Isaac Yuen Wan Ho has been running in the Asia Trail Master spotlights since the first race of the year, and he is a well-deserving points ranking leader halfway through the season. A true Hong Konger, Yuen Wan Ho is a runner pur sang, with a marathon PB well below 3 hours. But he can also struggle his way up the hills, which makes him a strong all-rounder and competitive in every race he starts. Two weeks ago he was again in the mix in Malaysia, finishing strong to score second place in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail, equaling his performance of earlier in the season in Brunei's Beach Bunch Trail Challenge. While Philippines' trailrunning star Manolito Divina may have an additional gear in his legs, to finish first you need to finish first, and Yuen Wan Ho has put the pressure back on. Determined to also become an Asia Trail Grandmaster, he will not give up easily. Time to get to know a bit more about Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho.  

Q: Are you and born and raised Hong Konger?
YWH: Yes, I’m native Hong Konger.

Q: Was running something you have always done, or is it a recent hobby?
I have run for over ten years but I started running more seriously with racing since two years ago

Q: Are you member of a running club?
No, I usually train alone

Q: Do you have any sports idols, athletes you look up to?
I would think about Kobe Brian. He is a true fighter, and never gives up.

Q: When did you discover your talent as a runner?
I don’t consider myself a naturally talented runner. But I am hard working and always look for ways to improve myself.

Q: What does your training plan look like? Do you have a coach?
I run every day, sometimes twice a day. Though participating in many ultra-distance races, my routine training doesn’t have lots of long runs. I rather have some quality training for 1-2 hours.

Q: Do you pay attention to your food before a race? Are there any special products you take in preparation for your race?
Yes, I eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. I prefer having real food for the race.

Yuen Wan Ho recently finished second in the Merapoh Trail in Malaysia, reclaiming the lead in the 2016 Asia Trail Master points championship

Q: What is your best time on the road marathon?
My personal best time is 2:53.

Q: At the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge, you mentioned you like runnable courses more than mountainous courses. Do you feel trail running is sometimes too much hiking instead of running?
Trail Running has many elements. I started my ultra "career" with road running and speed work is an important part of my routine training. Of course,  solid power walking or hiking is critical when you come to some more technical courses.

Q: · You must have an incredible recovery system. Seven days after the gruelling UTHK 156 you already did another trail marathon in Brunei and came second there. 
Those two races have very different characteristics. There were many stairs in UTHK while Brunei was very runnable. I paid attention to active recovery after the UTHK race, proper post-race meals, enough sleeping, massage, etc. and I did not push myself too hard in the race.

Q: Do you know your hematocrit level (percentage of red blood cells in your blood)?
I have no idea

Q: Hong Kong is of course the centre of Asian trail running. How did you experience this sudden boom of events in the HK area?
I think it started with HK 100, the first sole hundred kilos ultra-distance race. Hong Kong has the advantage of the easy accessibility to country parks and variety of terrains. Many elite runners either station themselves in Hong Kong or come here for races, which also helps to improve the level of local athletes and events.

Q: If you were a race director in Hong Kong, what would you change? 
As you mentioned, Hong Kong is already the mecca of Asian trail running. I would like to see a concept of series races like the Ultra-Trail World Tour adopted in Hong Kong. Runner get most points in selected races and get awarded or ranked, like in the Asia Trail Master series.  

Q: What is your dream as a trail runner?
I want to be a race director at some point of time and introduce my favourite trails to people. 

Q: What is your favourite race?
Many. Currently I still focus on races in my hometown in Hong Kong. Vibram HK 100 is a grand stage for international elite runners. Yet, the North Face Hong Kong 100 brings you to the best scenery of the city. Races in South East Asia are still developing but the hospitality there is brilliant.  

Q: What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series?
Asia Trail Master not only focuses on bigger races but also incorporates relatively low profile races which is a good idea. It helps to promote the overall standard of trail running in the region and also bring runners to some secret places.

