Also in peninsular Malaysia trail runners can keep looking forward to new event experiences as new races get established and further developed. One of those is Selama Ultra in Perak, which enjoyed a very successful edition this year with nearly 2000 participants. The organisational team is now aiming to increase the visibility also across borders and has applied for the ATM Candidate Race label for the next edition from 8 to 11 April 2027. On the programme are five race distance categories, among which a 85km long ultra.

Race venue of Selama Ultra is Dewan Semai Bakti, FELDA Ijok, Selama in the northern part of the State of Perak. The 85 km is the main category and has approx 3500 hm of elevation gain. The course offers a combination of technical trails, forest sections, rural landscapes and the Bukit Ganding area. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 55km with about 2500 hm, or shorter distances, such as the 35km, 15km or 5km fun trail.

Selama is known for its countryside charm, featuring tropical rainforests with waterfalls, old town and ecotourism with emphasis on adventure activities including river rafting and kayaking.

You can stay up to date and find all details on Selama Ultra via its facebook page below, or join the instagram page.

An interesting new entry on the Grandmaster Quest calendar for 2027 is Pangantucan Ultra Trail. Organised by the Ultra Runner Republic - known from Mt Kalatungan Ultra - in collaboration with Sugar Cane Trail Ultra Runners, this event takes place in the southwestern part of Bukidnon in Mindanao, Philippines. On the programme for Grandmaster Quest point chasers is a 70km with approx 3000 metres of elevation gain. Rendez-vous on 20/21 February 2027.

As the aforementioned Kalatungan Ultra cannot be held for the time being, the Pangantucan Ultra Trail will honour the mountain nonetheless by providing stunning views of this fifth highest mountain in the Philippines. The 70km is described as a challenging route with a dirt road to a stunning view of one of the tourist destination,Lake Napalit. Also part of the trails are the famous Kimereges Blue Water and Kidanggin Hot Spring. Less ambitious runners can also choose a 42km and 21km option.

The main objective of the Pangantucan Ultra Trail, aside from promoting trail running as a healthy sport, is building camaraderie among runners and also to showcase the natural beauty of Pangantucan and its trails as an adventure and tourism destination.

All details can be obtained via the facebook page linked below. Note there is a fixed quota of 700 runners at most.

Last weekend’s Taman Negara Ultra in peninsular Malaysia saw a big turnout for its second edition. The event was labelled as an ATM Candidate and its programme featured several race distances including the classic 100km and 50km Organized by Persatuan Rekreasi Taman Negara, the event centred around Kuala Tahan in Jerantut and aimed to showcase the area as a premier eco tourism destination and it is also the gateway to the world's oldest rainforest.

The 100km and 50km logically claimed most attention. Both had significant elevation gain to. conquer with 4500 for the 100k and nearly 2400 hm for the 50k. Both categories had a lot of nighttime running and had to cope with some serious rainfall. The DNF rate was quite high as a result.

Amierul Amin added another race victory to his record and more and more seems to be the benchmark for long ultras in peninsular Malaysia. His finishing time of 19h46 indicates clearly how tough the 100km race was. He was nearly an hour ahead of Adam Danial Zailani in second and Hanafi Hasan in third on the podium. Only three women made the finish of the 100k. Elsa Ng took the victory in 30h23. Goh Pei Fen was second and Roziana Ladde third.

Also the winner of the 50km needed 9h23 to complete the course. Ibrahim Karim took the honours with a significant gap on Mohd Hatta Wahab and Mohd Hasrul Hisham Mazlan.

Halimatun Sa’adiah was the strongest woman last weekend in a time of 11h23. Michelle Ng was second in 12h02 ahead of Chong Mei Tze in 12h56.

Amierul Amin was an ATM Finalist in 2023.

Halimatun Sa’adiah

We are happy to announce a new ATM Candidate Race in the eastern Visayas of the Philippines. Sinirangan Trail Ultra will be held for the second time out of Tacloban City in Leyte with a 50km race as main distance category. Set up as a boutique event for proper trail running enthusiasts, the event is directed by Ray Neil Caminong and scheduled for 14/15 November.

