Stories of female ultra runners who are ready to conquer the 162 kilometer Rinjani 100

Two female runners who have experience conquering 194 km and 298 km races are ready to run 162 km in the Rinjani 100.

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The atmosphere of the Road to Rinjani 100 Ultra-Talk: Preparation Conquering the Rinjani 100 of 162 Km event at Lombok Plaza, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (23/5/2024). At the event, present as speakers were Nikki Han (far left) and Chamelia Suhra (center), two female runners from Hong Kong who will take part in the 162 kilometer category of the Rinjani 100 ultra trail running event which will take place on 24 -May 26, 2024.

Runners from a number of countries will appear at the Rinjani 100 Ultra which will take place 24-26 May 2024. They are optimistic that they can conquer one of the most challenging trail runs in Indonesia That. Including female runners who will compete in the 162 kilometer category. They went to Rinjani with various experiences.

Applause broke out when Adrian Lee, as moderator, closed the chat session with Nikki Han (53) and Chamelia Suhra (46) at Lombok Plaza Hotel, Mataram, Wednesday (22/5/2024) evening. Those who attended that afternoon were very enthusiastic and appreciated the story of the two female runners, who were British and Indonesian respectively.

The two women who now live in Hong Kong were deliberately presented at the event entitled Road to Rinjani 100 Ultra-Talk: Preparation Conquering the Rinjani 100 of 162 Km. This event is one of the Rinjani 100 Ultra series which will take place this weekend.

Apart from appearing in the 162 kilometer Rinjani 100 Ultra category, Nikki and Chamelia have experience in conquering ultramarathon and trail running events over very challenging distances.

Also read: Rinjani 100 Ultra Running Competition Brings Blessings to Business Actors in Sembalun

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Enthusiastic participants asked questions during the Road to Rinjani 100 Ultra-Talk activity: "Preparation for Conquering the 162 Km Rinjani 100" held at Lombok Plaza, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara on Thursday (23/5/2024). The event is part of the Rinjani 100 Ultra activities that will take place on 24-26 May 2024.

Nikki is the first female runner to complete a 298-kilometer run in the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) 2019.

HK4TUC is an ultramarathon running event that tests participants' endurance to conquer four trails in Hong Kong in 60 hours. Nikki, who has been involved in ultramarathons since 2013, completed the HK4TUC in 58 hours 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Chamelia, who made her debut as an ultra runner in 2019, became the champion of the 2023 Big Boar's Backyard Challenge after running 192 kilometers.

This competition is a running event in Hong Kong which takes the concept of running without a finish line. The champion is the last runner standing on the loop route on Bowen Road, Hong Kong.

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Chamelia Suhra (front) chatting with participants after the Road to Rinjani 100 Ultra-Talk event: Preparation Conquering the Rinjani 100 of 162 Km at Lombok Plaza, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday (23/5/2024). Chamelia, who holds Indonesian citizenship and currently resides in Hong Kong, will participate in the 162-kilometer category of the Rinjani 100 ultra event, which will take place on 24-26 May 2024.

HK4TUC and Big Boar's are just two of the many ultramarathon and trail running events that Nikki and Chamelia have participated in. If you look at the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) page, both Nikki and Chamelia have participated in various similar running events and they have successfully completed almost all of these running events.

For Nikki, that achievement, especially the HK4TUC, is the result of his consistency in the world of ultra running. "I certainly couldn't suddenly finish almost 300 kilometers in HK4TUC. It couldn't happen overnight. It is the result of a long process," said Nikki, who admitted to starting running from 15 kilometers.

Chamelia didn't start directly from 100 kilometers or above, but from 50 kilometers. "I don't have a background as an athlete, let alone running. I've never had any previous experience in running. Participating was a challenge from a friend who, if I could finish, would buy me something, ha-ha-ha...," Chamelia reminisced.

Instead of stopping, that first achievement actually encouraged him to continue participating and completing challenges in subsequent events. Finally, Chamelia completed the Anta Hong Kong 100-Full Physical trail run of 103 kilometers in 17 hours 43 minutes.

Also read: Starting April 1 2024, Climbing Mount Rinjani Reopens

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The participants and speakers take a group photo after the Road to Rinjani 100 Ultra-Talk event: Preparation Conquering the Rinjani 100 of 162 Km at Lombok Plaza, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara on Thursday (23/5/2024). This event is part of the Rinjani 100 ultra event which will take place on May 24-26, 2024.

