Trail Running
Young Runners Conquer Yeongnam Alps
Australia's Zoe Manning and Hong Kong's Rex Lo Lok Yin Top U-23 Charts in Unforgiving Terrain at Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships.
Australia's Zoe Manning and Hong Kong's Rex Lo Lok Yin Top U-23 Charts in Unforgiving Terrain at Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships.
Australia’s Zoe Manning and Hong Kong’s Rex Lo Lok Yin soared to victory in the U-23 division of the inaugural Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships in Ulju, South Korea on Friday.
Held amidst the rugged beauty of South Korea’s Yeongnam Alps, the race was a true test of endurance for young athletes under 23, featuring a challenging 15.9km course with a grueling 1,182 metres of elevation gain and descent.
The event kicked off with a spirited downhill start from the Yeongnam Alps Welcome Center, setting the pace for an intense climb over Ganweolsan Mountain.
At the summit, runners were rewarded with sweeping panoramic views of Busan. But the race didn’t end there—the athletes faced a final punishing descent through Ganwoljae, greeted at the finish line by cheering fans and fellow competitors.
In the women’s race, Zoe Manning took a commanding lead, clinching the gold medal with a substantial 20-minute margin. Japan’s Kasuga Watabe took the silver, edging Hong Kong’s Tin Ching Lam by a mere 14 seconds for the bronze.
Manning was thrilled with her win, sharing, “The course was really fun, and it was amazing to be out there. The views were absolutely stunning, and it was just incredible to be up that high.”
Hong Kong’s Wing Man and Phoebe Woo On Kei rounded out the top five with times of 2 hours 17 minutes and 2 hours 51 minutes, respectively.
On the men’s side, Hong Kong’s Rex Lo Lok Yin delivered a powerhouse performance, capturing the gold with an impressive time of 1 hour and 32 minutes. Hot on his heels, Australians Ethan Penck and Toby Lang took silver and bronze with times of 1 hour 35 minutes and 1 hour 36 minutes.
South Korean local hero Jinmyeong Kim secured fourth place in 1 hour 40 minutes, while Malaysia’s Daaraneswarararan Sim followed in fifth with a time of 1 hour 42 minutes. After the race, Lo expressed his elation: “I am very happy. In the first part of the race, I was in 2nd or 3rd place, but I managed to overtake at about 8 or 9km and sped downhill to the finish. The course is quite difficult, but I love this race!”
Janet Ng, President of the International Trail Running Association, applauded the young athletes: “Huge congratulations to our Under 23 athletes at this first-ever championship race. Your talent and passion promise an unstoppable future for trail running in Asia. What a beginning—keep blazing the trail!”
The U23 competition marked an unforgettable debut for the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships, highlighting young talent on the international stage and setting a high bar for future competitions in the region. Source: ITRA
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