And so we have already arrived at the final event of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series. GlobalLimits' Ancient Khmer Path will close the curtain next weekend (5 December) when runners enter Angkor, the famous temple site in Cambodia. This is a 6-day stage race in its 4th edition, and there's still a lot of points up for grabs for the 2015 ranking. 

The terrain of the race is quite flat and therefore very runnable, which makes this race in the GlobalLimits catalogue different from the other two events in Sri Lanka and Bhutan. As always, founder and race director Stefan Betzelt is doing his utmost to ensure all participants not only have a great run, but a very exciting time in Cambodia in general. 

The race begins on Sunday in Phnom Penh with a 30km long stage first stage. The longest stage is the third, when we are talking proper ultra running over more than 60 km. Throughout the week, runners will pass numerous authentic temples, waterfalls and bamboo forests. 

Whereas the top of our ranking seems fixed, a few participants might be able to still squeeze themselves into the top 10. A number of runners will also score their 3rd Grandmaster point in this event, which means only 3 to go in 2016 to obtain the honourary title and shield! 

We will be updating our social media pages throughout the week as news comes in from Cambodia. Stay tuned! 

Overview of the 6 stages in this year's Ancient Khmer Path

Another exciting new entry in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series is The Magnificent Merapoh Trail in peninsular Malaysia. The 2nd edition of the event has been scheduled for the last weekend of July and will be upgraded to have a 100 km as main race distance. And good news for the pure runners among you: the Magnificent Merapoh Trail is very runnable and has only limited elevation gain. 

In total, the event - organised by Running Project - offers three race distances:  100 km, 60km and 30km. Finishers on the two longest distances will score points for the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship, and finishers on the 100km will also earn 1 point for their Grandmaster Quest. 

Participants will run on beautiful trails through the Merapoh caves and wade through rivers, all in the immediate vicinity of Malaysia's famous Taman Negara National Park, which can be visited on a side trip before or after the race. As mentioned above, it is a fast course with few technical sections and caters for beginning trail runners as well. There is a cut off time of 20 hours for the main race, of 12 hours for the 60km and  of 10 hours for the 30km category. The section through the caves is obviously not that long, but definitely a unique highlight of the event. Participants in the inaugural race last September were thrilled! 

The Magnificent Merapoh Trail was founded as an event to save the Merapoh Caves. Our main objective is to preserve this national heritage, which includes  at least 85 precious limestone hills and dozens of rare species of flora and fauna. These national heritage is under the threat of destruction from a big-scale planned cement production project in the area.

The organiser is working closely with the local people in Merapoh to promote sport and outdoor events in supporting local eco-tourism. The next five years will be dedicated to create more events in Merapoh including trekking, trail running, MTB, caving and adventure trips.

Please read more details on our Magnificent Merapoh Trail cover page, which includes a link to the registration form and key info regarding logistics. 

Following the conclusion of the successful Clark-Myamit Falls race in the Philippines last weekend, we are looking ahead to the final event of the Asia Trail Master year. The Ancient Khmer Path in Cambodia, a stage race over 6 running days starting next weekend. That means we will know who the first Asia Trail Masters, or the Asia Trail Master champions, will be.  Things are looking bright for Arief Wismoyono (Indonesia) and Ma Yanxin (China).

The updated rankings can be consulted now on our website: men / women . 

Meanwhile, also take a look at the exquisite photo album by our house photographer on Clark-Myamit Falls. 

We are happy to announce our latest partnership with Ultra Trail in France, a travel company that specialises in trail running events.  Ultra-trail in France (www.ultratrailinfrance.com) offers tailor-made solutions for runners who want to take part in French trails. The company, chaired by a very experienced ultra trail runner, will likewise be promoting the races on our Asia Trail Master calendar to its European customer database. 

“Ultratrail in France” is born out of growing frustration at having no choice but to participate in ‘one size fits all’ package of ultra-trails, mountain races, or marathon trails. These have often been impersonal and lack interesting add-ons besides the race in itself. As trailers, we forget the number of hours elapsed, the number of miles travelled, the elevation hurtled down and climbed back up, the number of pairs of worn shoes. However, we remember the intense joy, the solidarity between trailers, the comfort of the refreshment posts, … and of course the intense feeling of transcendence despite the blows of blues, bad weather, injuries, etc. Let Ultra Trail in France help you to preserve these great memories, don’t let the organisational problems of a package, ‘one size fits all’ holiday spoil your experience.