The 50km race has considerable elevation gain with nearly 2800 hm. The start will be at midnight on Sunday, thus making it a Sunday race. Cut-off time at the finish will be after 16 hours. Note that there is a registration quota so if you want to be part of the event, sign up quickly. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 32km, 16km or 8km categories.

Sinirangan Trail Quest takes place where the sport remains relatively uncommon and unknown. The event aims to grow trail running culture and community in Tacloban City and Leyte.. The event seeks to promote local tourism by showcasing the area's mountain trails and natural landscapes, while supporting the local economy and communities near the race course. Ultimately, the event aspires to establish Tacloban City and the Leyte Province as a recognized international trail running destination in the Philippines.

You can find out more details on the official facebook page , and also sign up via Racemeister.

It was great to see a new ambitious event taking off in the Cordillera mountains near Baguio in Philippines last weekend. UTCP as the event is now commonly known did not miss its inaugural edition and opportunity as an ATM Candidate Race. A great line-up of trail runners from across the country and a solid organisational team made for a great weekend out of the John Hay camp, close to the city of Baguio. UTCP was serious stuff for runners, however. To the extent some participants argued it was perhaps a bit too technical. Finishing times reflect the tough terrain of the 100km and 50km race courses.

Fastest man on the 100km, named Saleng 100, was Ligorinson Abbugao in a time of 16h18’17”. That was one-and-a-half hours quicker than second-placed Dennies Lajada. Ronnel Valero took third in 18h21, followed by Rafy Ciano and Johnrey Espadon. In the womens’ 100km, Rhea Falitnang was once again outstanding and took the victory in 22h14. Elma Bengwasen and Maria Isabel Reyes were second and third in 24h12. Sandra Patricia Bernal and Grandmaster Ann. Jilian Pulanco finished in fourth and fifth place.

On the 50km we got pleasantly re-acquainted with Randolf Gonzales after a season away from the ATM circuit. Gonzales was fastest in 6h02, twenty minutes ahead of a strong John Taquiqui. They were well ahead of the other competitors, of whom Kart Russel Dela Cruz grabbed third place ahead of Albert Codamon and Vinson Ramos. Also the women’s 50km saw a nice battle for victory with Trisha Reyes eventually taking it in 8h53, just ahead of Myrna Batiyeg. Loraine Dulagan was third in 9h12. One of Philippines’ female trail legends Majo Liao made a nice appearance and finished fourth, ahead of Mercy Tacloy.

100km race winner Ligorinson Abbugao

Great to be back: Randolf Gonzales

Trisha Reyes, fastest woman on the 50km

Rhea Falitnag unbeatable on the women’s 100km

Maria Reyes : third on the 100km

The first edition of Zamboanga Ultra Trail, an ATM Candidate Race, took place last weekend in and around the home of Kik Suello. The 75km main race saw an exciting battle for victory between Exeqiel Velez, Ronie Jandong and Roel Castillo. They ran together, pushing one another to their limits until one finally fell behind. In the end, Exeqiel and Ronie reached the finish line together and decided to settle it, with Exeqiel Velez claiming victory followed by Ronie Jandong in 2nd place! Meanwhile, Mich Orbunda managed to still grab 3rd place.

In the women’s category, Shina Bernardo took home 1st place, while Grandmaster Realyn Lugo secured 2nd place.

Last weekend, the Dahilayan Baby Trail was held in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon - a new ATM Candidate Race by the MUSPO series team. The longest distance on offer was 42km with just under 1500 hm of elevation gain. Dahilayan is the name of a forest park at the foot of Mount Kitanglad.

The men’s 42km race saw an impressive performance by John Delgado, who crossed the finish line in 3h29’!! We are already looking forward to seeing him in a Championship Qualifier this new season. Delgado was more than an hour ahead of Jan Barangan and Melquisedec Akut.

