South Korea selected as the host for the Inaugural 2024 Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship

ITRA – The International Trail Running Association is pleased to announce that the inaugural edition of the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship (APTRC) is set to unfold in the breathtaking landscapes of Ulju-gun, Ulsan City, South Korea, scheduled to be held between the 23rd and 27 th of October 2024.

After a thorough evaluation of five outstanding bids, JSCENO from South Korea has been awarded the organization of the first-ever edition of the Asia-Pacific Trail Running Championship in 2024.

JSCENO has over 10 years of experience in organizing international trail running races. Upon being awarded the bid, Jey Jang, CEO of JSCENO, expressed her excitement and commitment to delivering an exceptional championship experience. In a statement, Jey said, "We are thrilled to have been chosen to host the inaugural Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship. This event presents a unique opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the Ulsan region and the spirit of trail running. We are dedicated to creating a world-class event that will leave a lasting impact on participants and spectators alike."

Soongeol Lee, a governor of Ulju County, said:

“We are very pleased to host the 1st Asia Pacific championship. We hope that all participants from many countries in Asia enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery of Ulju and also hope to develop UTNP (Ulju Trail Nine Peaks) into the best mountain tourist destination representing Korea. We will do our best to support participating athletes, officials, and spectators to enjoy this mega event without any inconvenience.”

Janet Ng, ITRA President, said :

"We are delighted to partner with Jsceno as the local organizing committee (LOC), with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to bring the APTRC to life. This event represents a significant milestone for trail running in the Asia Pacific region. We are committed to work with the LOC to deliver a memorable and successful championship that will set the standard for the highest level of competition in Asia Pacific and inspire a new generation of trail runners.”

The APTRC will showcase Asia's top trail runners competing in individual and country categories, covering distances of ~40 km and ~80 km. There will also be a U23 category with a distance of ~20 km. The premiere edition of the event anticipates drawing up to 400 elite athletes from over 25 countries. The APTRC will form part of the Ulju Trail Festa where runners (adults, kids and even pets!) can participate in the public race Ultra Trail Nine Peaks which offers distances from 10km to 124 km and attracts over 3000 participants.

A second bid from the Ningbo City of Zhejiang Province, China, entered by Sanfo as a Local Organisation Committee with the support of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, has been optioned for the 2026 edition of the Championship.

2024 APTRC Competition Formats (please refer to World Athletics Rule 57 for more details on race formats):

1. The Long Trail (ca. 80km, 3,500-6,000m total elevation gain, ITRA category “L”).

2. The Short Trail (ca. 40km, 2,000-3,000m total elevation gain, ITRA category “S”).

3. U23 (ca. 14 -20 km).

Further details, including eligibility criteria and funding support for athletes, will be announced on the APTRC website, which will be launched in early April 2024.

Content:
Images to use