The 5th edition of the Manjushree Trail Race around Kathmandu in Nepal witnessed an amazing fourth consecutive victory for Arjun Rai Kulung in the men’s 100 miles race. Ang Furba Sherpa was the strongest female on the famous Kathmandu Valley Rim, her first win. The 50km - the second ATM Qualfiier race at the event - saw fantastic runs by Gopal Tamang to win in the men’s, and by Sunsari Rokaya in the women’s.

Arjun seemed always in control of the race, running together with Milan Kulung Rai for most of the long and tough race. Milan made a great effort, but in the end had to let Arjun get away towards the end. The now four-time race winner did miss his own course record, albeit only just. Milan finished just half an hour later in second. The podium was completed by another regular 100 miler, Bijay Rana Magar.

The women’s 100 miler saw Anita Rai taking the fastest start in the absence of Nirmala Rai, who won the pas two editions of MTR. Perhaps too keen, Anita twisted her ankle badly after just a few hours resulting in a very painful day. Still, she managed to finish and even on the podium in third place still. For the victory it was between Netherlands’ Anne Mai Baan and Ang Furba Sherpa, another local runner with strong results already in the past. Just like in the men’s race, the gap between the leading duo would only be some 40 minutes at the end. Ang Furba Sherpa turned out to be strongest and claimed her first win under ATM.

The 50km of MTR is always a real competition classic with so many young, talented Nepalis facing off against each other - trying to leave a mark on the scene. Last year’s race winner Man Kumar was the one to beat, but already soon he found himself behind Gopal Tamang and the surprising Hom Lal Shrestha. Lokendra Rai was in fourth early on, but gradually lost terrain and would finish outside the top six. Dhira Bahadur Budha ran more or less the same pace as a year ago, but instead of third ended fourth in the finish this year. Gopal Tamang won it in a faster time than Man Kumar last year, with Hom Lal Shresta just two minutes behind in second. A remarkable improvement by Shrestha compared to a year ago, nearly 1,5 hours faster! Man Kumar settled for third on the podium.

The women’s race saw Sunsari Rokaya run away from everyone else. It was her first appearance in an ATM Qualifier and a highly impressive one. Teenage sensation Kalpana Budha ran second most of the race, but suffered from bad muscle cramps later on dropped behind Rayja Laxmi Rawal. The latter had a more comfortable race compared to last year and will be pleased with second, although her finish time was 9 minutes slower than a year ago. Rokaya won in 7h53, 55 minutes ahead of the rest. Stunning, and yet Priya Rai was 7 minutes faster last year. Most of the races it is unfair to compare finisher times between years, but for MTR 50 it’s nevertheless interesting as many runners keep returning to the race and the course basically hasn’t changed.

The next Nepali ATM Championship Qualifier is Jumla Rara Ultra 50km in the far West of Nepal on 9 May.

100 Miles - Top 6 Male

1. Arjun Rai Kulung 26:37:49

2. Milan Kulung Rai 27:05:18

3. Bijay Rana Magar 28:25:17

4. Shaktiram Roka 28:28:14

5. Pancharam Budha 32:06:30

6. Yoshihisa Yasuda 33:52:10

   
   100 Miles - Female Top 5

   1. Ang Furba Sherpa 33:13:06

   2. Anne Mai Baan 33:51:41

   3. Anita Rai 38:18:23

   4. Sally Moulds 39:49:25

   5. Stine Heiselberg 42:45:36

   50km - Top 6 Men

   1. Gopal Tamang 6:30:17

   2. Hom Lal Shrestha 6:32:21

   3. Man Kumar 6:57:23

   4. Dhira Bahadur Budha 7:03:19

   5. Som Bahadur Rawat 7:25:51

   6. Chandra Rawat 7:38:43

   50km - Top 6 Women

   1. Sunsari Rokaya 7:53:46

   2. Rayja Laxmi Rawal 8:49:10

   3. Kalpana Budha 8:58:09

   4. Puspa Serma 9:09:28

   5. Vanja Cnops 9:31:32

   6. Nga Sze Wong 9:32:18

One month later than usual, but it is very much on: The Manjushree Trail Race 2026 in Kathmandu sports a large and very international start list across the distance categories of the event, of which the 100 Miles and the 50km are the traditional qualifiers for the ATM Championship points ranking. Many of Nepal’s top elite runners will aim to score their points, but indeed may face some solid opposition. On the 100 Miles, Arjun Rai Kulung is the favourite to take the crown for the fourth consecutive year, while on the 50km we have rising star Man Kumar going for his second consecutive win at MTR. The women’s 50km features Singapore-based Belgian Vanja Cnops versus the exciting new Nepali star on the horizon Kalpana Budha.

