Elevation Profile #9: TNF100 to WSER to Lavaredo and Chamonix

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.

The North Face 100 Thailand Races in Khao Yai

The North Face 100 Thailand is the second largest international ultra-trail running event in SE Asia after Chiang Mai by UTMB, drawing runners from across the world to a course that mixes dense jungle, steep technical climbs, and the kind of Thai hospitality that makes people come back year after year. This edition was hosted at the Jedkod-Pongkonsao Natural Study and Eco Center in Saraburi Province and offered distances from 15km all the way up to 100km.

The 100km result that caught our attention most is on the women's side. Darika Suwanmongkol, a Chiang Mai local, crossed the finish line in 14:32:35 to take the women's overall title, finishing 4th overall among all runners on the course. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Darika was just on the MyHomeTrail Unknown 50k podium in EP#7, finishing 2nd female overall in 8:43:32. She has been having a remarkable stretch of racing, and this result is a great win for her.

On the men's side, Bahduu Duraka of Myanmar led from start to finish to take the 100km title in 12:07:12. It was a dominant performance from one of the most experienced trail runners in the region. Paul Dunn of the UK, a favorite within Thai trail racing most known for running with a Hello Kitty backpack, finished 2nd in 13:01:28, and Sanya Khanchai, one of our most respected Thai ultra runners, rounded out the podium in 3rd with 13:09:52.

In the 50km, another familiar name: our friend Bas Narathip Chanwang, a runner for Kailas Fuga Thailand, who took the overall win at the MyHomeTrail Unknown 50k and Maemon Coffee Trail just a couple of weeks ago, finished 3rd overall in 5:30:17. Hong Kong’s Tsang Siu Keung won the 50km in 5:26:07, with Nattawut Raisiri 2nd in 5:28:09.

Local favorite Joey Perwat Silapa-Ariya found his way back to the top of the field finishing with a time of 5:54:18. A great result for a runner who’s experienced some setbacks with injuries which has prevented him from racing in his favorite distances of 100km and more. We’re happy to see him back at the top. Also a shoutout to Supakrit Yavichai, another Chiang Mai runner, for coming in Top 10 for the men with a time of 6:50:19.

Back to back strong results for Bas, and the Basecamp Coffee Club founder continues to prove that his wins are no accident and he’s setting himself up for a strong race at UTMB’s CCC. Come train with him, SuperJay and the rest of the doi hardcore team on Tuesday mornings at Basecamp Coffee Club.

In the 25km, Kittipat Chotchindakun won the men's race in 3:11:48. The biggest story from the 25km was Lea Verdure, who not only won the women's race but stormed to 2nd overall in 3:13:22, staying with the front pack all the way to the finish.

In the 15km, Suki Sukrit Kaewyoon, owner of Mileage Runner and runner for Adidas Terrex Thailand, finished 1st in 1:15:54. And our friend Bank Thanasap Boonyabovonviwat, also a runner for Adidas Thailand, who we featured in our KMS1000 coverage, came in 2nd in 1:17:15. Great to see familiar names across every distance.

Congratulations to everyone who toed the line, and especially to Darika, Bas, Suki and Bank for a stretch of racing that has been something to watch.

Phayao Mountain Run 2026: SuperJay Does It Again

The Phayao Mountain Run 2026 took place on Sunday June 28 in Doi Luang National Park in Phayao, with two main distances: the Sacred-55, a grueling 55km with over 3,200 meters of elevation gain starting at 3am, and the Classic-38, a highly technical 39km course with 1,798 meters of climbing.

SuperJay Jay Jantaraboon won the 55km outright in 7:31:19. He shared the this course was very step and technical in the 2nd part of the race. And when Jay says that, you know that everyone else felt that technical trail even more. This race is one week after Jay winning the Inthakhin Trail 33km that we covered in EP#8, he went straight into the Phayao Mountain Run and won again. Two races, two wins, back to back weekends. At this point, the doi hardcore sessions speak for themselves.

In the 55km women's race, Sutinee Rasp took the overall title with a performance described as flawless from pacing to finish.