Q: You are again in the lead in our 2016 points ranking. However, some other good runners will catch up for sure. What is your plan to defend your first spot?
I feel some runners are in a better position than me. I completed three races and I am satisfied with my results so far (4th, 2nd and 2nd, kvdv) . Now I need to try and improve on some of those results to increase my total points tally a bit more.  It would be a good achievement if eventually I could stay in the top 3 in Asia Trail Master Championship by the end of the year.

Q: Would you like trail running to become an Olympic sport in the future?
Considering the rising popularity, I think Trail Running has the quality to become an Olympic Sport. It gives runners an ultimate target and promotes the sport to a community level.

Thank you very much for this Q&A, and good luck on your Grandmaster Quest and in defending your first spot in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship!

We are happy to announce that HK 168 will be the second points-scoring race in Hong Kong in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series. Already a traditional ultrarunning event on the local territory's race calendar, the 4th edition of HK 168 will be organised on the weekend of 5/6 November. Three race distances qualify for points: 173km, 93km and 63km. 

Organiser Felix Shun from the company XTE is regularly hosting outdoor and trail running events, and not only in Hong Kong. His flagship event, HK 168, has been maturing over the past few years and is a great addition to the Asia Trail Master series. Centre of the event is the Shing Mun Reservoir in the New Territories, even though the long distance race starts all the way east at Pak Tam Chung. HK 168 overs ome f he ost eautiful cenery n ong ong, ncluding emote illages, ncient orests, ature rails, eservoirs nd teep ills. It is a true ultra endurance race with 8200 metres of elevation gain on the 173km. 

An interesting event for the Grandmaster Quest, as two race distances qualify for 1 point as well. 

Registration for the event is already open via this link. Key details on accommodation options can be found on our event cover page and on the event website. 
 

Map of the two longest race distances at HK 168

Following her superb second place in UTHK last month, jointly with China's Xiao Jing, we felt it was an opportune moment to talk trail running with Tseng Wei Ling from Taiwan. Contrary to Hong Kong, Wei Ling's native island does not yet have too many celebrities on the trail scene. Ironically, she is now also living in Hong Kong, yet very keen to promote the beauty of her home, and assist with the development of the sport, which does face some challenges in Taiwan. Always smiling in race photos, Wei Ling herself just keeps getting better and better in every race she runs. Incredibly dedicated and strong-willed, here's a runner who might just as well go for the Asia Trail Master title by the end of the year! Here's our Q & A with Tseng Wei Ling, and her favourite music to run in the background.

Wei Ling's favourite running tune

Q: Where are you from in Taiwan and what do you do for a living?

WL: I am from Taipei city. It has a basin topography. Lots of hills are around my city.  And Taiwan, the beautiful hometown I was born is also called Formosa. But today I’m a bank officer and work in Hong Kong.

Q: Was running part of your upbringing as a child and teenager?  

As a child and teenager, I often go hiking or trekking in my home country, Taiwan. There are lots of hills and around 260 mountains go above 3000 meters. On weekends, my parents, friends and I used to drive a car and walk into mountains to enjoy peace and nature. No road running, I was trained to become a trail walker, if you like.  

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

My first trail running race was the first edition of The North Face 50 km in Hong Kong in December 2013.  When I stood at the finish line after experiencing a sleepless night , strong winds, fog, heavy rain, and a cumulative elevation gain of around 3000 meters, I was not sure it was rain or hot tears in my eyes. I was exhausted but touched. I was able to make it to the finish no matter how tough or how dark it was ahead of me. If I could overcome all unknown and unexpected conditions along the trails, I would become mentally stronger. So afterwards I decided to do more physical training for trail running races. 

Q: Do you also run road marathons? what is your best time on the marathon?

Actually, I haven’t joined any road marathons yet. I was born to love mountains. I have only taken part in trail marathons until now. Maybe one day I will try it but I’m still addicted to trail running.

Q: Do you feel the so-called " runner's high " ? 

