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01 Jan, 1970

Mountain man Gray & Yip beat the jungle

Mountain King Gray Beats the Jungle Trail - Yip slips to Women's victory

Salomon Action Asia Malaysia TRAIL in assoc w OtterBox

KUALA LUMPUR, 29th November 2015 - "I was on all fours going up that last 500 meters as that was one bloody tough muddy and technical course" said overall 18km Men's winner Scott Sports team member Joe Gray who flew in from Colorado Springs, USA for the Salomon Action Asia Malaysia TRAIL in assoc w OtterBox race on Sunday described as a short yet technical trail running race with around 700 runners including many local veteran runners as well as quite a few celebrities coming to compete on some of Malaysia’s most challenging nature trails covering 10 km and 18km distance. The course started at Cherengin Hills Convention & Spa Resort in Janda Baik, Pahang, Malaysia around 1 hour from Kuala Lumpur in lush green jungle. Scott Sports team member Joe Gray grabbed another champion title to add to his collection in the 18km race in a blistering 1 hours 21 minutes and 56 seconds lowering the course record while Mei Yee Yip won the female overall champion in 2 hours 33 minutes and 38 seconds.   
 
“It’s magical. I’ve never seen trails this beautiful before with so many sounds of insects, bugs, crickets, birds, monkeys and so many other creatures I was listening too. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever seen. The jungle forest is unique and the sound in the forest is like music to me. I’ve never been to this part of the world before, so this is definitely very special. Malaysia is more humid than all the other Asian places I have ever been, and the weather is very different from my hometown Colorado as well. It’s definitely a very good experience as I was running in snow just last week and today running thru green vegatation, sliding sideways down mud paths, crawling up on fours, crossing a warm river up to my waist, just wild and so much fun and what a way to start my Asian trip as Hong Kong next for the MSIG Lantau VK", said Gray.

Elite runner Kenyan Daniel Kiprotich Kogo came second in the 18km in 1 hours 42 minutes and 32 seconds. Kogo used all his strength on the course and was exhausted after the race. “It was tough and the toughest part is the mud, but I like the wet weather as am used to it. I used to do marathon and road running, and it is the first trail race I have ever done. I like trail running because it is more fun with many more varieties, and the route in the forest is good”, said Kogo.


Next across the finish line in the 18km just 4 minutes 53 seconds later came runner Jason Robbinson. “It was a great trail, fantastic as incredibly challenging and one good workout”, said Robbinson finishing 3rd in 1 hour 47 minutes 25 seconds.
 
Mei Yee Yip from Malaysia grabbed the 18km overall female champion title in 2 hours 33 minutes and 38 seconds. “It is my second time running trail in a race. The course is very challenging, because it is very muddy. My downhill was not very good and I was just sliding, but luckily I didn’t fall down. The hardest part was going through the shrubs and green vegetation sections. When I went through the shrubs, I got tangled and my muscles cramped. The river part was also very memorable as the course was also very technical for me, but really liked it”, said Women's winner from Malaysia Yip who will be one lady to look out for in future trail mountain running races.

Kenyan Genevive Njoku took the female’s second place in the 18km race and crossed the finish line in 2 hours 44 minutes and 8 seconds.“It was a good race and the course was very unique and challenging”, said Njoku.


Nur Eriezamurni Tumpang obtained 3rd on the 18km Women's podium in 3 hours 16 minutes and 16 seconds. “The hills were killing me, but it was a lot of fun as very difficult but really worth it”, said Tumpang.
 
As for 10km race, Malaysian runner Heidilee Mohammad grabbed the overall champion title of 10km in 41 minutes and 16 seconds. “I am very happy to win. This course is very good”, said Mohammad.


Muhammad Asdi Weding came second in 50 minute and 33 seconds followed by  Mohd Nor Azuan Md Nor from Malaysia rounding the top 3 podium 5 minutes and 53 seconds later.“I like the race and I feel really good and happy. It’s not really that hard for me,” said the 10km second runner up Weding who might consider moving up to the 18km next year.


Melissa Lim crossed the finish line in 1 hours 6 minutes and 31 seconds and grabbed the 10km female overall champion title. Only 2 minutes 39 seconds later, Colleen Rosanna Augustin crossed finish line and came second in the 10km female category. French runner Marion Demeure Velazquez took the third place in 1 hours 10 minutes and 55 seconds.


The 10km category route offered both hilly and flat terrain for beginners and novices giving them an opportunity to complete a 500+m elevation gain course with a very slippery muddy section just after the first 2km to warm everyone up.


For the brave, the whole 18-kilometer course had a tough change in description with a river crossing up to waist deep, mud up to ankle deep, slippery greasy downhills that represented more skiing snowboarding like conditions than running, running thru jungle single track ducking under bamboo trees and open dirt sticky muddy off road tracks with gorgeous views of the plantations and green vegetation with wild sounds of animals and insects to inspire you too keep going.


The Salomon Action Asia Malaysia - in assoc w OtterBox is organized by Action Asia Events and the event could not happened without the valuable support of Salomon, OtterBox, Runner Sport Drink, World of Sports, Suunto, Cherengin Hills Convention & Spa Resort, Machines, Celebrity Fitness, Running Malaysia, Celebrity Fitness, Action X Store and Action Asia Foundation.

Race Results
Salomon Action Asia Malaysia - Trail Run in assoc w OtterBox
10km - Top 5 Men
Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time
1. Heidilee Mohammad –Malaysia– [-]- 00:41:16
2. Muhammad Asdi Weding – Malaysia – [-] - 00:50 33
3. Mohd Nor Azuan Md Nor – Malaysia – [-] – 00:56:26
4. Amiruddin Nasir – Malaysia – [-] – 01:02:50
5. Bj Teoh – Malaysia – [-] – 01:05:13

10km - Top 5 Women
Name – Nationality – Team/Sponsor – Time
1. Melissa Lim –Malaysia– Salomon -01:06:31
2. Colleen Rosanna Augustin – Malaysia – [-] - 01:09:10
3. Marion Demeure Velazquez – France – [-] - 01:10:55
4. Mei Yan Looi – Malaysia – [-] - 01:11:26
5. Bee Lian Seah – Malaysia – [-] – 01:12:47

18km - Top 5 Men
Name – Nationality – Team/Sponsor - Time
1. Joe Gray –United States– Scott Sports – 01:21:56
2. Daniel Kiprotich Kogo – Kenya – [-] – 01:42:32
3. Jason Robinson – United Kindom – [-] – 01:47:25
4. Weng Tak Yip – Malaysia – [-] – 01:49:41
5. Maz Obata – Japan – [-] – 01:51:45

18 km - Top 5 Women
Name – Nationality – Team/Sponsor – Time
1. Mei Yee Yip –Malaysia– [-] -02:33:38
2. Genevive Njoku – Kenya – [-] – 02:44:08
3. Nur Eriezamurni Tumpang – Malaysia – 03:16:16
4. Kah Yee Chau – Malaysia – [-] – 03:20:52
5. Pui Fun Wong – Malaysia – 03:22:44

Salomon Action Asia Malaysia in assoc w OtterBox Information
Event:    Salomon Action Asia Malaysia - Trail Run in assoc w OtterBox
Date:    November 29, 2015 (Sunday)
Start Time:    7:00 a.m flag off for 18km - 7:05am for 10km
Start Location:    Cherengin Hills Convention & Spa Resort
Janda Baik, Malaysia
Distance:    10 km, 18 km

Info: http://www.actionasiaevents.com/our-events/upcoming-events/2015-malaysia/event-info.html#content

For more information visit www.actionasiaevents.com

 

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