In the women’s race, Jessa Vicente had the upper hand and finished first in 6h19. That was ten minutes quicker than Maricel Barde, who in turn was a few minutes ahead of Rechael Rosales.

Argel Dave Estrologo and Rearose Abi-abi ruled the F’lomlok Trail Run 70-kilometer held last September 5-6 at the Landan Elementary School in Polomolok, South Cotabato. The event received the ATM Candidate Race label. Local runners had the upper hand in the competition, with the 70k as the main distance category and a potential new Grandmaster Quest race for next season.

Estrologo of Tupi, South Cotabato clocked 15 hours, 4 minutes & 38 seconds to win the men’s open 70km race. Second was 37-year-old Anthony Tenefrancia, also of Tupi at 15:08:12 followed by Roger Piloton [15:11:08]. Abi-abi, on the other hand, finished 5th overall and the first in the women’s side at 17:13:46. Jonalyn Sevilla [20:32:10] is second followed by Hannah Aivie Miranda [20:32:14].

Lawyer Kathrina Vanessa Hagoriles of the Lady Justice Endurance Events is the race chairman. She recently also became an official ATM Grandmaster.

Tunggul Melati Trail was a new ATM Candidate Race near KLIA airport and Putrajaya in Malaysia last weekend, Basically a night race for the faster runners wiith an evening start of the 85km and 65km main categories. The courses are generally quite runable, especially given the dry conditions of the past days, but the main difficulty - Bukit Tunggul - comes at the very end of the race. The expected favourites for victory also delivered: ATM FInalist and Grandmaster Ritzy Amor won the women's 85km race and finished third overall, behind the men's winner Amierul Amin and Bali's Nizar Surydratama. Grandmaster Rasyid Salehuddin was third on the men's podium just behind Amor, also a Grandmaster. Last month, Amierul Amin also won the Magnificent Baling 100, a race on our Grandmaster Quest calendar.

Amierul Amin finished in 12h15, indicating that the 85km race in Selangor, close to Putrajaya and Sepang was probably a bit tougher than generally assumed. The gap to Suryadratama was nearly two hours with Ritzy Amor still a bit further back.

On the 65km it was Yusof Abdul Manan taking victory by just 14 minutes over Chin Tat Lim. His finish time was 9h21. The women's race was won by Halimatun Sa'adiah in 10h38, ahead of fresh Grandmaster Ang Yee Mei, who completed the first level of her GM Quest just a week ago at Borneo TMBT.

Tunggul Melati Trail had well over 1500 participants for its second edition this year, spread out across several distance categories. It is expected to be held on the same early September weekend nest year as well.

Trail running continues to grow and new events keep blossoming in the southern Philippines. Today we are happy to announce that Gold Rush Trail has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its next edition on 16/17 January 2027. it will be the first ATM labelled event in Zamboanga Peninsula and the Northwestern part of MIndanao. Organised by Parokya ni Basti Happy Feet Events and event director Rhodel Sarande, Gold Rush Trail Ultra features a 50km as main distance category. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 25km, 10km or 7km at the event.

The 50km is challenging with over 3000 metres of elevation gain. The course goes through the backyard playground in the Gold Rush Hills of Sibutad in Zamboanga del Norte. It is not the first edition of the event, but with local support the idea is to create wider awareness and attract trail runners from further away . To get there, you may taken a domestic flight to Dipolog airport, coming from Manila or Cebu. There’s also plenty of busses from Cagayan de Oro.

Via the facebook page below you can stay up to date with the event proceedings. There’s also a nice video teaser to get you in the mood. Registration is also already open.

The inaugural edition of the only recently established Yam Trail in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia only saw happy faces at the finish line. Mongolian trail runners truly enjoyed the 75 km long ultra course or the 10 Miles shorter distance across the vast green grasslands with start and finish at the Genghis Khan Monument, one of the country’s main tourist spots. On top, the 75 km was won by a female runner: the experienced Choijinmagsar Zuunnast. Not only did she take the overall victory, she did it in a time of 7h38’58” … for 75 km and 1800 elevation gain!

