XTERRA Asia-Pacific Trail Run Championship Recap

Chane, Ha win XTERRA Asia-Pacific 35K Trail Run Championship

Maxim Chane from France and Hau Ha from Vietnam captured the inaugural XTERRA Asia-Pacific Trail Run Championship 35K race at the picturesque Stony Brook Nature Farm in Kenting, Taiwan on Sunday, April 16, 2023, while Sebastien Carabin from Belgium and Tung Meng Yun from Taipei took home the half-marathon titles

As the first of three continental championship races on the new XTERRA Trail Run World Series, runners competed for $5,200 USD in prize money and qualifying spots into the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship on October 1 at Sugarloaf Resort in Maine (USA).

It was nice and cool in Kenting National Park for the 6am start of the 35K race and Ha went out fast with the two lead men, Chane and Chang Che Hao, and no other female runners were able to keep pace with the exceptional 33-year-old runner from the mountain regions of Vietnam.

“It’s my first-time in Taiwan, and I was excited to discover the XTERRA Trail Run World Series here,” said Ha, who has won every race she’s entered over the last two years including the Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 50K that qualified her for the OCC race in Mont Blanc.

“Today’s race was cool, I liked it a lot,” said Ha, one of the Asia-Pacific regions’ rising stars on the ultra running scene.

Her winning time of 3:27:34 was good for third overall, behind only Chane and Chang. Georgia Grobler from South Africa was second in 3:56:41, and Yen Hsiao Ching finished third.

In the men’s race, Chane, who raced the XTERRA Asia-Pacific triathlon championship race on Saturday, said he was able to take out his frustrations from yesterday's race on the trails today.

“The triathlon yesterday killed me,” said Chane, who suffered a flat tire on the bike course and rode the last 10km on the rim and ended up in 10th place.

“It was super hot again today, and I ran with the second guy for a while and opened up the pace late in the race, but it was really hard. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking about the flat, but this made my frustration a bit less and now I’m hungry for the rest of the season.”

Chane took the tape in 3:08:50, more than six-minutes ahead of Chang in second, who earned the APAC 35K title by virtue of being the fastest runner from the region. David Brackett finished in third.

In the half-marathon men’s race, Sebastien Carabin surged into the lead at the 3K mark of the run and never looked back, crossing the line in 1:43:45, more than 20 minutes ahead of the runner-iup Cheng Jui Chu - who earned APAC 21K title for being the top runner from the region.

“Amazing tracks like yesterday, such a beautiful place, and the course is tough with steep climbs and steep downhills, but you see wonderful landscapes everywhere you look,” said Carabin, who finished 5th in the triathlon yesterday while posting the fastest bike split of the day.

“I really enjoyed it out there today, was able to get a comfortable gap and run at my own pace, so it was a lot of fun.”

In the women’s half-marathon race Tung Meng Yun took the top spot in 2:44:25, with Mari Anker in second, and Han Hsiao Jiu in third.

“I was hoping for top three but didn't think I would win it," said Tung. "I loved the course and the pretty grassy hills. We don’t have trails like this up north in Taipei, the terrain is different, so this was a really great experience.”

There was also a 7K trail run, won by local legends Emmie Ries and Zang Jinyue. Ries won the overall in 39:01, with Wilson right behind in 39:02. Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from Lachlan McIlvaine, 10, who finished third overall in 40:55.

About the XTERRA Trail Run World Series

The XTERRA Trail Run World Series is an inclusive series that invites all trail enthusiasts to join the XTERRA community to connect, explore, and discover new and existing trails in idyllic running terrains the world over.

Designed to mix community and adventure, the series is open to all runners, from amateur to elite, individuals and pairs, with over 30 races in 20+ countries across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Runner can compete individually, regionally or globally in the XTERRA Trail Run rankings, or push to the front of the pack to qualify for a place on the starting line at the annual and invite-only XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.

The XTERRA Trail Run World Series includes both half-marathon (15-34K) and full-marathon (35-60K) races, with individual and team (duo) categories available.