The Manjushree Trail Race 100 Miles is one of those few natural 100 milers. Going all around the city’s ‘valley rim’, it’s a fantastic course full of meaning. Obviously, it’s also a very tough one. Arjun Rai Kulung has been unbeatable the past years. Let’s see if previous podium placers Milan Rai and Sher Tharu can stay closer to him this weekend. Also Bijaya Rana Magar, Ranjit Rai and Indian runners Pritam Rai and Soumyadip Mondal may fancy their chances for a top result.

The women’s 100 Miles is without Nirmala Rai, elder sister of Priya, as the duo will be running in Philippines this weekend at the ATM Grandmaster Quest event Danao City Ultra Trail. That leaves a great opportunity for Anita Rai and Ang Furba Sherpa to take the glory. However, Japan’s Yasuyo Hotta and Denmark’s Stine Heiselberg may also say a word about that.

The 50km has a huge field and we might as well get to discover some new raw talent. But Man Kumar must be the top favourite. Winner last year and winner of the 9 Dragons 50 miles race two months ago. Man Kumar can already put one leg into Team Nepal for the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam later this year. He will be up against fast Jumla runners Dhira Bahadur Budha and Chandra Rawat on Saturday, as well as Lokendra Rai, Homlal Sheshtra and many others.

The women’s 50km sees Vanja Cnops as the one to beat. In-form and a big fan of Nepal trail running, Vanja has spent most of April in the country. However, the now 18-year-old sensation Kalpana Budha won’t give up easily, having finished second behind Priya Rai a year ago. It will be interesting to see if the teenager continues to develop as a competitive athlete.

The 5th anniversary edition of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in Rodriguez, Rizal in Philippines saw brilliant race wins by Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo. Two Filipino elites who were of course not unexpected, but the way in which they claimed victory was nevertheless impressive. For Kik Suello it was the second time he beat Kristian Joergensen for victory after Point Trail Ultra last year and a definite statement he has arrived at the very top of competitive trail running in his country.

Suello started with confidence in the 75km tough race and soon put the other contenders under pressure. Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second in 2025, did what he could to keep pace, but Suello just proved too fast. The gap would grow to over 35 minutes. Suello’s winning time was 9h03. Behind the duo, Bryan Mundiguing had a great performance that would result in third place at the finish. That was even ahead of Jordan Bugnay and Taichi Yui, two in-form runners. Japanese Yui has already won two races under ATM this season. John Solano came next in sixth place, followed by the female race winner Angelie Cabalo in 12h43. Jeremy Ritcey from Lantau 70 in Hong Kong and France’s Benjamin Nicolas were next. 

Angelie Cabalo showed again she is the benchmark in her country with a superb performance, leaving co-race favourite LJ Benitez no chance for victory. Cabalo ran smart, as well, taking a conservative start before catching Benitez and continuing solo to the finish. Last year’s race winner Cecille Wael followed in third place, a confidence booster again for the established silver Grandmaster, often plagued by digestive issues in ultra races. Wael ran a great second half of the race, moving up the leaderboard. Maria Isabel Reyes was a solid fourth place, followed by a duo of Akane Nemoto and Clarisse Yeung. Jericha de la Paz was next. 

The next ATM Championship qualifier in the Philippines is the PMTF event, which includes the legendary H1 race and the H60K race. 

