Following last week’s announcement about the introduction of Grandmaster Hubs, places where entitled runners can go to claim Grandmaster Quest tokens of achievement, we are happy to already add two more Hubs to our list: Gone Running in Hong Kong and Kolumpa in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Gone Running has been one of our supporters since the beginning of Asia Trail Master. It’s the store for trail runners, but also road runners, on Hong Kong island and more precisely in Wan Chai, just outside the MTR station on Johnston Road. As of next month, trail runners who earn the Grandmaster title or add stars to their caps can go there to collect their goodies.

The same for Kolumpa in Sabah’s capital city Kota Kinabalu on Borneo island, East Malaysia. Kolumpa is the brand of artist trail runner and 2-star Grandmaster Jessica Lintanga. Her atelier will also function as a Grandmaster Hub as of next month, in particular to facilitate runners from Sabah.

In the coming weeks we aim to announce more Grandmaster Hubs, including in the Philippines. Meanwhile, similar venues keen on becoming a Grandmaster Hub can reach out to kris@asiatrailmaster.com for more information.

Adresses:

• Gone Running
  3/F, Simsons Commercial Building, 137 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

• Kolumpa
  88300 Kota KInabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (precise pin location will be shared when requested)

One of the most popular events on both our Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendars is Vietnam Trail Marathon in Moc Chau. Taking place in January every year, it’s the ideal event to get back into things after the end-of-year festivities. In 2027, VTM is scheduled on the weekend of 16/17 January with the 70km as the traditional race category to focus on.

Organised by the great crew of Vietnam Trail Series, going to VTM at first looks tough and time-consuming, but thanks to the wonderful bus shuttle arrangements from and to Hanoi and the practical travel packages runners can just sit back and relax all day before arriving in Moc Chau, in itself a popular tourism town and area. Note that the shuttle busses depart from a new place, namely the Snow Beach Cafe - also at the West Lake.

VTM is essentially an A to B race, although the finish line at the tea resort is not that far away from the start venue, which is the event hotel Muong Thanh. The course is incredibly scenic and quite runable when dry. Still, the elevation gain of nearly 3000 hm is to be reckoned with and over the past years we have seen many trail runners blow up in the last 20 km. Last January, the fastest male and female runners were Ricky Sung and Dening Lo, from Taiwan and Singapore respectively.

Registration is open already and can be done easily online via the VTS website linked below.

The men’s Top 3 this year with Ricky Sung in the middle as winner

The women’s top 3 this year with Singapore’s Dening Lo the fastest

Running back in time

A successful 4th edition of Camiguin Island Trail in the north of Mindanao last weekend, an event with a 70km long ultra offering a Grandmaster Quest point for all finishers. As expected, we also got to discover several new faces at the front of the 70km race, which saw some nice tight racing for victory.

In the men’s 70km, Bryan Jay Mundiguing proved fastest at the end to complete the course as race winner in 9h42. That was 12 minutes ahead of established competition runner Marjones Abugan and 16 minutes ahead of Marlonette Esquierdo in third place. The times also indicate the toughness of the island course.

The women’s race was even closer with Mekaila Abel Cruz taking top honours in a winning time of 13h36. Just 8 minutes ahead of Linajane Aluba. Completing the podium was Jessa Vicente in 14h30.

Camiguin Island Trail is organised by Vertical To Sky and may develop into an ATM Championship Qualifier next season.

Ms. Makaila Abel Cruz from Jasaan Misamis and Bryan Jay Mundiguing from Ifugao Province

Winning the race: Bryan Jay Mundiguing

Female race winer Makalla Abel Cruz

Marjones Abugan had to settle for second place

Just 8 minutes away from victory: Linajane Aluba

Marlonette Esquierdo, third place.

Jessa Vicente, completing the female podium

We are delighted to announce that the inaugural edition of Yam Trail Run in Mongolia will be held as an ATM Candidate Race on Saturday, 15 August. The 75 km long ultra 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 trail run. What’s more, the event is held out of Mongolia’s capital city Ulaanbaatar, making it convenient for a weekend trip for the entire family.

