The 2026 edition of the renowned V Trail in Vang Vieng, Laos, shows a completely new trail course design and a 50km as longest race distance. This category is also a qualifier for the ATM Championship ranking, the second one in Laos after Season 11’s opener Luang Prabang Trail back in October. V Trail is one of ATM’s meanwhile long-standing ‘boutique events’ , as always well-organised by the team of Green Step.

The 50km race actually has an interesting start list, even when there’s no “big hitters’” just two weeks after the Season 10 Championship Final at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong, which saw John Ray Onifa and Priya Rai grab the titles for the second time in their trail career. The Japanese race winner of Luang Prabang 75 will be one of the men to beat on Sunday morning. Taichi Yui already has 500 ATM points in his bag this season and another top result could already put him in a great place to join Team Japan in the next Championship Final in October. That would be something as Japan will of course be the title defending team at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam. One of the winning team’s runners two weeks ago will be racing already again tomorrow: Golden Grandmaster Tomohiro Mizukoshi. Perhaps no longer the fastest at age 50+, but if the new V Trail is indeed as runable as it is claimed to be now, he can certainly still eye a top 3 podium finish. Tomohiro remains a very consistently paced and competitive runner when the course suits him. There’s more lesser known Japanese runners on the start list this weekend, too. From the Philippines, Jordan Bugnay is one to watch for a fine result. Jordan has scored top five positions in races under ATM before. The same applies for his countryman and Grandmaster Henry Joe Cotillon . Furthermore, Belgium’s Antoine Deligne is running also again. Deligne got third in Luang Prabang and fifth in Kalaw in Myanmar last month. Being close to Laos, there’s of course again several Thai runners, of which Grandmaster Amorn Kimnguan and especially Santi Phongsraphang can be in the mix for podium. Santi was fourth in Kalaw 50k last month.

In the women’s 50km, most eyes will be fixed on Malaysia’s Jessica Lintanga. A 2-star Grandmaster and veteran of many race battles in ATM, “Jess” has been racing more sparingly in recent years. Still, runable 50km has always been her most competitive kind of trail race and if she still has the endurance the other female competitors will need to go passed her in order to take victory on Sunday. Let’s not discount the chances of local Yoth Soulivanthong, however. After all, she won the old, very technical, V Trail two years ago.

ATM will be updating live from the V Trail event in Laos on the usual channels as of 4:50 am local time (5:50 am Hong Kong time)

V Trail: total redesign invites new type of trail runner