Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run, perhaps better known as ‘DASAL’, is a new entry on the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar on the weekend of 8/9 November 2025. The popular event takes place in Marilog - some 80km outside of Davao City and - indeed - has a full decade’s history already! This will be the 11th edition and following last year’s Candidate Race label, the organisers continue with the freshly introduced long ultra category of 85km that has instilled fear in many participants. Hence, the race carries the tagline “Leave you fears beehind” At least, it is regarded as a considerable challenge with 5000 metres of elevation gain on paper. Of course, the 85km is the category to go for if you wish to score a Grandmaster Quest point. For less ambitious runners there is still the shorter distances of 42km, 21km and 12km during the weekend. For those wondering: the bee is the event’s mascotte, chosen also to highlight the importance of bees for the natural environment.

The trails of Datu Salumay will have runners passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. The start is usually at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler.

Last year, the long ultra saw victories by Roberto Cain III and Metzi Joy Alson.

You can check the official facebook page for more details. Registration is open and you can also order some nice-looking merchandise while you are at it.

This weekend’s Camiguin Island Trail has attracted many hundreds of runners to the island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. The 3rd edition is part of the Grandmaster Quest calendar this season and the start list also features many big Filipino names. Jomarc Ferrer, for example, who has just returned from third place at Mantra 116 in Indonesia last weekend. How well has he recovered? Nevertheless, Ferrer will be one of the favourites for victory in the 70km race. Also Leoniel Perez, who recently won the ATM Candidate Race in Arakan, will be one to watch out for in the front of the race. Grandmaster *** Sean Aying is another favourite in the men’s race, alongside local runner Merson Dagondon. Dave Grande is a very young new trail talent, let’s see how he fares in this race. In the women’s competition there’s Ann Jilian Pulanco, Julie Mae Marquez and Rizalyn Lauron, for example. Of course, Camiguin Island Trail offers no Championship points, only Grandmaster points and there’s a lot of people on the Quest who will be starting the race.

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.

Santa Cruz near Davao in Mindanao, Philippines, has become one of the trail running hubs in the country and the wider Southeast Asia region and this is illustrated by the now many events being organised there. Today we are happy to announce that Santa Cruz Trail Ultra has entered the Grandmaster Quest calendar. Established by Santa Cruz Trail Runners and with Grandmaster*** Sean Aying as race director, the event was a Candidate last year and is now scheduled for 27/28 September 2025. Runners on the Grandmaster Quest need to aim for the 75km category.

2025 is the third edition of the Sta Cruz Trail Ultra. The event is in celebration of the 141st Araw ng Sta. Cruz, a tribute to the rich heritage and awe-inspiring landscapes of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. While the 75km is the main category, less ambitious runners can also choose 3K, 15K, and 30K categories options. As the official SCTU intro reads: “the event will be guiding participants through the heart of the central mountain ranges and across the rugged ridgelines of majestic summits. The course reaches its climax at Mt. Tinako, standing proudly at over 1,300+ above sea level—the highest point of the race—offering not just a test of endurance, but views that will take your breath away. “

Interesting to note is that SCTU is part of the Trailblazer Program under the Sta. Cruz Tourism Office, positioning the municipality as a top trail running destination in Southern Mindanao. A strong focus on eco-tourism and community involvement, the event brings together athletes, nature lovers, and local stakeholders for a cause that goes beyond the finish line.

The start venue is the new Sta Cruz New Municipal Hall and the 75km will be flagged off on Saturday afternoon 4 pm. Santa Cruz can be reached easily by public transport and grab cars from Davao City.

Online registration is open and can be accessed via the button below. It is also recommended to join the facebook page of the event to stay up to date on latest developments.

This year’s Prenn Trail Summit in Dalat, Vietnam, has been moved forward on the trail calendar and is now scheduled for the last days of November. It will be a major Grandmaster bonanza, as there’s no fewer than four GM distance categories on the event programme. The longest one is even a mega ultra of 250km! Slightly less ambitious trail runners looking for a Grandmaster point can also choose for the 187km, 103km and 75km categories. Important: PTS is only part of the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2025, not of the Championship calendar.

Directed by the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Lam Dong Province, and executed by Unique Events & Media in collaboration with Tea Resort Prenn, Prenn Trail Summit presents a unique opportunity for runners to challenge their limits while exploring the unparalleled beauty of Lam Dong in an inspiring setting. ‘PTS’ goes all-in on the long ultra scene, after already producing the longest ever Vietnamese ultra in 2024. As the great event website reads: “ These awe-inspiring and grueling trails will test the endurance, determination, and strength of each participant, providing runners with an experience that goes beyond conquering the race – it is a journey to overcome themselves.”

Prenn Trail Summit centres around the Prenn tea resort and, while also Dalat, offers a different trail course going into different areas than other events, such as Lam Dong Trail. The 250km starts on 27 November already, i.e. on Thursday at 13:00 lunchtime. The 187km runners start early on Friday morning, quasi around sunrise. If you’re aiming for the 100km or the 75km then flag off is at different times on Saturday night late.

The 2024 edition indeed had very good feedback from also the many international participants, which included reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell, Chris Timms, Tomohiro Mizukoshi, Risa Kamiya, Yvette Chong Mi Chin and plenty of other very experienced trail runners in the Asian region.

Registration is open, and you can also check all the details of the requirements and the course maps on the website. Latest updates are also frequently posted on the official facebook page of Prenn Trail Summit.

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.