Start and finish of the Yam Trail Run is the major Genghis Khan Monument just outside the city inside the vast green grasslands Mongolia is known for. Participants can make use of an event shuttle bus from the city centre to the race venue. The official event hotel is the Aurora Hotel (https://en.aurorahotel.mn) in the city, where the race pack collection will be held. International participants are recommended to make use of this accommodation option, but there’s plenty of other hotels in the vicinity as well.

The 75 km course will be nearly entirely off-road and go deep into the grasslands. It’s runable, but there is elevation gain, too. The area is hilly in parts, remote and offering unforgettable views. You may also encounter flocks of sheep, horses, cows and even eagles during your run. One day later, the gravel ‘mediofondo’ riders will use the same course. Cyclists also have a longer option of 140km. It is possible to sign up for both the Yam Trail Run and the Gravel Granfondo. The official course map will be available within the next few days.

On the programme is not only a 75 km long ultra, but also a 10 Miles (16 km) option, catering mainly for domestic runners and hikers. Indeed, there is a also a non-competitive ‘hiking’ option. The Mongolian Empire Adventure Series has great ambitions and aims to attract as many local people as possible to create an exciting annual sports festivity .

The 75km long ultra will start at sunrise (5:45 am) and has a cut off time of 13 hours (18:45 pm). The 10 Miles run & hike has a scheduled start of 11 am. Note that Ulaanbaatar lies at an elevated altitude, so it should not be that hot.

Coming from abroad, it has been easier than ever as visa-free policies have been extended over the past few years for ever more countries. Flights to Ulaanbaatar have increased also from many places in Asia, including Hong Kong.

For this inaugural edition, registration fees are deliberately kept low. You can sign up via the button below, which links to a google-based form. Any questions about the race can be sent to Asia Trail Master directly via info@asiatrailmaster.com . Asia Trail Master is collaborating with Mongolian Empire Adventure Series on this project. A dedicated web page with all further details on Yam Trail will be opened on ATM Web this coming Wednesday.

This weekend the spotlights are on Camiguin Island Trail, just off the northern coast of Mindanao. a popular event by Vertical To Sky - known from The Punisher, Mount Apo Sky Race and others - and is again part of the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar this season. The race distance to focus on is the 70km.

Camiguin is an island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. The trail event is held out of the island’s and provincial capital Mambajao. The island has some lush green forest reserves, even protected under the ASEAN Heritage Park label. Camiguin also has a rich cultural history and treasures, such as Old Mambajao Fountain and the façade of the Santo Rosario Church in Sagay. This is a mountainous island, which offers the opportunity for some splendid trail running, including some technical mountain sections. The highest peak is Mount Timpoong, which towers a respectable 1500 metres above sea level.

It is one of several events. in Philippines that may become part of our ATM Championship calendar in future, too. The 70km race has well over 3700 elevation gain, which is not to be underestimated.

On the start list this weekend we find nearly 150 runners for the 70km category, which is a good number, Amongst them, Golden 4-star Grandmaster and now on the Trail to Immortality, Masafumi Yamamoto from Japan. Masafumi continues to enjoy the down-to-earth boutique style of trail races and has received a lot of respect from the communities everywhere. Also Bronze 2-star Grandmaster Blanka Wong from Malaysia will be looking to score another GM point on the way to 3-stars. For the battle up front, with MUSPO 100 just one week ago, the start list does not immediately see the biggest of names, which only means we will get to know some new faces again. Arguably, Marjones Abugan will be the one to beat. Jonathan Pido, however, is a former Mount Apo Sky Race winner - all the way back in 2015. Henry Joe Cottillon may also be in podium contention this weekend.

This Sunday at 20:00 pm Japan time (21:00 HK time, 20:00 time Vietnam, Thailand etc), official registration opens for Izu Trail Journey, the classic end-of-year race. A member of Asia Trail Master for a decade, the 70km pilgrimage course retains its attraction and is one of not many trail courses people like to run as many times as they can. Overall, it’s a runable course but with just enough technicality, especially halfway, to keep everyone concentrated throughout. The estimated elevation gain of over 3200hm is of course also to be noted.

