TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Formosa Trail 2022, one of the most recognized trail running events in Taiwan, was held in the Puli area in central Taiwan from Friday (Nov. 18) to Sunday.
Ross Roessler of the U.S. won the 104 km category’s overall championship, finishing in 16 hours, 17 minutes, and 43 seconds. Lo Hsiao-hui (羅曉惠) of Taiwan won the women's division, finishing in 20 hours, 31 minutes, and 12 seconds.
After the suspension of the event in 2021 due to the pandemic, the sixth edition of this event attracted nearly 1,000 trail runners of 36 nationalities to participate in the 8 km, 16 km, 40 km, 75 km, and 104 km categories this year, according to the event’s organizer.
The Formosa Trail 2022 course is challenging as it runs through ancient, mountainous terrain. The scenic views and beautiful natural landscapes have delighted the adventurous runners, the organizer said.
This year's Formosa Trail course begins from Lakeside Resort near Liyutan (Carp Lake) in Puli Township, and runs along the ridges connecting Mt. Jiouwujieyue and Mt. Dajian, finally ending at Liyutan, closing a loop near the geographic center of Taiwan. The altitude of the course ranges from 500 meters to 2,000 meters above sea level, which belongs to the so-called cloud belt that nourishes a vigorous ecosystem of plants and animals.
Formosa Trail was founded by Petr Novotny, a mountaineer and trail runner from the Czech Republic. Petr first came to Taiwan to attend National Taiwan University (NTU) for his Ph.D. degree, and his love for the Taiwanese wilderness is still alive and well.
In 2014, he established Beast Runners (跑山獸) with his wife Eva Lobo, an heir of the Seediq and Atayal tribes. For nearly a decade, Beast Runners has organized many trail running events, and in recent years, they have dedicated their time, energy, and expertise to mountain rescues and sharing mountain climbing safety tips in Taiwan.
"The trails were unknown and in very bad shape when I discovered them. The idea of the event came up and we maintain all the trails and old forest roads to bring a nice course for this event, but it's also been for hikers over the years. We hope Puli will be recognized as a hiking and outdoor destination in the future," Petr said, adding that he was grateful for the "100 awesome volunteers. Without their hard work over the weekend, this event would not have happened."
(Beast Runners photos)
