The annual MUSPO event in Valencia, Bukidnon, on the southern Mindanao island of the Philippines keeps attracting large numbers of trail runners. As also illustrated by Point Trail Ultra in nearby Malaybalay last month, the sport is absolutely booming in this part of Southeast Asia. It’s the fourth year in a row that MUSPO features on the ATM calendar and this season it’s the 100km category that draws all our attention. Some of the country’s finest trail runners will toe the starting line on Saturday in the penultimate ‘home’ race of the season. Next month, The Punisher in Davao will be the last chance for Filipino runners to score more ATM Championship points in their attempts to get into Team Pilipinas for our ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam on 4 October.

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macanears features on the MUSPO 100 start list, but it remains to be seen whether he will effectively show up. If he does, he would be the logical favourite to win the men’s race. However, there is competition for victory: BTR Ultra winner Roberto Cain III and also last year’s highest ATM points scorer Jevie Cagatin should be the main opponents. Marjones Abugan and 3-star Grandmaster Sean Aying could also be in the mix for podium. And who knows we get to know a new local name once more. So many locals started running in the past two years, we are bound to discover some more new talents.

In the women’s race we were looking forward to a nice race for victory between Shally Yuson, in superb form this season, and Julieann Morales. However, earlier this week Morales was forced to pull out of MUSPO with a significant ankle injury that manifests itself especially when going downhill. Plenty of other female runners on the start list, and as with the men, let’s see if anyone can rise to the occasion and give Shally Yuson a run for her money this weekend.

ATM will be reporting live from Valencia on ATM Facebook and the usual channels.

Shally Yuson: in great form this season with two wins already

Roberto Cain III: superb winner of BTR Ultra last May

Jevie Cagatin: scored most points of all Filipinos last year. This season he has been consistent, yet lacking a win

For the fourth year in succession, Malnad Ultra in Chikmagalur, Karnataka in Southwest India, will offer two points race categories for the Asia Trail Master Championship ranking and one for the Grandmaster Quest. The 9th edition of Malnad Ultra is scheduled for the usual weekend of 22/23 November. The 100km is once more the long ultra to focus on, as well as the ‘daytime’ 50km medium distance race. Note: the event now also offers a ‘nighttime’ 50km, but that category does not offer ATM Championship points. Online registration is already open.

Malnad Ultra remains a classic on the Indian trail running calendar, and rightfully so. Taking place in India’s Karnataka region near Bengaluru in the southwest is a wonderful trail experience in what can still be seen as a new destination. The event essentially takes place in a large coffee plantation area at elevations ranging from 800m to 1500m above sea level. The races are runable, but challenging and across various types of terrain with accumulated elevation gain of approx 3400 hm for the 100 km and 1700 hm for the 50 km.

The origin of the name Malnad is attributed to Male meaning Hill and Nadu meaning Land. So, Malnad is the land of the hills. The organisation is in the capable hands of the Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management (GIREM), and further driven by a large team of enthusiastic volunteers.

Bengaluru is the easiest airport to fly into as the international gateway to the event. From there, busses will take runners to Chikmagalur and Mallanduru, roughly 5 hours away, where the event is held. Please note Malnad Ultra is a trail adventure and takes place in a remote area so allow for enough time to reach the final destination. Also, be aware that mobile connectivity may be limited on many parts of the course.

International runners are recommended to email the event organisation of Malnad, or Asia Trail Master, directly for details about transportation options to the event site. Accommodation is mostly pleasant homestays - with great food! - and are plentiful in the area. Detailed information about travel, accommodation and touristic options are available on the official website of Malnad Ultra now.

The event has a quota on participation, so please do not wait until a few weeks before to register. You can check all details on the event via the official website and find the registration button there as well.

Shashwat Rao has been winning the 100km race for men in recent years, and last year the 50k women saw fantastic performances by the young female Nepalese runners from Jumla.

Last year, Jumla’s young female talents set the Malnad trails alight

The Ulleung Island International Trail last weekend saw a great victory for Korean runner Kyu Hwan Lee, who was a solid 17 minutes faster than Japan’s Hiroki Kai. The latter is a bit of a celebrity runner in his country, and one who finished third in Izu Trail Journey no less last December. Kyu Hwan Lee thus took a big win on the small island off the coast of Busan. Fastest woman in UiiT was Lee Soonyeon.

