Elevation Profile #12: Chiang Mai, Sierre-Zinal, and Broad Peak

Elevation Profile is a weekly column from doi trail research covering the world of trail running, running fashion, and outdoor culture, with a particular eye on Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Chiang Mai belonged to CM6 this weekend. The city was in full race mode from Friday morning shakeout runs through Sunday's final cutoffs, and the energy was turned up this year. Ten years of CM6. Aptly named Home Coming. Two founders who built something that now draws runners from every corner of Thailand to find themselves at Khun Chiang Kian's HQ multiple times. Here is everything that happened.

Friday Morning Shakeouts: MAW10 x TANN and Mileage at Basecamp

Before anyone pinned a bib, two separate shakeout runs took place on Friday morning, and between them, the city was already in race mode.

First up: Charn and the MAW10 crew flew up from Bangkok to link up with Sek and the TANN family for a 5km shakeout. Everyone showed up in their best kit, meaning a mix of SATISFY, ROA, and Portal. You had people rocking Nordas and Rockers running through Nimman and the CMU park, chatting about what races they were doing the next day and if their training was good enough. Everyone came back to complimentary coffee and raffle prizes from Norda and SATISFY. A great morning to set the tone for the race weekend, and finally getting to meet the mind behind MAW10 was a great bonus too.

For the uninitiated, MAW10 is a premium outdoor and active lifestyle specialty store in Bangkok that carries the brands we spend a lot of time talking about in this column: Norda, SATISFY, ROA, SCARPA, Ridar. Having the MAW10 crew fly up to be part of CM6 weekend speaks to what the event has grown into. It is not just a Chiang Mai race anymore. It is a destination.

On the same morning, Suki and the Mileage crew were also up early, hosting a shakeout starting from Basecamp Coffee Club and looping around the Angkaew Reservoir on the CMU campus. Mileage athletes and plenty of runners from the community came out, got their legs moving at an easy effort, and finished with great coffee from Basecamp. Of course, it wasn't just about waking up the legs but also sharing about nutrition planning for everyone's race the next day.

MILEAGE is the Thai sports nutrition brand we have seen showing up at start lines across the country: scientifically calibrated energy drink mixes, gels, and electrolyte formulas built for the kind of heat and humidity we run in here. For CM6 weekend, getting a shakeout in with Mileage fueling and Basecamp coffee the day before is incredible preparation no matter the distance.

Two separate shakeout runs on the same Friday morning. The city was ready.

CM6 i1: The Race Begins

Wuttiphiang Naruebodin took the overall men's title in the i1, with Sai Kyin and Santi Sittifong closing out the podium, all coming in around the 2:30 mark or faster. Crazy fast.

Brooo athlete Gundam Chinnakrit Soongpankhao, who we saw win the Rimpha X Trail 30km in EP#10, came in 4th overall. Ong Kasidit Duangwaraporn, co-founder of Brooo, was also among the notable finishers.

On the women's side, Jenthicha Seamsakul came in first with a time of 3:03:13, followed by Thidarat Khuenkeao in 2nd and Naphalada Serirat in 3rd. doi friends Nara Pleangsuriyakarn came in 5th, Namwhan Manaphon came in 7th, and Tammy Whitehead came in 8th. Nice work, ladies.

And one of the better stories of the weekend came out of this race: Phatchara Sanasen had raced the i3 the day before and came back for the i1, finishing 3rd in his age group. Two races, one weekend. We will come back to him in a moment.

Other notable finishers from our friends include Jay Thananid (2nd Age Group), Shannon Whitehead, Wann Chotiphat, Satjalak Sibsanpiam, and Sek Suwichak.

CM6 i1 definitely had the muddiest course of all the races, given that the start was on Sunday, which meant two full days of rain and everyone else from the other races having already run through the course. But it just added to the challenge we had to overcome.

CM6 i2: The Most Competitive Field Yet

The i2 was where the morning got loud with one of the most talented race lineups of the entire event.

Sek Sandy of Hoka Thailand took the men's overall in the 42.9km. After winning the Nan Sakad 25km in EP#11, Sek keeps delivering on back-to-back race weekends. Job Tanapong from Adidas Terrex came in 2nd, Prapat Soomtoom 3rd, Aunjerd Kritsanun from Brooo 4th, Nook Supawit repping Amino Vital 5th, and Je Jetdilok from Mountriva rounded out the top six. A clean top six across familiar faces from the Northern trail running community.