TOP 5 RESULTS

Male

1 Kik Suello

2 Kristian Jorgensen

3 Bryan Mundiguing

4 Jordan Bugnay

5 Taichi Yui

Female

1 Angelie Cabalo

2 Lj Benitez

3 Cecile Wael

4 Ma. Isabel Reyes

5 Clarisse Yeung & Akane Nemoto

Another strong run by Kristian Joergensen, but Kik Suello again had the better of him

A strong finish gave Ces Wael another podium spot in the race she won last year

Even for Sabahan standards, the 10th anniversary edition of Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon was extremely hot. However, it did not stop many runners from producing remarkable performances around Kiulu, roughly one hour away from Kota Kinabalu. On the 55k local hero Wilsen Singgin and Japan’s Chisato Kario proved their pre-race favourite status was legit, while on the 105k another Japanese runner - Hiroyuki Matsuda - and Singapore-based Filipino Mia Revilla took top honours.

Blue sky most of the day and no rainfall whatsoever was a big contrast with last year’s edition of BUTM. Trails were dry and therefore favoured those with high running pace. Hiroyuki Matsuda, based in Indonesia, felt like a fish in the water, apparently. Immediately taking the bull by the horns, he quickly took the lead of the 105km runners and was even mingling with the front pack of the 55k participants, who all started together at sunrise (over 650 in total). Matsuda already collected 750 ATM Championship points this season, courtesy of two solid fifth places in Tahura Trail and 9 Dragons, but for him to immediately put pressure on the likes of local hero Milton Amat, Willy Wilson, Andrew Farmers and Bernardo Linus was quite surprising. Initial fears that he would blow up beyond halfway turned out to be unjustified: nobody ever saw him again and he finished in a strong time of 14h23. Milton Amat placed his foot wrong just before halfway distance, resulting in a torn shoe and a bleeding foot. Wisely, he decided not to continue for another 50k and DNFd. An unfortunate experience for Milton, who often struggles to get enough races in to qualify for the ATM Championship Final. Luckily for him, there’s still several qualifier races in Malaysia in the next months. In the end, it was Bernardo Linus - also from Sabah - who grabbed a strong second place - his best ever race result in a long ultra. Linus has worked hard to reach this level of performance on a 100k distance and he was obviously delighted. Willy Wilson also continued to develop as a regular podium contender with third place, just a few minutes later.

In the women’s 105km, Adelinah Lintanga finally wanted to add a BUTM victory to her record. Contrary to in many other races, she pressed the speed button from the get-go and reached the first checkpoint after 12km in the leading position. Mia Revilla - originally from Davao but already living in Singapore for 12 years - was a few minutes behind. On the way to the next CP, Revilla caught up with Lintanga and pressed forward. The latter initially resisted, but by km 70 started to struggle with stomach cramps that eventually even led her to an uncharacteristic DNF. Revilla seemed to have the win in the bag, but also for her it was tough going in the end. She finished in 21h05, 49 minutes ahead of a strong Joyce Yong Hie Jing, and Harlin Richard in third, not so much ahead of Silver Grandmaster Ellen Yin Kwan Cheng from Hong Kong.

Using his vast experience accumulated the last eight years, Wilsen Singgin joined a number of other contenders early on and then pushed the throttle on the most critical uphill section halfway into the race. Nobody had an answer, but a few were certainly not giving up easily. Sheron Sariman was only a few minutes behind at the 42km mark, and he was quickly followed by Unai Garmendia - on holiday in Malaysia coming from the Basque Country in Northwestern Spain. In the descent to the checkpoint, Garmendia suffered quite a tumble, but he escaped unhurt. Christantine Mattan and David Roipin were also not too far back. 2023 Borneo Miler winner Amir Zaki, on his comeback to the racing scene, did very well and would eventually finish 8th. In the last 13km, Singgin extended his advantage to the rest and reached the finish in a good time of 6h20. Unai Garmendia came in 18 minutes later and Sheron Sariman third in 6h51.