Yes. I know why I am running these days, the desire is my motivation to run and run fast. The feel-good brain chemicals released when I do so may have helped me achieve the speed and distances required. I try to push myself hard, but not too hard.  When I find a sweet spot where it is comfortably challenging, I think I feel the so called "runner's high". And, I also feel it when more trail runners are together.

Q: How much do you train? Do you have a coach or do you use a running coaching app?

I go running for 10 km and do core training during weekdays. And on weekends I tend to go trail running for 30 km to 50 km. I wish to enjoy all training. Although I don't have a personal physical coach, lots of senior trail runners are my mental mentors. They always push me to improve myself. 

Q: Do you have a specific objective in trail running, or you just wish to run for fun? Is it easy to combine with work and family? 

I wish I could finish strong in every trail running race. Be mentally and physically stronger, and  then look forward and face the next challenges. It's not easy to combine work and family for lots of trail runners. It is necessary to allocate our times well.

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

Vegan ultra runner Scott Jurek.  He always breaks all boundaries and never stops exploring even though he has already scored lots of victories in his running career. And, he is known to stay at finish lines cheering until the last runner crosses. What a touching gesture! 

Q: How do you feel about trail running in Taiwan. What is special about running in Taiwan?

Because I live in Hong Kong, I do not have very much experience in it. Trail running in Taiwan is just beginning. Various types of trails are based on different elevations. You might run cross streams or along the rivers or close to waterfalls, run into the forest and see specific kinds of trees, such as Taiwan red cypress, Taiwan white pine, firs and etc. And you might climb rocks by hands or ropes. I think Taiwan is special as it offers still wild and undeveloped trail types.

Q: At present, there is no Taiwanese race on the Asia Trail Master calendar. Which event would you like to see in it?

As mentioned above, most trails in Taiwan are quite wild and undeveloped. I would expect a race with a route that covers mountains above 3000 meters. If that, trail runners could see beautiful sunrise with endless sea of clouds and maybe could run with Sambar deers if  lucky. But this kind of trail running race above 3000m might not be allowed by the government. I know there is the first edition ofThe Beast Trail race held in June in New Taipei City. The route represents the wild and technical trail type in Greater Taipei.

Q: Do you often travel to other countries to take part in trail running events?

I have taken part in several trail running races in Hong Kong mainly, but  I also finished 172km UTMF in Japan in September 2015. And I have signed in UTMB-CCC race this year. Looking forward to it...

Q: Last month, there was the news that a big national park in Taiwan (Yangmingshan National Park) has forbidden trail running with immediate effect on environmental and safety grounds, leading to the cancellation of scheduled races. Do you think more parks will follow and forbid races? 

I hope that won't happen. But how to protect environment during a race and after a race is a very important issue. Trail runners should be taught well. And race organizers and government officials could refer to how Japanese put a lot of effort into ecological planning and protection while holding the big UTMF race. 

Q: How do you select the trail races you run? 

In Hong Kong, I plan to join all ultra trail races. In other countries, I prefer to sign up for popular and classic races.

Q: Which Asia Trail Master races are you planning still for this year? Given your high points score, will you try to get a good final ranking?

There are lots of interesting Asia Trail Master races, such as Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset and Annapurna 100.  I hope I can join them, I need to check with my limited annual leave from work. 

Q: What was your best trail running experience so far?

My favorite part of trail running race is the moment of breaking dawn. It makes me think of being vigorous, fresh and enthusiastic. It makes me keep going ahead.

Q: What was your craziest experience in a  trail running event? 

My first 100 miles race was UTMF in Japan in 2015. The trail was muddy because of pouring rain in the previous day and still scattered rain during the race itself. The cut-off time was very tight in the first half of check points. I tried to speed up my pace to pass through lots of technical sections. But after sunset, I couldn't see the narrow route clearly through thick fog in the forest. It's really dangerous because of chances to fall down off the mountain. I slowed down and waited for someone coming with a brighter light.  It was my first time to feel helpless. And rain became heavier at night. Trails were muddier and slipperier. In addition, trekking poles were forbidden by organizers for the reason of soil protection . So every trail runner needed to be more careful to go downhill. Lots of runners fell on their butts, faces, knees and other body parts. I got an injury at the lateral collateral ligament of knee joint after going downhill dramatically in the first one-third of the 172 km long race. And my pain still increased in intensity when I approached the finish line. I was in a bad situation at that moment. I was still determined to keep going unless I were to miss cut-off time. So, I really wanted to cry when I crossed the finish line after not sleeping for two nights. I learned lots and gained a lot of experience from this race.  