Joey Perawat running for RevRunnr, who also had a good result from the Trail Masters 27km in EP#10 and has been in strong form all season, finished 8th overall. doi hardcore runner Narapun Chamang came in 10th, and Samuch Taweekasemsombut took 1st in his age group. The same result from our friend Dream Jetsada repping Faburuns, taking 1st in his age group as well. Chiang Mai local Paepae Wannakarn finished 7th in the women's field, putting together a great result in really tough conditions.

Other notable finishes from doi friends include Art Nithipat, Prompan Kantharot, Chayakrit Pimham, and Charn Phianpattanawit.

The i2 alone could fill its own race report. A deep field, strong results, and a lot of familiar faces delivering on months of training.

CM6 i3 and i3 EVO: Two Categories, One Weekend Story

In the i3, Brooo athlete Thosaeng Kunno took the overall men's win, which was awesome to see. He looked super strong and fresh even at the finish line.

The storyline of the day, though, was Phatchara Sanasen finishing 2nd. If that name just appeared twice in one column, it is because it happened: Phatchara raced the i3 on Saturday and then the i1 on Sunday. Crazy dedication, but it really speaks to the fitness he has rebuilt after a big leg injury.

On the women's side of the i3, Dolores Rofiqoh won overall, Thunyaluk Chompoo came in 2nd, and our friend Toon Suda Tantiveerasut of Hoka Thailand rounded out the podium in 3rd. Toon has been a fixture in these results all season.

In the i3 EVO, which pushes the difficulty up significantly with 3,626m of climbing, Brooo athlete Big Parattakorn Suppalapwattana took the overall win. Big ran the Nan Sakad podium with us in EP#11 and keeps showing up in results every weekend. On the women's side, Supattra Matsilp won the i3 EVO overall. Supattra won the Trail Masters Series women's overall in EP#10. She is having a great season.

CM6 i4 and i4 EVO: SuperJay Delivers

doi hardcore runner SuperJay Jantaraboon Kiangchaipaiphana won the i4. The i4 covers 78.7km with 4,211m of climbing. It is great to see him win here at home, especially at CM6. Congrats, P Jay.

Patthanapichai Trinwatthaworn came in 2nd, Noppadol Kongkaew 3rd, and our friend from Hua Hin, Martin Pauvert, finished 6th overall. Martin's endurance has been on another level in 2026. Chayapha Samapradit won the i4 women's overall, with Wariya Ruangwised and Hathairat Pongavang closing out the podium.

In the i4 EVO, Prawit Bootrken took the men's title and Prapaipit Chaowalit took it on the women's side. Our friends Pear Mutita Junin came in 2nd overall among women, and Sidsdi Pinsook finished 4th overall across the field. Amazing race results.

CM6 i5 and i6: The Mountain Decides

The longer distances belong to a different kind of runner, and this year they delivered results worth celebrating.

In the i5, covering 99.8km and 5,543m of elevation gain, Dr Nisachon Morgan won the women's overall. We confirmed Dr Nisachon's name in our CM Nouveau coverage in EP#7, and she has been racing at a high level all year. Phissanuwat Inon won the men's i5. Another notable finisher is our friend Giada Intorre from Hoka Thailand, coming in 8th female overall. Incredible perseverance, and finally checking off the i5.

The i6 earns its reputation as The Beast: 139.6km and nearly 8,000m of climbing through remote back-country terrain overnight. Kris Kitanon Angkanawaraphan took the men's overall. Kris has been a presence in our Chiang Mai running coverage since early in the year, and winning the i6 at CM6's 10th anniversary is about as strong a statement as a Thai trail runner can make. On the women's side, Kunnika Tonsakul won the i6 overall.

Among the i6 notable finishers, Parn Watcharapon Khanthong of Kailas Thailand came in 6th overall. And doi hardcore runner Boat Tawatchai Lathiang battled to 14th in his category. Amazing grit from both of them, and from everyone who managed to complete CM6.

Congrats to every finisher across all nine categories. The mountain, especially with these slippery conditions, does not give these up easily.

Sierre-Zinal: The Race of the Five Peaks

While Chiang Mai was running CM6, the other race worth clearing your calendar for was happening on the other side of the world.

Sierre-Zinal is a 31km mountain race in the Valais Alps of Switzerland, connecting the valley town of Sierre to the mountain ski village of Zinal. The course has not changed since 1974. Runners climb 2,200 meters, traverse high-altitude terrain beneath the "Imperial Crown" skyline of five 4,000-meter peaks (the Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Obergabelhorn, Matterhorn, and Dent Blanche), and descend 1,100 meters to the finish. It is one of the stops on the Golden Trail World Series and one of the most iconic mountain running events in the world.