Izu Trail Journey is an event where the organisers put a lot of emphasis on ‘event experience’ for all participants. Aid stations, start and finish all enjoy a wonderful vibe, even in the rare cases of bad weather - such as last year, when it rained nonstop for five hours in the early morning. Usually, Izu enjoys beautiful sunny weather resulting in awesome views of Mount Fuji at a.o. the Nishina Pass halfway into the race. Mind you, it is winter time in Japan, so temperatures can be on the low side.

The event centre for some years is now Mishima, one of the main towns in the Izu peninsula that is connected to Tokyo and Yokohama via the Shinkansen fast-speed train. There’s also busses. From Mishima, runners take the nighttime event shuttle bus to the race start venue in Matsuzaki New Port, by the ocean. The finish is in Shuzenji, one of the onsen (hot spring) towns in the area, and also location of the Izu base camp cafe, where you enjoy a nice Izu Trail beer, or just coffee and tea.

Last year, the race saw record-breaking performances by Hirokazu Nishimura and Honoka Akiyama, who both won Izu for the third time in their trail running journeys. John Ray Onifa struggled with the wet and cold weather conditions and suffered a DNF. Will the current ATM Champion return this year to take revenge?

Find out all details via the official website linked below, and make sure to secure your spot this weekend already, because this one sells out quickly!

As of July 2026, Asia Trail Master is creating a number of ATM Grandmaster Hubs in cooperation with recognised partners across the region. Grandmaster Hubs are places where trail runners can gather and collect Grandmaster achievement tokens, such as Grandmaster caps and Gold, Silver of Bronze achievement tees. The first two official Grandmaster Hubs are Trailside Treats near Kuala Lumpur City in Malaysia and Red Dot Running Company in Singapore.

As more and more trail runners have embarked on their Grandmaster journeys, it has become a logistical challenge to prepare and distribute achievement tokens at events. Hence, the idea of Grandmaster Hubs came to fruition. Hubs will be located in places with lots of runners and usually have a direct link with Asia Trail Master as well.

Trailside Treats, for example, is managed by a.o. Carly Balmforth, herself a 2-star Grandmaster already, and is located near Bukit Tiara, one of peninsular Malaysia’s main trail running training and gathering areas. It’s a coffee, tea and cake venue, breathing trail running, and so it also makes for a great gathering venue while you collect your Grandmaster token(s).

Red Dot Running Company in Singapore was founded by Jeri Chua, legendary endurance athlete and someone who has been supportive of Asia Trail Master since the very beginning. RDRC, as it is commonly known, is the reference store for runners - both trail and road - in Singapore. ATM has often had livestreams and gathering sessions at RDRC over the years.

In the coming weeks we aim to announce more Grandmaster Hubs, including in the Philippines. Meanwhile, similar venues keen on becoming a Grandmaster Hub can reach out to kris@asiatrailmaster.com for more information.

Addresses

• Trailside Treats: Located near the green Bukit Kiara forest at G-3, Wisma WIM, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

• Red Dot Running Company Store - 108 Sims Avenue, Singapore 387432

Socials

Local trail running stars Godwin Mirar and Kimberly Flores were the outstanding race winners at MUSPO 100 in Valencia, Bukidnon, Mindanao last weekend. In the absence of Arnie Macaneras, Mirar had to look out for the ever improving Kik Suello, but the youngster still had the edge and finished in 11h31. Kik Suello was second 35 minutes later. In third place on the podium we had Johnred Carpio in 12h53. A remarkable result for the only 21-year-old Carpio. Also fourth place Edward Candelanza is just 22.

Kimberly Flores continued her winning ways in her home country. The 29-year-old is also the new overall female points leader in Season 11. MUSPO 100 was already her third victory of the current season and she is guaranteed of a spot in Team Pilipinas for the upcoming ATM Championship Final in Vietnam in 3 October. Shally Yuson was second one hour later. For Yuson it was the first big race after a lengthy competition break. Janet Arnego claimed the third spot on the podium.

