When one season ends, the next one is ready to go! Last week we were still in Vietnam celebrating the new ATM Champions at the final race of Season XI in Mu Cang Chai, and now we are already in neighbouring country Laos for the opening of Season XII. Just like a year ago, Luang Prabang Trail hosts the seasons opener with its 75 km race starting at 5:30 am local time on Saturday.

All runner accounts have been reset, everyone starts back from zero and the qualifying for next year’s S12 Championship Final begins! The regulations have remained exactly the same for the new season, i.e. winners of ATM Championship Qualifiers score 500 points, second place gets 450, third place 425 and so on until rank 25 in the race result. Each runner’s best four races will be taken into account for the final points ranking at the end of the season. The best five men and best five women will be automatically invited to join the Final - scheduled to take place in another exciting location in Myanmar by the end of October. Indeed, it will be a few weeks later due to the world championships of trail running taking place early October. Check out the regulations in any case, there’s also some bonus points for people who do a race abroad and for people who finish in the top 25 of a 100 miler (or longer). Everything is as transparent as ever and can be consulted on our dedicated webpage.

As previous seasons have shown, it hasn’t become easier to win or score Top 10 in our annual Championship, but achieving that and even just qualifying for it has therefore also become all the more rewarding for efforts done over a period of twelve months.

Luang Prabang Trail takes place in a great location for the opening of S12. A UNESCO World Heritage City, former capital of Laos, and an event that appeals to genuine trail enthusiasts. Deliberately kept ‘boutique-style’ by organisers Green Step to avoid overcrowding on the precious trails around the city and its nature reserves. The 75 km race course was introduced last year and has an estimated elevation gain of 2780 hm. That sounds moderate, but participants should not focus on the numbers here. If anything were proven in 2025 it was the underestimation of the difficulty level. First of all, we’re in Laos and surrounded by rainforest - it’s going to be hot and potentially humid.

Japan’s Taichi Yui was the men’s winner in 11h28 - with quite a gap on the other contenders. For Yui it was the first step towards a very successful Season 11 campaign, in which he finished 12th and second Japanese behind Kitamura last weekend. In other words, Taichi Yui is a serious competitor and he needed 11h28 for the 75km here. Fastest woman a year ago was Vietnam’s Luong Dong Anh in 20h04…

Looking at the start list for this weekend, we first of all see the names of three Golden Grandmasters - two of which have even already become ATM Legend: Philippines’ Mario Yap and Malaysia’s Kenneth Mun Keat Yow. Both seem to be going head-to-head in their attempts to finish the Trail to Immortality, introduced in January for runners who have completed the four levels of the Grandmaster Quest. Mun Keat Yow, by the way, ran the open public race at Mu Cang Chai last week, too! The third Golden 4-star Grandmaster on the start list is also from Malaysia: Munin Sundram. The trail runner from Taiping has had a relatively quite year hampered by injury and is basically returning to the scene this weekend, hoping for better luck in Season 12.

Among the expected victory contenders we are looking forward to T8 athletes Isaac Yin Tse King in the men’s and Jessica Lam Hoi Yee in the women’s. For Isaac it will be a step up in competitive distance, being known in Hong Kong for excelling in shorter distance races. Indonesia’s Yanizar Surydratama could be a great guide for him. Already once on the podium in Laos in the other event, V-Trail, Surydratama - running for Salomon - proved to be in good form just over a month ago at the ATM Candidate Race Tunggul Melati Trail in Selangor, Malaysia. Good old Thailander Santi Phongsraphang can also never be underestimated when he feels good on the day. Just like Amorn Kimnguan and Monthatip Rakpan, Santi did run Mu Cang Chai last week also, though. In Laos, there’s also always expat runners showing up who could create the surprise. Philippines’ Lauron Rizalyn could also be a podium contender in the women’s 75k race.

ATM will be broadcasting live from Luang Prabang on Saturday with start and finish, and produce the usual video and text updates throughout the day.

On a beautiful blue sky day in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam, Nepali runners coped the best with the very hot conditions to deliver a clean sweep in the 11th Asia Trail Master Championship Final. Homlal Shrestha and Sunsari Rokaya won the individual champion titles and Team Nepal also regained the team championship they lost to Japan last season. The 72 km long race offered astonishing views of rice terraces pleasing all the participants, including the 3500 runners in the open public race categories. The dry conditions and the very competitive start field this season also resulted in a blistering pace, which suited some and hampered others.

The new ATM men’s champion Homlal Shrestha is, indeed, mainly known as a road marathoner. When Team Nepal’s coach at the event, Aashish, tipped Shrestha as the top favourite on Thursday before the race, he made eyebrows raise. Homlal Shrestha is already 42 and had been around for a couple of years, but had never won an ATM race before and always settled for podium or top five. In Season 11, he did show better form with two second places in MTR 50 and Jumla Rara 50 in his home country. Those two results got him qualified as the fifth male Nepali runner. Everyone knew he had pace, but eyes were more set on Gopal Tamang and Dhir Bahadur Budha.

Those two and Shrestha joined Hisashi Kitamura and Kik Suello in an early attack after the race started at 5am, still in the dark with sunrise 47 minutes later. Interestingly, defending champion John Ray Onifa and 2024 champion Jeff Campbell, who also fancied his chances on the Mu Cang Chai course in the dry, did not follow the move. Kose Rodarte from Hong Kong, coming back from stellar performances in Berlin (road marathon in 2:28 and half marathon Copenhagen in 1:11) made good on his ambition to also give it a shot on the trails in Vietnam. Tipped as a dark horse for the victory, given the dry conditions, Rodarte did feel the fatigue of the past weeks including the intercontinental travel and would later fade away. By CP3, the leading quintet still had a gap of a few minutes over Campbell, Onifa, Milton Amat and Vietnam’s Sung A Phu and Quang Tran.

