2019 vice ATM Champion Hisashi Kitamura starts the 5th edition of Cameron Ultra as the top favourite on the 100 km points race this coming Saturday at 3:45 am. The KL-based Japanese UGLOW Asia ace is in excellent form during the first months of Season VII and underlined that with a strong victory in Japan at Echigo Country Trail just a month ago. Confidence runs high also because the Karate Kit was already 2nd in Cultra in 2019, the last time the event was organised, albeit not part of the ATM series back then.

Cameron Ultra is one the most popular trail events in Malaysia alongside Borneo TMBT Ultra and MMTF. The route is essentially an out-and-back through pristine scenery and various types of terrain. Elevation gain is not to be underestimated for the 100k: over 3900 hm. The route includes Mount Berembun and Mount Perdah. Given the Cameron Highlands are generally located between 800m and 1600m above sea level, the climate is not all that bad for trail runners with cooler temperatures than in other Malaysian races. The Cameron Highlands are of course also famous for the tea plantations.

The main challengers for Kitamura are expected to come from Sabah in East Malaysia. Wilsen Singgin was not happy with his performance at BUTM earlier this year in March and is hoping to reconnect with the kind of running form that brought him victory at last year’s MMTF in December, ahead of Kitamura and Daved Simpat, his fellow Sabahan who also features on the start list this weekend. Other podium contenders are likely to be Jeffery Budin, Bernardo Linus Sanchez, Seiji Morofuji and Derrick Lau. Of course, there’s always a possibility for unknown runners to come to the foreground. Noteworthy is also that the Indonesian and Singaporean leaders in the country rankings are also on the start list: Abdul Rahman Muhammad Ishak (Indonesia) and Cao Wei (Singapore). The country rankings are important to determine who will qualify for their national country team at the ATM Championship Final on 17 December.

The women’s 100k race is expected to turn into a dual between 2021 Malaysia Trail Master Champion Izzah Hazirah and BUTM 100 winner Sally Yap. Izzah will launch her 2022 campaign in our series at Cameron Ultra. Highly experienced, also on technical trails, Izzah will be keen to add this race to her collection of victories. For newbie Sally Yap, from Sarawak, this weekend could be the definite breakthrough of a new trail talent.

Asia Trail Master will be reporting live from the 100k race throughout the weekend, via our usual channels on facebook and instagram, as well as on our new DTA-based interface.

Hisashi Kitamura: top favourite to score another race victory this weekend

Wilsen Singgin could be the biggest challenger for Kitamura together with fellow Sabahan Daved Simpat

Izzah Hazirah: the Malaysia Trail Master Champion 2021 will have her first ATM race of the season

Sally Yap from Sarawak was the impressive winner of BUTM 100. Can she repeat this weekend?

Cameron Ultra has been confirmed to take place on 16/17 July this year and the popular Malaysian event is opening a priority registration next week on 1 February for runners who had registered for the 2020 edition, which was cancelled due to the corona situation. As it happens, Cameron Ultra is a newcomer on the ATM Championship calendar, and we are looking very much forward to this year’s first edition in which runners can score points for the ATM Championship and the qualification to enter the Malaysian Team for the ATM Final in December. The 2020 registered runners can enjoy a discount when signing up for this year. The regular registration will open one month later in March, subject to available spots after the priority registration period.

ATM contenders and Grandmaster Quest runners need to focus on the 100 km race distance category, as that’s the one that matters at Cultra.

The 100 km flagship race has 4480 hm and needs to be conquered within 29 hours. All details can be found on the official website below.

https://www.boltevents.asia/cultra

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We are delighted to announce that Cameron Ultra will be the first Malaysian points race in the 2020 Asia Trail Master Championship on 25/26 July. The very popular event, organised by BOLT Events, will celebrate its 5th anniversary this year and it will be the first time runners can score points for the ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest on the 100 km race category. Registrations open today and are expected to be completed very quickly, indeed.

Cameron Ultra takes place in the Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang, and is one of Malaysia’s biggest tourism drawcards. Apart from its tea plantations, it is also one of the country’s coolest weather spots. The event offers routes that are a mixture of jungle section and tarmac section for all categories with additional gravel section for 60km and 100km categories. All categories will traverse through Mount Jasar (1684 meters) while the 30km, 60km and 100km categories will also traverse through Mount Berembun (1825 meters). In the context of ATM, only the 100m race category is of relevance for points. The winner of the 100km (m/f) will score 500 points for the Championship and each finisher collects 1 point for the Grandmaster Quest as well.

Cameron Ultra is known among trail experts as quite runable with breathtaking tea plantation scenery, yet throughout jungle sections expect trails to be technical, covered with tree roots, slippery ground, high steps, steep ascends and descends and several rolling hills. Not for nothing the 100km category has a total elevation gain of close to 5700 hm. Runners must take a cut-off time of 30 hours into account, which is flexible but still forces you to keep moving. If you come to Cameron for the ATM Championship or the Grandmaster Quest, the event’s tagline is well-chosen and no coincidence: “be prepared be very prepared” !

Apart from the race itself, the event offers pre-race activities such as Cultra Market, Cultra Tea Party, Local performances and more. ​ Cultra provides fun, excitement, and a unique experience to runners, family, friends, and spectators alike. Registration for this Malaysia flagship event is expected to go quickly, also given the time of year - end July - is excellent in terms of positioning.

Registration by ballot opens today. The duration for ballot registration is from 10th till 31st January. Successful applications will be notified during the duration as well. There will be a few waves of approvals. Each approval will be given their respective dateline to complete the registration by making payment. Failure to do so, your slot will be forfeited and given to those in waiting list.

Highlights of 2019 edition of Cameron Ultra