{"id":34051,"date":"2019-09-07T23:27:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-07T15:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runsociety.com\/?p=34051"},"modified":"2019-09-07T23:27:54","modified_gmt":"2019-09-07T15:27:54","slug":"captivating-views-savoured-at-inaugural-ultra-trail-chiangmai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runsociety.com\/highlight\/captivating-views-savoured-at-inaugural-ultra-trail-chiangmai\/","title":{"rendered":"Captivating Views Savoured At Inaugural Ultra Trail Chiangmai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exactly a year ago, I ran the 56km Orsieres-Champex-Chamonix (OCC) race category of the famed Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB). That represented the climax of my trail run journey to date that had started three years earlier, with lots of travel for qualifying races in Thailand, and a stroke of good luck during the ballot registration process. It was a sweet race that I wanted to last for some time, and promised myself to take a sabbatical from trail runs.<\/p>\n

Well, that one year is up. And so is the itch to return to trail running. I searched for events and found out about the inaugural Ultra Trail Chiangmai (UTCM). I\u2019m a little picky with races these days; there are just one too many out there and standards vary between day and night. UTCM is part of the 4 Trails Thailand series, and is a points race within the Asia Trailmaster championship. So, that gave me some assurance that it should be of a quality event.<\/p>\n

\"Captivating<\/p>\n

Journey To Mae Chaem<\/h2>\n

On Friday morning, I took the MRT train from home to Changi airport, and boarded the plane to Bangkok\u2019s Don Muang airport. I could have gone directly to Chiangmai but had decided to break my journey in Bangkok to catch up with some friends that evening. On Saturday morning, I continued onwards with a domestic flight to Chiangmai and then collected the keys to my $30-a-day rented Honda City.<\/p>\n

Mae Chaem district – also the venue for UTCM – is a sleepy town about 150km away from Chiangmai. It was a good 3-hour drive through winding roads that cut across the beautiful Doi Inthanon National Park. Doi Inthanon is Thailand\u2019s highest point at 2,565m above sea level. The organisers had provided shuttle service transfer options, but I decided on renting a car so that I could do stopovers for anything interesting along the way.<\/p>\n

Being in the monsoon season, it was wet when I arrived at the race site to collect my race pack, attended the race briefing and had a bit of a walk around the merchandise booths. <\/p>\n

Mae Chaem, traditionally a town that tourists pass through to head further north, offered only a handful of decent accommodation. The organisers provided safe campground options within a school compound for runners. Needing creature comforts, I settled for a Homestay at an affordable THB 700 (S$28) that had wifi, air conditioning, heater, refrigerator, kettle and snacks!<\/p>\n

\"Captivating<\/p>\n

My 33km Run<\/h2>\n

The rain had stopped. The air was cool. The ground was muddy! The 6am start time had sufficient morning light leading to sunrise a few minutes later. The first half of the race was mainly on scenic, hilly trails with gorgeous views of valleys and low hanging clouds. The route then took runners to about a few kilometres of paved roads before rejoining the final six kilometres on the trails again. The 33km course had an elevation gain of 1,500m. In Singapore\u2019s context, it is approximately 3 rounds around Macritchie reservoir with more than double the elevation gain.<\/p>\n

There were photographers aplenty to capture runners against stunning natural backdrops. Water stations were adequately stocked, and ambulances and first aiders were visibly seen along the course. Event insurance was also provided for all participants. <\/p>\n

I ran leisurely, stopping and shooting often, and completed the run in just under 5 hours. The cutoff time was 10 hours. So, this race category was very much friendly for reasonably fit runners. Besides the 33km category, others include 104km, 65km and 20km. There were more than 1,400 runners, including 10% foreigners, including Singaporeans.<\/p>\n

\"Captivating<\/p>\n

The Touristy Bits<\/h2>\n

What is a trip to Chiangmai without the \u201cmandatory\u201d tourist side trips? On the drive back to Chiangmai, I took a 10 minute detour to visit Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand, where the temperature is generally 5 to 8 degrees colder than in the city. I also took the opportunity to visit Chiangmai, popularly known as the arts and culture capital of Thailand. A \u201cmust visit\u201d place is Nimman Road area where you can visit hipster cafes and arty farty joints. Organic dining is a popular choice in this city.<\/p>\n

\"Captivating<\/p>\n

Upcoming Running Events Around Chiangmai<\/h2>\n

The next edition of Ultra Trail Chiangmai will take place next August 2020. Other well known events coming up soon are:<\/p>\n