Q: What does your training look like when you have a specific race goal 

I will start training for UTMB-CCC race soon. Although the distance is not my longest race, it's still 6100 meters of positive altitude change in 101 km. No doubt it's very steep up and down, but without any stairs like in Hong Kong. I plan to find similar terrain in Hong Kong and spend weekends running on it. In addition, I plan to spend more time training to hike uphill on a treadmill as steep as it goes at gym, because at CCC I'm actually going to be hiking for almost half of the steep climbs.

Q: In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the sport of trail running in the near future? What is it you would not like to happen?

How to protect the environment and nature is an important issue. There is always a lot of litter on the trail after a race. How to prevent that?  Also, the effect of urbanization in Hong Kong is that the government has gradually paved over the ancient trail with concrete in recent years. It looks like an attempt against nature. When we go trail running or hiking, we want to spend quality time on trees and grass, not on city-like sidewalks.  

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

I face all challenges and expect to break through them myself. 

Q: Do you have any tips for race organisers? Things every organiser should pay special attention to?

For race organizers, I would suggest that they provide more detailed race information on the websites as early as possible. The most important thing for overseas participants is to run the right way without spending too much time finding routes. I wish all organizers could provide GPS and mark routes more clearly. 

The 2nd Asia Trail Master series are set to begin just after lunch in Hong Kong this Friday with a proper ultra trail race: UTHK. Participants from across Asia will either have 156km (7400 hm), 103km (4300 hm) or 54km (2800 hm) on their menus this weekend, and finishing will give them a handsome reward for the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship straightaway: UTHK is one of five SuperTrails in the series, which means 50 bonus points!  

Although the 156km longest race has a different starting venue, the centre of UTHK is the Duke of Edinburgh Training Camp site near Sha Tin in the New Territories, where the finish line of all races is drawn. There is a 48-hour cut off time for the 156k runners, and 32 hours for the 103km. Due to new regulations for trail running by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, race organiser Augustine Wong has had to change his course significantly compared to last year. The result is good news for fast runners as the so-called 'runnable' sections have increased and the total elevation gain is less, although still very respectable. 

Quite a number of prominent runners from last year's Asia Trail Master series will be competing at UTHK this year, including Philippines' running star Manolito Devina (double winner of CM 50 Ultra), Thailand-based Norwegian Jan Nilsen (3rd in Borneo TMBT in Malaysia and 2nd in CM 50 Ultra), Thailand's Phairat Varesin (4th in Vietnam Mountain Marathon, and 7th in Borneo TMBT) and Indonesia's Mila Marlina (winner of MesaStila Peaks Challenge and Gede Pangrango Marathon). The latter will be a strong challenger for the women's victory on the longest distance, and we can expect a fantastic race with defending UTHK champion Yuen Kit Shan, who will also be at the starting line. From China, the recent winner of the Ultra Trail Gobi Race is taking part and another favourite for the men's 156km race. 

Last year's winner Yuen Kit Shan

The current weather forecast indicates that it will be significantly milder than a few weeks ago during the HK 100 event, which surely is pleasant news for all participants. 

The race can be followed live via Race Timing Solutions. If you have a specific favourite runner, you can track him/her as well. 

The UTHK event is the first of many already scheduled races on the 2016 Asia Trail Master calendar. Runners can score points for the championship ranking in at least 14 Asian countries, and this year we will also see the first runners who complete the Grandmaster Quest (6 races of 70+ km within 2 years) and enter the Asia Trail Master's Hall of Fame! Among the elite runners, the defending Asia Trail Master champions are Arief Wismoyono (Indonesia) and Ma Yanxing (China). 

