We are happy to announce that the Tampin Transnaning Ultra in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, joins the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar this year on 19-21 September. The event, which was a Candidate Race two years ago, is a loop event and has two GM distances: 102km and 68km. The latter is officially not 70km, but has 4800 metres of elevation gain - enough for a GM point, similar with Mantra 68km. The 102km is essentially 3 loops and named “Challenger”, the 68km is 2 loops and named “Ultra”. The ‘loop’ is 34km on and around Mount Tampin.

Tampin Hill is close to Malacca and a popular hiking destination away from the hustle bustle of nearby Seremban city, which is approximately 1 hour drive or 60km away. One of the nation’s oldest forest reserves, Tampin Hill is a hill dipterocarp forest. By geographical definition, Mount Tampin stands at the southern end of the Titiwangsa Mountains, the longest and most contiguous mountain range in Malaysia and part of the Tenasserim Hills. Being a twin-peaked mountain, it consists of the main peak (North Tampin Peak), measuring 764 m (2,507 ft) above sea level; and the lower Tampin Hill, of the height of 560 m (1,837 ft) above sea level, connected by a saddle. The South Tampin Peak, situated just south of North Tampin Peak and north of Tampin Hill, is 733 m (2,405 ft) above sea level.

The race course is not just an ordinary loop; it follows for more than 21 km of the famous Trans Naning Trail. That’s a reputedly tough trail with thick forests, steep slopes, and two genuine mountain peaks. The looping concept has the advantage that spectators and friends can see the runners a few times as they return to Tampin Water Park after each lap. Runners aiming for a Grandmaster Point need to complete 2 or 3 laps.

Registration is open and is easy with the usual Checkpoint Spot system, linked via the button below. On that page, you can also read more basic details, including on mandatory gear and prizes in case you also end up on the podium.

To stay aware of latest developments, you can also follow the event’s Facebook page, which is also linked below.

Bislig Ultra Trail in Surigao del Sur, north of Davao, this year offers a Grandmaster Quest point to all finishers of the 80km course on 11/12 October. The event, a Candidate Race last year, is organised by the AWRA Team, which also brings you the New Corella Trail Ultra in December.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. You are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.” The highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls” of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

The 80km course is an extension of last year’s 50km. It is a challenging and exhilarating course that showcases the region's diverse terrain, including barangay roads, scenic trails, waterfalls, river crossings, and ridgelines. Last year, the excellent service and volunteer support gave participants a memorable trail experience. The men’s 50k race was won by pre-race favourite Jhon Mahinay and the women’s race went to Lory Gacusan in 10h28.

Bislig is located 200km north of Davao City in Surigao del Sur Province. Davao is your main airport for those who need to fly in. It’s certainly listed among the ‘new destinations’ for trail runners.

The official facebook page has all details and can be accessed via the button below.

Marilog Ultra 70 in Mindanao, Philippines, offers finishers of the 70km race a Grandmaster Quest point at the event scheduled for 30/31 August. Organised by Team BRAD, last year’s ATM Candidate Race received acclaim from many participants

Marilog Ultra aims to be more than just a race. It's about giving back to the community, protecting the environment, and promoting eco-friendly tourism in the area. The race director is 2-star Grandmaster and 2-time ATM Finalist Julieann Morales, herself one of the leading trail runners in Mindanao and a multiple race winner in ATM.

The Marilog event has four different distance categories on the programme. The 70km is the Grandmaster distance and has an estimated elevation gain of 3629 hm. The course map will be available in due course. Start and finish is MWES Marahan in the Marilog district of Davao, to the west of the main city.

Registration is already open via the button and form below. To stay up to date on what is happening, please follow the facebook page of the event.

Today we have the utmost pleasure to announce a NEW GOLDEN 4-STAR GRANDMASTER: Munintaran Sundram! The Malaysian runner from Taiping has achieved a truly remarkable performance, both in terms of speed and diversity of races. Munin had become a 3-star Silver Grandmaster just last January after Vietnam Trail Marathon 70 in Moc Chau, and proceeded straightaway to reach 20 ultra race finishes by the first weekend of May. He ran the 9 Dragons 50 Miles in Hong Kong, Vietnam Ultra Marathon 75, Lantau 70 back in Hong Kong, followed by the Filipino Luzon duo of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75 and Hardcore 50 Miles, part of PMTF. He is the first Malaysian Golden Grandmaster, and the fifth overall. It took Munin 3,5 years to complete the Grandmaster Quest, having started at his home event, MMTF, at the end of 2021. “The Grandmaster Quest is a good avenue for many races to garner runners to join as not all can fight for championship points. A great means to motivate runners,” said Munintaran Sundram, who will be celebrated at the upcoming Malaysian events in ATM. Huge congrats and a big round of applause for new Golden Grandmaster Munintaran Sundram!