In particular, Ultra-trail in France offers you:

• The best French ultra-marathons and ultra-trails, including UTMB, 
• A winning combination of French specialist in "tailor-made travelling" with the passion of experienced trailers.
• Bespoke offers that completely meets your expectations at the most competitive price. From race pre-selection & registration, accommodation, and transportation to discovering the delights France has to offer.

Challenge yourself and enjoy French delicacies:

• Cultural & historical highlights of France such the UNESCO World Heritage, Palaces,  Museums, National Parks,...
•  Vineyards, cellars stills and experience wine, champagne, Armagnac tasting, accompanied by an oenologist
• Experiencing Gourmet dining, tasting regional products and flavours of the "French terroir", participating in local cooking class with star chefs.
• White water and sea sports, mountain and air sports, golf, horse riding, biking ...
• Relaxing in the spa,  with hydrotherapy, osteopathy and beauty treatments.

Trips can be designed exactly to fit your requirements as a runner travelling to France to take part in the country's many epic events.

As a practical example, the Grand Raid des Pyrenees
Race date: 20 to 23 AUGUST 2016
Distance / Elevation gain:160 km (+9,500 m), 120 km (+ 7,000m) or 80 km (+ 5,000m)

After successfully completing your race, you will have the opportunity to:

• Taste local wines (Madiran, Fronton, …) and participate in wine cellar tours,
• Sample gourmet dinners and discover other local delicacies,
• Experience the prestigious Armagnac tasting and visit regional stills,
• Following in the footsteps of the Tour de France, climb to the Tourmalet and the Pic du Midi or visit the Cirque de Gavarnie, Unesco World Heritage of Humanity,
• Visit Toulouse and Airbus Museum (A380 assembly chain),
• Hotels, private transport from your arrival to your departure point.

Highly recommended for all Asian trail runners who wish to get a more special and deeper experience in France. 

More details and questions can be directly referred to Ultra Trail in France. 

RD Jon Lacanlale (left) flanks the podium placers of this year's CM 50 race (excl. Jan Nilsen)

Filippino runners Manolito Divina and Maria Josephine Liao have successfully defended their titles in last weekend's Clark-Myamit Falls 50 miles race. Both finishes solo after a great day of running in splendid conditions.  In the men's Norway's Jan Nilsen made it to 2nd place,  and James Telias completed the podium in 3rd, edging out Koi Grey. Liao ran the course faster than Silamie Apolistar and Joanna Plumbley. In the Asia Trail Master ranking, Arief Wismoyono and Ma Yanxin retain their leading positions.

Before the top runners on the main 50 miles race distance arrived back in Clark, spectactors witnessed a rather unique performance by Meredith Edwards in the 60km race. The American girl won the race....overall! She beat all the men in 8h11! Edwards is of course very experienced and has scored top 10 at UTMB already, yet it remains an achievement.

The 5th edition of CM 50 was a fast one. Manolito Divina crossed the finish line in 9h22, which was almost half an hour before Jan Nilsen, who clearly had recovered well from the blisters that plagued him in Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra two weeks ago. He was able to keep up with Divina initially, but then had to let the local star go. James Telias came third in 10h22, which by all means is still a very quick time. The competition was of high standard as Koi Grey even had to settle for fourth place. 

CM 50 has a nighttime start

The champion: Manolito Divina

Maria Josephine Liao also won the women's race for the second year in a row

It's the penultimate race of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series already this weekend, and the 5th edition of Clark-Myamit Falls Ultra, aka CM 50, promises to be a highlight of the season! The organisational team around race director Jon Lacanlale have spared no effort to establish another superb weekend of trail running in the Philippines. All winners of last year return to defend their titles, and they will face some stiff international competition. The scene is set for the run to the waterfall! 

Arief Wismoyono and Ma Yanxing are leading the Asia Trail Master ranking after the big Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra in Indonesia, and their respective positions should not come under threat in Clark when we look at the start list.  However, in particular Thailand's Phairat Varasin, currently 7th, could move himself up to the top 3 subject to a great race result on Sunday. Placing highly in both the Borneo 100 TMBT and the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, Varasin is a favourite to win the 50 miles race this weekend, but the local opposition will be significant. And Jan Nilsen is back as well. Two weeks ago, the Norwegian had to drop out with blisters in Indonesia while running together with eventual race winner Ullas Narayana, and he is keen to put that DNF result behind him. The course record was set last year by Manolito Divina in 10:23:48, and the Filipino runner is back to improve on that time even more. Also James Telias (fifth last year), Jerome Bautista (eighth) and Aleksis Capili (3rd on the 100km distance in Indonesia two weeks ago) are experienced runners capable of a strong results. 