Japan’s Chisato Kario is quickly making a name for herself in Southeast Asia. Winner of the Mount Ugo Marathon in Philippines last year (ahead of Angelie Cabalo) and of UTSG in Singapore, Kario finished 5th in the Season 10 Championship Final at the 9 Dragons. But last Saturday, she looked much more at ease with the trails in Sabah than in Hong Kong. Running together with some of the top guys, she was unthreatened for victory and finished seventh overall in 7h55. Behind her, it was quite a toss up between several proven competitors and new name Ryehana Rajap, also Sabahan. While Halimatun Sa’adiah - returning to ATM after a long break - , former BUTM winner Shamiera Auther and Lolita Lintanga were expected to take the first runner-up positions behind Kario, it was instead Rajap who emerged second in the finish in 9h13. Sa’adiah completed the podium in third, ahead of Lintanga and Auther.

The next Malaysian ATM Championship qualifier is Penang Sky Race 50km on 25 April. Grandmaster Quest chasers can focus on Merapoh Trail, returning to the ATM calendar, one week later.

Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon, better known as BUTM, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend in Kiulu, Sabah, Malaysia. Formerly referred to as the ‘little sister’ of TMBT, BUTM has developed into an early season classic of its own right that plenty of trail runners want to add to their finisher collection. Taking place later than usual this season, BUTM has the typical Sabah ingredients: hot and humid weather during a tough, but fantastic run through hilly rainforests and river valleys with a great vibe of local hospitality and support.

Both the 105km and 55km races are again qualifiers for the Asia Trail Master Championship points ranking. The 105 will also give registered finishers a point for their Grandmaster Quest.

The start list sees the usual stars of the Sabahan trail scene, with in the men’s categories Milton Amat aiming for another win on the 100km and Wilsen Singgin on the 50km. Milton starts as the one-to-beat and it will be interesting to see if anyone else can rise to the occasion this season and get closer to the local star. Other contenders such as Jainuddin Sainuddin, Muhammad Hijazi Rija, Willy Wilson and Bernardo Linus can in any case aim for an attractive podium finish. In the women’s 100km, Adelinah Lintanga could eye another victory under ATM. She may need to watch out for SIngapore-based Filipino Mia Revilla and Hong Kong’s Silver Grandmaster Ellen Cheng.

More than 400 participants on the 50km, so we may get to know some new names, but Wilsen SInggin may also be seen as the big favourite on this distance. His main rival for victory may be Amir Zaki, making his return to the ATM scene after a two-year-break. Ahmad Tanjong and Gustin Tiam can also be in the mix for podium at least. The women’s 50km has one of the top finishers of the recent ATM Championship Final and part of the winning national team: Chisato Kario from Japan. Already a race winner in PMTF and UTSG last season, Chisato Kario is a 50km specialist used to the climatic conditions of Southeast Asia. Her main opponents are likely to be Lolita Lintanga and former BUTM 50 winner Shamiera Auther. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Japanese runner.

ATM will be reporting live from Kiulu and BUTM on the usual channels, with livestream subject to connectivity.

Milton Amat is going for the 100 this weekend

Season 10 Finalist Chisato Kario is arguably the one to beat on the 50

Wilsen Singgin aims to score another ATM race win on the 50 this weekend

Former BUTM race winner Shamiera Auther

This weekend we have the 5th edition already of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the 75km ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest qualifier in the Rizal Mountains close to Manila, which has really developed into a new event classic. Organised by the Maharlika Team, SMTU is just good old-fashioned trail running powered by passion and with only 1 race distance on the programme : 75km. Hence, there’s always a good competition between well-known trail aces, who all like to add a win at SMTU on their career records. For others, newbies and short distance runners, SMTU may be the target, the goal for which they trained all year. It’s 75 km and it’s the only finisher t-shirt of the event.

