This weekend the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series continues with another doubleheader. Korea 50K in Northern Asia and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Southeast Asia. Both events meanwhile have established a tradition and will see the participation of a strong set of runners. 

Mount Apo is the highest mountain of the Philippines at an altitude of nearly 3000m, located near Davao on Mindanao Island. Race director Doi Calbes has further upgraded his A-race from last year’s 70K to a full 100K this weekend. This is a technical and challenging trail that appeals to experienced trail runners. It should be noted that last year’s winner and 2nd placer Pablo Diago Gonzales and Rexell Aguirre are both coming back. They will face the challenge of some other good runners such as David Gianelli, the Italian who impressively won the Indonesia SuperTrail last season. For Pablo Diago Gonzales, a top 2 result would place him in 2nd place of the ATM ranking behind leader Harry Jones. Also on the start list but a question mark is the other Singapore-based Italian Alessandro Sherpa. Still struggling with a foot injury, it is not sure he will be tackling Mount Apo. Thailand-based pinoy runners Joeffrey Camara and Jorge Lanante should be considered for a podium finish, as well as a number of local runners who can always create a surprise. 

Manilyn Mamugay was the women's race winner last year and she also will defend her title. Shindy Patricia from Indonesia was scheduled to be a main competitor, but a passport visa application took a longer time than envisaged and Shindy is unfortunately unable to travel this weekend. Hong Kong's Tanya Bennet and Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag are podium candidates. 

In Dongducheon, near Seoul, in South Korea the country’s biggest trail race is entering its 4th edition on Saturday. Forest hills characterise this tough 58K that will see Takashi Doi from Japan face local top runners such as Sim Jaeduk. 

We will be reporting live from both events on Saturday, as usual subject to connectivity. 

Pablo Diago Gonzales (1) and Rexell Aguirre (2) return to Mt Apo this weekend

After a one week break, the busy spring campaign in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship continues this Saturday on two different locations. In China, we have the return to ATM of Ultimate Tsaigu in China, aka Tsaigu Tangsi Plus. In Po Luong, we have the second Vietnamese points race of the season: the Vietnam Jungle Marathon.

From a championship point of view, eyes will be set on Filippino runner Majo Liao, who is competing in the tough 100K in Linhai, China. Never afraid of a mountain challenge, Majo Liao is one of several Filippinos who will tackle the rough Kuocang mountain range. For Majo, it will be the 3rd ATM points race of the year, and a top 4 result would put her back in the lead in the points standings. Liao is 398 points behind Indonesia’s Ruth Theresia at the moment. Ultimate Tsaigu is one of China’s leading international trail races and has never ceased to grow since its conception in 2014. As part of the ATM calendar since 2015, some of the country’s top runners such as Yan Longfei and Ma Yanxing have won the  A-race, which began as a 58km but since a few years measures 100K. This weekend, there’s also  a 65K B-race that will provide points for the championship. Malaysia’s Azuan Asmuni is expected to be a challenger for the local runners on that distance. 

The 100K will see China’s elite versus a number of international elite runners from Europe, such as Spain’s  Juanjo Larrotcha   . Very interesting will be the dual between the two protagonists Qi Min and of the UTWT race in Hong Kong last January:    . 

In Vietnam, local trail hero Quang Tran can score his second victory of the season on the 70km. Dominator in Dalat Ultra Trail in March, Quang Tran will be keen to win in Po Luong, as last year he still had to accept defeat against his compatriot Cao Ngoc Ha, who himself has  his focus on triathlon at the moment. If he wins, Quang Tran collects another 500 points and that would place him in the top 5 of the championship. He’s the kind of runner who can play a major role in the title battle later this year. On paper, Quang Tran is the fastest runner on the ultra distance of 70k. For the remaining podium spots it will be an open competition with Quang Nguyen a prime pick, having scored several podia before in trail races. 

Also the women’s race is quite open but with several runners who already have quite a pedigree on the tour. Nguyen Thi Duong and Phuong Vy Le, for example, or also Sara Valentina. The local race director also expects a good performance by Bangkok-based Kylie Jane Ayson. 

We will be reporting live from both events this Saturday, subject to connectivity. The latter - as most of you know - is not guaranteed in China due to restrictions on the use of social media such as facebook, twitter and instagram. 

