TAMBUNAN: The Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon (BUTM) 10th Edition, held recently in Kiulu, came to a close with many inspiring success stories, particularly that of Bernardo Linus, a native of Tambunan.
Competing in the most challenging 106km category, Bernardo made personal history by securing second place out of a total of 249 participants.
He completed the epic race with an official time of 17 hours, 12 minutes, and 4 seconds, overcoming extreme terrain with a total elevation gain of 5,134 metres at an average speed of 6.2 km/h.
This remarkable achievement marks the best record in Bernardo’s career to date. Commenting on his success, Bernardo expressed deep gratitude for being able to complete the 100km race safely and with outstanding results.
He also dedicated his achievement to his parents and family members, who have been his main source of strength, and extended his sincere appreciation to friends for their continuous support, as well as to the management team for taking good care of his welfare throughout the event.
Bernardo’s victory not only brings pride to Tambunan on the international extreme sports stage, but also complements the success of other local runners such as Gustin, who excelled in the 50km Veteran category, and Wilson in the 50km Open category.
Bernardo’s strategy of starting the race steadily before overtaking other participants in the second half demonstrated his maturity as an ultra runner.
Overall, the 100km category was won by Hiroyuki Matsuda from Japan, while Willy Wilson placed third, making this edition one of the most competitive in BUTM history.
