11/10/2026
Alasdair wanted to take on the UTMB TransJeju 100k in October and needed to sort out his UTMB index and category ranking in order to be eligible to enter. The Merapoh event ticked both of these boxes, so he entered at the last minute after finishing the Streek Base Training Plan.
On paper, it looked like a gentle course. Only 773m of elevation, plenty of runnable plantation track and gravel road, and some genuinely memorable sections: three caves, a wade through a river under a canopy of trees by headtorch, and a 2.5km stretch walking up the Persit River.
The spanner in the works was the conditions. It was 24°C and over 90% humidity at the 4:30am start. It was above 30°C by mid-morning, and the region was under an extreme heat warning. It was pretty much like running in a Sauna!
Alasdair managed his hydration and electrolytes well and his legs and aerobic fitness were fine after the 12 weeks of base training. But the race highlighted a few things that had been missing from his preparation.
He hadn't done any runs longer than 13–15km, so he was missing the time on feet needed for a 55km event.
His feet weren't used to spending hours wet in his shoes and, after being wet from around 12km onwards, the blisters made the final 10km pretty uncomfortable.
He didn't love the heat and humidity despite having lived in Singapore for several years.
I think this is a really good example of why simply having the fitness to run a long way doesn't necessarily mean you're ready for a particular ultra. The course, the weather, the terrain, your shoes and socks, and the amount of time you'll be on your feet all need to be considered.
Despite all that, it sounds like a pretty memorable day out. Three caves, several river crossings, rainforest, palm plantations, limestone karsts and plenty of good food at the aid stations. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.
https://app.streek.run/race-report-merapoh-55k-ultra-trail-2026-alasdair-george/