Title defender Onifa said he was aiming for a sub 9-hour finish during an interview at Friday’s race pack collection, which seemed very conservative. With hindsight, one could wonder if he therefore deliberately did not join the early breakaway from several of the other contenders, thinking they’d blow themselves up. The three Nepalis are known as 50k runners, after all, and Kik Suello had never before shown this kind of pace - even though he had kept on improving ever since he joined ATM competitions two-three years ago. A motivated Hisashi Kitamura with all his experience across all race distances looked like the most dangerous runner at that moment. It was also Karate Kit’s “last chance” to finally clinch the ATM title, as he will be moving soon to the US for professional reasons.

At the next sighting of the leaders at CP 5, km 40, the situation had changed. Not Dhir Bahadur Budha and not Gopal Tamang, but Homlal Shrestha appeared first and on his own. His two compatriots, also one-by-one, arrived a few minutes later, with Budha looking heavy-footed. He would also drop down the leaderboard and finish 8th. Kik Suello still held on extremely well and was in fourth place, ahead of John Ray Onifa and Milton Amat! In fact, the Sabahan looked most. energetic of all at this point and for the first time since 2022 seemed really on it in a Championship Final. Kitamura on the other hand struggled with the heat and looked resigned as far as the victory was concerned. Jeff Campbell seemed to still have a fight in him, but he wasn’t catching anyone either.

For the remaining 30km the question everyone was asking was therefore: can the Nepali duo hold on and who would finish first, or can Onifa and Milton Amat catch them?

In the end, Shrestha proved unbeatable and extended the gap to 15 minutes to win the Asia Trail Master Championship title in a mouth-dropping 7h14. He is the first male Nepali title winner. It’s a victory reminiscent of Arnie Macaneras’ unexpected glory day in 2022, showing that form-of-the-day, preparation and tactical play are key assets in a genuine racing competition. Gopal Tamang made it a 1-2 for Nepal, albeit only just as the amazing Kik Suello arrived just a ten seconds later in third place - his best race result ever. Moreover, Suello for the first time finished ahead of his compatriot and outgoing champion John Ray Onifa. Coming in together with Kitamura for fourth and fifth, it proved Onifa actually had no complete off-day. He did mention his ongoing hip problems bothering him during the race. Milton Amat was next ten minutes later in sixth place, with Sung A Phu, Budha, Quang Tran and Bishal Rai rounding up to the top ten. Campbell suffered in the final stages and had to be content with 11th, ahead of two solid performances by Taichu Yui from Japan and young Indonesian Putra Julio Ekdo Badayu. Japan’s Hiroyuki Matsuda - season 11’s overall points king - finished 14th. The men’s result list showed how stacked the field was with runners such as Wilsen Singgin having to settle for 24th overall (20th male). Interesting anecdote: the men’s winner of the 72km ‘open public’ race finished in a time that would have placed him 26th in the ATM Final.

Sunsari Rokaya is the new ATM female champion after out-sprinting her teenage compatriot Kalpana Budha in a dominant performance by the Nepali duo. The two youngsters were in control running together the entire race. Hong Kong-based Celine Loubiere, who’s also only running for just three years, had strong pace towards the end to snatch a fantastic third place ahead of Japan’s Chisato Kario.

After Rashila Tamang and Priya Rai, Sunsari Rokaya therefore continues the Nepali female domination in ATM since 2023. Five years the senior of teenage sensation Kalpana Budha, 24-year-old Rokaya won MTR 50 in Kathmandu in April and was second - behind Kalpana Budha - in Jumla Rara to get qualified for the Final. As the race unfolded last Saturday, people were wondering what the final kilometer would look like. Rokaya and Budha seemingly get along very well with each other, but as the ATM Championship Final only credits one winner they had to race a bit to make a distinction between them towards the end. Rokaya appeared first with Budha behind her and took the win in 9h32 (18th overall).

Hong Kong-based Parisian Celine Loubiere was coming from behind and nurturing an ankle injury that cost her time at CP 5. Loubiere managed to overtake Chisato Kario and a struggling Rajya Laxmi Rawal to claim third in the final 30km. Not only that, she reduced the gap to the front duo to just about nine minutes! A very promising result for her first season in ATM, in which she a.o. won the 50km race at The 9 Dragons.

Chisato Kario was fourth for Japan, after fifth place last season. A very solid race also by her, just ten minutes behind Loubiere. Nguyen Ngoc Anh kept the home crowd happy with fifth on the podium. In sixth, dropping down from third at CP 5, was third Nepali Rajya Laxmi Rawal, suffering from heavy leg cramps and knee pain. Her sixth place did secure the ATM Team Championship for Nepal. For the second time the country wins the team title, after losing to Japan last season.

The rest of the women’s Top 10 included Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Yuen (HKG), first Filipino Angelie Cabalo - who unfortunately did not have her best day -, Colby Chan from Hong Kong and Ang Furba Sherpa , the 100 miles specialist from Nepal, completing her country’s day of success.