"(During the race) it feels like hunger, yes. I want to keep going. When other runners can't finish, I have to be able to," said Chamelia, describing one of her motivations while running.

Preparation

Rinjani 100 Ultra is currently known as one of the most challenging trail running events in Indonesia. This event was first held in 2014 under the name Mount Rinjani Ultra.

Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The mountain, which now has six entrances, has a height of 3,726 meters above sea level.

Not only domestic runners, the Rinjani 100 Ultra has also been included as a mandatory agenda for trail runners from various parts of the world.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR SITUS FONESPORT.ID

Screenshot of lamar fonesport.id showing the list of countries of origin for Rinjani 100 Ultra 2024 participants as seen Monday (20/5/2024).

According to Rinjani 100 Ultra Race Director, Dian R Sukmara, this year there are more than 1,400 participants registered from 44 countries, including Indonesia. Out of that number, 925 individuals have been declared eligible and will be divided into five categories.

These categories are the 27 kilometer (km) category with a cut of time (COT) of 9 hours, the 36 km category with a COT of 15 hours, 60 km with a COT of 20 hours, 100 km with a COT of 36 hours , and 162 km with COT 55 hours.

For the specific 162 kilometers, 35 runners will participate. Out of that number, four female runners will be participating, including Nikki and Chamelia. The other two runners are Qheiza Wiranda Edelwise from Indonesia and Le Phuong Vy from Vietnam.

In addition to runners who have participated multiple times, there were also many debutants this year. Nikki was one of them. "I have actually been following information about Rinjani Ultra since 2014. I was very interested, but at that time I wasn't confident enough to do it," said Nikki.

Also read: Take a Break to Enjoy the Beauty of the Propok Savana

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The savannah and cypress trees along the Rinjani Sembalun climbing route that will be passed by runners in the Rinjani 100 Ultra event on May 24-26, 2024.

After many years have passed and with various experiences in ultramarathon and trail running, Nikki is finally determined for the Rinjani 100 Ultra. “It will definitely be very difficult and challenging. But doing something hard is a good thing,” said Nikki.

Meanwhile, for Chamelia, this year's Rinjani 100 Ultra is a chance for revenge. Last year, she was unable to finish the run (DNF) due to getting lost. She spent hours wandering around one area until finally DNF-ing.

"However, the word DNF is not in my dictionary. I will not make any mistakes in my second year," said Chamelia firmly.

The desire to be able to complete the Rinjani 100 Ultra this year has prompted Nikki and Chamelia to prepare themselves as best as possible. Starting from nutrition to physical training.

ISMAIL ZAKARIA

The trail run route in Savana Propok will be passed by participants in the 162 kilometer category of the Rinjani 100 Ultra event on 24-26 May 2024.

Nikki stated that she suffered an injury and had to rest for two months from December 2023 to January 2024. However, after recovering, she resumed training until the Rinjani 100 Ultra event approached.

"Every week, I train with a total elevation of 5,000 meters. I also run long distances around 40 kilometers twice a week. For rest, once a week," said Nikki.

According to Nikki, training for Rinjani 100 Ultra is indeed quite challenging. However, for her, when one wants to achieve something, they must put their commitment into it. Including for Rinjani 100 Ultra.

In a talk show supported by Eiger, Nikki stated that while running, there may be temptations to stop. In such a condition, she remembers her child who rekindles her enthusiasm.

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The combination of the vast expanse of reeds and the view of Mount Rinjani makes the Propok savanna look so beautiful. It is tempting for many tourists to come and even camp.

“Apart from that, I also have to travel far, it costs money to get there. So, yes, I can't stop," said Nikki, who said she always brings a brush and toothpaste with her every trail run to stay fresh.

Not much different, Chamelia also regularly runs up to 100 kilometers every week. Including trail running with an elevation of 4,000-5,000 meters every week. He also regularly walks (hiking) every week accompanied by his pet dog. ”I hope to finish (Rinjani 100 Ultra). "After that I can prepare for the next bigger challenge," said Chamelia.

The presence of Nikki and Chamelia at the event inspired the participants, both those who will participate in Rinjani 100 and those who will not. "Nikki is a coach, so he is very intense and disciplined in training. Meanwhile, from Chamelia, I learned that to run, we need to strengthen our mental and perspective," said Dezy Lasya Kartoty Krajnc (38).

The Rinjani 100 Ultra is indeed very challenging. But in fact, it motivates many runners, including female runners, to really prepare themselves in order to conquer it.

Happy running on Rinjani!