KUALA LUMPUR: In a display of remarkable endurance, Hong Kong's Law Chor Kin and Australia's Natalie Dau claimed the overall men's and women's 100km titles, respectively, at the Sekinchan Ultra in Sabak Bernam on Sunday.
Despite its reputation as Malaysia's flattest ultra course, the Sekinchan Ultra proved to be a true test of mental and physical fortitude.
Chor Kin, one of Hong Kong's leading ultra-distance runners, showcased exceptional grit, breaking the tape at SRJK (C) Yoke Kuan in 10:12:17s to secure a commanding victory.
Malaysia's Lye Tick Twan (11:17:42) finished second, while compatriot Qawiem Abu Bakar (12:22:33) completed the men's podium.
"I'm glad I accepted the invitation to race in this event for the first time. It was truly a fruitful one," said Chor Kin, who has completed over 100 ultra-distance races in his career.
"It's indeed exciting. The route is flat and definitely meets expectations. I travelled here to train because I've registered for the Route 68 event, where I will compete in a 400 km race in February."
"So to win today just added more joy to it."
The women's race saw Natalie, a world record holder, deliver a masterclass in ultra-running, as she navigated the double-loop of 50-km course through Sekinchan's picturesque paddy fields to finish in 11:42:38.
Malaysia's Lee Yee Shi came in runner-up in 12:20:33, as Poo Lai Kuen sealed the third position with a time of 12:45:26.
Natalie, who earlier in July earned a place in the Guinness World Records for the fastest crossing of Peninsular Malaysia on foot — running more than 700 kilometres from Kelantan to Johor Bahru in eight days and 46 minutes — surprisingly found the flat 100km course more challenging than her record-breaking achievement.
"I thought being flat would be easy, but it was much harder than what I thought it was going to be. It was too flat. I think it's hard on your body because you're not getting to use different muscles climbing or descending," explained Natalie, also an author, motivational speaker and social media influencer with 546,000 followers on her Instagram.
When comparing this race to her recent record-breaking feat, Natalie offered an interesting perspective.
"The record run, even though it was a thousand kilometres, you could pace it differently. I was racing against myself then, not against other people," she said.
"Here, you're racing against others, so there's a different kind of pressure and you push harder. During the record attempt, you could have walking breaks in between.
"I did registered twice before, but never made it. It's third time lucky."
The event marked a pivotal moment for 12 determined ultra-runners pursuing the prestigious "Grandslam Ultra 100" challenge.
This ambitious series consists of four gruelling 100 km races throughout this year, organised by Lumen Sports — the Semenyih Ultra in February, the Route 68 Ultra in March, the Langkawi Ultra in May and the Sekinchan Ultra.
The 12 outstanding achievers were Lye Tick Twan, Fazlie Rosli, Tan Tat Wei, Teoh Chin Teck, Chiew Kok Wee, Sabri Sulaiman, Wong Choon Hou and Azril Azwan Ariffin in the men's category, while Lee Yee Shi, Law Wai Thing, Khoo Kim Lee and
Farah Abdul Aziz completed the women's lineup.
The Sekinchan Ultra drew more than 900 participants across five other categories — 50km, 30km, 21km, 10km and 5km.
The event also attracted runners from the United Kingdom, France, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore, among others.
In a milestone achievement, the event was officially recognised as "The Flattest Ultra Marathon in Malaysia" by the Malaysia Book of Records on Sunday.
"Since our debut in 2019, Sekinchan Ultra has carved its own niche in Malaysia's running scene. The Malaysia Book of Records certification will further cement Sekinchan Ultra's position as a distinctive event in the country," said race director Jeff Ooi.