Trans Jeju by UTMB 2023: Tao Luo, Wenrong Zheng win 100K race

Chinese runners dominated the 100K and 50K races at the 2023 Trans Jeju by UTMB.

The UTMB World Series event on the volcanic island of Jeju in South Korea is one of the biggest trail running festivals in Asia.

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Hallasan National Park played host to two days of racing over the weekend, including 100K, 50K and 20K category events.

Chinese excellence

Tao Luo fronted an all-Chinese podium in the men’s 100K racer at Trans Jeju, finishing the 111km course in 9:18:09.

Tao Luo after finishing third at the 2019 OCC [Photo credit: UTMB]

Luo, who was ninth in the UTMB OCC last month and won the Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB 50K last year, finished just over four minutes clear of Guido Qin while third-place Jio Duo was some 22 minutes back from the race winner.

In the women’s 100K, there was another Chinese winner as Wenrong Zheng crossed the line in 12:22:46.

It proved a tight finale as Zheng edged out compatriot Lin Chen by just four seconds. Japan’s Kanako Edamoto took third as the only non-Chinese representative on either of the 100K podiums.

The 50K races also produced wins for Chinese runners as Xingjing Li took the men’s crown and Fuzhao Xiang claimed the women’s title.

Li clocked 4:27:07 in the 56km race to overcome Japan’s Ryunosuke Omi and China’s Guangfu Meng by 10 and 20 minutes respectively.

Xiang, who finished fourth at this year’s Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) won the Ultra-Trail Ninghai by UTMB UTNH105 in April, fronted another all-Chinese podium, stopping the clock in 5:06:46 – almost half an hour clear of Anna Li and an hour ahead of Xin Wang.

British winner

The 20K race saw a British winner as Harry Tabor stormed to victory in the men’s race in 1:26:56, besting two South Koreans in Heung-geun Park and Jaemin Kim.

The women’s 20K was won by another European runner – France’s Helene Juramy – with the Korean duo of Youngdeog Yu and Kihyeon An completing the podium.