Taichi Yui scores 2nd ATM race win of the season at V Trail

Second ATM race victory of the season for Taichi Yui at the revamped V Trail in Vang Vieng, Laos, last weekend. The Japanese runner from Tokyo took the lead from Filipino Jordan Bugnay after about 22 km and stayed ahead on the much more runable and enjoyable 50km scenic course. Yui’s finish time was 5h56’, despite having some knee worries before the start. In the beginning of Season 11 in mid-October, he also won the other Lao race, Luang Prabang Ultra Trail 75. That’s 1000 ATM Championship points in the bag for him already. Taichi Yui is indeed keen to be part of Team Japan at the next ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 3 October.

Jordan Bugnay took an early lead on the other victory contenders after the 5 am start - still in darkness. The Filipino, however, had to cope with digestion issues and saw Taichi Yui and good old Golden Grandmaster Tomohiro Mizukoshi move ahead. Also Henry Joe Cottilon still looked like a podium contender at this stage, but a bad tumble in the bamboo forest hampered his running pace afterwards and he dropped him down the leaderboard to finish 8th. The pace set by Taichi Yui turned out to be just a little too high for Mizukoshi, who nevertheless did not crack and salvaged a superb second place, making the most of the course and the relatively cool conditions of the day. One of few runners who has always qualified for the ATM Championship Final, these 450 points will come in very handy again at the end of the season!

Behind Bugnay, Thailand’s Santi Phongsraphang arrived at the finish line in fourth place-just like five weeks ago in Kalaw, Myanmar. A confirmation of his fine current form. Antoine Deligne from Belgium again came fifth, too, as in Kalaw. Tyler Gant arrived just behind him, with Dutchman Jaap Hamelink in seventh.

In the women’s 50km race, we had a great local race winner. Lao runner Yoth Soulivanthong was clearly the fastest in 7h32’. She had already won V Trail two years ago on the much more technical course, showing she is a good all-rounder! Can Yoth become the first Lao runner to take part in the ATM Championship Final this year?

In second place was another home runner from Laos : Chitsamai Soukleangkham in 8h45. She had initially tried to keep up with Soulivanthong, in what was her first ever race longer than marathon. Sabah star Jessica Lintanga, returning to competition after a lengthy break, was third in 9h07.