After UTHK, the series continue one week later in Brunei (Beach Bunch Trail Challenge), and there is also a 2017 Candidate Race in the Philippines, the Rizal Mountain Run. (Candidate Races are races set to join the Asia Trail Master series in 2017). 

For more information: 

Our event cover page:
http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/#/uthk2016/

UTHK event website
http://www.ultratrailhk.com.hk/

One of this year's race favourites: Manolito Devina from the Philippines

Trail running in Hong Kong always means plenty of steps

Good news for all runners with tight work and family schedules, Ultra Trail Hong Kong has decided to keep the online registration open until 10 February, allowing for last-minute decisions! Over 500 people have already registered for the 156km, 103km or 50km races that will take place from 19 to 21 February in the New Territories. This includes several protagonists of last year's Asia Trail Master series as well. You can still do so as well via registration.asiatrailmaster.com !

UTHK is the first points-scoring event of the 2016 Asia Trail Master series, and it is Hong Kong's SuperTrail as well. That means finishers will score 50 bonus points for the 2016 points ranking. This is also an event where both the 156km and 103km provide a point for each runner's Grandmaster Quest. 

Finish point and centre of the race is the Duke of Edinburgh Training camp site near Lam Tsuen. Find out more details of the event via our cover page or via the event website. 

Ultra Trail Hong Kong opens the 2016 Asia Trail Master series on from 19 to 21 February. The event is also Hong Kong's SuperTrail, and offers three race distances this year: 100 miles, 100km and 50km. If you want to be part of it, sign up this week still as the official registration closes on Friday. 

In order to meet the new regulations by relevant authorities in Hong Kong, the race course has been modified significantly compared to last year. The 100 miles race, which in practice is 156km, starts at section 4 of the Maclehose Trail. The finish will be at the Duke of Edinburgh Training Camp, which will also function as start & finish of the 100km and 50km races. 

Please find more technical info on the race courses here.  The event website also has maps for download. 

A number of strong runners and protagonists in last year's Asia Trail Master series have already signed up for UTHK. Those who are aiming for the Grandmaster Quest, UTHK offers 1 point for both 156km and 100km finishers. 

To sign up , please go to http://registration.asiatrailmaster.com/

Dominant winner of the 92 km race: Lam Chi Yung (HKG)

The first edition of the 175 km long Ultra Trail Hong Kong tool place last weekend in the New Territories and turned out to be much harder than most runners expected. As could be seen on our live coverage page, only 37 runners finished within the 50-hour deadline, with a buffer granted to three more runners to get a place in the official race result - which is also the basis for the distribution of performance points for the Asia Trail Master ranking. 

The first race of the ATMs began in cloudy but generally great running conditions on Friday early afternoon. Runners from China took off very fast, but then would miss a couple of signs when darkness fell. This opened the way for a number of local runners to grab the top spots at checkpoints. Eventually, four of them, Alex Fan, Lau Hoi Fai, Wong Tze Wan and Chun Pak Hang, would reach the finish together in a time of 39:31:26. Rather than sprinting against each other, they crossed the line in brotherly fashion.

In terms of Asia Trail Master points, this will put the quartet also at the top of the first ranking with 575 points each. The ATMs ranking committee has decided not to distinguish between them, but to avoid controversial situations in the future, it has also added a detail in the points regulations: if runners cross the finish line together, the ranking at the last checkpoint before the race finish will be consulted to determine who scores the most performance points. 

Two women mastered the 175 km course last weekend, with Yuen Kit Shan even scoring tenth overall in 43:45:51! Behind her in second was Kathy Yu  Hiu Kit, and Tan Seow Ping was the last timed finisher in third in 51:04. 