The second edition of the event somehow fell a bit under the radar. UiiT was held from point A to B and in mostly sunny and fine conditions. For Kyu Hwan Lee, it was truly a remarkable achievement to take victory. For Hiroki Kai, he now may have collected enough ATM points to be part of Team Japan in the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October.. Jangsang Geun was third in the men’s, just a few minutes behind Hiroki Kai. In the women’s race, the podium was completed by well-known Jang Boyoung and Kim Donghee.

UiiT will return to the calendar on the same weekend next year.

Busy bee Hiroki Kai scored his second ATM race podium of Season 10

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We are delighted to announce that Tulay Trail in Thailand’s Tak Province has received the ATM Candidate Race label for its next edition on the weekend of 24-26 October 2025. The event is part of a series of four in Tak Province, and aims to elevate the regional trail running scene to international standards and showcase its natural and cultural richness. Tulay Trail offers a number of distance categories with a 100km as the main race. The event is organised by RunRunTeam and has been taking place for a few years already. Below you can watch the video of last year’s edition.

Less ambitious runners can also go for the 75km, 45km, 25km or 8km. Elevation gain and technicality should be taken seriously before signing up. Tulay Trail 100 has an estimated elevation gain of 5500 hm and has a cut-off time of 32 hours at the finish line. As you can see on the course map, it is a very nice natural loop with the longest climbing coming immediately after the 3 am start, going from approximately 200m to 1400m above sea level.

Tak Province lies in lower northern Thailand. It neighbours a.o. Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Lampang and also has a long western border with Myanmar’s Kayin State. To reach Tulay, runners could fly to Mae Sot International Airport or to Chiang Mai. There is bus transport to the venue planned from Chiang Mai also.

The official website has all details on the event and you can also register already online.

This weekend’s Camiguin Island Trail has attracted many hundreds of runners to the island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. The 3rd edition is part of the Grandmaster Quest calendar this season and the start list also features many big Filipino names. Jomarc Ferrer, for example, who has just returned from third place at Mantra 116 in Indonesia last weekend. How well has he recovered? Nevertheless, Ferrer will be one of the favourites for victory in the 70km race. Also Leoniel Perez, who recently won the ATM Candidate Race in Arakan, will be one to watch out for in the front of the race. Grandmaster *** Sean Aying is another favourite in the men’s race, alongside local runner Merson Dagondon. Dave Grande is a very young new trail talent, let’s see how he fares in this race. In the women’s competition there’s Ann Jilian Pulanco, Julie Mae Marquez and Rizalyn Lauron, for example. Of course, Camiguin Island Trail offers no Championship points, only Grandmaster points and there’s a lot of people on the Quest who will be starting the race.

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.

Santa Cruz near Davao in Mindanao, Philippines, has become one of the trail running hubs in the country and the wider Southeast Asia region and this is illustrated by the now many events being organised there. Today we are happy to announce that Santa Cruz Trail Ultra has entered the Grandmaster Quest calendar. Established by Santa Cruz Trail Runners and with Grandmaster*** Sean Aying as race director, the event was a Candidate last year and is now scheduled for 27/28 September 2025. Runners on the Grandmaster Quest need to aim for the 75km category.

2025 is the third edition of the Sta Cruz Trail Ultra. The event is in celebration of the 141st Araw ng Sta. Cruz, a tribute to the rich heritage and awe-inspiring landscapes of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. While the 75km is the main category, less ambitious runners can also choose 3K, 15K, and 30K categories options. As the official SCTU intro reads: “the event will be guiding participants through the heart of the central mountain ranges and across the rugged ridgelines of majestic summits. The course reaches its climax at Mt. Tinako, standing proudly at over 1,300+ above sea level—the highest point of the race—offering not just a test of endurance, but views that will take your breath away. “

Interesting to note is that SCTU is part of the Trailblazer Program under the Sta. Cruz Tourism Office, positioning the municipality as a top trail running destination in Southern Mindanao. A strong focus on eco-tourism and community involvement, the event brings together athletes, nature lovers, and local stakeholders for a cause that goes beyond the finish line.

The start venue is the new Sta Cruz New Municipal Hall and the 75km will be flagged off on Saturday afternoon 4 pm. Santa Cruz can be reached easily by public transport and grab cars from Davao City.

Online registration is open and can be accessed via the button below. It is also recommended to join the facebook page of the event to stay up to date on latest developments.

This year’s Prenn Trail Summit in Dalat, Vietnam, has been moved forward on the trail calendar and is now scheduled for the last days of November. It will be a major Grandmaster bonanza, as there’s no fewer than four GM distance categories on the event programme. The longest one is even a mega ultra of 250km! Slightly less ambitious trail runners looking for a Grandmaster point can also choose for the 187km, 103km and 75km categories. Important: PTS is only part of the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2025, not of the Championship calendar.