His record:

• 1. MMTF 2021

• 2. CULTRA 2022

• 3. VMM 2022

• 4. TMBT 2022

• 5. Penang UTOP 2022

• 6. Dalat Ultra Trail 2023

• 7. Malnad Ultra 2023

• 8. BUTM 2024

• 9. Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 2024

• 10. Silabur 100 2024

• 11. KAR Ultra 2024

• 12. AKHA Trail 2024

• 13. Mt Apo Sky Race 2024

• 14. Prenn Trail Summit 2024

• 15. VTM 2025

• 16. 9 Dragons 2025

• 17. VUM 2025

• 18. Lantau 70 2025

• 19. Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 2025

• 20. PMTF 2025.

We are happy to announce that the 3rd edition of Camiguin Island Trail race, scheduled for the weekend of 12 July, has entered the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar. Organised by Vertical To Sky under Doi Calbes, this event has been growing rapidly in popularity and for the first time will feature a 70km race category - long enough to offer a Grandmaster point to finishers.

Camiguin is an island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. 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.

The event has already opened for registration and in no time secured 650 entries. Contrary to other Vertical To Sky events, this one does not have a limited participation quota. However, better sign up fast to also secure your personal desired accommodation. The course map of 70km is currently being updated and will be released in due course. Via the official facebook page you can stay up-to-date on the latest developments regarding Camiguin Island Trail.

To register, Doi likes to keep it simple. Just send him an email on verticaltosky@gmail.com with your usual event registration details, and his team will come back to you within 48 hours.

Runners on the Grandmaster Quest will be delighted to learn that The Magnificent Baling 100, a.k.a. TMB 100, has been entered onto the GM calendar. The Malaysian event organised by Running Project is scheduled for the weekend of 15/16 August and takes place in Baling, which is located in the southeastern part of Kedah towards the north of peninsular Malaysia. TMB 100 is the event that followed The Magnificent Merapoh Trail, which concluded its five-year-project back in 2019 and was one of the more popular races in Asia Trail Master before the corona crisis. Now in its third edition, Baling joins the ATM calendar for the first time.

The event is managed by Running Project, which also organises the successful Twin City Marathon (road) and EcoTrail Putrajaya. It features a 100km as main race distance category valid for the Grandmaster Quest. There’s three more shorter categories for less ambitious runners, including a 50km, 25km and 10km. Elevation gain is relatively modest, but as we also know from TMMT earlier or Silabur 100 in Sarawak last weekend, that does not mean it is not tough. The 100km has 2500 metres of elevation gain and a cut-off time of 26 hours. 100km participants should take note of the mandatory gear list, and also of the race start time: that’s set for 16:00 on Friday afternoon!

All details can be found via the webpage below and via the event’s facebook page. To reach Baling, you can fly to Kuala Lumpur but Penang is significantly closer.

Check out the event teaser video as well below or on YouTube.

Omnipresent in our Asia Trail Master Championship series for many years, Tomohiro Mizukoshi has completed level 4 of the Grandmaster Quest at Lantau 70 in Hong Kong last Saturday. The 50-year-old runner from Tokyo finished his 20th ATM Ultra and is now a 4-Star ‘Golden’ Grandmaster!

Tomohiro Mizukoshi has been one of the most popular and recognisable trail runners in ATM since he first appeared in 2017. Traditionally wearing a pretty wide headband, he has also been one of the most successful competitive athletes in our series. In 2018 he finished third in our Championship, behind Alessandro Sherpa and Salva Rambla. He scored one race victory, an impressive one, in Plataran X Trail Bali in the same year. In total, Tomohiro scored nine Top 3 podiums during his ATM journey, the latest one just a year ago at Cuc Phuong in Vietnam. He has been part of Team Japan in the ATM Championship Final every season and things are also looking good for him in 2025. Having reached age 50, Tomohiro arguably needs to find the perfect trail course and form-of-the-day to eye a podium result, but when he does he still uses the opportunity. Last December he came 4th in Prenn Trail Summit in Dalat, for example.