Kristian Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second behind the surprising Randolf Gonzales in 2025, returns for the third year in a row. He is quite at home in the Rizal mountains, of course, and the usual hot weather tends to not affect his performance as much as cold weather. While not in peak form at the 9 Dragons ATM Final five weeks ago, Joergensen remains the one to beat at SMTU. There’s quite a list of other victory contenders, however. Starting with Kik Suello, who beat Joergensen in a dual at Point Trail last year and also finished ahead of him at 9 Dragons. The runner from Zamboanga City has kept on improving year after year and has matured into a proper victory contender whenever he starts a race, which - intelligently - is not that often. Also Jomarc Ferrer has worked himself to the top of the favourites’ lists. Finishing 10th in the ATM Final was no coincidence. This ATM season he has already collected two race wins and he also tops the overall points ranking. Other Filipinos worth keeping an eye on at SMTU are ‘locals’ Maynard Encormal, John Zonio, Anthony Calixterio and Jordan Bugnay - recently third on the podium in V Trail in Laos. But there’s great international talent on the start list, too. Benjamin Nicolas from France, for example, has quite a strong record of performances and is no stranger to racing in Philippines and Asia in general. With Joergensen as a ‘guide’, Nicolas might just as well score his first victory in an ATM qualifier. Japan’s Taichi Yui may also say a few words, though. Already a winner twice this season in the Laos races Luang Prabang and V Trail, Yui showed great running pace but the competitive level will be up a notch this weekend. Also in the field, Hong Kong’s Jeremy Ritcey. On his day still a serious podium contender and not afraid of the heat either.

The women’s race also again has a considerable list of victory contenders including last year’s winner Cecille Wael. When she is in race mode and her stomach doesn’t bother her, Wael might just as well claim the top step of the podium again in what can be called her ‘home race’. But others have shown more competitive consistency in recent months, including Bukidnon’s Shally Yuson and Japan’s Akane Nemoto - both top 10 at the recent ATM Final. Especially Yuson will be very keen to add the prestigious SMTU to her ever growing list of race wins. Akane Nemoto used to live in Vietnam and has won races in Malaysia, so the heat should also not be an issue for the Japanese runner, now back in Tokyo. Former SMTU race winner Ann Jilian Pulanco also features on the start list. For her, it will mostly be a comeback after a prolonged injury break. Another Filipino, but residing in Singapore, who can cause a surprise this weekend is LJ Benitez. She nearly won UTSG 50 last year, and might find the more technical course of SMTU more to her liking.

ATM will report live from Rodriguez and Sierra Madre Trail Ultra as of 1:45 am local time on Saturday.

Last weekend’s Ultra Trail Ha Giang has been won by the pre-race favourites Vang A Tung and Nguyen Ngoc Anh in the male and female category, respectively. Both already scored a second place in VTM last January and are almost guaranteed already of qualification for the ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in their home country Vietnam on 3 October.

Vang A Tung completed the scenic, but tough 70km in Ha Giang in. a time of 9h44. That was over half an hour quicker than second-placed Nguyen Hoang Thang. In third place, almost one hour behind Vang A Tung was Truong Anh Dung, narrowly ahead of Duong Cong Bien and former ATM Finalist Do Trung Kien. They all finished ahead of Quang Tran, still on the way back to the front after a few years off the trails. Trung Nguyen did not have the freshest legs after a 100km the week before and finished together with the first female runner in seventh place.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh was almost two hours clear of the next women, showing her dominance in Ha Giang. She came into the finish together with Trung Nguyen , which does show a really strong pace from her part as well! Nguyen Thi Le was second and Ngo Thi Thanh Loan third on the podium.

First ATM race win for Vang A Tung

This weekend the ATM Championship season continues with Ha Giang Ultra Trail in the north of Vietnam, a late sub for the postponed Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths event by the same event management company Race Jungle. On the programme is a 70km race, which automatically is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest. Especially for Vietnamese trail runners, Ha Giang is the last chance to score Championship points within their own country before the Final at Mu Cang Chai in early October.

Ha Giang lies approximately 300km northeast of Hanoi. It’s an area known for its breaktaking landscapes, cultural richness, and the event is recommended by several seasoned trail runners in ATM who have taken part before. In fact, the event offers both trail and road races.

The 70km trail course is quite spicy on paper, though, with an estimated elevation gain of over 5000hm. The race starts at 4am in the morning on Saturday. Expected favourites for victory are Quang Tran, still making his comeback on the trails after a long spell on the road, and rising Vietnamese star Vang A Tung, second in Vietnam Trail Marathon in January. But also Singapore’s Trung Nguyen is on a roll this year, with a race win in Kalaw 100 in Myanmar and a second place in Brah Yang Trail Summit last month. Let’s also pay attention to the performance of Nguyễn Hoàng Thắng, who has been building up a solid competitive reputation as well. The women’s race has Nguyễn Ngọc Anh as potential race winner, also second in VTM this season already. Nguyen Le is also a podium candidate. With 265 runners registered for the 70km, we are certainly bound to discover some new names as well this weekend!