Quang Tran set for his second ATM race victory of the season

Indonesia is known for its hardcore technical trail events, where all the efforts are nonetheless superbly compensated by the most astonishing scenic views. Mantra Summits Challenge in East Java is a relative newbie following that trend. Last year's successful Candidate Race is now an official Asia Trail Master points race scheduled for 14/15 July and the new updated 75K A-race has just been revealed: A tough mountain race with Gunung Welirang and Gunung Arjuna as highlights towering 3300m above sea level. The 75K now also includes more runable sections after the technical descent, and two more smaller climbs of Mount Mahapena and Puthuk Lesung. All in all, runners face an elevation gain of 5675 hm! This is a race for the pure technical mountain runner. Perhaps it was no coincidence that last year the men's podium was filled with three of this specimen: Fandhi Achmad, Jan Nilsen and Pablo Diago Gonzales. 

Last year's 51K course is still on the programme as well, but serves now as the B-course. 

Host of the event is again the beautifully authentic Kaliandra Eco Resort in Malang. Organisers are of course the people of the Malang Trail Runners, which includes one of Asia's best technical trail women Shindy Patricia.

Registrations are open. 

Mantra 116

The organisers of the Tam Dao Mountain Trail in Vietnam, scheduled for 23/24 June, have regretfully informed us that their event has to be postponed for political reasons. A new event date is still being discussed, and is likely to be mid-October or mid-November. 

The 70K trail race nearby Hanoi was a successful newcomer on the ATM scene last year. Course modifications have been planned to reduce the road sections even more. Stay tuned for more details to come soon. 

EXCLUSIVE - Join the Adidas Infinite Trail World Championships Relay in Gastein, Salzburger Land, Austria from 22 to 24 June with a 20% discount on the registration fee! 333 Teams of 3 runners each will battle for the world title in an exquisite mountain setting over a total distance of 124 km and 7100 hm. 

It's the Ultimate Team Challenge. Each runner does a different loop from start/finish and in the end all team members cross the finish line together. Loops vary in length and elevation:

Loop 1: 25 km and 1900 hm
Loop 2: 57 km and 3400 hm
Loop 3: 40 km and 2100 hm 

Before the championship race, there is also a mandatory prologue race for ALL participants on Friday: a vertical run of 18 km and 1500 hm, which will determine the starting order of the relay world championship race on the weekend. 

So if you're looking for a special kind of new trail experience in Europe this summer: look no further. We recommend flying to Munich airport in southern Germany, but Salzburg, Innsbruck and even Vienna are alternative international airports. 

The special discount code for Asia Trail Master is:
AIT18TR , available until 30 April. 

The top 3 of the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship have received a special invitation to this event. We are happy to provide this great opportunity to our runners. 

All details on: 
https://infinitetrails-worldchampionships.com/en/home/

Sandi Menchi: unbeatable on 50K

Sungai Menyala Forest Trail is not for nothing called the ‘fastest 50k trail in the Asia Trail Master circuit’. Whereas last year rainfall had made several sections muddy and slippery, conditions yesterday were dry and smooth. It led to course records in both the men and women’s races, with a blistering 3:49 winning time for Britain’s Harry Jones! The young Chiang Mai-based runner took over the ATM championship points lead from Wilnar Iglesia by shaking off a very competitive field in Port Dickson. Two of the other pre-race favourites, Azuan Asmuni and Byeungwwon Park even quit the race halfway when already dropped by Jones, who was just flying. After two laps of 25K, Jones crossed the finish line witha bonus of nearly half an hour on eternal second Mohamed Affindi, and Indonesia’s new trail protagonist Margono not far further back. Affindi actually was outstanding himself, having just returned from the draining Beach Bunch Trail Challenge 100 last week (where he also came second). For Margono it was the second ATM podium this season after 2nd in Tahura Trail. Also the second time he proved to be quicker than Arief Wismoyono on this distance. The 2017 championship runner-up did well to arrive in fith place nonetheless, scoring more championship points after two fourth places earlier this season. In fourth place we had a surprise name: Japan’s Tomohori Mizukoshi. 

Alessandro Sherpa suffered again from his ankle injury sustained at UTKC in February and had to be content with 8th place. Lim Wen Shan did not start the race, unfortunately. 

It’s still early days in the ATM championship, but as some top runners have already put three race results on their 2018 account a few tendencies and theories can be developed. Harry Jones has 3 wins and looks like the one to beat. Yet, it may take some time before he returns to the ATM scene, as the professional runner has assignments in Europe in the coming months. To win the ATM championship, the best five race results in terms of points count, so three race wins won’t be enough. Other top runners will catch up in the ranking as the months pass by. 