The 2027 edition of Yam Trail just outside Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia is scheduled for Saturday, 14 August and will be the first ATM Championship Qualifier and Grandmaster Quest race in the country since covid. The distance to run is 75km for those seeking points.

Yam Trail is a new trail running event taking place just outside Ulaanbaatar City in Mongolia. Start and finish is at the Genghis Khan Monument, one of the country’s main tourist attractions. The trail run is part of a bigger outdoor sports festival under the banner of the Mongolian Empire Adventure Series and also includes a Gravel Granfondo cycling competition on the day after.

The inaugural edition of Yam Trail took place on Saturday, 15 August 2026 and was an ATM Candidate Race. On the schedule for runners are 3 race distance categories: the main 75km long ultra, the 25km and the 10 Miles Run & Hike catering mainly for domestic runners, but which is also open for international runners.

This is a highly scenic and peaceful grassland run in remote areas. Generally, the course is very runable, but nevertheless there is quite some elevation gain to be conquered (approx 2000 hm). Ulaanbaatar City rests at well over 1000m above sea level, so even in August temperatures are expected to be moderate and enjoyable for long distance running. Participants need to have finished at least one 50km trail race or 42km road marathon before attempting to run Yam Trail.

Asia Trail Master is actively involved in the management of Yam Trail. You can also register easily via Hong Kong’s Bibly registration platform (see button below).

Within the next weeks, optional running travel packages of 5d/4n will be offered for those who wish to spend more time in Mongolia. This package will commence on Monday, 16 August (i.e. after the races). It is also possible to run Yam Trail on Saturday and ride the Gravel Granfondo (150km or 80km) on Sunday. Registration for the Gravel Granfondo will open later.

For any questions and further info, please contact info@asiatrailmaster.com .

We are happy to announce that the Merapoh Rainforest Trail is once again on the 2027 Grandmaster Quest calendar on the weekend of 28/29 May. Under a new event management since the end of covid, Merapoh Rainforest Trail is the successor of TMMT, which was part of ATM from 2016-2019. Since 2026, We are indeed delighted our series has returned to Merapoh for what has always been a true adventurous ‘jungle’ trail run. 2027 will already be the 6th edition of Merapoh Rainforest Trail, which enjoyed 2000 participants last year.

Merapoh is a small town located in the Lipis district of Pahang, known as "The Caving Paradise." There are approximately 200 caves around Merapoh, rich in historical value and unique features. Additionally, Merapoh serves as one of the gateways to Taman Negara Pahang. Taman Negara Pahang is part of Malaysia's largest national park, covering an area of 2,477 km², and is a renowned eco-tourism destination in the country. The main attractions in Taman Negara Pahang include its geological and biological features, particularly its tropical rainforest that is over 130 million years old.

The event has always had a major community angle. Organising such running events not only promises an increase in local tourism but also benefits the local economy. Persatuan Pencinta Alam Semulajadi Merapoh and MT Tahan Ventures, as the organizers, hope that this event will continue to promote Merapoh as an eco-tourism destination and provide economic benefits to the local community of Merapoh and the Lipis district. This event is fully supported by the Lipis District Council, Pahang State Forestry Department

The event features several distance categories of 10km, 30KM, 55KM, and the flagship 100KM. Of course, only the 100 km offers a point for runners’ Grandmaster Quest challenge.

Merapoh has several homestay options for runners, which can be checked via the website linked below. Gua Musang is a slightly larger town nearby. International runners can fly into KLIA or also Penang, and take a bus from there.

Registration is open and you better be quick as this one may close early after reaching max quota.

Meanwhile a bit of a classic for long ultra lovers, Deep Japan Ultra 2027 is scheduled for its traditional end-of-June weekend slot from 25 to 27 June. The two main race categories, 100 Miles and 80km, are again Championship Qualifiers and Grandmaster Quest races.

Organised and directed by well-known trail runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, the event takes place in Niigata Prefecture, roughly 2-3 hours by shinkansen northwest of Tokyo. There’s also a few international flights to Niigata city directly. Visitors not familiar with Japan will experience the real countryside, which often remains unexplored. The host venue is the Mount Asakusa Park. Participants should be prepared for technical mountain trails, which at higher altitudes may still be covered in snow. Especially if you sign up for the 100 miles, do not come unprepared and unfocused. This is not a race to ‘try out’ 100 miles for the first time. The 80 km category has plenty of spice and technicality as well. Those who take it seriously will be rewarded with one of Asia’s finest endurance trail runs.

Make sure you read all the requirements in terms of mandatory gear. The website - linked below - is very detailed and in English , so you can prepare in the best possible way.

Register as soon as you can, because spots are limited. Note also that there is a strict registration deadline of 28 February. Too late is really too late here. Give yourself time to plan the event, including accommodation and travel, and get yourself ready for a wonderful trail experience next June!

Running back in time

The Season XI (11) Champions will be crowned at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam in ten days from now, but the overall Points King and Queen of the season are already known. Hiroyuki Matsuda from Japan and Kimberly Flores from Philippines!

