Elevation Profile #3: Races in Phuket, Australia, the Amazon, and Basque Country

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.

A race-heavy week this time around. From the jungles of the Amazon to the trails of Phuket, the mountains of coastal Australia, the Basque Country, and a skatepark in Arizona. Let's go!

SuperJay Races the Amazon

Chiang Mai's own Jay Jantaraboon, better known as SuperJay, is doing it again on the world stage. Racing for FUGAS Kailas Thailand, Jay and his legendary Brazilian teammates just completed the Malacara Expedition Race in the Amazon, a 500-kilometer non-stop odyssey through dense jungle, rushing rivers, and uneven terrain, staged out of Manaus, Brazil from May 8 to 17.

The team finished 2nd overall after more than 80 hours of continuous racing through one of the most demanding environments on the planet, dealing with intense heat, humidity, and the kind of wildlife encounters that most of us are perfectly happy to only read about.

For anyone who hasn't followed Jay's journey, he is one of the most popular and accomplished trail and adventure runners in Thailand. He’s also been helping Bas Narathipo organize our Tuesday Hardcore Sessions. You can usually see Jay and Bas wearing Kailas FUGA EX 330 trail shoes in this cool pink colorway. Seeing a Chiang Mai runner like Jay perform at this level in a Brazilian ARWS Qualifier is always worth celebrating. The Amazon was just preparation, too. September's World Championship is the real target.

Mahasamut Trail: Thailand's Trail Season Is Open

The pre-season trail calendar in Thailand kicked off this weekend with the Mahasamut Trail in South Phuket, a 25-kilometer race with around 1,300 meters of elevation gain. By all accounts it was a well-organized event with clear course signage, good water station coverage, and the kinds of touches that make a race memorable: fresh coconut at KM20’s checkpoint and cold beer at KM21. A super technical course with steep climbs and sharp descents, exactly what the pre-season should feel like.

What made the weekend extra special for us was seeing several of our Chiang Mai community finish in the top 10 for both men and women. Congratulations to Satajalak Sibsanpiam, Wannakarn Pipatsa, Manphon Bunchu and Given Pimpisa for their strong results.

If you didn’t get to read it, Given was featured on Elevation Profile #1 where her brand Wood and Mountain decorated the Andaz One Bangkok grand opening. Seeing her place in the top 10 is a reminder that the people adding to Chiang Mai's creative culture are also the ones putting in the kilometers.

Ann Pow Makes History at Ultraman Australia

Outside of Thailand, one of the most inspiring results of the week came from Ann Pow, who became the first Malaysian female finisher at Ultraman Australia 2026, crossing the line in 30 hours, 43 minutes, and 24 seconds.

For those unfamiliar, Ultraman Australia is not a typical triathlon. The event spans three days: a 10-kilometer swim, a 421-kilometer bike ride, and an 84.3-kilometer run.

What makes Ann's achievement even more amazing is that she completed the final stretch, pushing through a pulled hamstring, ankle pain, and blisters for over 30 kilometers. Despite the discomfort, she crossed the finish line anyway, proving that most races are simply just overcoming mental limits. Congrats to Ann and also our Malaysian neighbors for this historic finish.

HOKA Ultra Trail Australia: Yao Miao Announces Herself in Baltic Blue

The HOKA Ultra Trail Australia, part of the UTMB World Series, took place on Saturday and delivered some compelling results in the 50k.

On the women's side, Yao Miao took the win in 4 hours, 33 minutes, and 12 seconds, finishing just 80 seconds ahead of second-place Ruth Croft in one of the tightest women's finishes of the trail season so far.

Yao Miao has been one of the most talked-about Asian runners in the sport over the past four years, and this result is further proof of why. What makes it particularly interesting from a brand perspective is the timing. She officially signed with Nike ACG on April 8, 2026, ending a seven-year run with Salomon. This is only her second race in the Nike ACG kit, and she won it in a Baltic Blue Nike ACG Ultrafly 2. For a signing that the trail running world has been watching closely, that is a great way to introduce yourself, especially on the UTMB series stage.

On the men's side, New Zealand's Daniel Jones took the overall win in 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 11 seconds, racing for Adidas Terrex in the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2.

