slamet. The latter was quickest before the first climb, Mt Abang. Later, Sobari looked like the strongest of them all, having opened up a gap of over 15 minutes to Hidayat with just 5k to go. But Sobari suffered from a heatstroke and dehydration on a sunny hot day in Kintamani and struggled his way to Resto Apung and the finish. He made it by only two minutes. Hidayat second, Sobiri third and Riyadi fourth.

Shindy Patricia added another victory to her ever-growing collection in the women’s 50k race. At the first aid station it looked like she could get some serious competition from Singapore’s Hu Xiaoqin, but this year Shindy has been performing really well in the mountains and in the end she was able to cruise home. Hu Xiaoqin took second. Thimo Kilberth took a nice and sold win on the 25K, which also included a double ascent of Batur. Kilberth chose to run the shorter 25k in preparation for Jember Hills Classic in a fortnight, a race where he could already secure himself a place in Team Indonesia for the ATM Championship Final in December.

Sabah’s Wilsen Singgin showed his remarkable endurance talent again at Transnaning Ultra Challenge

Shindy Patricia runs a lot, but also keeps on winning on the domestic Indonesian scene

Sobari Herdiana won the 50k race in Bali

Arief Wismoyono was again unstoppable and won the 80k very convincingly

Taofik Hidayat came close to Sobari Herdiana, but settled for 2nd place

Hu Xiaoqin, yet another Chinese SIngaporean coming to the fore in the women’s races recently

There’s many ATM Candidate Races in Malaysia this year and the next one in line is Transnaning Ultra Challenge in Tampin. This is quite a famous hiking and trekking route, renowned for its considerable degree of technicality. 2017 ATM Champion Steven Ong is the race director and designed a true challenge for ultra runners. The Transnaning loop is 33 km long and participants can choose to run one to five loops, the five loops measuring therefore approx 100 miles with an elevation gain of nearly 12000 hm. On paper, the toughest endurance trail challenge in the country therefore. It’s the kind of challenge for the selected few, of course, and most participants in the event content themselves with one or two loops. Amongst those who will attempt the five loops are last week’s winners of the Kadamaian Adventure Ultra 70, Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin. Both have ample experience over the 100 miles distance, and let’s not forget that Wilsen Singgin won the Ultimate 230 of Ultra Trail Chiang Rai in 2019.

The Transnaning loop is renowned to be highly technical

We are happy to announce the latest new ATM Candidate Race in Malaysia on the weekend of 5-7 August. The Himalaya Sports Transnaning Ultra Challenge in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, offers an interesting concept with a 33K loop that can be completed 1 tot 5 times. One of the key people behind the project is 2017 Asia Trail Master Champion Steven Ong, himself still a fervent ultra runner.

The loop is not just an ordinary loop, it follows for more than 20 km the famous Trans Naning Trail. That’s a reputedly tough trail, challenging mentally and physically, with thick forests, steep slopes, and two genuine mountain peaks. Start and finish is at the Tampin water park. Each loop is 33km long and has a whopping 2180 metres of elevation gain. Participants can choose to do it once, twice or even up to five times for a total distance of 165 km and 10.900 metres of elevation gain. Quite obviously, this is an event for the mountain ultra runner who does not mind some jungle neither. Tampin sits at 764 metres above sea level, so the air is somewhat cooler.

The looping concept has the advantage that spectators and friends can see the runners a few times as they return to Tampin Water Park after each lap.

The event’s objective is to promote the Tampin/Rembau Towns, Tampin Hill, Gunung Datuk and the mountain & eco-channel around it. Registration is open via Checkpoint Asia below.