Both runners score more ATM Championship points than anyone else in their male and female categories during the course of the season that started with Luang Prabang Trail in Laos mid-October 2025 and lasted until - de facto - Borneo TMBT Ultra and Shiga Kogen 100 at the very end of August. Matsuda scored 1925 points in his best four races of the season, which included three big race victories: BUTM 105, BTR Bali 100 and Mantra 116. Partially based in Indonesia, Matsuda’s engine really got going in Sabah in April. Before BUTM, he ran slightly under the radar with two fifth places in Tahura Trail and 9 Dragons 50km, although that may just as well be an indication of where his real strength lies: the longer ultras. Matsuda preceeds his compatriot and 2023 Points King Hisashi Kitamura by 25 points. Running fewer races than in previous years, largely due to his relocation to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur, the Karate Kit nevertheless still grabbed a second place at Deep Japan Ultra and two big race wins at the end of the season (Minamiaso Caldera Trail and TMBT), raising his total to 13 career ATM race wins. Kitamura hopes to finally clinch the ATM Championship title in Vietnam, after finishing second already twice in 2024 behind Jeff Campbell and 2019 behind John Ellis. Third place in the Season XI points ranking is for Kik Suello from Mindanao in the Philippines, confirming his upward trajectory to becoming one of Asia’s finest trail runners with also two race wins: Sierra Madre Trail Ultra and Hardcore 100 Miles (H1).

Kimberly Flores started her journey towards the top of Mindanao’s female trail running pyramid already back in August 2025 when she won The Punisher 80km on Samal Island. As Shally Yuson struggled with injury for most of the season, Flores continued to score race win after race win in Season XI: Mount Apo Sky Race, New Corella Trail Ultra, MUSPO and Marilog Ultra. In between was also a second place at Hardcore 100 Miles, behind the country’s leading lady from Luzon, Angelie Cabalo. Flores is one of many young trail talents who have come to the foreground in Mindanao over the past few years. Overall ATM Points Queen with 2000 points, the upcoming Championship Final in Vietnam will be her first big race abroad. It will be interesting to see how she fares outside Philippines. Japan’s Chisato Kario already knows everything about racing outside her home country. Fifth in last season’s Championship Final, and now second in the overall points ranking with 1715 points. In April, she collected a victory at BUTM 50 in Malaysia as well. Third in the ranking is Singapore-based Filipino Mia Revilla with 1705 total points. A new name this season and just like Chisato Kario and Hiroyuki Matsuda BUTM played a big role in her campaign: Revilla won the women’s 100km at that event.

The full ATM Points Ranking of Season XI can be consulted on our dedicated webpage. The ranking determines qualification for the seasonal ATM Championship Final, which this year is held in Vietnam at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail.

Just two weeks left to go until the big conclusion of the 11th season of the Asia Trail Master Championship . For the first time, the titles will be decided in Vietnam, country of our 2022 female Champion Hau Ha, who continued to build a successful career as a global elite runner afterwards. Location of the ATM Championship Final is not her hometown Sapa, but it’s also in Northwestern Vietnam: Mu Cang Chai. The event carrying the same name, Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail, will be held for the fifth time and features the traditional 75km race distance for the ATM Final.

It’s been 11 years since we first crowned a male and female Asia Trail Master champion. Back then, it was decided on points and a best-of-three system, which later became a best-of-five until the covid crisis. Since 2022, the titles have been won outright in a ‘winner-takes-all’ race amongst qualified runners in national country teams. The Asia Trail Master Championship requires athletes to perform several times per year, first to score enough points and qualify and then, of course, in the ATM Final race. Before entering the final race of the season, runners therefore already have a story. For some, qualification for their country’s team even was the big goal. For some top elites, it’s been either a successful or unsuccessful gamble to try and get in with fewer races than four. And at the end there will be glory for two fantastic runners taking the top prize. Below is the overview of our past champions. Who wlll be the 10th ATM Champions since 2015?

AWRA, organising company of New Corella Trail Ultra and Maco de Oro Trail Ultra, has informed us that the former NCTU event in Davao del Norte cannot be held in December this year following a decision made by local authorities. NCTU was scheduled to be a new Championship Qualifier in Philippines with a 70km race category that automatically also merits a Grandmaster Quest point. AWRA has therefore moved its October event - Maco de Oro Trail Ultra - to the weekend of 12/13 December instead. Runners should note, however, that said event, i.e. Maco de Oro Trail Ultra, will not be a Championship Qualifier as the date conflicts with existing events on our Championship Calendar that weekend (Izu Trail Journey and Soimalai Ultra). On the other hand, Maco de Oro Trail will offer a Grandmaster Quest point to all finishers of the 75km race.

The event takes place in the rugged and diverse landscapes of Maco, a coastal and mountainous municipality known as the“Gold Coast” of the province Davao del Sur in Mindanao, Philippines. The venue is about 1 hour away from Davao international airport.

The Maco de Oro Trail Ultra (MULTRA) has a 75km as longest distance with approx 3200 metres of elevation gain. The race course is diverse and will combine steep ascents, technical descents, forest trails, and scenic ridgelines. The event description continues: “The race showcases the raw beauty of Maco de Oro—where lush tropical forests, mineral-rich mountains, and coastal landscapes converge—offering a true test of endurance, strategy, and mental resilience. More than just a race, Maco de Oro is a celebration of outdoor adventure, local culture, and eco- tourism—highlighting the municipality’s growing potential as a premier trail running destination in Mindanao.”

The route will also follow more famous hiking and trekking trails such as the Manipongol Trail. There’s several nature and tourism spots in the area, too. For example, the Bilawa Mainit Hot Waterfalls and Lake Leonard, which is a volcanic crater lake. There’s also several beach and coastal experiences, perfect for post-race relaxation and recovery. The municipality reflects a rich blend of agricultural and indigenous Mansaka culture.

