The Calm Before the Climb: Apek Sets His Focus on the Tunggul Melati Trail 2025
The inaugural edition of Tunggul Melati Trail 2025 is set to test the mettle of Malaysia’s trail-running community, and among the athletes toeing the line for the 55KM category is a runner who has quietly become one of the sport’s most authentic voices.
Muhd Yunus, or “Apek” as most runners know him, isn’t chasing podiums at TMT’25. He’s chasing something harder to define: a deeper understanding of his own limits, and the satisfaction of showing up prepared for a course that promises no shortcuts.
“This is a tactical route. It’s not just about speed, it’s about knowing how to endure,” Apek says. He’s referring to the steep climbs and sharp descents of Melati Hills, the signature segment of the TMT’25 course. While he hasn’t trained on those exact trails, Apek has been preparing with consistent hill sessions and strength work to build his lower body and elevation stamina. “It’s about respecting the terrain. You don’t need to memorise the course to be ready for it, you just have to train smart.”
But beyond the physical, it’s the mental side of trail running that he values most. “People talk about strong legs, but a strong mindset is what finishes the race,” he says. “You prepare for that outside the trail, with how you eat, how you recover, how you live.”
It’s this kind of perspective that makes Apek a fitting face for Tunggul Melati Trail’s debut. With the race positioning itself as a technical, high-effort trail experience, and with organisers who are trail runners themselves, TMT’25 is shaping up to become more than just another line on the race calendar. It’s being designed by runners, for runners, with thoughtful checkpoints, support, and a course that rewards both discipline and heart.
For Apek, the event also represents something of a full-circle moment. Less than two years ago, he stumbled into the ultra-distance scene almost by accident. A last-minute switch from a 30KM race to a 100KM category, prompted by friends and a spontaneous offer from DEVER Malaysia, threw him into a world he wasn’t entirely prepared for. “I wasn’t confident. I just said yes and hoped for the best,” he recalls. But 19 hours later, he crossed the finish line in Merapoh, changed by the experience.
Since then, Apek has completed a 100-mile race, the UiTM Ultra 2025, clocking 160KM in 34 hours. That race, unlike his debut, was fully intentional. He trained for it, planned his fuelling and rest strategy, and took the distance seriously. Still, it wasn’t just about legs or lungs. “It’s not a running event, it’s a mental game. If you mismanage your energy, your mindset, or your pacing, you don’t finish.”
It’s this blend of hard-earned wisdom and inner calm that defines Apek’s relationship with ultra-running. He doesn’t romanticise the suffering. He respects it. “Running long distances teaches you to stay composed under pressure. That carries into everyday life,” he says. “You learn how to breathe through problems.”
His goal at TMT’25 isn’t glory. It’s growth. “A lot of runners join races to spend time with themselves. Or to reconnect with why they started. For me, it’s about health, clarity, and doing something difficult with purpose.”
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That said, he’s looking forward to a well-executed race. “I trust the organiser. They’re experienced runners, so they understand what we go through on the trail. That makes a big difference.”
With a training plan built around daily evening sessions and a focus on recovery and consistency, Apek is arriving at TMT’25 with quiet confidence. He’s ready for the challenge, but more than that, he’s ready to embrace the unknowns that come with a new race, a new route, and a new set of lessons.
“If your legs can’t take you further,” he says, “your heart and mind still can.”
As the first edition of Tunggul Melati Trail gets underway, its athletes like Apek — humble, unshaken, and deeply connected to the sport — who will give the race its spirit.
