Season XII had a very nice kick-off in Laos last weekend with Luang Prabang Trail and the good vibes will certainly continue this weekend in Hong Kong with the 6th edition of Ultra Fish’n Sheep - widely seen as one of the best newcomers on the ATM circuit last year. 75km through the New Territories on a tough course, also for Hong Kong standards, from Fanling in the north to Tseung Kwan O and in particular Lion’s - YMCA Junk Bay Youth Camp. The race is both a Championship Qualifier and valid for runners’ Grandmaster Quest records. Elevation gain is estimated at nearly 4000 hm and the cut-off time at the finish line is 18 hours.

Last year, Hong Kong-based Dutchman Lodewijk Vriens very much dominated the race against strong opposition, such as Wai Hei Ng and Jeff Campbell. None of those are on the start list for tomorrow, but instead we have some other big names. Two weeks after losing his ATM Championship title, John Ray Onifa will already be back in action in his beloved city. Still not 100% recovered from a painful hip, which bothered him in Vietnam as well, Onifa aims first and foremost to finish the race with a comfortable feeling. Always a logical victory favourite nonetheless, he should see Wai Hung Wong around him on Saturday. A runner with name in Hong Kong, but whom we haven’t seen yet in an ATM race. Other victory and podium contenders are expected to be Limbu Yamanath and Dina Bagale from Nepal (based in HK, though), Aditya Kothari from Belgium, Alexander Lithgow, Tommy Yeung, Richard Kimber, Daniel Crisp and Andrew Graham. There’s also a group of Grandmaster Quest runners in Hong Kong, including Malaysia’s Munin Sundram, the Golden Grandmaster who last week also ran Luang Prabang Trail 75km. Fish ‘n Sheep will be his second race on the Trail to Immortality.

In the women’s 75km, another HK-based Nepali could be the woman-to-beat. Dilu Limbu was an ATM Finalist in Season 10 and that season also won Trail des Gombak in Malaysia. She will be up against Colby Chan, 9th two weeks ago for Hong Kong in the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam, 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia, Kimmy Leung and Natalie Webster.

ATM will be reporting live from start to finish tomorrow. The 75km starts at 8 am local time.

Ultra Fish'n Sheep with John Ray Onifa and Wai Hung Wong