Directed by the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Lam Dong Province, and executed by Unique Events & Media in collaboration with Tea Resort Prenn, Prenn Trail Summit presents a unique opportunity for runners to challenge their limits while exploring the unparalleled beauty of Lam Dong in an inspiring setting. ‘PTS’ goes all-in on the long ultra scene, after already producing the longest ever Vietnamese ultra in 2024. As the great event website reads: “ These awe-inspiring and grueling trails will test the endurance, determination, and strength of each participant, providing runners with an experience that goes beyond conquering the race – it is a journey to overcome themselves.”

Prenn Trail Summit centres around the Prenn tea resort and, while also Dalat, offers a different trail course going into different areas than other events, such as Lam Dong Trail. The 250km starts on 27 November already, i.e. on Thursday at 13:00 lunchtime. The 187km runners start early on Friday morning, quasi around sunrise. If you’re aiming for the 100km or the 75km then flag off is at different times on Saturday night late.

The 2024 edition indeed had very good feedback from also the many international participants, which included reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell, Chris Timms, Tomohiro Mizukoshi, Risa Kamiya, Yvette Chong Mi Chin and plenty of other very experienced trail runners in the Asian region.

Registration is open, and you can also check all the details of the requirements and the course maps on the website. Latest updates are also frequently posted on the official facebook page of Prenn Trail Summit.

Mantra 116 spoke Japanese this year as both winners of the brutal mountain trail across Welirang and Arjuno in Malang, East Java, come from the land of the rising sun. Yuta Matsuyama, already second once, took the lead by himself as co-leader Jeff Campbell, the reigning ATM Champion, pulled out at km 68. Former winner Rachmat Septiyanto could not catch him towards the end and settled for second place with Filipino Jomarc Ferrer a strong third.

In the women’s race, Chizuru Inoue proved to be faster than Vietnam’s ultra legend Le Thi Hang and equally experienced Indonesians Septiana Nia Swastika and Sianti Candra.

With the start usually at night, trail runners enjoyed the most magnificent views of Gunung Welirang, above 3000m, by sunrise. One week after finishing second in UTSG 50 in Singapore, Campbell left his comfort zone to try out the technical Mantra trails for the first time. He started well and set the pace together with Yuta Matsuyama, a regular in ATM and on his day good for podium and victory. Already twice winner of UT Chiang Mai and this season’s Luang Prabang Ultra Trail, Matsuyama had to come back to Mantra to try and do better than second place last year. He was certainly ‘on call’, and just pursued his journey when Campbell retired citing “my legs went away” . The question was whether Septiyanto would catch Matsuyama, but not so this year for the runner from Central Java, also a specialist for these type of long mountains ultras. Jomarc Ferrer, ATM Finalist for Philippines last year and again running strong this season, climbed up the leaderboard in the second half and snatched podium.

In the women’s race, Le Thi Hang arguably took a too easy approach early on, while Chizuru Inoue went out strongly. Septiana Nia Swastika also was unable to bridge the initial gap to the Japanese runner, but will be happy with third ahead of Sianti Candra, who had a tough day on the trails.

On the 68km, runners from Reunion island claimed the spotlights. Well-known Marcelle Puy, set Welirang alight as she was reportedly first overall on the summit! Unfortunately, she later missed a course marking sign and went the wrong way, following which she decided to DNF. First place hence went to Singapore’s Dening Lo, already winner of this race a year ago. She finished clearly ahead of another Reunion athlete, Alexandra Assoumi and third -placed Azarin Putri from Indonesia.

In the men’s race we witnessed a tight and exciting battle between Christopher Camachet, from Reunion, and the relentless former ATM Champion Arief Wismoyono. The duo battled it out nearly the entire race and were never really more than ten minutes apart. But Wismoyono was unable to catch Camachet, not even in his specialty - the descent. A little less than half an hour later, Abdul Aziz Dermawan continued his fine form of late by taking third on the podium ahead of Malaysia’s Muhammad Faris - winner in Gombak just twee weeks ago - and Taofik Hidayat, from Bandung in West Java.

Mantra 116 was the penultimate Indonesian points race in Season 10 of the Asia Trail Master Championship. The last one is Ijen Mountain Marathon on the first weekend of September, also the last race before the Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October.