Filipinos still have one last chance to add ATM Championship points to their total via Marilog Ultra 70 in the wider Davao region in the middle of August.

It’s mid-July and so it’s MUSPO time again! The traditional event in Valencia managed to stay on the trail event calendar in 2026 while most others in the region had to skip this year. No wonder there’s more than 400 names on the start list of the 100km ATM Championship Qualifier and Grandmaster Quest race! Biggest names for the men’s race are 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras and local hero Godwin Mirar. Shally Yuson and Kimberly Flores are the ones to watch in the women’s race.

MUSPO 100 is the penultimate ATM Championship Qualifier of Season 11 in the Philippines. Next month, there is also still Marilog Ultra 70 to determine which five male and which five female runners will form the team for the Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam on 3 October. Team Pilipinas was team champion in 2023 and finished second the last couple of years.

Arnie Macaneras needs to complete this race to get his wild card as former champion. For Godwin Mirar, it looks quite complicated this season as his focus has been elsewhere. He only has 1 points score in the books this season, so it’s going to be tough with so many Filipinos trying to qualify. Godwin was the overall points leader of Season 10 and had a great championship race at the 9 Dragons until he went off course whilst in second place behind John Ray Onifa.

The Filipino runner who has caught the eye over the past months is Kik Suello, and he is also on the start list of MUSPO this weekend. Macaneras and Mirar certainly need to watch out for him in the battle for victory. Kik is currently second in the Filipino ATM ranking with 3 races, including 2 wins. With a good finish this weekend, he can rest assured to be part of the Championship race again.

Kim Flores has had a great year with several wins along the way. She is currently second Filipino in the ATM ranking behind Mia Revilla, but she can claim the top spot this weekend, plus get a guaranteed qualification for the Championship Final, which would be the first time for the young talented runner. Shally Yuson is coming back from a more quiet period, probably necessary after a very heavy 2025 in terms of racing.

ATM will be reporting live from MUSPO 100 starting on Saturday.

We are happy to announce that Maco de Oro Trail Ultra, the latest project by AWRA-AE&MJC Events, will be a new ATM Candidate Race on the weekend of 24/25 October 2026. Maco de Oro Trail Ultra 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.

AWRA already offers you the New Corella Trail Ultra at the end of the year, a Championship Qualifier for Season 12. Also by AWRA is Bislig Ultra in April, an event that has been on our Grandmaster Quest calendar for the past two editions.

The new Maco de Oro Trail Ultra has a 50km as longest distance for its inaugural edition. It’s a tough 50km with approx 2800 metres of elevation gain. The race course will combine steep ascents, technical descents, forest trails, and scenic ridgelines. The event description continues: “The 50km 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 Trail Ultra (MOTU) 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.

Less ambitious runners can also choose shorter distances: 25km and 15km. The 25km also has a solid 1500 hm, and the 15km is even tough with 900 hm. Luckily, the cut-off times are lenient: 16 hours for the 50km, 8 hours for the 25km and 5 hours for the 15km.

You can find all details via the event website and also stay up to date with latest news via the facebook page below.

For the third time in the current ATM Championship season, Japan’s Hiroyuki Matsuda emerged victorious at the finish of a long ultra. Also in Mantra 116 in Indonesia last weekend, he proved strongest and as a result is now the overall leader in the points ranking of Season XI and guaranteed of a spot in Team Japan for the upcoming Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam on 3 October. In the women’s 116km we saw Singapore’s Dening Lo taking an emotional victory in a new female course record.

With a start at midnight, the Mantra 116km and 68km runners climed up Mount Welirang with the summit at well over 3000m at nighttime. It was the 10-year-anniversary of the event in Malang, East Java, and over 3000 runners turned up for, albeit mostly for the shorter distance categories, of course. Both the 116km and 68km races have been ATM Championship Qualifiers for many years and rated amongst the toughest and most technical mountain trails on our calendar.