While originally focused on medium distance trail races, Tomohiro Mizukoshi gradually began to challenge himself on longer ultras, too. Even in hot and humid climates such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Always flying in from Tokyo, mind you. A true ambassador for the sport and for adventurous spirit, unafraid to leave his comfort zone, Tomohiro is a great new Golden Grandmaster. For the record, he collected his last five GM points to reach gold status at Lantau 70 (Hong Kong), Borneo TMBT Ultra (Malaysia), Vietnam Trail Marathon, Siksorogo Lawu Ultra (Indonesia) and Deep Japan Ultra.

Tomohiro Mizukoshi is only the fourth trail runner to complete the four levels of the Grandmaster Quest, after his compatriots Hisashi Kitamura and Masafumi Yamamoto and Filipino Rhea Batac, the only woman to accomplish this feat.

Tomohiro has also been an ATM Championship Finalist for Team Japan in the past three years

This weekend we have a doubleheader on the Asia Trail Master circuit, which will kick off in the Philippines on Friday early morning with Pulag Ultra Trail. A Grandmaster-only event with potential to enter the Championship calendar as well in future. Mount Pulag is a fantastic mountain experience near Baguio in the Cordilleras. .

The event, managed by Intrepid Spirit from VJ 100 last December, is in fact an A to B race and has two Grandmaster distances on offer: 132 km and 65 km. The latter is short of 70km, but - as Mantra 65 in Indonesia - has more than 4500 hm making it eligible as a GM point race.

Pulag Ultra Trail 132km starts in Kabayan deep in the Cordillera Mountains and finishes in Baguio City. It is an exhilarating journey through the majestic landscapes that embrace Mount Pulag, Mount Awa, Mount Ugo and Mount Bidawan and the myriad of scenic landmarks that grace the path leading to Baguio City. Needless to say this is a pure mountain run you should come prepared for. It’s tough, but the untamed scenery will ease the pain Mount Pulag in particular is famous for its views from above the clouds. Official elevation gain for the 132km is 8827 hm and nearly 4600 hm for the 65km.Along the epic course you will also encounter enchanting villages and iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. As the website reads: “Their presence will ignite your spirit and fuel your determination, as you draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of history and culture that surrounds you.”

The event has attracted quite a large number of brave souls, because this is indeed a serious Grandmaster Quest challenge and the finisher point will be hard-earned. Some well-known runners are taking the start tomorrow, including ATM Finalists and Grandmasters Mary Joy Sumanda, Eduardo Fuentes and Henry Yang from Singapore. Also, Poy Brillantes, a lover of long and tough ultras, will go for the 130k. Jeong Taeyun from Korea and Zheng Limin from Shenzhen (China) are also on the start list.

ATM will be reporting from Pulag Ultra Trail from start to finish on ATM facebook , plus ATM YouTube and Instagram.

Mary Joy Sumanda, double ATM Finalist in 2023 and 2024, will be attempting the 130

Henry Yang, ATM Finalist in 2023, is also aiming for another Grandmaster star

Poy Brillantes is a big fan of ultra long challenges

Julie Mae Marquez is going for the 65km option, which also offers a GM point as the elevation gain exceeeds 4500 hm.

This weekend, runners on the Grandmaster Quest can also score a point at the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. The tough 80km race crosses the summits of Mount Irid and Mount Tukduang Banoi, the two highest mountains in the Rizal area. The event is organised by The Pace Republic and directed by 4-star Grandmaster Rhea Batac.

Santa Ines alternates every year with the Bagtit Ultra event. Two years ago, the long distance race saw some great runs in both the male and female categories, but also showed the technicality of the course. Over 20 river crossings had to be negotiated by the participants. For this year’s edition the course has been amended here and there following runners’ feedback.

Maynard Encormal is back in Santa Ines this weekend. He finished third last time and could be the man-to-beat this year. Also Bhert Orpiada is in with a shot for victory. On the female side we have Grandmaster Cristine Montuya - winner of the other ATM promoted event in Rizal, Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, - Michella Aradanas, Metzy Alson and Krizia Bondad. There’s several other Grandmasters going for an extra point on their record: Jay Delgado, Jose Tindog, Ramsey Villanueva, Jux Castaneda and Ronald Natividad.