It is recommended to follow the facebook page of the event to stay up-to-date on any news.

A genuine long endurance trail running festival will be held for the second time from 22 to 29 November in Pai, Thailand, this year and has been confirmed for our Grandmaster Quest calendar. At this ambitious event, runners can score a GM point at no fewer than five different races spread out during the week, of which the 100km is the shortest and taking place on 28/29 November. One week earlier, 500 Thailand already gets going with the massive Ultimate 500km race starting at noon on Sunday, 22 November.

Organised by Route Map, which also brings you Akha Trail and UTCM, runners also have a 300km and two distinct 200km races to choose from. The official website linked below has all details on the various race courses.

The event aims to attract mega ultra enthusiasts to Pai and Mae Hong Son in the northwest of Thailand. Fans of ATM may remember UT Panoramic from before the covid times taking place in the same areas.

500 Thailand is labelled as a ‘Race for Humans - not designed to break you, but to reveal you’. Pai is a quiet town surrounded by mountains, forests, and morning mist. Gateway to Pai is Chiang Mai, which is where you would fly to. As the transportation map below shows, from Chiang Mai there are shuttle vans and busses that can be reserved. Regardless which race category you choose, the shortest is 107km with 4500hm so you need to get your mandatory gear in order before the start. The 500km has a whopping 25,000hm and a cut off time of 168 hours (noon on Sunday, 29 November). The first 200km race (Mandra to Jig Jong) starts at the same time as the 500 on the 22nd, but the 300km and 2nd 200km (Jig Jong to Phi Lu) start on Wednesday, 25th of November - so please pay attention.

You can follow the official facebook page below to stay up to date. Registration is open, but not very long anymore, so decide quickly.

No surprises for the course of this season’s ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam on 3 October. The course is the same as the one presented last year, when the event had to be cancelled due to the heavy aftermath of a typhoon that devastated northern Vietnam. The race to determine the successors of John Ray Onifa and Priya Rai as Asia Trail Master Champions will start just before sunrise at 5 am. As always, the ATM Final race will start separately from the open public 75km and the other open distance categories at the event. Both defending champions from Philippines and Nepal, respectively, are also expected to defend their titles in the 75km long race with an estimated elevation gain of 3700 hm. When dry, the route is expected to be quite runable. Wet weather could make it muddy and slippery, on the other hand. Views along the route are exquisite. One can distinguish 8 clear hill peaks on the below course map. The Finish follows a descent of 5-6 kilometres.

You can also check the video of the course to get a feeling of what to expect. Qualified and confirmed ATM Finalists will receive the GPX file also via the dedicated whatsapp group in the coming days.

Argel Dave Estrologo and Rearose Abi-abi ruled the F’lomlok Trail Run 70-kilometer held last September 5-6 at the Landan Elementary School in Polomolok, South Cotabato. The event received the ATM Candidate Race label. Local runners had the upper hand in the competition, with the 70k as the main distance category and a potential new Grandmaster Quest race for next season.

Estrologo of Tupi, South Cotabato clocked 15 hours, 4 minutes & 38 seconds to win the men’s open 70km race. Second was 37-year-old Anthony Tenefrancia, also of Tupi at 15:08:12 followed by Roger Piloton [15:11:08]. Abi-abi, on the other hand, finished 5th overall and the first in the women’s side at 17:13:46. Jonalyn Sevilla [20:32:10] is second followed by Hannah Aivie Miranda [20:32:14].

Lawyer Kathrina Vanessa Hagoriles of the Lady Justice Endurance Events is the race chairman. She recently also became an official ATM Grandmaster.

It is with great pleasure that we can announce today a new 4-star Golden Grandmaster! Jyh Hann Lim, a.k.a. Trevor Lim, finished his 20th ATM long ultra at the A1 Philippines event in Ifugao, Luzon, at the end of last month. It was also a big cherry on the pie, as Trevor ran the 100 Miles at that event! The Malaysian trail runner, originally from Sarawak, has been around ATM for nearly ten years. He started his Grandmaster campaign back in 2017 with VMM 70. His journey took him all across Asia, as Trevor did not want to restrict himself to his home country.

After he became a Silver Grandmaster at the 9 Dragons in February 2025, Trevor finished Trail des Gombak 100 in Selangor and The Magnificent Baling 100 in Kedah. Afterwards, he traveled abroad again to complete Izu Trail Journey 70 and Deep Japan Ultra 80 in Japan. For his final and 20th race he chose a Filipino event - the only one on his record - and the longest race he has done during his entire GM adventure: the aforementioned Altra 100 Miles. In total, Trevor ran 1990 km during his Grandmaster Quest.

“The most beautiful moment wasn’t when I finished the A1 100 miles race,” says Trevor. “It was realising that somewhere along those 2000-odd kilometres, I had stopped chasing finish lines and instead started collecting a lifetime of stories and friendships.” Let’s give him a big thumbs up, huge congrats for new 4-star Golden Grandmaster Trevor Jyh Hann Lim!

