Ijen Green Trail in Indonesia on 12 September

Just like last year, the last ATM Championship Qualifier of the season will take place in Indonesia on and around the fantastic Ijen volcano in Banyuwangi, East Java. The race in question is the 50km, dubbed the Ijen Mountain Marathon as part of the overall Ijen Green Trail event. On the schedule for 12 September, it’s the last chance for runners to try and get themselves qualified for the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 3 October by ending the season in the top five of their country in our points ranking.

Ijen Mountain Marathon has a rather runable course with nevertheless almost 2000 metres of elevation gain. Highlight is of course the ascent and descent of the Ijen volcano, a tourist hotspot also for its famous crater and ‘blue fire’. As a volcano run, it is notably less technical than many others of its kind in Indonesia. Participants have 20 hours of time to complete the course, which is plenty. For newbies to longer distances, Ijen Mountain Marathon could be your ideal introduction to 50k trail races.

Banyuwangi has a small domestic airport with a few flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali. The latter destination may be most worthwhile for international participants, as you can travel overland by bus or car from the airport and main tourism hub to the boat ferry in West Bali, which takes you across the strait to Banyuwangi city. More details on logistics can be obtained via the event’s instragram page linked below.

Last year, the 50k race was won by Akhmad Nizar in the men’s and Dian Pradina in the women’s.