Sandi Menchi remains undefeated on the ATM tour as she again proved her fast legs at Sungai Menyala. She repeated her victory of last year in this race and was again unchallenged. In fact, second place went to the same woman as well: Jassica Lintanga. And that deserves an extra round of applause, too. Just like her Malatra teammate Affindi, Jess ran the 100k in Brunei as well just a week ago. That performance made her a Grandmaster, and yesterday she showed she is still quick on the shorter trails as well. She preceeded her sister Adelinah Lintanga on the podium. Adelinah is better on the long ultras, but was in good form to stay ahead of Shindy Patricia. 

Ruth Theresia remains on top of the ATM championship standings, but sees Jassica Lintanga move up to a joint fourth with Sri Wahyuni. Second-placed Majo Liao is running again in two weeks in China, so the leadership may change yet again at Ultimate Tsaigu. 

Credits to Malatra

Harry Jones wins it BIG, but shows a lot of respect for his competitors such as Mohamed Affindi

A surprise 4th place for Japan's Tomohiro Mizukoshi

Indonesian "speed walker" Margono is rapidly making a name for himself on medium distance!

New Grandmaster Jassica Lintanga recovered very well to claim 2nd again at Sungai Menyala

The 2nd edition of Compressport Ultra Trail Nan in Thailand has opened registration. Runners keen on the tough 100k race - actually 109 km this year - need to be quick as entries are flying out the door. The shorter 50k distance is reportedly already sold out. 

UT Nan 100 was a popular new entry in last year's Asia Trail Master championship, and the event on 20/21 October is expected to grow significantly. The 109k course goes in and around the Doi Phu Kha Park and is quite tough with approx. 6000 metres of elevation gain! The event is sponsored by our partner COMPRESSPORT as well. COMPRESSPORT has designed fantastic-looking event shirts, which can be yours if you sign up  for the event soon here. 

COMPRESSPORT UTN 100

The 50 km of Sungai Menyala Forest Trail in Port Dickson, Malaysia, is often dubbed "the fastest trail in Asia"and is likely to be blistering fast this Sunday when a star-packed field takes the start shortly after sunrise. While Sandi Menchi is the top favourite to win the women's race like last year, the men's race has so many contenders you need both your hands to count them. To note is Harry Jones, the Briton who will be racing his 3rd points race of the year and therefore challenge Wilnar Iglesia's lead in the ATM championship. 

Sungai Menyala is a race through ancient rainforest not too far from Kuala Lumpur airport, which makes it easy for a weekend break. The 50k is very runable, but the heat and a number of muddy sections can disrupt a runner's pace. As such, it's the kind of race - like last week's Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei - that is much tougher than one expects looking at the race map and profile. "A mental game," as ATM points leader Ruth Theresia said after her victory in Brunei. 

The men's race is highly anticipated with no fewer than 8 runners who can realistically fight for the podium and the race victory. Some of them are already very well-known, others not so. The facebook community seems to regard Harry Jones as the most likely to come out on top, especially as he's in fantastic shape this early part of the season. Jones won the 50 miles of the 9 Dragons Ultra in Hong Kong and backed it up with a big win in Philippines at the Cordillera Mountain Ultra. Afterwards, the Chiang Mai-based Briton stayed in the Baguio area for a training camp. Sungai Menyala is flatter and faster than the two aforementioned races, and it is a fact someone like the South Korean Byeunggwon Park has a faster personal best than Jones on the road marathon(2:19!).  Park was struggling on the mountain trail of the Cordillera to finish 4th last month, proving that trail is not the same as road, yet if Sungai Menyala's trails are dry the Korean will be a serious contender for Jones and the rest this Sunday. The rest also has sub 3 hour marathon PBs. The local Malaysian contingent, for example, will be very much in business as well. Team Malatra's Mohamed Affindi is arguably best-known on the ATM tour. Statistically speaking, Affindi is more likely to finish second than win, but Merapoh Trail was his best race in ATM so far and that one's equally fast in normal conditions. Affindi has just returned from the 100K Beach Bunch, but he's such a strong fighter Sunday might as well be his big day. His compatriot Azuan Asmuni might hold a psychological advantage over Affindi, though, having beaten him convincingly in the Mount Tahan Climbathlon early January. Asmuni is first of all a triathlete, but he's developing a bigger appetite for trail running. Sungai Menyala is his first big points race in the ATM Championship. And what to think of Chinese Malaysian, Lim Wen Shan, the local king of the 50k races? One of those top runners dedicated to the medium trail distance. He won the 60K race of Magnificent Merapoh Trail in 2016, well-ahead of Philippines' Marcelino Sano-Oy. That's a big reference, indeed.