In the women's competition we are likely to see a battle between defending champion Mary Josephine Liao and England's Joanna Plumbley. The latter won the preparatory MF 42 race in the beginning of October. 

As usual, we will be reporting from the event, subject to connectivity, via our social media channels. The race starts at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. 

The terrain for Sunday's CM 50 Ultra in the Philippines

The upcoming weekend is an important one for trail runners in the Philippines. The 5th edition of the popular Clark-Myamit Falls, also known as CM 50, takes place on Sunday and it is the penultimate race of this year's Asia Trail Master series. Last month, a preparatory race was organised by the same event management team around race director Jon Lacanlale. We already spoke with the best woman of that MF 42 race, Joanna Plumbley. Now we let the men's winner do the talking. A fascinating story, here is Mark Bryan Grey, a.k.a. Koi Grey. 

By Kris Van de Velde

Q: What does " Koi " stand for? Isn't Mark your real first name?

KG: Mark Bryan Grey is my real name but when I was younger, my friends used to call me MacKoy.  It was during those early times when I was still immature and when cigarettes and alcohol were part of my very existence.  I even smoked and drank while hiking.  But people evolve and experience has taught me a lot.  And so I started to fix those loose ends in my life, and eventually, my friends also cut my nickname (MacKoy) shorter, hence the name Koi.  I guess Filipinos are fond of such short cuts, abbreviations.

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

Back in 2011, in the local mountaineering community, there was once a competition called Nomads Challenge 30, 000 ft.  I dared myself and decided to join the competition.  Luckily, I got my personal record of hiking and conquering 20 summit peaks in 7 days.  But towards the end of the competition, I realized that my body had weakened due to so much alcohol and nicotine intake.  It was kind of an awakening for me.  So, that same year, I took another challenge which is to join the 5km trail run of Merrell.  I promised to myself that I would stop all my vices if, at least, I managed to get in the top 50 of that race.  I placed 26th and that’s the reason why I am all clean now.

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

I grew up in Bulacan.  I was an asthmatic kid and I was restrained from joining any strenuous physical activities, so I never had the chance to be engaged in any kind of sports.

Q: What is your daily occupation?

I have part time jobs only: cycling courier, adventure guide and organizer.

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

My idea of training doesn't really follow any scientific approach.  I am a mountaineer and immersion with nature is instinctive to me.  Mountain running isn’t about strength and power.  It is about appreciating God’s creation.  They are given as gifts to humans to help us in our daily lives and uplift our beings.  Adaptation and deep connection with the natural elements are my own ways of being grateful and thankful to those gifts.  When you give yourself and connect with your environment, strength and endurance just innately follow.  When you are one with the nature, nature itself will push you forward and bring you to the finish line.

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

I never joined a road marathon.  My longest road run was 21 km and I suffered lots of injuries that made me decide not to run on roads anymore. 

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

I was not really that much exposed to sports before because of my asthma.  Hence, I am a nature lover.  Mountain is my haven where I find peace and serenity.  I feel that I have a different kind of connection with the mountains and every living thing inside it – from the largest trunk of the trees to the smallest of the worms.  When I visit or explore a mountain, I do a combination of slow walking, so that I can reflect and appreciate the surroundings, and  I do fast hiking because I want to maximize my time and cover more distance to see and explore more places.  And so when I learned about trail running races, I told myself why not try something that I had been doing already.  So thank God for trail running, I finally found my sport.

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

Anatoli Boukreev and Reinhold Messner are my mountain heroes.   I admire their wisdom in mountaineering and life.   They both made a huge impact on mountaineering.

Reinhold Messner was known for his fast ascents in the Alps of the North Wall and championed the cause for ascending Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen.  He was able to climb all 14 eight-thousander peaks, without supplemental oxygen.  He is actually a living legend.

Anatoli Boukreev, on the other hand, is known to have made ascents of 10 eight-thousander peaks (8,000 masl mountains), also without supplemental oxygen.  But I admire him most for when he saved climbers during the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster. 

 Q: Where were you when Manny Pacquaio defeated Oscar De La Hoya?

I was in the mountains.

Q: Is Pacquaio important for you in your life, and why or why not?

