Mexico's Kose Rodarte from Hong Kong's own Gone Running Team won his second ATM Qualifier race in a month at Lantau 70 last weekend.After the 9 Dragons 50km race, he prevailed in the classic race on Lantau island in a finishing time of 7h14'35" . It was a close battle with KC Chan, but the latter had to let go in the final 16km, finishing in 7h26. Good for his first ever ATM race podium, though.

Nepal's Santosh Tamang took third place on the podium in the end. Santosh moved up the leaderboard in the second half of the race, finishing in 7h55. Based in Hong Kong, Santosh Tamang already took fourth place in Ultra Fish N Sheep last October, giving him a solid points total in the rankings for qualification in the Season 11 Championship Final in Vietnam in October. France's Jean Christophe Monnerville was fourth, finishing right behind Tamang. And another minute later, America’s Anthony Lee took fifth place. Numbers six and seven were Daniel Crisp and Arnaud Mauduit, followed by former ATM Champion Alessandro Sherpa. The Italian was running in podium contention for a long time, but the humidity - never his friend - caused him to struggle home. Mark Iandoli finished close behind him in 9th place.

In the women’s race, local Lantau hero Katrina Hamlin won the race for a third time. She caught and passed the fading early race leader Kanako Edamoto from Japan in the final section to the finish at Mui Wo! She crossed the line in 8h04, in the end over 21 minutes ahead of Edamoto, the winner of last year’s 9 Dragons 50/50 stage race. Hamlin, part of Hong Kong’s T8 team, is in the best shape ever.

9 Dragons 50k winner Celine Loubiere arrived in third, giving her real prospects to qualify for this season’s ATM Final in October. Second podium in a month for the HK-based French woman. In four we had Wong Ki Chun, followed by Emma Phipkin and Pak Lai Shan in sixth.

The classic Lantau 70 race in Hong Kong is on again this Saturday. After a heavy HK season, including the ATM Championship Final just a month ago, several of the city’s trail stars are taking a break from Lantau this season, but there’s a long list of competitive trail runners who are very keen to rise to the occasion. Wai Hei Ng might be the one to get most votes if people were to bet on the men’s race winner, but Wai Hei Ng has become a bit enigmatic: will he indeed take the start?

Kose Rodarte won the 50km race at 9 Dragons and could score his second race win under ATM in just a month’s time. What can Alessandro Sherpa do this weekend? So far, Lantau 70 has been a challenging race for him over the years, also due to the often surprising humidity levels. Belgium’s Marc Decamps has been in the top five of this race before, can he climb a bit higher on the ladder now? Others who may have a say in the proceedings at the front can be Dina Bagale and Singapore’s fast road runner Vincent Casanova. The latter may have the fastest legs of all, but how much will the technical sections and the elevation slow him down?

Lantau 70 is also a Grandmaster Quest race, and on the start list is Golden Grandmaster Mario Yap, who has already embarked on the Trail to Immortality. Mario has already even collected 150 points in two countries. Remember, to Become Legend, 500 points and five countries are required. Kenneth Mun Keat Yow so far has 180 points in two countries.

The women’s race at Lantau 70 could potentially develop into a battle between two former 9 Dragons 50/50 winners, Angie Yan (2024) and Kanako Edamoto (2025), and last year’s race winner and local Lantau hero Katrina Hamlin. Even Naomi Fung, winner of the 50k at 9 Dragons a couple of years ago, may have a few words to chip in here. Also Kimmy Leung can claim another top five spot for sure.

The race starts as always at 8:30 am local time.

Besides the Season 10 Championship Final, the 9 Dragons event in Hong Kong of course also again offered two qualifier races for the points ranking that leads to the next season’s Final. In the renowned 50/50 stage race category - with 50 miles on Saturday and 50km on Sunday -, hot Nepalese talent Man Kumar grabbed an impressive victory by winning both stages. In the women’s 50/50, the pre-race favourite from Japan, Yuri Yoshizumi showed why she was the one to beat - taking victory also by winning both stages.

For both runners it was their second win in an ATM-promoted race. Man Kumar was fastest in MTR 50 last year, and Yoshizumi in Island Trail Awaji last November. In the case of Yoshizumi, it even means she already scored 1000 ATM points this season - could it be enough already for qualification for Team Japan later in October this year?

On Saturday’s 84km stage, Man Kumar had to cope with two fervent competitors. Philippines’ Rhys Pawid showed again how much he has improved as a trail racer and was initually going neck-a-neck with Kumar. Hong Kong based Ukranian Oleksii Melnyk was likewise never far behind. Melnyk, already second in the 50/50 last year, too. The scene was set for a superb 50km showdown between the three. However, already soon it emerged that Rhys Pawid suffered from knee pain following stage 1 and he dropped out at CP 4. Melnyk had no response to the speed of Man Kumar, who flew to a great victory. If Man Kumar can add another ATM race to his programme this season, he should be qualified for Team Nepal in October and then all other stars of the scene have a serious new rival. Melnyk took second and Matthew Gay completed the podium in third place ahead of Salomon Wettstein and Dina Bagale - also from Nepal but based in Hong Kong.