Indonesia also has two irons in the fire, and not the least: Arief Wismoyono and his new Bandung Explorer teammate Margono Margono. Wismoyono is a big name since the beginning of Asia Trail Master (champion in 2015, first runner-up in 2017) and third on the podium in Sungai Menyala last year behind Manolito Divina and Steven Ong. He's quicker again then 12 months ago, and his experience of the trails boosts his chances for Sunday. However, Margono is arguably the faster pure runner of the two. His credentials in ATM so far show a great second place in Tahura Trail in January. The former international speed walker for the Indonesian national team was putting the pressure on Jeff Campbell and Alessandro Sherpa for 30K into that race. Now with the assistance of his country's premier trail squad, Margono is expected to become a man to be reckoned with and especially on the 50K distance. Finally, Italy's Alessandro Sherpa returns to the ATM tour after sustaining a major foot injury in Thailand at UTKC mid-February. Sherpa's foot seems healed, as he has been very active in March. Sungai Menyala's trails should suit him and although he prefers long ultras, Sherpa has a good running pace on the short and medium distance. Brief, along with all the other runners just mentioned, Sherpa can claim any place from first to eighth in Sunday's race. What's more exciting than a competition with an unpredictable outcome!   

As mentioned in the intro of this race preview, Harry Jones can take over the lead in the Asia Trail Master points lead. Currently 4th with 982 points, he needs to do better than 14th place to overtake Wilnar Iglesia's 1250 points score. 

While the men's race is perfect for a friendly bet, the women's race is more clear-cut. Philippines' Sandi Menchi returns to Sungai Menyala, a race she won convincingly last season. It is the perfect trail course for her, and it is hard to imagine anyone challenging her this weekend.  Then again, things even go wrong for top runners such as Sandi Menchi. In Pilipinas Akyathlon she ran almost 10K in the wrong direction resulting in a DNF. Her ATM points account is therefore still dry this season, as at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong she opted for the 50K only and that was not a points race. Excluding the Akyathlon DNF, Menchi is still undefeated in ATM points races. 

The battle for the podium will be hot, however, as also the numbers 2 and 3 of 2017 are running again: Jassica Lintanga and Jeri Chua. Both have just returned from Brunei, where "Jess" even became the latest Asia Trail Grandmaster for completing her 6th 70+ ultra in 2 years. Jess finished third in the race, amazingly without really pushing it as she considers Sungai Menyala a major objective. That makes sense, because Jassica Lintanga has a good running pace and this is of course her Malatra team's home race. Her sister Adelinah Lintanga, also a Grandmaster, is arguably stronger on the long ultras, but can never be underestimated and is also in the race on Sunday. Singapore's Jeri Chua scored a podium on the 50K last week, and seems to improve again by the week after returning from quite a nasty injury. 

Indonesia also has a podium candidate in the mix with Shindy Patricia. Although probably better on technical ultras, Patricia was 2nd in UTKC Thailand in February, which was an excellent start to her ATM season. Not yet as well-known on the ATM tour but certainly hot for the podium is Malaysian Norhani Mohd Jaffar. She won the 25K race of Sungai Menyala last year, and is now stepping up to the big league so to speak. Others to watch are Faherina Mohd Esa and China-based Mexican Maria Aranalde. 

Sandi Menchi won last year ahead of Jess Lintanga and Jeri Chua. 

Sefli Ahar remains the measure of all things in the Bruneian trail running scene. For the third consecutive year the former winner of the Hong Kong Half Marathon won the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge, the premier trail ultra event in the country. It was arguably his most impressive victory of the three, in fact, looking at who finished behind him and how much distance he was eventually able to put between him and the others. Sefli crossed the line in 11:50, more than 1-and-a-half hours ahead of Mohamed Afindi and Wilnar Iglesia!! Sefli was a class apart last Sunday. It's 6th career ATM race victory. 