TREVOR LIM’s GM RECORD:

• Asia Trail Master Grandmaster Quest races:
  3x 70km, 1x 80km, 13x 100km, 1x 110km, 1x 130km, 1 x 160km
  Total distance: 1990km

  
  1. Vietnam Mountain Marathon 2017 70km
  2.Ultra-Trail Panoramic 2017 100km
  3.Vietnam Jungle Marathon 2018 70km
  4.Penang Eco100 2018 100km
  5.The Magnificent Merapoh Trail 2018 100km
  6. The Most Beautiful Thing 2018 100km
  7.Ultra-Trail Koh Chang 2020 100km
  8.BUTM 2022 100km
  9.Cameron Ultra 2022 100km
  10.Seoul 100k 2022 100km
  11.Bali Ultra 100k 2023 100km
  12.MMTF 100 2023 100km
  13.Kadamaian Adventure Race Ultra 110 2024 110km
  14.Prenn Trail Summit 2024 100km
  15.9 Dragons 50/50 2025 130km
  16.Trail Des Gombak 100km 2025 100km
  17.The Magnificent Baling 100 2025 100km
  18.Izu Trail Journey 2025 70km
  19.Deep Japan Ultra (Uonuma 80km) 2026
  20. Altra 100 Phillipines 2026 (100miles)

Tunggul Melati Trail was a new ATM Candidate Race near KLIA airport and Putrajaya in Malaysia last weekend, Basically a night race for the faster runners wiith an evening start of the 85km and 65km main categories. The courses are generally quite runable, especially given the dry conditions of the past days, but the main difficulty - Bukit Tunggul - comes at the very end of the race. The expected favourites for victory also delivered: ATM FInalist and Grandmaster Ritzy Amor won the women's 85km race and finished third overall, behind the men's winner Amierul Amin and Bali's Nizar Surydratama. Grandmaster Rasyid Salehuddin was third on the men's podium just behind Amor, also a Grandmaster. Last month, Amierul Amin also won the Magnificent Baling 100, a race on our Grandmaster Quest calendar.

Amierul Amin finished in 12h15, indicating that the 85km race in Selangor, close to Putrajaya and Sepang was probably a bit tougher than generally assumed. The gap to Suryadratama was nearly two hours with Ritzy Amor still a bit further back.

On the 65km it was Yusof Abdul Manan taking victory by just 14 minutes over Chin Tat Lim. His finish time was 9h21. The women's race was won by Halimatun Sa'adiah in 10h38, ahead of fresh Grandmaster Ang Yee Mei, who completed the first level of her GM Quest just a week ago at Borneo TMBT.

Tunggul Melati Trail had well over 1500 participants for its second edition this year, spread out across several distance categories. It is expected to be held on the same early September weekend nest year as well.

Trail running remains a highly delicate activity in many ways and this week was again proof how tough it can be to organise trail running events in the wild, open nature spaces that we all love so much. Indonesia’s Ijen Green Trail has been forced to postpone the event to late November due to forest fires and the ordered total closure of the Ijen Crater Tourism Park for safety reasons, and also Malaysia’s Jagoi Ultra risks to fall victim of the worst haze and air pollution striking Kuching and Sarawak in over a decade. “Deliberate” forest fires in neighbouring Kalimantan are blamed for this annual environmental problem that some years also badly affects even farther away places like Singapore. Several other events in Sarawak have been cancelled already and at the time of writing Alpha Sports Events and its passionate director Josh are hoping the worst will be over come Saturday morning and the Air Pollution Index decreases to the extent an endurance running race can be held without exposing people to significant health risks. Obviously, the local authorities in Sarawak are closely monitoring the situation and will have the last word in the end.

It’s a potential nightmare scenario for quite a few runners who were still hoping to get themselves qualified for the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam next month. Jagoi Ultra is a Championship Qualifier for the first time and attracted a substantial and international field of runners for the 70km race, which is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest of course. No fewer than 50 Filipino runners made the trip to Sarawak, amongst them also Godwin MIrar - the 25-year-old top talent who left it a bit late this season in his attempt to qualify again for the Championship Final . Mirar ranks sixth in the Filipino points ranking with 3 race results, which means he needs to count on someone in the top five declining the opportunity to race for Team Pilipinas in Vietnam. In Philippines, many runners do four races or more during the season, and as always it’s the best four results that count for each runner. Running only three qualifiers is always a gamble in a country with lots of ambitious and competitive athletes.

Also Vietnam’s upcoming talent Sung A Phu needs a Jagoi result to get himself in Team Vietnam, after missing all his country’s own qualifier races earlier in the season. Last weekend, he was 5th in TMBT 50. Japan’s Tomohiro Mizukoshi will be relieved to know that he will remain fifth in his country’s ranking, which means he will be part of the ATM Final for the fifth consecutive time - a feat only very few have accomplished. Singapore’s Deric Lau - another established finalist - is in the same situation as Sung A Phu, as are several runners from Brunei Darussalam.

Quite a few Malaysian runners have also been hoping to still sneak into the top five at the last moment, especially on the women’s side. Celeste Teo and Joyce Yong Hie Ying, for example.

For sure, a final decision on whether the race can go ahead will be taken as late as possible. We will update about what happens on our facebook and other channels.

UPDATE : On Friday evening, following emergency meeting with local and regional authorities , all outdoor sporting activities were suspended, including Jagoi Ultra. The races therefore could not take place.

Trail running continues to grow and new events keep blossoming in the southern Philippines. Today we are happy to announce that Gold Rush Trail has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its next edition on 16/17 January 2027. it will be the first ATM labelled event in Zamboanga Peninsula and the Northwestern part of MIndanao. Organised by Parokya ni Basti Happy Feet Events and event director Rhodel Sarande, Gold Rush Trail Ultra features a 50km as main distance category. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 25km, 10km or 7km at the event.