Manny Pacquiao is important for every Filipino of today’s generation I guess.  So yes, he is also important to me.  He is a living proof that financial difficulties won’t hinder us in achieving our goals.  He upheld the values of perseverance, tenacity, hard work and faith, which are basically his key points in winning.  And despite of all his achievements, he has remained humble. He has inspired me because we share the same life story.  He also went through the same difficulties during his early boxing career.  We both started with nothing.  I remember using the same shoes for hiking and running and I have no idea of nutrition, such as power gels.  I eat honey and sweet potatoes as my sustenance, since I am also a purist.  I use the sticks/small branches that I pick on the trail as my aid.  My running shorts came from Ukay Ukay (thrift shop/second hand goods) with no brand.  Back then, all I want is to be in the mountain and run wild.

Q: What is your view on trail running in the Philippines? Is the popularity still growing?

Trail running in the Philippines is growing fast and is becoming popular nowadays.  Many TV personalities or celebrities have also been joining huge trail running races.  I think that this is a good sign because trail running is one way of showcasing the beautiful scenic views and the mountains, or nature as a whole, in our country.

Q: Who is the best trail runner in the Philippines (men / women)?

For men, I idolize Thumbie Remigio and Coach Ige Lopez.  For women, that's Marites Bitbit.

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

Not yet but I have plans.  Hopefully, next year.

Q: Do you have any tips for race organisers?

I think race organizers should also be runners or athletes like us so that they have deeper knowledge of our needs during races,  and they understand our feelings, such as what challenges us most, what motivates us and what discourages us as well.  

Q: What is your favorite place in your country for running?  

My favorite place for running in the Philippines is Sibuyan Island, particularly Mt. Guiting Guiting.  G2 is acknowledged as the most technically challenging mountain to climb in the Philippines.  I see to it that I can visit G2 every year as often as possible.  So far, as of 2014, my personal record time on G2 (ascent  and descent) is 8 hours.

Q: In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the sport of trail running in the near future?

Due to massive growth of trail runners, there will certainly impact in terms of:  (1) nature itself / trail impact; (2) cultural impact; (3) and disturbances to local community life. 

The vast growing trail running community should be responsible enough in taking care of the environment.  We should respect the culture of the locals and be sensible enough to the local people’s life.  I think it would be best if race organizers and runners themselves are socially and environmentally responsible, so that we may be of help in creating awareness even to non-runners.  Respecting cultural differences is also a key factor to avoid problems in the near future.

Q: Is there a race you really NEVER want to do, and why?

Road races because they are not just for me.  My lungs get weak and my knees aren’t really for roads.

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

Yes, this could be a goal for me next year.  It continuously inspires runners/athletes like me to achieve more.  It tests not just our capabilities but also our passion in the said sport.  The Asia Trail Master series is also a good platform to meet and learn from various types of runners, and a good opportunity to build a bigger trail running community. 

The Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra race in East Java, Indonesia, saw quite a number of upsets during the long first weekend of November. To begin with, not local hero and Asia Trail Master ranking leader Arief Wismoyono claimed victory in the difficult 100 miles race, but India's Ullas Narayana! What's more, women's leader Mila Marlina was forced to abandon her 100 mile race with an injury, so that she still trails China's Ma Yanxin the women's ranking by just 63 points.

The event offers some of the most other-worldly scenery one can find on the trail running scene. But to enjoy it, you need to endure a lot. The 100 mile race therefore sees only the fittest and most experienced runners at the starting line. The event also offers an equally tough 100 kilometer distance, a 70km and a 30km. On all courses, navigation skills also came in quite handy. 

Arief Wismoyono and his teammate Alan Maulana started as the runners-to-beat, with Norway's Jan Nilsen and Ullas Narayana as main challengers not only for the race victory, but also for the Asia Trail Master points ranking. Initially, Belgium's Luc Hapers and France's Celian Baup looked in top shape until the pair unfortunately missed a marker. Narayana and Nilsen took over and ran together for a while, until the Norwegian began to suffer from heavy blisters, which would eventually force him to retire! Meanwhile, Maulana was already out of the race, and Wismoyono had to stick to damage control due to a knee injury. The Indonesian star would reach the finish in sixth place, behind his compatriots Agus Sukaryat and William William, which is just enough to keep his lead in the Asia Trail Master ranking. The gap to Narayana is down to just 60 points! Wismoyono is fortunate, therefore, that some of the strong runners DNF'd. Then again, it proves his determination not to quit and his suffering may be rewarded with the Asia Trail Master 2015 championship title next month. 