Being a police officer in his country, Sefli has found it hard to travel and cannot predict yet if he will again be able to challenge for the ATM Championship later this year. What's for sure is that he is now slowing down. Malaysia's Mohamed Afindi was already second behind Sefli at last summer's Magnificent Merapoh Trail, but the gap then was just about half an hour. While Afindi seems to be joining Isaac Yuen Wan Ho in the League of the Nearly Men, his first big victory in ATM is just a matter of time. Afindi proved his warrior instinct during the Beach Bunch and raced for the win against Sefli, rather than be happy with second. It nearly cost him second, as Philippines' Wilnar Iglesia still came quite close (10 minutes) at the finish. Iglesia himself was spent at the finish in another piece of evidence of how tough this so-called 'flat' race really is. It's Iglesia's first podium of the season after 4th in Akyathlon and 5th in Cordillera. His third top result propelled him into the lead of the ATM Championship for the first time in his career. Championship challengers better take note, because Iglesia was also 2nd in Penang Eco last year, a race he will return to next May! 

In fourth place was local runner Alex Chung. And that deserves a special mentioning. Chung, third last year in this race, was only 9 minutes behind Iglesia and 19 behind Afindi. A very consistent pace and a very promising result for the future. 

There is more than just Sefli in Brunei in any case. Another local, Amirul Tuah, became the 16th Asia Trail Grandmaster by finishing the 100k, his sixth ATM long distance finish within two years. Tuah joins his compatriot Ali Ajis Rasil ,who earned the Grandmaster title last December as first Bruneian. 

Also the women's race was spectacular and had a tighter battle for the race win than the men's. Indonesia's Ruth Theresia repeated her feat from last year, but clearly had to dig deeper as her compatriot Sri Wahyuni had the bit between her teeth! Ruth even had to catch her as Wahyuni took a faster start on the long road section before the runners hit the trails. But when everyone thought Wahyuni would quietly fade away and be happy to consolidate her second place, she kept on putting pressure on her more experienced and lauded compatriot. The gap was never more than half an hour and at the finish it was back down to 23 minutes. Ruth Theresia herself ran a great time of just over 17 hours (50 minutes faster than last year!), and regains the ATM championship lead with this second win of the season after UTKC in Thailand. It's also Ruth's 6th career win. But Wahyuni is certainly the new face of Indonesian female trail running: both quick and resilient. Beach Bunch was her 4th podium finish in ATM races, it won't be long before she claims that first victory. 

Malaysia's Jassica Lintanga took third on the podium. She decided not to mix with the two Indonesian ladies up front as her main goal was to claim the Grandmaster title. Her sister Adelinah already became a Grandmaster at the end of last year, and now "Jess" achieved the same in Brunei. Lintanga finished comfortably in 21:44 , earned a truckload of ATM championship points with her 3rd place, and will "race for position" already next week at her team Malatra's home race in Sungai Menyala, where she finished 2nd last year. Lintanga could become a genuine championship contender this season, although it is Ruth Theresia who has now regained the points lead at the expense of Majo Liao.

At BBTC there was a second A-race for ATM points. The 50K was surprisingly won by Filipino-Australian Andrew Hill in 4:44. He stayed 13 minutes ahead of Pablo Diago Gonzales, who returned after sustaining a knee injury at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong last month. Amirul Jamil from Brunei claimed the final podium step. 

In the women's 50K, Kathryn Deuerlein from Canada took top honours in 6:56. She was joined on the podium by local runner Judy Leslie and Singapore's Jeri Chua from the Red Dot Running Company, her second ATM podium finish after Sungai Menyala last season. 

The women's 100K podium: Ruth Theresia, Sri Wahyuni and new Grandmaster Jess Lintanga

Hail the new Grandmaster from Brunei: Amirul Tuah!

Wilnar Iglesia and Mohamed Affindi did what they could, but Sefli was just a tick too fast

The 3rd edition of the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei this weekend brings us a very interesting cast for both the 100k and 50k points races in the Asia Trail Master championship. The spotlights shine firmly on local hero Sefli Ahar, twice winner of the BBTC already, who is making his first appearance of the season. Sefli is up against none other than Malaysia's Mohamed Affindi, the young gun from Team Malatra who is determined to put Sefli Ahar under pressure. In the women's Ruth Theresia will defend her BBTC title as well, and if successful can become the new points leader in the championship. 

Sefli Ahar and Mohamed Affindi know each other very well from The Magnificent Merapoh Trail last summer. In that 100k race Sefli had to tolerate the company of rising star Affindi for a long part of the race. At the finish, the difference between the two was also not that overwhelming. Now with more trail experience in the bag, Affindi could get even closer to Ahar this Sunday. The Bruneian star is a local police officer and is very limited in his travel opportunities. Just like last season, Sefli needs to pick his races carefully and see where the ship sails throughout the year. If he can reach five race finishes by mid December, for sure he will again be a candidate for the ATM championship title. But first is the title defence in his home country. Other podium candidates in the men's 100k race this weekends are Alex Chung, also from Brunei, and Filippino Wilnar Iglesia. After coming fourth and fifth in Akyathlon and Cordillera Mountain Ultra, Iglesia is gunning for his third A-race finish of the season and therefore is in with a shot to take over the championship points lead from Dean Perez. Wilnar Iglesia needs to finish higher than 9th to achieve that. Given his speed in the two previous races that should be feasible, although a lot can happen on 100k. 

