This Sunday we have the first of five Malaysian points races in the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship and it’s also -on paper- the fastest one. Koboi Malaya Trail Classic by Malatra Events is a 50km as good as flat forest trall in Jerantut, Pahang, roughly three hours north of Kuala Lumpur. A race in the spirit of Sungai Menyala Forest Trail in 2018 and 2019 that caters for runners with a good pace in the legs, including road runners who want to give trail a try.

We are in Southeast Asia so rainfall may always turn things upside down, and increase the technicality of the course. The event was held once before in 2018 under a different name and saw Mohamed Affindi as male winner. No surprise that Affindi features again on the start list for Sunday, opening his 2023 ATM campaign exactly one year after his superb victory in Bali over 30km. Affindi is always at his most competitive in the short to medium distance, and he will start logically as one of the favourites in the men’s race. However, a certain Milton Amat is coming over from Sabah to give him a run for his money. Amat has always been a longer distance guy, but proved last year in a number of 50k races that he has become a faster runner during the corona crisis years. For Amat, the vice-ATM champion finishing just five minutes behind Arnie Macaneras in the Final on Mt Apo last December, it is also the first race of 2023 in ATM. Amir Zaki, Wilsen Singgin, Jeffery Budin and Aqmal Adzmi are also expected to be podium contenders this weekend.

In the women’s 50km race we have vice-ATM champion Sally Yap on the start list as one of the top favourites. Sally Yap was an exciting newcomer on the scene in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how she further develops as a runner this season. We all know Sally is strong on long and technical ultras, in Koboi we will find out how she fares on runable trails. She is likely to be tested by two even younger Nepalese runners: Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa (no relation to Alessando Sherpa). Both have been recruited by T8 for their new T8 Nepal Team and have ambition for this year’s Asia Trail Master Championship. Coming from Kathmandu, Koboi will be their first appearance on the ATM scene. Other podium contenders are Izzah Hazirah and Halimatun Sa’adiah.

Malaysia is one the countries where the competition to enter the national country team for the ATM Championship Final is tough, as many want to get in. Koboi is the first opportunity to collect points, followed in three weeks by The Borneo Miler in Sabah. Penang Eco, Borneo TMBT Ultra and MMTF are the other three events with points for the ATM Championship. Last year, Team Malaysia won the ATM Team Championship at the Final in the Philippines.

We will be reporting live from the Felda Residence in Jerantut on our usual ATM channels starting Saturday afternoon.

Malaysia opens with the "Koboi" speed trail