The Karate Kit is totally back !! Hisashi Kitamura brilliantly won the 100 km points race at Shiga Kogen in Nagano, just a week after nearly winning Deep Japan Ultra 80 as well. In Niigata he had to settle for third place after a marshall error, but last weekend everything went according to plan. Kitamura took a humble start and at some point was even reported to be running only in seventh place. Up front it was Shoma Maruyama, one of the protagonists in The 9 Dragons earlier this season, who was setting the pace together with Jun Takeuchi and Takumi Sawayamagi. The weather was cool and runners also had to negiotiate a few rain drops, but all in all conditions were great. As the beautiful day time race continued, Kitamura began to move up the leaderboard as Shoma Maruyama began to slow down. At km 80, Kitamura was in the lead. Who says you cannot perform at a high level two weeks in a row? It’s the 10th career win in Asia Trail Master for last year’s and the 2019 vice-champion. He will be again among the top favourites to finally clinch the title. Kitamura actually needed a good result to be certain of qualfiication. Since he moved back to Japan, he is compelled to be choosing his races more carefully and is no longer travelling as much.

In second place in the finish was Takumi Sawayamagi and in third Jun Takeuchi. Shoma Maruyama took fourth, just like in the 9 Dragons in February, which means he now has 800 ATM points in the bag. That might be sufficient for qualification into Team Japan for the ATM Final. Yoshiki Toda nearly caught him, but finished fifth.

The women's 100k race was won by Sachi Nakano, ahead of Shiori Uehara and Ayaka Oono.

An annual high mountain trail classic already in our series, Mantra 116 in East Java’s Malang again promises to offer some exciting racing this weekend. Both the 116km and 68km points races begin at the same time this year, at midnight tonight, and the longest category is blessed with the presence of the reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell. Barely six days after finishing second in UTSG 50, Campbell goes out of his comfort zone for the second time this year after V Trail in Laos. Known for years as a very fast but a technically less-skilled trail runner than the Onifas, Amats and Sherpas of this region, it is admirable and commendable for others to see Campbell still trying out new things and challenging himself to this great extent. And of course, wherever he starts he is among the top favourites no matter what. 

He certainly won’t get his 12th ATM race victory on a silver platter. Among the contenders are local Indonesian long ultra stars such as Rachmat Septiyanto and Yusuf Aprian, both already winners in Mantra in the past. Yuta Matsuyama may find the colder temperatures in this race very much to his liking. Java-based Colombian Daniel Ortiz is also running and followers of ATM may remember he was the first winner in Season 10, at Dieng Trail Run back in late September. Another Indonesia-based expat, from Egypt, is Ahmed Bedair, who is also often competing for the prizes. Filipino ATM Finalist last year Jomarc Ferrer knows what a tough long ultra is, too. Ferrer has just scored two fourth places in H1 (100 Miles) and Point Trail Ultra 70, both against top competition so he is in fine shape. Bandung’s Hilman Maulana to our knowledge is making his debut on the 116 at Mantra, after having scored podiums on the 68k in the past few years. 

The women’s 116k was long dominated and even attempted by just one woman, Shindy Patricia. But more and more women have been trying the long ultra and also this year we have quite a few on the start list. Sianti Candra may be the top favourite, but there’s also Vietnam’s Le Thi Hang. As Vietnam’s long ultra specialist, she may give Candra a tough time for the win. Septiana Nia Swastika and Novita Wulandari are two more known contenders. 

In the women’s 68km, last year’s winner Dening Lo from Singapore will be trying to repeat her accomplishment this Saturday. ATM overall points leader Ritzy Amor was supposed to be one of her main challengers, but reports from Malang say that Ritzy could not fly to Indonesia. Malaysia’s Halimatun Sa’adiah was second behind Dening Lo a year ago, and is also running again together with her compatriot Lynda Marylyn. Let’s see if someone from the local Indonesian side can pull of a surprise. 

It’s a big start field on the 68km and we are bound to see some new names popping up the leadeboard. Malaysia’s Muhammad Faris could be one to challenge Bandung star Arief Wismoyono for the win. Faris has just won Gombak 50 in impressive style, and he also ran Mantra before. Taofik Hidayat cannot be underestimated, but was struggling in this year’s Bali BTR. 

ATM will be reporting live from Mantra 116 starting on Friday evening.

One week after UTSG 50, Jeff Campbell is back in action already and bravely starts mantra 116

Dening Lo: one of the top favourites on the 68km women

MUhammad Faris was an impressive 50k winner at Gombak two weeks ago

Ritzy Amor is busy bee this season: the overall points leader starts her 6th ATM race. She won her last one.