Another Bruneian, Amirul Tuah, will be competing mainly with himself on Sunday. Tuah is just 1 race finish short of completing his Grandmaster Quest! If he succeeds in the 100k, he will be the second Bruneian after Ali Ajis Rasil to obtain the 1-star Grandmaster. 

Also in the women's race we have someone keen to become Grandmaster this weekend. In the footsteps of her sister Adelinah, Jassica Lintanga is not only a favourite for the podium - maybe even the victory - but also a well-deserved Grandmaster if she reaches the finish of the 100k. Indeed, if Jassica has a good day, she will give Indonesia's Ruth Theresia a run for her money. Theresia aims to repeat last year's victory and take over the championship points lead from Majo Liao in her 3rd ATM race of the season. Twelve months ago, Theresia delivered one of her best performances ever on trail during the Beach Bunch. The question is can she do it again? This Sunday, another Indonesian functions as the dark horse for the top honours. Surabaya's Sri Wahyuni has proven to be both fast and resilient over the past half a year with podium places in three ATM points races in Indonesia. Still a relative newbie to trail, Wahyuni could grow into this race if Theresia and Lintanga were not to have their best day. 

There is also a 50K in Brunei and that one is also regarded as an A-race for the ATM points championship. That means the winner only scores 50 points less than the winner of the 100K, yet those 50 may turn out to be crucial at the end of the season. Last year, Tahira Najmunisaa opted for the 50k here, and lost the points championship to KIm Matthews by 35 points... 

A major protagonist on the 50K is Pablo Diago Gonzales. The Singapore-based Spaniard is returning from an unfortunate DNF at the 9 Dragons Ultra due to a knee injury, and will be keen to open his points account for 2018. In the women's, Singapore's Jeri Chua from the Red Dot Running Company could be the one to follow if you hoped to win the race. 

Jessica Lintanga can join her sister this weekend as Asia Trail Grandmaster

Ruth Theresia won last season: she is top favourite again in her 3rd ATM race of 2018

First Asia Trail Master points race in Singapore and also the shortest race on the tour with 25 km as total distance. We are happy to announce The Trail Blazer, part 4 of the COMPRESSPORT King of the Trail series in the country on 25 November! The Trail Blazer naturally caters for fast legs -there are no mountains in Singapore-, who get their chance to score a bulk of championship points at the end of the season in this race with start and finish in the Macritchie Reservoir. The event is ideal for a weekend outing with family to Singapore as well. If you're fast, you can even have brunch after the race. 

Precise course details will follow in due course, but COMPRESSPORT and Pink Apple, the experienced local organising company, is promising at at least 80% trail and a course as difficult as it gets in the country. Registration is already open.

While most races at the end of the season tend to be tough ultras, this one will allow faster runners to stay in the hunt for the championship title, which will be decided on the weekend of 7-9 December in Thailand and Japan as last year. Note that the points regulations for this last weekend will be amended for this year to create a more level playing field. More on that next week!

KOTT - The Trail Blazer

The Asia Trail Master Championship series goes to Bali! And this time not for a Candidate Race, but for a points race in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship. Plataran X Trail Bali Menjangan moves up and returns to the calendar on Saturday, 6 October! It will be this year's fifth Indonesian points race and will take place back-to-back with nearby Ijen Trailrunning in East Java. That's only a short boat ferry ride away, which means international runners can do both races during a short holiday break.  Options for a week long itinerary including both races will be provided soon. There may also be a special Wolf the Trail trophy for the best performer in both the two longest distances races of Ijen and Plataran X Trail. 

The 2018 long distance trail course of Plataran X Trail will be revised and updated in April and May, and will have a total length of anything between 50 km and 70 km maximum. The shorter distances of 25km and 7.1km for the less ambitious runners remain on the programme. While the terrain in West Bali inherently implies a runable course, we aim to introduce a little more elevation in this year's edition. Host of the event is of course the fantastic Plataran Menjangan Resort. Registration is scheduled to open in May 2018. 

More details will become available soon, meanwhile block your calendars!

Plataran X Trail Bali