“I’ve always been drawn to nature, and away from crowds.” – An interview with adventurer Kenneth Koh

By Les Tan/Red Sports

the north face 100

Kenneth Koh, 45, will be running in the upcoming North Face 100. (Photo © Kenneth Koh/Adventure Nomad, received courtesy of Shawn Balakrishnan)

A love of nature drew Kenneth Koh, 45, to trail running. Kenneth, who took part in the Gobi March, a 250km desert ultra-marathon, in 2005, is planning an attempt to climb the North Ridge of Mount Everest from Tibet in the Spring of 2011, something no Singaporean has yet attempted. Kenneth shared with Red Sports some thoughts about trail running as he prepares to run 50km in the Duo Open category of the North Face 100, a trail running event scheduled for October 9th.

When did you start running endurance events?
Kenneth Koh: I took part in my first adventure race in 2001. Even though that was not a ‘pure’ running race, it involved a lot of running and was an eye-opener for me to see how unprepared I was and how much more training I needed to do if I was going to continue with endurance racing.

What is it about endurance events that you enjoy?
Basically you get out of it what you put into it. Raw talent will only get you so far. I am not a talented athlete. I’ve done well in some races because of sheer hard work, determination and lots of sacrifice. If I can do it, anyone can.

What made you take up trail running?
I’ve always been drawn to nature, and away from crowds. Running on trails gets me both.

What is your training regime for the upcoming race?
I’ve just finished climbing a mountain in China and didn’t have enough time to prepare for The North Face Ultra 100. Ideally, I would have up to six months to prepare. This would give my body enough time to adjust to the stresses of endurance running, time for the body to recover and time for the body to build new muscle, ligaments and improve on its cardiovascular system.

What events did you take part in before this race?
I competed in the Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset Marathon 2008 and placed 9th in the Men’s Category and The Gobi March, a 250km desert ultra-marathon, in 2005 and placed 2nd in the Team Event, and together with my teammates were joint top Asians in that event.

What races are you planning for after this one?
Just a three days after The North Face Ultra 100, I’ll be flying off to Australia to take part in the ‘Cape to Cape’ Mountain Bike race, a 4-day mountain bike event in Western Australia. After that, I’ll be fully focused on my bid to climb the North Ridge of Mount Everest from Tibet in the Spring of 2011. I’m taking on a lot. It is colder, windier and more dangerous than the ‘normal’ South Col route from Nepal. It is something no Singaporean has done yet, and I’ll be attempting it with my fellow North Face athlete, Esther Tan.

Runners (The North Face 100 – Solo 100km Category)
1. Guy Baber (United Kingdom)
2. Andre Blumberg (Germany)
3. Reuben Cheang (Singapore)
4. Terence Chiew (Singapore)
5. Jeri Collett (Singapore)
6. Katja Fink (Switzerland)
7. Tobias Frenz (Germany)
8. Stu Gibson (Australia)
9. Alexander Harkess (South Africa)
10. Ho Ping Kun (Hong Kong)
11. Leow Kah Shin (Singapore)
12. Lew Buang Keng (Singapore)
13. Lim Thong (Singapore)
14. Low Poh Boon (Singapore)
15. Lua Choon Huat (Singapore)
16. Virgilio Madrid (United States)
17. Chris Mak (Hong Kong)
18. Brendan Mason (Australia)
19. Hisao Nishiwaki (Japan)
20. Andy North (United Kingdom)
21. Quek Wee Tong (Singapore)
22. Sam Renouf (United Kingdom)
23. Seah Hong Soon (Singapore)
24. Christian Stauffer (Switzerland)
25. Rahmat Sulaiman (Singapore)
26. Sean Tan Say Huat (Singapore)
27. Paulina Nadia Tanoto (Singapore)
28. Kosaku Terada (Japan)
29. Wee Teck Hian (Singapore)
30. Hisao Yamanaka (Japan)
31. Yeo Joon Kiat (Singapore)
32. Steven Yip (Malaysia)
33. Yong Yuen Cheng (Singapore)
34. Muhammad Sallehan Zainuddin (Singapore)
35. Huiji Zhang (China)