What makes Sierre-Zinal special beyond the scenery is the shared experience: elite champions and everyday runners cross the same terrain and finish in the same valley. The unchanged course means generations of runners can compare times across decades.

The men's race was a clean sweep for Kenya and for On Running. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago of Run2gether On Trail won in 2:26:24, Patrick Kipngeno came in 2nd in 2:26:56, and Michael Selelo Saoli finished 3rd in 2:29:36. All three from the same team, all three in On Cloud Ultra Pros.

Kiriago worked patiently through the pack, winning both the Sprint and Downhill segments. Kipngeno attacked on the climbs and pushed Kiriago all the way to the finish, crossing just 32 seconds behind. Saoli made a massive late surge on the steep downhill to lock down third. An exact repeat of the 2025 men's podium order. On Running had a good day.

The women's race was a different story, and a better one. For the first time in the event's history, the women started with their own separate gun time, creating an entirely uninterrupted tactical race from the front.

Mădălina Florea of Romania, running in Scott prototypes, won in 2:55:44, shadowing the lead group early before opening a decisive gap on the final technical descent. Mădălina has been winning non-stop this year, and it just goes to show where the momentum is for this Golden Trail World Series.

Defending champion Caroline Kimutai of Kenya, running in Salomon prototypes, staged an incredible late surge to finish 2nd in 2:56:31. And Morven Goodrum of Great Britain, in her Sierre-Zinal debut and running in Saucony Peregrine 16s, held the lead through the highest checkpoint before hanging on for a brilliant 3rd in 2:57:15.

Three runners within two minutes. Three different shoe brands on the podium. One first-time winner in her debut appearance. That women's race delivered everything you want from elite trail running.

Nike ACG Goes Waterproof: Pegasus Trail and Zegama Trail GORE-TEX

Nike ACG has added GORE-TEX editions to two of its trail running models: the ACG Pegasus Trail GORE-TEX and the ACG Zegama Trail GORE-TEX. Both feature GORE-TEX Invisible Fit uppers designed to keep water out. The Zegama also adds a Vibram outsole for technical terrain traction. The Pegasus Trail arrives in a predominantly white colorway with black detailing; the Zegama pairs a grey upper with a bright orange lower section. Both are starting to roll out globally.

After being a part of this year's CM6, the timing of seeing this shoe is funny. Muddy descents, soaked ridgelines, and the kind of wet technical terrain that turns every foot placement into a decision. A waterproof option for conditions like that makes me yearn for dry feet.

Research Studio APEX:MAX: Built for Death Valley

Research Studio Eyewear has unveiled the APEX:MAX, a design that made its debut at the Badwater 135, where ultrarunner Max Jolliffe wore them on his way to winning the race in a record time of 20:53:41.

Developed with Jolliffe specifically for the race, the APEX:MAX retains the existing APEX frame while introducing a new ZEISS shield geometry inspired by the mountain ridgelines and desert landscape of Death Valley. The 26-gram frame is manufactured in the USA using SLS 3D-printed aerospace-grade nylon. The ZEISS shield features ThermoForce technology designed to reduce infrared heat reaching the area around the eyes, with each shield individually cut, machined, and laser engraved with "HOTTER THAN HELL" before being hand-assembled.

Winning the Badwater 135 in a piece of gear developed specifically for that race is about as strong a product debut as you can ask for. APEX:MAX launches August 12.

Nims Purja: Rest in Peace

It would not be right to close this column without saying something about what happened on Broad Peak.

Nirmal "Nims" Purja, the Nepali mountaineer who changed the history of modern alpinism, died in an avalanche on Broad Peak alongside climbing partners Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa. Ten climbers from the expedition were lost. Broad Peak sits at 8,051 meters in Pakistan's Karakoram range, the 12th highest mountain on Earth.

What Nims built over his career is hard to summarize. A former Gurkha soldier in the British Army, he completed more than 50 ascents above 8,000 meters. Project Possible, during which he climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in 6 months and 6 days, redefined what was considered humanly possible. In 2024, he repeated the feat without supplemental oxygen. On January 16, 2021, he was part of the first-ever winter ascent of K2, reaching the summit without supplemental oxygen.

His philosophy was not about records. It was about showing people what becomes possible when you refuse to accept the limits someone else set for you. That message traveled a long way from the mountains he climbed.

The mountain always has the final word. Rest in peace, Nims. Thank you for inspiring a generation and more. And to the families of Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nima Sherpa, and everyone who lost someone on Broad Peak, our deepest condolences.