The inaugural Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships (APTRC) will take place in Ulju, South Korea, on October 23-27, 2024.
Organised under the umbrella of ITRA (the International Trail Running Association), APTRC in South Korea will showcase the Asia Pacific region’s top trail runners competing in individual and country/region categories over distances of 15km, 40km and 80km.
The Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships mark a milestone as the first ITRA championship to be held in Asia Pacific.
This event will gather elite athletes from 23 countries or regions. The APTRC will form part of the Ulju Trail Festa where runners (adults, kids and even pets) can participate in a public open race, Ultra Trail Nine Peaks, offering distances from 10km to 124km and overall attracting over 3,000 participants.
Whilst teams and start lists are still being finalised, teams already registered represent: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Macao, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
APTRC athletes will compete in both individual and team categories, with a cup awarded to the team demonstrating the best overall performance. The three event categories are 80km (long trail), 40km (short trail) and a 15km trail race for athletes under the age of 23.
Participation is reserved for the top trail runners from each country or region, selected based on their International Trail Running Association ranking (known as the ‘ITRA performance index’ or ‘ITRA PI’), with only the top 30 athletes from each country or region qualifying.
Janet Ng, ITRA’s President, said “The APTRC is about top-level competition, camaraderie and friendship and taking the wonderful sport of trail running to the next level together.”
If athletes do not qualify for the championships, they can participate in the public race, Ultra Trail Nine Peaks, which will run concurrently with the main event. This offers an opportunity for all trail running enthusiasts to be part of the event experience.
“We are thrilled to host the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships in Ulju, South Korea, and to welcome elite athletes from across the region to showcase their skills and passion for trail running,” said Jey Jang, Race Director of the APTRC.
“This championship represents a unique opportunity to celebrate the amazing talent and dedication of trail runners in Asia Pacific and to elevate the sport to new heights.”
Founded in 2013, ITRA (the International Trail Running Association) represents around 150,000 athletes and 3,500 event organizer members in over 160 countries.
www.aptrc2024.com
www.itra.run