The new Yam Trail is part of the Mongolia Empire Adventure Series, which also includes a Gravel Granfondo cycling race the day after. People can do both races. Yam Trail obtained the ATM Candidate Race label and is organised in cooperation with ATM. The ‘Yam’ was a relay-based postal, communication and intelligence network in the era of Genghis Khan.

Accountant by profession, Choijinmagsar Zuunnast is one of few runners in her country with international race experience. Running in the grasslands of her resident city clearly gave her wings and she arguably ran the race of her life. True, with perfect temperatures and dry trails, it was a pure runners’ paradise and lovers of technical mountain trails were at a disadvantage - as they usually are in Mongolia. It was also a daytime race, as the long ultra was flagged off just after sunrise at 6 am.

The male winner was Dorjpalam Unurragchaa, himself in a very respectable finish time of 8h41. He was engaged in a competition for victory with Sonomtseren Ariunbayar, who finished just four minutes later.

The 10 MIles was won by 24-year-old youngster Otgonjargal Lkhagvaragchaa in 1h20. He was slightly faster in a sprint against second-placed Senteg Bat-Otgon. First female was Dashnyam Ulziinaran in 2h04.

The 2027 edition of Yam Trail has already been set for the same weekend and Saturday, 14 August as specific date. Registration is expected to open in the beginning of September to allow international runners plenty of time to plan their trip to Mongolia’s capital city. Indeed, the 75km Yam Trail will also be an ATM Championship Qualifier and will of course also feature on the Grandmaster Quest calendar.

Choijinmagsar Zuunnast felt great at home and won the 75km race overall in a very fast time

Male winner Dorjpalam Unurragchaa (75002) was marginally ahead of Sonomtseren Ariunbayar

The dog followed the 75 km runners almost from start to finish! Asia Trail Dog Champion!

We are happy to announce that Ultra Trail Zamboanga (UTZ) has obtained the Asia Trail Master Candidate Race label for its inaugural edition on 25 October. It will be the home race of local trail running star Kik Suello and a new challenge for trail runners looking to experience the beauty, character, and adventure of Zamboanga City through the trails.

Zamboanga City is on the southern tip of the Zamboanga peninsula in the western part of Mindanao and has over a million residents. It’s the second most populous city in Mindanao after Davao City. It’s here and in its immediate surroundings where Kik Suello does his countless hours of training, which made him a race winner and ATM star over the past two seasons. UTZ, as the new event is abbreviated, will take participants through a mix of beautiful scenery, mountain trails, ridges, and breathtaking viewpoints, from one ridge to another and from one mountain to the next. Zamboanga may not have the highest mountains or the biggest waterfalls, but the organisers believe it has something special to offer: trails that tell a story and views that you will remember. The course will be Suello-like and is designed to be runnable, challenging, and enjoyable.

As Kik always says, “Run all the way if it’s possible.”

Expect a combination of runnable sections, climbs, descents, ridgelines, mountain-to-mountain trails, and scenic viewpoints that will test your strength and endurance while allowing you to experience the unique character of Zamboanga’s trails.
And, of course, you can expect the kind of aid stations and race support that the Zamboanga Trail Runners are known for. With the experience of organizing and participating in trail events, the team is committed to providing runners with a safe, organized, and memorable race experience.

The event location will be the Freedom Park-Girl Scout in Pasonanca. The main race will be 75km and the start will be given at 3am. As the organisers say: “The early morning start is part of the adventure. As the race progresses, runners will experience Zamboanga’s trails as the sun rises and the mountains begin to reveal the scenery around them. It is an invitation to run, explore, struggle, enjoy, and discover.” In any case, with over 4600 hm of elevation gain for the 75km, participants better come prepared. Of course, there are also shorter distances on offer, too.

For race updates, announcements, registration information, and other details, please follow the official event page.