Thousands hit trails for "The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2024 Thailand"
The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2024 Thailand returned with a weekend of fun and challenges on the trails. Almost 2,500 runners of 40 nationalities competed over four distances - 15km, 25km, 50km and 100km - enjoying a course that traversed the hills of Nakhon Ratchasima.
First launched in 2012, Never Stop Exploring has been at the heart of The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2024 Thailand since the beginning, encouraging newbies and experienced runners to push their boundaries and enjoy the outdoors. Such a variety of runners and nationalities made this year's 10th-anniversary edition a truly diverse and international event.
The North Face Thailand were the first to introduce the 100km ultra trail distance in Thailand and it has become an iconic event and a rite of passage for any serious trail runner in Thailand. Having competed at every The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2024 Thailand since its inception, Thai ultra runner Sanya Khanchai went all out for the 100km win this year but in the end, against a competitive field, had to settle for third. The 100km men's race was won by South African Lloyd Sithole.
The women's 100km was dominated by Thais with all of the top three spots being claimed by Thai runners. A commanding race saw The North Face Athlete Darika Suwanmongkol lead from start to finish and claim the women's crown ahead of Palida Apichatammarit and Parichat Namasakan in second and third respectively.
There were many excellent performances by Thai athletes this year with standouts including trail legend Jantaraboon Kiangchaipaiphana (aka Super Jay) who despite an injury still won the men's 50km race. Adirek Ananputtikun and C Chaikanarakkul finished second and third in the men's 25km while Sawangjit Sae-Ngow finished second in the women's 25km. In the 15km distance, Khemmarin Kantha finished first in the women's division and Pawitphat Manotham placed third in the men's.
"After a three-year hiatus, it's great to be back. We've made a lot of changes to the competitor experience this year - a new course, new start/ finish venue, and a new race village - and the feedback from both international and Thai competitors has been excellent," said Arttapol Nitivorakunapan, The North Face Thailand Brand Manager.
As a leading brand in exploration, The North Face ThailandⓇ actively supports and promotes trail running in Thailand. Being the first 100km trail run in the country, The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge 2024 Thailand was also the first Thai qualifying event for the world-famous Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and the first Thai event recognised by the International Trail-Running Association (ITRA).
