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.

Hiroyuki Matsuda booked his first ATM victory at BUTM 100. BTR Bali 100 and Mantra 116 would follow.

Kim Flores also finished her first ever 100 miles race in 2nd place: Hardcore 100 Miles in early May.

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.