This weekend we have one of the oldest ATM points races on the menu in Malaysia. Penang Eco - this year La Sportiva Penang Eco - was part of our very first season in 2015 and since covid alternates on our calendar with event management company Endurance Nature’s second Penang race UToP. Bukit Mertajam is still the host town and the programme still features a hot and treacherously tough 100 miles and 100 km as ATM points races. Both races have a great start list and we can expect a nice competition for the race wins.

Penang Eco’s victory list has a lot of former ATM champions on it, such as John Ellis, Alessandro Sherpa, Tahira Najmunisaa and Manolito Divina. It says something about the difficulty of the course, which perhaps does not really show when looking at the map and the profile. The sting is usually very much in the tail, with hard technical jungle sections following a very runable section that drains the legs - also due to the traditional sweltering heat in Penang. In previous editions, several top runners have completely disintegrated in the final 20 km of this race. Penang Eco is never over until it is over.

It is therefore a little surprising that Malaysia’s young star Sally Yap has chosen this race as her first 100 miles try ever. The tall Sarawakian and vice-ATM champion in 2022 has already proven to cope with 100km very well, and now wants to try the longer distance. But there’s easier options in ATM for a miler debut. This season, Sally has a 2nd place in Koboi 50 under her belt and actually needs to start collecting some more points to safeguard her position in Malaysia’s female ranking and get qualified for the ATM Championship Final in Central Java on 2 December. Siksorogo Lawu is a course that should suit her even better than Mount Apo last season. This weekend she can expect competition from, a.o. Australia’s Megan Sterling, based in Hong Kong. Sterling won the Dark 45 points race last October. Other contenders are experienced runners such as Celeste Teo, Cheryl Bihag, Siriporn Leumathong and Siti Hajar Razali. And last but not least Irish Glorioso. Irish went very well in UToP last year (2nd) and is eyeing qualification for Team Pilipinas again with another good showing this weekend.

The men’s 100 miles probably has Sabah’s Wilsen Singgin as the one to beat. Singgin has developed himself over the years as the long ultra specialist. However, there’s other talent on the start list that could make his life difficult. Amierul Amin is one of the surprising newcomers of this competitive season, and will use his debut 100 miles experience at Borneo Miler in June to try and challenge Singgin. Other contenders are Rasyid Salehuddin, Jit Shiang Ang, Ben Siong Lee and maybe Singapore’s Henry Yang - who aims to complete his Grandmaster Quest this weekend. Henry actually started Penang Eco before, but DNFd on that occasion. It will be a sweet finish if he succeeds this time around.

The 100 km race features Jeffery Budin - the stunning winner of UToP 100 last October. Can Budin repeat that feat also in Bukit Mertajam? He will be facing some strong other runners such as Britain’s Alex Tilley, a resident in Penang. Basically a home race for Tilley as well, and he is one of those who excel when the going gets tough. Ahmad Tanjong ran an excellent Mantra 65 last month, and could leap to centre stage this weekend - who knows? On the start list we also have Lim Wen Shan, a fast short distance specialist. In the women’s 100k, Roan Biguasen will be eyeing her fourth ATM podium of the season. Soh Sum Mei, Carly Balmforth and Mindanao’s Manilyn Mamugay are other challengers for podium placings.

We will be reporting live from La Sportiva Penang Eco from the start on Friday evening to the finish, on our usual channels.

La Sportiva Penang Eco with Sally Yap's 100 Miles debut