The 50km is challenging with over 3000 metres of elevation gain. The course goes through the backyard playground in the Gold Rush Hills of Sibutad in Zamboanga del Norte. It is not the first edition of the event, but with local support the idea is to create wider awareness and attract trail runners from further away . To get there, you may taken a domestic flight to Dipolog airport, coming from Manila or Cebu. There’s also plenty of busses from Cagayan de Oro.

Via the facebook page below you can stay up to date with the event proceedings. There’s also a nice video teaser to get you in the mood. Registration is also already open.

The 14th edition of Borneo TMBT Ultra near Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, will go into the history books as one of the hottest on record. Views aplenty of the majestic Mount Kinabalu, but many participants on the 100km - in particular - needed to focus more on hydration and staying as cool as possible. Hisashi Kitamura seemed to be cruising to his second consecutive TMBT victoy, but even the tough Japanese elite runner admitted the last 30km were extremely challenging this year. He nevertheless had enough advantage over local Sabahans Oswald Maikol, himself a winner in 2024, and Willy Wilson, who has become a consistent podium contender this season. Kitamura reached the finish line in 13h55, almost one hour head of Maikol. Samry Sainin scored a great fourth place, ahead of Switzerland’s Simon Lattman. Bernardo Linus settled for sixth place.

The home crowd had a lot to cheer about as Lolitah Lintanga won her first ever ATM race and did so at TMBT 100. The youngest competitive runner of the Lintanga sisters was in control of proceedings basically from the start. Harlyn Richard initially kept pace with Lintanga and was probably hoping for an opportunity deeper in the race, but in fact the gap grew a lot towards the end. Another podium for Richard did mean she was assured of qualification for Team Malaysia in next month’s ATM Championship Final, where she can feature alongside Lintanga, too. Third in the race last weekend was Stlea Thomas, ahead of Philippines’ Maria Jocelyn Manalo Tuga and Japan’s Yoshie Kobayashi.

The men’s 50km had a very stacked field and a rather surprising winner at the finish line. Sheron Sariman very much stepped out of the shadow of his famous Sabahan compatriots Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin by grabbing victory in a fantastic time of 5h46. Earlier this season, Sarimon was third in BUTM. He had been knocking on the door already a few times, but this is a breakthrough performance for him. Milton Amat managed to get second place, albeit 19 minutes later. Nevertheless, Amat still outpaced Vietnam’s Ngo Van Chinh, Japan’s Taichi Yui, Sung A Phu -also Vietnam- and Wilsen Singgin. The difference between Van Chinh and Yui - double race winner in Laos this season - was just over a minute. Van Chinh and Sung A Phu come from Sapa and are part of Hau Ha’s team. Both aim to qualify still for the ATM Championship Final in their home country at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail next month.

The women’s 50km saw the top favourite delivering the goods: Angelie Cabalo from Philippines wanted her name on the TMBT winners’ list and she achieved that in great style. Cabalo finished in 8h15. That was half an hour ahead of Singapore’s Zoe Tan, who has a subscription on second places in ATM races this season. For Zoe Tan, TMBT 50 was her third. The battle for third was interesting with long ultra specialist Adelinah Lintanga taking the podium ahead of the surprising Bruneian Ainul Mahmud. Melissa Ellexter did a great job to finish fifth and remains very much in the running for a spot in Team Malaysia next month.

Next weekend we still have another Malaysian Championship Qualifier. This time further south on Borneo island, in Sarawak: Jagoi Ultra. A 70km race that will be the last chance to score points this season.

While it was scorchingly hot and dry in Borneo TMBT Ultra last weekend, the weather couldn’t have been more different in Shiga Kogen 100 in Japan. A total wet race, which due to the elevated altitudes the race is held on also meant colder temperatures. Last year, Hisashi Kitamura won this race, the last qualifier in Japan for this season’s ATM Champonship, but he opted for his beloved TMBT race instead.

Takumi Sawayanagi was fastest last weekend , taking his first ATM race victory ahead of Nagisa Itagaki and Kazuki Matsumura. Kento Ikeda and Koji Sunaga completed the top five. Golden Grandmaster Tomohiro Mizukoshi had a difficult run , suffering from lower back pain and would finish outside the Top 25.

In the women’s 100km race, it was the experienced Sachi Nakano taking the win. Kirari Oi finished second, which propels her into her country’s top five in the ATM points ranking. Kirari Oi is thus qualified for the upcoming ATM Championship Final in Vietnam. Kumi Katagiri was third in the race, followed by Yuka Okusawa and Chihiro Matsumura.

Anyone who thought that Hisashi Kitamura had enough of Borneo TMBT Ultra after finally winning the 109km classic race last year was pretty much mistaken. The Karate Kit will be back again this Saturday morning in Sabah, Malaysia, for his final ATM qualifier ahead of the Championship Final in Vietnam in five weeks’ time. However, his big rival of the past years, local star Milton Amat, won’t be competing against him this year. Milton has chosen to go for the 50km race this weekend, and so has Wilsen Singgin.

And yet, we should also not expect a walk in the park now for Hisashi Kitamura, even though he has appeared as strong as ever in the few races he has ran in Japan this season. The younger elites of the Sabahan runners, such as Oswald Maikol and Willy Wilson, will certainly try to follow him and be motivated to beat him when possible. Maikol has even won the 109km race already, in the year - 2024 - when the ATM Championship Final was held at TMBT on a slightly shorter and unique course. And let’s not forget Bernardo Linus, who had a great performance at BUTM earlier this year. Even Kitamura has had weaker days, also at TMBT where he will start for the sixth time this weekend. Four times second place, and one liberating victory against Milton Amat last year. The big goal for him comes early October. If the stars align for him and it doesn’t get too muddy in Vietnam, Kitamura will be more than ready to challenge John Ray Onifa and the other top guns for that so. far elusive ATM Champion title.

