Top Chinese Runners Jiaju Zhao and Fuzhao Xiang Break Records at Thailand by UTMB 2021

Over the weekend, more than 2,500 runners headed off to Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai, the roof of Thailand, to participate in the second edition of Thailand by UTMB. Despite the various and very complicated restrictions, more than 100 foreigners joined the race this year.

Top Chinese runners Jiaju Zhao and Fuzhao Xiang were determined to win. At 1:00 pm on Friday, 10th of December, Jiaju Zhao, John Stingray Onifa, Sange Sherpa, Fuzhao Xiang, Kimino Miyazaki and Thai winners Sanya Khanchai and Phitchanan Mahachote took off in the first wave and were followed by runners in several waves due to very strict Covid-19 preventive measures.

The 168 km course took the runners past stunning landscapes and mountain scenery while being incredibly challenging. Jiaju Zhao set the new record for the race in 21 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds, which broke the old record by nearly 5 hours. The previous record by Sanya Khanchai, the winner of Thailand by UTMB 2020, was 26:40:06. She ranked 5th overall this year with 26:27:29.

Hong Kong- based Filipino, John Ray Onifa also known as “Stingray” was second in the men’s race. He was 40 minutes behind the winner with 22:34:58. In third place was Sange Sherpa from the Kailas team, a Nepali based in France, who carries the Nepal bamboo flute and plays it at all times. He set his own record at 25:18:30.

Fuzhao Xiang, China’s leading trail runner, not only won the women’s race, but also set a new record of 26:01:23 which broke the old record by nearly 10 hours. Kimino Miyazaki was in second place with 27:20:18, and Kaori Niwa ranked in third place with a time of 30:17:13.

The second edition of Thailand by UTMB, considered one of the leading trail events in Asia, was immensely successful. Next year, Thailand by UTMB will be part of UTMB world series - a ultimate global trail running series.