In the 38km, Chartchay Inchai won the men's race, and Supattra Matsilp took the women's overall title. If you've been following the column, Supattra won the Soimalai Trail women's race back in EP#6. She keeps showing up at the top of results sheets and this one is no different.

From the doi crew: Given Pimpisa, owner of Wood and Mountain who we featured at CM Nouveau in EP#7 and EP#1, finished 6th in her age group in the 38km. And our friend Guest Wirachai Laochamna of Escape.runn took 1st in his age group in the 55km. A great weekend for everyone who went out to Phayao.

Norda Comes to Chiang Mai: Nick Martire and the 055

This week, Norda's co-founder Nick Martire and his team came to Chiang Mai for a showcase of the Norda 055 at Run2Paradise Nimman. Nick and APAC brand manager Julien Bonnard led a Q&A session for the local running community, and then the entire group was taken on a run to Wat Pha Lat and Viewpoint 1 and back down, led by our friends at Escape.runn.

The 055 is Norda's first true ultra-distance max-cushion shoe, built for 100-mile races without relying on a carbon plate. Nick famously called it the "rowdy stepbrother" of the speed-focused 005, and the build reflects that. The midsole uses a 100% Arnitel TPEE foam at 38mm heel stack height, delivering 75% energy return that doesn't pack out in heat or cold.

The upper is woven from bio-circular Dyneema, 15 times stronger than steel by weight, engineered to handle sharp alpine rocks and technical roots over extended distances. A knit ankle collar forms an integrated bootie that seals out trail debris and locks in the heel. Underneath, a Norda x Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole with 5mm lugs handles the kind of terrain where the 3mm lugs on the 005 start to feel like a compromise. The shoe retails for $325.

If you remember from EP#2, Norda athlete Rachel Entrekin wore a single pair to win the Cocodona 250-mile desert race, which is about as good a field test as you can run.

Getting to meet the people behind a brand you genuinely respect makes the connection feel real in a way that following along online doesn't. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Nick Martire coming to doi trail research soon.

SATISFY x Oakley: Chapter VII Is Here

Chapter VII of the SATISFY and Oakley "Equipment for Our World" collaboration dropped on June 25, and it is exactly as bold as you would expect from these two brands working together.

The eyewear centerpiece is the Straight Jacket 99, a reinterpretation of a late-1990s Oakley wraparound silhouette in Matte Black with custom Prizm Black Vented lenses designed to enhance trail contrast while keeping airflow moving to prevent fogging. The frame uses Oakley's O Matter material and Unobtainium earsocks and nose pads that grip harder as you sweat. It retails for $335 and comes in a collectible clear box.

The apparel side is built around HeatCrush, a silk-soft Japanese textile that activates with sustained skin moisture and humidity to pull heat outward, reportedly dropping skin surface temperatures by up to 8°C under peak airflow.

Every piece is individually hand dip-dyed in a century-old Japanese dye house, so no two garments are exactly the same. The lineup includes a loose running tee ($170), long-inseam desert shorts ($290), compression arm sleeves ($91), and a neck cooler ($91) designed to sit against major vascular zones.

The price points have sparked some conversation in the running community, which is not unusual for SATISFY. For us, the technology and the craft behind HeatCrush is what stands out, and the Straight Jacket 99 silhouette is a good choice. Whether it's in your budget or not, this is SATISFY and Oakley doing what they both do best.

NNormal's New Lineup

NNormal has been quietly building out its product range, and this week the brand released a refreshed lineup worth paying attention to.

The updated Race Vest ($155) is the headline piece. The original 5L design has been re-engineered with high-tension elastic flask pockets to eliminate the bounce that plagues looser mesh designs, a redesigned front cinching system for quick micro-adjustments, an upgraded airmesh back panel for ventilation, and the brand's signature waterproof rear zipper pocket. It's a vest built for people who actually race long distances, with every update driven by performance rather than aesthetics.

On footwear, NNormal added the Cadí ($175), a max-cushion daily trainer with a 35mm heel stack and 6mm drop designed for everyday mountain terrain. Think of it as the shoe for the runs that aren't race days but still take you somewhere worth going. The Kjerag Brut ($225) is the armored version of their flagship racer, with a fully hydrophobic Matryx Kevlar yarn upper and deep Vibram Megagrip lugs built for the worst conditions the mountains can produce.