We are happy to announce Pulag Ultra Trail in Philippines as a new addition to the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar on 21/22 February. The event, managed by Intrepid Spirit from VJ 100 last December, is a majestic A to B race and has two Grandmaster distances on offer: 132 km and 65 km. The latter is short of 70km, but - as Mantra 65 in Indonesia - has more than 4500 hm making it eligible as a GM point race.

Pulag Ultra Trail 132km starts in Kabayan and finishes in Baguio City. It is an exhilarating journey through the majestic landscapes that embrace Mount Pulag, Mount Awa, Mount Ugo and Mount Bidawan and the myriad of scenic landmarks that grace the path leading to Baguio City. Needless to say this is a pure mountain run you should come prepared for. It’s tough, but the untamed scenery will ease the pain Mount Pulag in particular is famous for its views from above the clouds. Official elevation gain for the 132km is 8827 hm and nearly 4600 hm for the 65km.Along the epic course you will also encounter enchanting villages and iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. As the website reads: “Their presence will ignite your spirit and fuel your determination, as you draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of history and culture that surrounds you.”

PUT, the official abbreviation of Pulag Ultra Trail, is a late addition to the calendar , so you need to decide quickly if you wish to join the event. Less ambitious runners can also opt for a short 20km category.

The organiser has transportation services on offer, which you can consult via the QR code in the poster announcement below. Runners are also strongly encouraged to check out the event website to discover all details for the races, including the mandatory gear list.

We are happy to announce that the Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival in General Nakar, Luzon, Philippines is joining the Asia Trail Master Grandmaster calendar in 2025. The event, a Candidate Race last year, will be held on the weekend of 26/27 July and features a 100km race that will provide a Grandmaster point to all finishers. The Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival is already open for registration.

Beginning and less ambitious runners can also opt for one of the several shorter distance categories. There is also a kids race. And in fact, this event is a great introduction to trail running. PCMTF is known for its (very) runable terrain and as such as bit of an outcast on the Filipino trail calendar. Last year, we saw several of the country’s marathon and road running scene take part and get a first taste of trail running. As the official event’s tagline reads: “Where the mountains literally meet the sea and everything in between fall nothing short on beauty and charm – from its crystalline streams to placid rivers, from rolling hills to the lush greenery of the forests, tiny hamlets and the exceptional warmth of its people - all these on a one-of-a-kind ultra marathon that is the Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival” .

The 100k Grandmaster course is not pancake flat neither, though. There is still 2000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered during the day. The race starts at 4 am on Saturday morning and everyone is expected to be back after 27 hours, i.e. 7 am on Sunday morning.

General Nakar is also relatively uncomplicated to get to from Manila. You can ride a bus or van frm Legarda in Manila going to Infanta Quezon. The fare is approximately Php 350-450. Travel time is 4-5 hours depending on traffic and time of the day. General Nakar lies on the east coast of Luzon island.

Via the facebook page below you can find all details on the event, and you can register online via the button below as well.

Malico Grand Ultra took place for the second time last weekend featuring a 75km race course with a Grandmaster point for all finishers on offer. Brought to you by Mark Caldez of Marcado Trail Quest and the Maharlika Series team of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the event took place in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio. The 75km is a challenging course with four distinct peaks to conquer, for a total elevation gain of over 4000 hm. Conditions matter, but runners also always learn and this year’s winners were significantly faster than last year. Jordan Bugnay was the rather surprising man on the top step of the podium, winning in 12h32 - well ahead of established ATM competitors Sean Aying and Maynard Encornal. For Sean Aying, finishing Malico meant scoring his 15th GM point , which now makes him a 3-star Grandmaster!

Strongest woman was Ann Jilian Pulanco, who managed to outpace Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez in 16h21. Whenever Grandmaster Pulanco decides to compete and race, she is always a victory contender. In 2023 she also won Sierra Madre. At Malico a year ago, she was preceeded by Michella Aradanas, however. Julieann Morales was 10th in last season’s ATM Championship with three wins inside the Philippines during the season. The first ATM Championship points race of Season 10 is coming up on the first weekend of March in Bukidnon, the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra’s 55km race.