Ullas Narayana thus wins BTS in 30:45:10, over 10 hours (!) faster than second-placed William McGrath from Great Britain, Yee Chuan Teh (Malaysia) and Anthony Mark Alindada (Phillipines). 

While international runners claimed the podium spots on the longest distance race of the BTS event, Pramonosidi Wijanarko gave the local crowd something to cheer about on the 102km distance. Wijanarko clearly won the race and becomes third in the Asia Trail Master ranking, after he had already finished 2nd in Gede Pangrango Marathon and 3rd in MesaStila Challenge this year. Singapore-based Yoshio Seto came second at BTS, and Philippines' Aleksis Capili - an ultra runner pur sang - scored a superb third podium place. The women's 102k race went to Malaysia's Tahira Muhammad Zain, ahead of Cristina Vasilache (SIngapore) and local runner Lily Suriani. Ina Budiyarni, who already competed in her fifth Asia Trail Master race,  had a tough day but still finished 4th  and in so doing retained her 4th place in the ranking.

Ullas Narayana and Jan Nilsen were running in leading positions together until the Norwegian was forced to abandon the 100 miles race

This weekend the last of four big mountain challenges in Indonesia is on and Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra in East Java could be a key event for the Asia Trail Master championship this year. Many hundreds of participants from several countries will see their abilities tested on the various courses. The high elevation gain does not seem to scare people off and  BTS, as it is commonly called, has certainly staked out a place for itself in the regional trail running community. 

The longest distance is the 170km with an accumulated gain of no fewer than 10 000 altitude metres. A genuine challenge for the experienced trail runner. There are several candidates for the victory this weekend, all of whom also feature high in our points ranking. 

To begin, our current leader in the men's ranking, Arief Wismoyono is in the race and after wins in Rinjani and MesaStila could be the first runner to win 3 Asia Trail Master races. If he does, he may also have secured the Asia Trail Master championship. Points for the winner of the 170km are 570 in total. There are direct challengers and some spoilers, too, for Wismoyono  this weekend. India's Ullas Narayana and Norway's Jan Nilsen are not flying in to be tourists. Respectively second and third at Broneo 100 TMBT last August, Nilsen in particular has reportedly set his eyes on the race win in Indonesia, and has registered for the next Asia Trail Master race in the Philippines on 22 November as well! Also on the local Indonesian side, Alan Maulana is just one who is capable of taking the prestigious win at Bromo Tengger Semeru. 

The women's race will be very interesting as well. Mila Marlina has just lost the lead in the Asia Trail Master ranking to China's Ma Yanxing, who took her second 100k victory of the year in Dali last weekend. However, Ma's lead is slender: 63 points. If Marlina finishes the 170km (she is the only woman on the start list for the biggest distance) she will regain the lead. 

Follow our race report this weekend via our usual channels: facebook, twitter, instagram and weixin! 

The 3rd edition of the Dali 100 Ultra Endurance Race in Yunnan, China, was won by Luo Canhua in the men's  in a fantastic time of 11:32:19, and by Ma Yanxing in the women's (14:15:03, i.e. second best overall!). Earlier this year, Ma Yanxing also won the Dalian 100 race in the north of China. Two big 100k wins now put her at the top of the Asia Trail Master ranking with 1005 points, 63 points more than Mila Marlina. However, the Indonesian champion is taking part in this weekend's ultra event in Bromo Tengger Semeru, and providing she finishes, will take over the lead again. 

As we are still waiting to receive the full results from the Dali race, the rankings will be updated later than usual. 

Men 100 km

1 (luocanhua）罗灿华 11:32:19
2（wen ming 与）文鸣宇 14:24:54
3（yuan kai hong）袁凯宏 14:25:05
4（chen xue jun）陈学军 14:37:05
5（wang qian ）王骞 14:55:13

Women 100 km

1（ma yan xing）马妍星 14:15:03
2（wu zhen feng）吴珍凤 15:46:54
3 （yang su qi）杨素琦 19:23:44
4 （bai yu qiu）白玉秋 20:04:29
5 （shi hong xia）史红霞 20:46:42
 

One of the protagonists in our inaugural Asia Trail Master series hails from India. Ullas Narayana has had a strong summer with an 8th place in the grueling Mount Rinjani Ultra in Indonesia early August, and a fantastic 2nd place in Colorcoil Borneo 100 TMBT in Malaysia just a few weeks later. In addition, he scored top placings in a couple of races in his resident country Singapore. Narayana currently ranks fifth in the Asia Trail Master ranking with 732 points and next weekend takes part in his first 100 miler, Bromo Tengger Semeru, where he will again challenge race favourites Arief Wismoyono and Jan Nilsen. 