The brand is also developing a prototype cooling vest for Kilian Jornet's Western States 100 efforts, engineered specifically for the canyon heat sections of the course. A broader consumer version is targeted for 2028.

Jornet ultimately didn't finish Western States this year, but he brought something that caught everyone's attention: a prototype NNormal 202 on his feet. The shoe features a deep ATPU midsole with minimal Vibram Megagrip lugs on a Litebase outsole, and a completely rethought lacing system where cords wrap around the sides of the foot and cinch behind the heel rather than across the top, solving the common problem of lace pressure and rubbing on long efforts. The upper uses a stretchy mesh that transitions into a short integrated gaiter, with a Dyneema layer sitting on top of the foot for added protection. It's a lot of ideas working together in one shoe. The final version is expected to debut at The Running Event in November.

Western States 100: The Fastest Field in History

The Western States 100 is the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world, running 161 kilometers point-to-point from Olympic Valley near Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California, with 5,514 meters of climbing and 7,001 meters of descending. This year's edition, held June 27 and 28, produced something that has never happened before: both the men's and women's course records were broken on the same weekend.

On the men's side, France's Vincent Bouillard crossed the finish line in 13:46:15 to set a new course record, running in an unreleased Hoka Tecton X prototype that hasn't officially hit shelves yet. Francesco Puppi of Italy was 2nd in 13:51:08, racing in the Hoka Tecton X 3.

Ryan Montgomery of the USA, running for Janji, finished 3rd in 13:53:55. Unattached to a shoe brand, he chose to race in the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro. All three came in under 14 hours, breaking a barrier that had stood as a benchmark in the sport for years.

In the women's race, Jennifer Lichter of the USA ran her debut 100-mile race and finished in 15:28:05, breaking Courtney Dauwalter's 2023 course record by over a minute, wearing an unreleased Nike ACG prototype.

Riley Brady, also in an unreleased Nike ACG prototype, finished 2nd in 15:42:14. Marianne Hogan of Canada was 3rd in 15:51:44 in Salomon prototypes.

The context makes Lichter's performance even more striking. She went into her first ever 100-mile race and not only won it but broke one of the most celebrated course records in ultrarunning. That kind of debut doesn't happen very often.

Western States was surrounded by TrailCon, a three-day trail running conference and festival at Palisades Tahoe that ran June 22 to 24, co-founded by Freetrail and Alpenglow Sports. More than 125 brands were present, panels covered everything from anti-doping to athlete mental health, and the week culminated in a Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Matt Carpenter and Nikki Kimball joined the Hall of Fame, and Katie Schide and Jim Walmsley took home Freetrail's Runner of the Year honors. The whole week around Lake Tahoe is becoming one of the most important moments in the trail running calendar.

Notes from Abroad: Lavaredo, Mont-Blanc, and a Record-Breaking Week in Europe

While Western States was the dominant story in North America, the same weekend saw two of Europe's most prestigious mountain races both produce course-breaking results.

At the Lavaredo Ultra Trail 120k in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Nepal's Sunmaya Budha won the women's race in 13:33:01, shattering a course record that had stood for 11 years, originally set by Caroline Chaverot in 2015.

Budha surged on the final downhill sections to overtake Australia's Lucy Bartholomew and take a win that carried enormous significance, both for the sport and for the growing recognition of Himalayan mountain running talent on the global stage.

On the men's side, Germany's Hannes Namberger captured his fourth career win at Lavaredo, reclaiming the men's course record he had set previously. Four wins at the same race is a kind of ownership that very few athletes achieve anywhere.

At the Marathon du Mont-Blanc 42km in Chamonix, Switzerland's Rémi Bonnet won the men's race in 3:33:14.

On the women's side, Sweden's Tove Alexandersson won in 3:55:07, finishing 23 minutes ahead of runner-up Ida Amelie Robsahm. A 23-minute winning margin in a race at this level is hard to fully comprehend. Add this one to the bucket list.

A record-breaking weekend in the mountains, on both continents. The sport is in a very good place right now.