Last year’s 116k race winner Yuta Matsuyama initially was able to keep pace with Hiroyuki Matsuda, but late in the race had to let him go. Matsuda won in 19h58 - a very solid time. Matsuyama saw himself still get overaken by Indonesian Galih Candra at the very end for second place: 21h30 vs 21h41. Daniel Ortiz, Colombian but living in Indonesia, took a great fourth place in 22h42 ahead of Andreas Susanto in 23h07. Former race winner Rachmat Septiyanto had to settle for 13th place this year, showing that not every year is the same.

Dening Lo had won the 68km race the past two years and decided last-minute to give the 116km a try. Much has to do with the fact that the number 3 of the latest ATM Championship Final in Hong Kong is relocating to Europe next month. In the lead from the beginning, Dening Lo nevertheless struggled after twisting her ankle badly in the rocky descent of Welirang. Managing her pace well, the Singaporean stayed out of further trouble and made it to the finish in 10th place overall and a time of 24h52 - a new female course record. Quite an accomplishment, it was even her first ever 100k race. In second place was last year’s winner from Japan, Chizuru Inoue in 28h45 - so the gap was enormous. Former winner from Jakarta, Sianti Candra completed the podium in third place in 30h16 after a great final part of her race. Restu Aeni and Novita Wulandari were four and five.

On the men’s 68km, Risqi Kurniawan bounced back from a more quiet and difficult running period by taking yet another win in Mantra. He finished half an hour ahead of Singapore-based Philippe Daniel in 11h50. Bagus Prastyo was third. The women’s 68km had a surprising race winner in Indonesia’s rising talent Pujas Rani Ratu Haj in 14h30. She was in the lead from early on, and not pre-race favourite Ritzy Amor. After the race, it turned out Ritzy had been struggling with flu for a few days and just had no strength to compete. She nevertheless finished the race, in sixth, and became an official ATM Grandmaster. Still, the pace by Pujas Rani was fast she would have given an in-form Ritzy Amor a good challenge for the win. Second place went to SIngapore’s Zoe Tan, who was also second in UTSG 60 last month. Zoe’s time was 16h10. In third, we had Nur Azarine Putri Yasmin from Indonesia in 16h38.

After BUTM 105 and BTR Bali 100, Hiroyuki Matsuda has now also won Mantra 116

After 2x winning the 68km, Dening Lo has now also triumphed on the 116km in a new course record

Very wet and windy weather forced the event organisers of Minamiaso Caldera Trail to make the difficult decision of shortening the 50km race to two loops of the 18km short distance course for 36km in total. Most of the single trails had turned into a total mudfest and with safety in mind, it proved to be the only solution in order to at least have a trail race. Minamiaso is a new entry on the ATM Championship calendar, taking place in Kyushu close to Kumamoto City and 100km from Fukuoka.

Several strong runners at the start line, as usual in Japan, and in the end it was ATM regular Hisashi Kitamura who scored his 12th ATM race victory during his trail journey. It was close, however, as the younger Hideaki Hori managed to stay within one minute. Kitamura finished in a time of 3h51. Both runners were 20 minutes ahead of third placed Ryosuke Ooya and Kentaro Takano. Important ATM points for Kitamura, who now again looks certain to be part of Team Japan in the next ATM Championship Final in Vietnam in October. Also Kentaro Takano is very much in the mix for a spot in Team Japan, which would be his first qualification. As is Tomohiro Mizukoshi, of course. He scored an important 8th place as well, despite the tough conditions that do not suit his trail capabilities very much.

The women’s race saw three runners finish within 11 minutes of each other. Asami Furuse won in 4h37, seventh overall. Arika Ito and Kirari Oi were second and third. Chisato Kario, part of the ATM Championship winning team at 9 Dragons and multiple race winner in ATM, struggled a bit to finish in 7th place. Another Top 10 finisher of the latest ATM Final, Hong Kong’s Kimmy Leung took 12th. In fact, another Hong Konger, Wong Ki Chun finished ahead in fifth place.

The next ATM Championship Qualifier in Japan is Shiga Kogen 100 near Nagano at the end of August.

Hong Kong’s Wong Ki Chun finished fifth in the female race

ATM Season 10 Top 10 Finisher Kimmy Leung finished 12th