Taiwan's Tommy Chen crowned champion of 200k Mountain Ultra

Taipei, Aug. 1 (CNA) Taiwanese ultramarathon runner Tommy Chen (陳彥博) took first place in a 200-kilometer ultra mountain marathon in Kyrgyzstan late Friday, clocking in at 37 hours, 13 minutes and 57 seconds over the five-day race.

Chen defeated the runner-up, David Nicolas of France, by just under two and a half hours, and he and Nicolas were the only two competitors to finish in under 40 hours.

Divided across Kyrgyzstan's remote Tian Shan Mountains, the race's five stages boasted a total of 10,500 meters of ascent and reached a maximum altitude of 3,907 m.

Eight of the 28 competitors in the race did not complete all five stages, undone by the extremely challenging course and temperatures that ranged between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius.

On the last day of the race, the Taiwanese athlete powered through ascents totaling 2,550 m -- the most of any stage -- before reaching his destination -- the Reka Gorakh Valley.

Upon completing his trip, Chen shared a sentimental reflection on his journey.

"This was not just a competition, but rather a deep conversation between the meaning of life and the power of Mother Nature," Chen said. "When you walk upon the back of a mountain at high altitude solo and with heavy gear, all the while facing the double challenges of high temperatures and low oxygen, you will feel how small and weak humankind is, so that you learn to know how to find the strength to take the next step in the face of pain and desperation."

Throughout the five-day self-sufficient competition, athletes had to carry their own sleeping bags and rations to provide for themselves and battle the elements.

The ultramarathon was a mountain competition of the Beyond the Ultimate program.