Rachmat Septiyanto can use all his Mantra experience to again finish on top of the podium

Nia Swastika is one of the favourites in the women’s 116km

Also Thang Hoang Huu from Vietnam is back in Mantra this weekend

The second of our Japanese back-to-back points race weekends features Shiga Kogen 100 in Nagano, a great new entry on our Asia Trail Master Championship calendar. A very scenic 100km race with 5100 hm elevation gain awaits the runners, as they cross one of the country’s main national parks, which is also labelled a UNESCO Eco-Park. Despite the considerable elevation gain, the trail course is more runable and less technical than last week’s Deep Japan Ultra in Niigata. A few people are doing the double, the most prominent of those being Hisashi Kitamura.

The vice-ATM Champion 2024 and 2019 had a stroke of bad luck last week at DJU. Comfortably leading the 80km race at the 50k aid station point, Kitamura was then sent onto the short distance course by a confused marshal. By the time he noticed something was wrong, it was already several kilometres further and two other runners had moved ahead of him. Kitamura took third place on the podium as a result, which still had significance as it boosted his Season 10 ATM points totally to 715 and third place in Japan’s ATM ranking. The Top 5 gets automatically qualfied for this year’s Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October. Since he moved back to Tokyo, Hisashi Kitamura is primarily focusing on the ATM races in Japan to score points, so Shiga Kogen 100 remains important in that context. With more and more Japanese runners entering ATM points races, 715 points is probably not yet completely safe. On Saturday, he will be up against some other known Japanese elite runners, such as Takumi Sawayanagi and Shoma Maruyama. The latter was fourth in the 9 Dragons earlier this year and could get himself in a strong position to be qualified for Team Japan as well.

Shiga Kogen 100 is organised by the Shiga Kogen 100 Race Committee and Mr Koji Otsuka, one of the country’s most experienced trail running event organisers. 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 lies at about 1600m above sea level, and the highest point of the course is at 2200m. The organisers are confident that that despite the elevation gain, the 100km is a great introduction to the classic ultra distance for those who have never done it before. On the start list we also see several runners from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Philippines to name a few. Two Filipino women are to watch out for: Avegail Depanay and Metzi Joy Alson. Both are having a great competitive ATM season and are currently ranked fifth and sixth in the Filipino points ranking. Also Malaysia’s Ng Kwan Hooi has been going well and could propel herself into her country’s Top 5 with a good result at Shiga Kogen this weekend.

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.

Hisashi Kitamura: can he score the victory at Shiga Kogen 100 ?

Shoma Maruyama was 4th in the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong earlier this year

We are delighted to announce that Island Trail Awaji has joined the Asia Trail Master Championship calendar with its popular event on Sunday, 23 November. Awaji is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The nearest best-known city is Kobe and international travelers best fly into Osaka. On the programme for ATM points is the 43km race from A to B, from Ama Coast Beach to Omaha Beach Park, across the Yuzuruha Mountain Range. In total there is 2200 hm of elevation gain to be conquered, which is not nothing for a relatively short race.

Race day is Sunday, but runners better come to the island already on Saturday to collect their race packs at the finish venue, i.e. Omaha Beach Park. It’s also the location of the famous Sumoto Castle. It is probably good to find accommodation in this area as well, and make use of the shuttle bus to the start area on Sunday morning. The start of the race is scheduled for 8 am.

Island Trail Awaji is open for 700 runners. Registration is open and all details are available in English via the standard Sports Entry platform, which is also linked below. Also check the mandatory gear list and transportation options to reach Awaji island.

On the beautiful event website we can also find out about many tourist and sightseeing spots and read about Awaji as the Island of Creation.

Accoding to the "Kuni-umi" (Birth of the Land) myth in the Kojiki, Japan's okdest chronicle, Awaji Island was the very first island born in Japan, created by the deities Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto. The two deities stirred the chaotic, newly-formed earth with the heavenly spear, Amenonuboko. Drops of salt water fell from the tip of the spear and solidified, forming Onokoro Island, followed by the birth of Japan.

Awaji, the "Miketsukuni" that Provided Food for the Imperial Court

Surrounded on all sides by the sea, Awaji Island has long been known for its abundance of marine products such as salt, fish, and seaweed. Its reputation for these blessings of the sea reached all the way to the ancient capital, and many anthologies and historical texts, including the Manyoshu, mention "Awaji salt" and refer to Awaji as a "Miketsukuni"-a land that supplied food to the imperial court. Even today, Awaji Island is proud of its rich food resources.

https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/stories/story030/