In-form Trung Nguyen already scored a win and a second place in ATM qualifiers this year

Vang A Tung is one of the newcomers in Vietnam’s male elite field. 2nd in VTM in January

This year’s Shiga Kogen 100 near Nagano in Japan has been moved back on the event calendar and will now take place on the last weekend of August. The highly scenic event again features a 100km race as qualifier for the ATM Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest. Registration is opening this Sunday evening at 9 pm local time.

Shiga Kogen is one of Japan’s main national parks and also a UNESCO Eco-Park. As the official website reads, Shiga Kogen occupies the center of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. It is a famous ski resort that hosted the Nagano Olympics (1998) in the winter. During the green season, Shiga Kogen is a treasure trove of nature, with beautiful alpine plants and beautiful lakes and wetlands that can be enjoyed in the vast plateau area. The Shiga Kogen, which has been certified as a UNESCO Eco Park, is an attractive area where nature and human society coexist.

This is a mountainous area so. even in summer temperatures remain cool and are ideal for endurance sports. The start and finish venue is Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture, and lies at about 1600m above sea level, and the highest point of the course is at 2200m. Less ambitious runners can also opt for a 40km category or a 18km category, but these offer no points for ATM.

The 100km has been redesigned for this year’s edition and is said to have become more runable than before. Elevation gain is estimated at 4400 hm. 100km participants are expected to collect their race pack on Friday afternoon, 5 July. The race flag-off is scheduled for 4:30 a.m. on Saturday early morning. The cut-off time is 26 hours, meaning Sunday morning 6:30 am. The podium ceremony will take place after that.

Last year, the male and female races were won by Hisashi Kitamura and Sachi Nakano, respectively.

Registration is open via the official website, where you can also find details on accommodation. International runners are most likely best of flying to Tokyo and take a train or bus to Nagano from there first. Information on event accommodation options can be obtained via shiga100@ktf.or.jp .

Hisashi Kitamura won the 100km last year, here next to event organiser Koji

One of peninsular Malaysia’s toughest trail races keeps its spot on our Grandmaster Quest calendar this season, but runners should take note of the new event date: Himalaya Sports Tamping Transnaning Ultra has now been scheduled for the weekend of 24-26 July. A race in loops through the heart of Transnaning, featuring seven peaks in 34 km. Grandmaster Quest chasers need to aim for the Ultra race of 68km (4800 hm!) or the Challenger race of 102km (7200hm).

This is an authentic tropical rainforest trail with lots of local history. Start and finish of the event is at the Tampin Water Park in Negeri Sembilan.

The official website describes the route very well: “ Starting from Tampin Water Park, runners begin by taking on the outer segments of the Trans Naning route. This opening section serves as the warm-up, but make no mistake, it is no easy start. Over the first 14km, runners will face more than 600m of elevation gain, with rolling hills on tarmac and forest access roads through the rural foothills. Along the way, runners will pass Kolam Marine A.R.M and the rustic Malaysian kampung landscape before reaching Gunung Datuk Foothill where the real adventure begins. From there, the next 20km reveals the true heart of Trans Naning: a rugged traverse along the southern spine of the Titiwangsa Range, summiting all seven (7) iconic peaks:

1. Gunung Datuk

2. Gunung Rembau

3. Gunung Gagak

4. Puncak 701

5. Puncak 705

6. Gunung Tampin Utara

7. Gunung Tampin Selatan

A checkpoint/water station awaits at the valley between Puncak 701 and Puncak 705 (a.k.a Kem Ultra). The ascent to Puncak 705 is a true test of stamina, as runners drop to the valley floor, reset their elevation, and climb all over again. After passing Gunung Tampin Selatan, runners will then descend and return to Tampin Water Park to complete one (1) unforgettable loop.