The women’s 109km looks more open as has become the norm in Malaysia this season. No outstanding favourite perhaps, but with Harlin Richard - second in the current ATM Malaysia points ranking behind Ryehana Jap who is running the 50 this weekend. An opportunity for Richard to take her first ATM race victory after podium places at KAR and BUTM this season. Also Lolitah Lintanga features on the 100k start list, contrary to her sisters Jessica and Adelinah, both aiming for the 50. A good result could push Lolitah back up inside her country’s top five in points ranking, which leads to automatic qualification for the ATM Final coming soon.

Ryehana Jap has been one of the revelations in Malaysia this season, competitively speaking. As a local Sabahan, she will be keen to take the top step on the podium. However, she doesn’t enter the race as the top favourite. That role should be assigned to Philippines’ Angelie Cabalo. One of the top elite runners in Southeast Asia of the past few years and a double race winner already earlier this ATM season. In May she won the famous H1 , Hardcore 100 Miles in her first attempt at the distance. Before that, Cabalo also was victorious in Sierra Madre Trail Ultra. A strong result this weekend could put her in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Final with just 3 races. Besides the aforementioned Lintanga sisters, there’s a few more contenders such as in-form Halimatun Sa’adiah and Singapore’s Zoe Tan, second in Mantra and in UTSG this season.

Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin inevitabiy rank as the ones to beat in the men’s 50km. The main question is who will beat who. Until last year, the answer would have been Milton, but Wilsen had him a couple of times since then. TMBT 50 also has a special finish line, with a steep uphill climb at the very end. The 50k here also always brings about some new faces. One of them to be reckoned with is Vietnam’s Sung A Phu, coming from Sapa. Who says ‘ Sapa ‘ thinks of Hau Ha. Sung A Phu, indeed, is part of her team. Also Japan’s Taichi Yui, who won both races in Laos this season, is on the start list.

Running back in time

It’s very tough, yet also very popular. The 9 Dragons in Hong Kong has opened registration for its next edition on 27 and 28 February 2027, exactly one year after hosting our S10 Championship Final. All attention returns to the 50/50 stage race with 50 mIles on Saturday and 50km on Sunday. Who will be the successors of Nepal’s Man Kumar and Japan’s Yuri Yoshizumi, high-profile winners of this season’s edition?

The unique 50/50 stage race category and the 50km single race category will again be the qualifier races for the ATM Championship points ranking, while the 50/50 and the 50 Miles (87km) single race category also give finishers a point for their Grandmaster Quest. Registration is already open via the official event website, linked below. Do not wait too long because the 9 Dragons sells out in advance!

Taking place in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the 9 Dragons is one of those relatively few events in Southeast Asia that places a healthy emphasis on competitive performance, while at the same time showing heaps of respect towards every single finisher on Sunday afternoon. The marquee event, the 50/50, is essentially a stage race and merely turning up on Sunday morning at the start of the 50km long second stage is arguably tougher than the elevation gain to be conquered during the two runs. Some runners disintegrate during the 50km, others just seem to come alive. It makes for unpredictable situations and surprising changes of fortune at the front of the race, ultimately what sports fans enjoy to see.

Total elevation gain for the 50/50 is approx. 8079 hm. The 50 miles (84km) has 4600 hm and the 50km (53km) has a serious 3500 hm. The 9 Dragons is a challenge for everyone every year again. The not-so-fast runners should also keep an eye on the clock, especially on Sunday. Keep moving is the message. The reward is bliss.

New on the Grandmaster Quest calendar this year was last weekend’s Pahang Eco. Taking place out of Kuantan on Malaysia’s east coast, Pahang Eco has been around for some years and was a Candidate Race just after the covid crisis. Now offering Grandmaster points, many runners took the call for the 100km race category. A race that lived up to its reputation as being one of the country’s toughest. Heat and humidity is obviously common in Malaysia’s trail racing scene, but during Pahang Eco it seems to hurt runners more than elsewhere.

The finishing times of the podium runners on the 100km distance reflect this as well. Race winner Adam Danial Zailani took top honours reaching the finish in 18h53. Last month, he also won the equally challenging Transnaning Ultra, also a race on the Grandmaster Quest calendar. One hour later, Johari Mohd Ali grabbed second place ahead of Hanafi Hasan.

First female runner was Nurul Emyra Fazira Isnariah Absi in 25h11. Just four weeks ago, she won the 100 Miles race at KAR Ultra. She’s having a great competitive season and with two more Championship Qualifiers to go in her home country - TMBT and Jagoi - she could still get herself in the top five of the ranking and get qualified for Team Malaysia in the upcoming ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 3 October. At Pahang Eco, it got tough for her as well towards the end as her margin over Yee Mei Ang came down to just 14 minutes. Yee Mei Ang, herself in great shape this year, also scored her first Grandmaster star with her race finish last weekend. Third on the podium was Najah Adibah Ridzuan.

The next two weeks runners in Malaysia can continue to collect Grandmaster points in their home country at Borneo TMBT Ultra and its 109km category, and at Jagoi Ultra with its 70km category.