There was also a B-race at UTHK, but not exactly short neither at a length of 92 km. One man dominated that race, Lam Chi Yung in 15:58. He scores 92 distance points and 200 performance points for a total of 292. Eagle Lee Kin Wai and Lino Lopes grabbed the remaining steps on the podium, aided by a last-minute retirement of Neil Fraser, who got lost with a mere 6km to go. Suzanne Liu was the fastest woman in 21:29, with Poon Yuk Pui not far behind in second and Kennis Chueng Ping Ting in third. 

The next race where points for the ATMs ranking can be collected is next week's Wild Elephant Trail in Sri Lanka (event sold out), before the series moves to China for a couple of races in April. 

The 1st edition of Ultra Trail Hong Kong starts this Friday in the New Territories and also marks the true launch of the equally inaugural Asia Trail Master series (ATMs). Throughout the year, trail runners will score points for the Asia Trail Master ranking and championship when they finish a race on the ATMs calendar.

Ultra Trail Hong Kong was set up in the spirit of the unofficial trail running world championship in France, UTMB, and the equally popular Japanese equivalent UT Mount Fuji. Race organiser Augustine Wong wants to build the race up towards a genuine benchmark on the Asian and world calendar.  There's of course plenty of races in Hong Kong already, but UTHK is certainly one of the very toughest. Runners who finish the long distance this weekend will score no fewer than 175 distance points for the Asia Trail Master ranking, which by coincidence is also the maximum number of points runners will score when doing a stage race like the Wild Elephant Trail in Sri Lanka next week.  The second race at UTHK is also qualified for the series with a length of 92km. The performance points for the shorter distance are of course fewer than for the long one. If you are not sure about  the points system yet, just visit the ranking section of this website.

At the end of the year, before Christmas, the best performing runners in the series will be rewarded. The winner of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series, and therefore the 2015 champion, will score USD 1000, men and women. Cash prizes will be handed out to the top 3, with valuable sponsor and partner prizes for the entire top 10 of the ranking to boot. It will be a hot final month in December with points-scoring races scheduled in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar! 

And let us not forget the honourary title of Grandmaster, which is obtainable not only for the fastest amongst runners, but for everyone. To become an Asia Trail Grandmaster, you need to finish six long distance races within two calendar years. Important here is that the minimum distance must be 70km, but if one event offers two different race distances, only the longest one counts. So, the 175km participants this weekend in Hong Kong get 1 finish point, but the 92km participants do not. 

You can stay up-to-date on all the latest ATMS news via social media, check out facebook, twitter, instagram, weibo and weixin, for starters. This weekend you can also follow the action in Hong Kong live via our website, courtesy of Race Timing Solutions. If you like taking photos, post them on instagram with the hashtag #Asiatrail , who knows you will win something!

Finally, we wish all runners good luck for UTHK and all the races that follow. Let's make this a great first Asia Trail Master year!

The Asia Trail Master series (ATMs) organisational committee is delighted to welcome on the calendar a brand new and challenging event in our home base Hong Kong. Ultra Trail Hong Kong will be held from 27 February to 1 March in the Northern Territories, and will offer two long distance courses of 170km (9500 Hm) and 92km (5100 Hm). It will be the first event of the inaugural Asia Trail Master series and destined to be a worthy one!

Ultra Trail Hong Kong wishes to connect with flagship long distance trail running events such as UTMB (France) and UTMF (Japan) and as such differentiate itself from other established races in Hong Kong. Organiser Augustine Wong has a long-term strategy for Ultra Trail Hong Kong and is looking forward to the collaboration with Asia Trail Master and turn the new event into a highlight on many a runner's calendar. The start will be given in the North West New Territories on Friday the 27th of February and finish at Sai Kung.

For the first edition, registrations are not unlimited so it is recommended to sign up early. You can do so easily online via the RTS-based online form.

Every finisher will score points for the 2015 Asia Trail Master ranking according to the standard points regulations:

• 170km finishers: 170 kilometre points + performance points for long distance
• 92km finishers: 92 kilometre points + performance points for middle distance

Check the key event details and/or go to the official event website