Expect dense jungle, narrow ridgelines, steep ascents, and wild, natural terrain throughout the course. With a generous but firm 14-hour cut-off, this category is built for trail runners ready to embrace distance, elevation, and the raw beauty of Malaysia’s mountain heartland.”

Alongside Mantra 68, Transnaning Ultra 68 is valid for the Grandmaster Quest thanks to its elevation gain numbers of more than 4500 hm. It goes without saying that participants therefore need to come prepared for this race.

Registration and more details can be found on the CPS official webpage linked below.

Mexico's Kose Rodarte from Hong Kong's own Gone Running Team won his second ATM Qualifier race in a month at Lantau 70 last weekend.After the 9 Dragons 50km race, he prevailed in the classic race on Lantau island in a finishing time of 7h14'35" . It was a close battle with KC Chan, but the latter had to let go in the final 16km, finishing in 7h26. Good for his first ever ATM race podium, though.

Nepal's Santosh Tamang took third place on the podium in the end. Santosh moved up the leaderboard in the second half of the race, finishing in 7h55. Based in Hong Kong, Santosh Tamang already took fourth place in Ultra Fish N Sheep last October, giving him a solid points total in the rankings for qualification in the Season 11 Championship Final in Vietnam in October. France's Jean Christophe Monnerville was fourth, finishing right behind Tamang. And another minute later, America’s Anthony Lee took fifth place. Numbers six and seven were Daniel Crisp and Arnaud Mauduit, followed by former ATM Champion Alessandro Sherpa. The Italian was running in podium contention for a long time, but the humidity - never his friend - caused him to struggle home. Mark Iandoli finished close behind him in 9th place.

In the women’s race, local Lantau hero Katrina Hamlin won the race for a third time. She caught and passed the fading early race leader Kanako Edamoto from Japan in the final section to the finish at Mui Wo! She crossed the line in 8h04, in the end over 21 minutes ahead of Edamoto, the winner of last year’s 9 Dragons 50/50 stage race. Hamlin, part of Hong Kong’s T8 team, is in the best shape ever.

9 Dragons 50k winner Celine Loubiere arrived in third, giving her real prospects to qualify for this season’s ATM Final in October. Second podium in a month for the HK-based French woman. In four we had Wong Ki Chun, followed by Emma Phipkin and Pak Lai Shan in sixth.

The classic Lantau 70 race in Hong Kong is on again this Saturday. After a heavy HK season, including the ATM Championship Final just a month ago, several of the city’s trail stars are taking a break from Lantau this season, but there’s a long list of competitive trail runners who are very keen to rise to the occasion. Wai Hei Ng might be the one to get most votes if people were to bet on the men’s race winner, but Wai Hei Ng has become a bit enigmatic: will he indeed take the start?

Kose Rodarte won the 50km race at 9 Dragons and could score his second race win under ATM in just a month’s time. What can Alessandro Sherpa do this weekend? So far, Lantau 70 has been a challenging race for him over the years, also due to the often surprising humidity levels. Belgium’s Marc Decamps has been in the top five of this race before, can he climb a bit higher on the ladder now? Others who may have a say in the proceedings at the front can be Dina Bagale and Singapore’s fast road runner Vincent Casanova. The latter may have the fastest legs of all, but how much will the technical sections and the elevation slow him down?

Lantau 70 is also a Grandmaster Quest race, and on the start list is Golden Grandmaster Mario Yap, who has already embarked on the Trail to Immortality. Mario has already even collected 150 points in two countries. Remember, to Become Legend, 500 points and five countries are required. Kenneth Mun Keat Yow so far has 180 points in two countries.

The women’s race at Lantau 70 could potentially develop into a battle between two former 9 Dragons 50/50 winners, Angie Yan (2024) and Kanako Edamoto (2025), and last year’s race winner and local Lantau hero Katrina Hamlin. Even Naomi Fung, winner of the 50k at 9 Dragons a couple of years ago, may have a few words to chip in here. Also Kimmy Leung can claim another top five spot for sure.

The race starts as always at 8:30 am local time.