Reigning ATM Champions Jeff Campbell and Priya Rai will both be fine-tuning their preparations for the defence of their titles at the Kalaw Ultra Trail Run in Myanmar this Saturday. Both runners from the T8 Team are the stars of the 50km race, held on a runable and dry course with start at 4am local time. Kalaw is the last event before our Season 10 Championship Final at the 9 Dragons in three weeks’ time.

KUTR was one of the highlights of the season last year, characterised by a smooth event organisation and a wonderful vibe among the many hundreds of runners across the various distances categories. Kalaw is a backpacker tourism hub in Myanmar’ Shan State, a short domestic flight north of Yangon or a five-hour car drive south of Mandalay. It is often combined with a visit to the majestic Inle Lake nearby. Trail runners can expect a runable course, especially as it is dry season right now, but should nevertheless take into account some elevation gain. After all, approx 1700 hm for 50km is not nothing. The participants on the 100km - an upgrade from the 80km last year - have about 2600 hm to conquer. Both distances are qualifiers for the Season 11 Championship points ranking, the 100km automatically also valid for the Grandmaster Quest.

Jeff and Priya are the logical favourites to claim victory on the 50km. The question is only how much they will push, given both are very keen to retain their ATM Championship title in Hong Kong soon. They have both been working specifically towards that goal and this weekend’s Kalaw race is part of their individual training programmes. Can anyone challenge them on Saturday? We are in Myanmar, very much still a new destination in Asian trail running and a community that is still in full blossom. Who is to say we won’t discover a brand new local talent? In any case, last year’s 50k race winners are also back on the start list. Wunna Lin won the men’s race in 6h13 a year ago, and Myint Myint Aye was best female in 6h43. Quite a few as yet unknown expat and international runners’ names on the list, too.

The 100km long ultra features last year’s extremely popular race winner and ATM Finalist Jack Speed, also known as Aung Thiha. He is Team Myanmar’s spearhead at the 9 Dragons in three weeks, and also for all of them Kalaw is the final big preparation. Thet Paing Oo, second last year, Thein Hto Aung, Aung Zaw Min and female runner Yi Yi Win are all on the 100k start list. Can anyone take top honours this Saturday? Certainly possible, but there are international challengers. Vietnam-based Singaporean Trung Nguyen is a very experienced long ultra runner and Grandmaster making a return to competition in ATM with a view to the Season 11 Championship Final in October. On his day, Trung can be really quick. Also Malaysia’s Golden Grandmaster Kenneth Mun Keat Yow could be in the mix for a podium place. Belgium’s Antoine Deligne was 3rd in Luang Prabang, Laos, in October. Vietnam’s Dung Vu Tien Viet could be the one nobody saw coming.

Yi Yi Win was 3rd on the 80k last year, albeit injured on the day. She will again be up against Myanmar-based Kazakh Altyn King - second a year ago -, but also Hong Kong’s Ellen Yin Kwan Cheng. A silver Grandmaster and previous race winner at V Trail in Laos. Malaysia’s Melissa Woo is also here.

To note is also that Golden Grandmasters Masafumi Yamamoto and Kenneth Mun Keat Yow will both begin their journey on the Trail to Immortality this weekend. That’s the new extension to the Grandmaster Quest as announced in December, for those having reached the Golden Level of 4 stars.

ATM will be updating live from Kalaw Ultra Trail Run starting at 4am local time (5:30 am HK time).