But the story that caught my eye was Japan's Hajime Kasag in second, racing without a sponsor and doing so in Hoka Tecton X 2s. He was on Jones's heels the entire race. What makes this more impressive is that just a couple of weeks earlier, Kasag took 3rd overall at the Mt. Fuji 40k. Unsponsored, back-to-back podiums at an international level. If a brand isn't picking up the phone for this guy, they should be.

Zegama-Aizkorri: The Mud Wins the 25th Anniversary

The 25th anniversary of the Zegama-Aizkorri Mountain Marathon delivered exactly what this race is known for: brutal conditions, a stacked field, and results that kept you watching until the very end.

On the men's side, Elhousine Elazzaoui of Team NNormal took the win in 3:45:11. The result was impressive on its own, but what made it interesting from a gear perspective was the shoe he chose: the NNormal Kjerag 01, not the Kjerag 02 that has been available since Summer 2025. That is not a detail that passes without notice. NNormal has been clear about their philosophy from the beginning: "The longer the life of their products, the lower the consumption and emissions." They even ran a formal durability test across 511 runners and found the Kjerag should last 1,350 kilometers before it is fully worn out. When your podium shoe is a model most brands would have long since moved athletes off, that is not just a gear choice, it is a walking proof of concept. More on NNormal's durability approach here.

On the women's side, Tove Alexandersson crossed first in 4:08:11, with Malen Osa coming in 15 minutes later to claim second. Both racing for Team Salomon in unreleased prototypes. It has been an interesting few years for Salomon as challenger brands have carved out real space in trail running, so seeing them put two athletes on the Zegama women's podium in next-season footwear is a reminder that the legacy brands are not standing still.

The real story of the day, though, was the mud. Conditions were absolutely brutal, with even elite athletes sliding down on their backs on the descents. Kilian Jornet, the 11-time Zegama championa and founder of NNormal, posted his second slowest time on the course. But Kilian is Kilian, and the conditions here could not be further from what is coming. Western States is just weeks away (41 days to be exact), dry heat and dust instead of rain and mud. If there’s any elite race to be excited for, it’s this one.

SATISFY x adidas: The Circle Pit

This week SATISFY and adidas officially launched their long-anticipated collaboration with an event called The Circle Pit in Oro Valley, Arizona. The format was a closed-loop run on a skateboard pump track, with live music setting the pace. The collab itself centers on the release of the Satisfy x Adizero Adios Pro 4. Which in my opinion, I wish they did more than just choose cool colors but hey I still want them. So there’s that.

Of all the brands in running right now, SATISFY is probably the one that most naturally channels the spirit of skateboarding and streetwear culture. That is not an accident and it is a big part of what makes the brand compelling. The irreverence, the community feel, the DIY aesthetic underneath the premium materials. It is all there.

Which is why The Circle Pit is worth thinking about. The concept is cool and the energy of a skateboard pump track as a running venue is creative. But I keep coming back to a question: when you already have the skate aesthetic dialed in as a running brand, does staging an event at a skatepark feel like a natural expression of that identity, or a declaration of it? There is a difference between being something and announcing that you are it.

I will leave that for you to decide. Either way, the SATISFY x adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is going to move fast when it drops.

ICYMI: From doi This Week

doi & friends: Sek Suwichak from TANN Nimman — Our interview series continues with Sek, the person behind one of Chiang Mai's most beloved specialty coffee shops and a key anchor for the running community on Nimman. If you've run a Wednesday morning with us, you already know the spot. The full interview is on the website. Read here →

Basecamp x doi Hardcore Sessions with Suunto Thailand — Last Tuesday we took to Pilgrim's Trail with Basecamp Coffee Club and Suunto Thailand for another session that earns its name. No easy laps, no mercy at the top. If you missed it, the recap is on our Instagram. View post →

doi Strength for Runners at Training Box Chiang Mai — Today we wrapped our Strength for Runners session at Training Box, in collaboration with MOOVE Protein and Basecamp. Building the chassis matters as much as the miles, and this crew showed up for it. Photos and details on our Instagram. View post →