Besides the Season 10 Championship Final, the 9 Dragons event in Hong Kong of course also again offered two qualifier races for the points ranking that leads to the next season’s Final. In the renowned 50/50 stage race category - with 50 miles on Saturday and 50km on Sunday -, hot Nepalese talent Man Kumar grabbed an impressive victory by winning both stages. In the women’s 50/50, the pre-race favourite from Japan, Yuri Yoshizumi showed why she was the one to beat - taking victory also by winning both stages.

For both runners it was their second win in an ATM-promoted race. Man Kumar was fastest in MTR 50 last year, and Yoshizumi in Island Trail Awaji last November. In the case of Yoshizumi, it even means she already scored 1000 ATM points this season - could it be enough already for qualification for Team Japan later in October this year?

On Saturday’s 84km stage, Man Kumar had to cope with two fervent competitors. Philippines’ Rhys Pawid showed again how much he has improved as a trail racer and was initually going neck-a-neck with Kumar. Hong Kong based Ukranian Oleksii Melnyk was likewise never far behind. Melnyk, already second in the 50/50 last year, too. The scene was set for a superb 50km showdown between the three. However, already soon it emerged that Rhys Pawid suffered from knee pain following stage 1 and he dropped out at CP 4. Melnyk had no response to the speed of Man Kumar, who flew to a great victory. If Man Kumar can add another ATM race to his programme this season, he should be qualified for Team Nepal in October and then all other stars of the scene have a serious new rival. Melnyk took second and Matthew Gay completed the podium in third place ahead of Salomon Wettstein and Dina Bagale - also from Nepal but based in Hong Kong.

Behind Yuri Yoshizumi, it was a great second place for Anna Pillinger from Australia with Yuen Tsz Kwan coming in third.

Sunday’s 50km single day race is traditionally also a points race in ATM. It’s a tough 50km with about 3500 hm of elevation. Kose Rodarte was quickest in 6h33, ahead of his Gone Running teammate Sebastian Cotton and Germany’s Marco Hauke. Tommy Yeung and Hiroyuki Matsuda were next. Fastest woman was France’s Celine Loubiere in 8h14, ahead of Yuming Chan and Aggy Sabanal, our 2018 vice ATM Champion who nowadays divides her time between the US and her native country Philippines.

Man Kumar and Yuri Yoshizumi are the new 9th Dragons!