First, please tell us a bit more about yourself, where you come from,what you do and what brought you to Singapore?
 
Hello. My name is Ullas. I grew up in Bangalore, India. After graduating in Australia I found work in Singapore as an animator for Lucasfilm Singapore. I have been here for 11 years and live here with wife, 2 kids and our puppy. 

You only started taking part in trail competitions not so long ago. When and why did you decide to start? What is so great about trail running? 

I decided to get back into running around the same time I started a family so I could be in good shape and be a good example to my kids. I should thank my friend Nigel and my wife Annie for encouraging me to sign up for my first race since college. That was a bit over 3 years ago. I enjoy running be it on roads or trails. I like trail running because it requires me to be more aware of my surroundings, to be more present on my runs. Other reasons why I like trail running .. the solitude, nature, the low key races, the list goes on. Endurance running suits me at this point in my life. 


Sport in India means cricket. Or how would you define sport in India, and does running take an important place in people's lives? 

There is a very active sports culture in schools and colleges in India. Growing up we played a large variety of sports. But sadly everything ends in Cricket. There is a lack of funding and support for athletes I believe. Maybe things have changed. I haven't lived in India for quite some time so I don't know what the current attitude is. But it seems running is catching on as a form of exercise. 

What made you take up running? 

My father took us running every morning. So the love for running started early. We were in a swim club. Had tennis lessons. He made sure we were active kids. I briefly had a running coach. Then high school took over. I didn't pick up running again until college. I had a bit of success running middle distance in college. I have been running on and off since. Running has always been a part of who I am. 

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

Not really. Every time I race I find bits of heroes in people I compete with. 

There's a number of trail races in India, but they have not really become part of people's conciousness yet. Are there any events we should be aware of? 

The Bangalore Ultra and Kaveri Trail Marathon in the state of Karnataka are gaining popularity. Others I know of are the Oxfam Trailwalker India, Nilgiris Ultra(its mostly road but beautiful) and the LA Ultra. 

How is life in Singapore for you? 

Life is good. I wish there were bigger hills. 

What sort of training do you do to become a competitive trail runner? Singapore is flat, but you also do well in mountain races. 

At the moment I run 5-6 times a week. Lots of hill repeats where ever I can find them. I try out different workouts which I read about. I average 120-160km a week. I also make a lot of time for beer. 

You came eighth at MRU and a superb 2nd at Borneo 100 TMBT. What was the difference in those 2 races for you? 

MRU was a good first experience for the climbs and descents. I was out there longer than the 100k races I have run. TMBT was very runnable, which I like.

With hindsight, what would you do differently to beat Daved Simpat and win TMBT? 

Exercise a little patience at the start and not get lost. Save a little bit of something for the very end. 

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

I ran a road marathon in July. It was less than a week after a trail marathon. My time was 2.53.
 
Your next big race is a 100-miler in Indonesia: Bromo Tengger Semeru (BTS). What are your ambitions? 

To finish. Its my first 100 miler. I just want to get a feel for the distance. I hope I don't end up a mess as I can get competitive come race day. 

Dealing with the heat is a key aspect for elite trail running. Would you say that being Indian you are used to the heat, or how do you cope with it? Do you drink a lot during races? 

I grew up in a temperate climate but living in the tropics for a decade has helped. Yes, I drink a lot during races. I get dehydrated quickly. My ancestors spent their days out in the fields. So I guess genes help me out a little. 

In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the sport of trail running in the near future? What would you like to change or see happening in terms of development? 

Not having enough trails. Being based in Singapore I am always concerned over the battle between nature and development.

Many trail running event in Asia seem to compete with each other to obtain the title of "the toughest race". Do you mind or would you rather see more trail races that have more 'runnable' courses? 

Doesn't bother me. I can always pick the ones that suit me. 

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

Its exciting for someone like me new to the trail running scene. I can easily find out about all these cool races in the region. I like that so many countries are represented in the series. While we are spoilt for choice in the region not everyone has the means to access these races either for the experience or for gaining points.

Ullas Narayana is one the top performers in the 2015 Asia Trail Master series

Ullas (and Regis Cabaret) during Borneo 100 TMBT last August.