Behind Yuri Yoshizumi, it was a great second place for Anna Pillinger from Australia with Yuen Tsz Kwan coming in third.

Sunday’s 50km single day race is traditionally also a points race in ATM. It’s a tough 50km with about 3500 hm of elevation. Kose Rodarte was quickest in 6h33, ahead of his Gone Running teammate Sebastian Cotton and Germany’s Marco Hauke. Tommy Yeung and Hiroyuki Matsuda were next. Fastest woman was France’s Celine Loubiere in 8h14, ahead of Yuming Chan and Aggy Sabanal, our 2018 vice ATM Champion who nowadays divides her time between the US and her native country Philippines.

Yuri Yoshizumi: second ATM race victory in 3 months

Oleksii Melnyk: second again

Anna Pillinger was second

Matthew Gay: a great third place

Yuen Tsz Kwan scored a third place on the 50/50

The men’s 50km podium with Kose Rodarte as winner

Celine Loubiere

Chan Yuming, 2nd on the women’s 50km

Aggy Sabanal , 2018 vice ATM Champion, still going strong: 3rd on the 50km

FLASH - John Ray Onifa (Phillipines) and Priya Rai (Nepal) have won the Season 10 Championship Final at the. Dragons event in Hong Kong. Both trail runners were in control of their respective races and finished solo after 72km and 3800 hm, despite some commendable pressure from several other title contenders earlier on. John Ray Onifa therefore regained the ATM title he lost to Jeff Campbell in Season 9, while Priya Rai made it back-to-back victories. It is the first time in ATM’s decade long history that someone wins the Championship twice.

Team Japan won the ATM Team Championship, taking over the title from Nepal. Their best three male and female finishers required less time to cover the distance than closes rival teams Hong Kong and Philippines.

More later.

Check our livestreams and socials updates aggregated on this webpage:
https://www.asiatrailmaster.com/atm-live/livefeed

A few months later than planned after the typhoon-caused cancellation of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam last October, but this weekend we will finally crown the successors of Jeff Campbell and Priya Rai as Asia Trail Master Champions. Unless they manage to keep their titles, because both will be competing at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong during the early hours of Saturday. Following the traditional 50 Miles (84km) course of the popular event, the qualified Season 10 Finalists will start at Rotary Park at the base of Tai Mo Shan, which is CP1 for the regular 9D participants. The ATM Championship Final measures a bit less than 72km and has 3800 metres of elevation gain before finishing at the Tai Po Tau Playground as usual. It’s a tough course in humid conditions, with the renowned Hong Kong staircases and light rain forecast for Saturday. Whoever comes out on top, victory won’t be presented on a silver platter.

Apart from the defending champions Jeff Campbell and Priya Rai , other previous ATM Champions are also keen to become the first two-time winner of our series. Not in the least 2023 Champ John Ray Onifa, long-time resident in Hong Kong and perfectly familiar with the course - having won the 50/50 stage race of 9 Dragons last year, too. Onifa spearheads a very strong Filipino men’s team that also includes 2022 ATM titleholder Arnie Macaneras and up-and-coming stars Godwin Mirar, Kik Suello, Roberto Cain III, Jevie Cagatin and Jomarc Ferrer. . All of them are podium material, but who knows they also run as a team with a masterplan to challenge Campbell and the second home favourite, Lodewijk Vriens. The Dutchman living in Hong Kong was mightily impressive in winning Ultra Fish n Sheep 75km in October last year and is tipped by many as the runner-to-beat on Saturday. Vriens, by the way, won the 50 Miles stage of 9 Dragons two years ago.

While most eyes will be on the trio of Campbell, Onifa and Vriens, we might as well see three other runners claiming the top prizes. Indeed, the men’s field has arguably never been as competitive as this season’s Final. Team Japan will be a serious challenger for Philippines and Hong Kong in the Team Championship thanks to a.o. the participation of Hiroki Kai and Hisashi Kitamura. While the Karate Kit is already highly known in ATM, Hiroki Kai , nicknamed Crazy Karo, is a regular top performer on the world stage who qualified for this season’s Final by virtue of his third place in Izu Trail Journey and second place in UIIT in Korea. Perhaps many won’t see him coming this Saturday and with Kitamura and Shoma Maruyama, who both ran 9 Dragons before, he has two great guides.

Malaysia will be counting on the usual duo of Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin. Both have been stars on the ATM scene for many years, with Milton already claiming a top 3 championship result twice before. While both may not have the same top speed as the runners mentioned above, the expected tougher weather conditions may play in their favour, both undoubtedly being among the most technically-skilled trail runners in Asia. And then there’s still Alessandro Sherpa and Kristian Joergensen, running for Team Asia Expat, the latter a former winner of the 9 Dragons as well. It’s almost amazing that nobody talks about him, but he certainly knows what to do in this race while keeping in mind “if Campbell can become Champion, then me too!” . To conclude the men’s race preview, a dark horse from Vietnam, Nguyen Phuong Hieu - impressive race winner at Trails des Gombak 100 last June and keen to make a name for himself.

The women’s Final on paper looks a bit more clear-cut. She who wants to become ATM Champion needs to get passed Priya Rai. The still young Nepalese has only become stronger since winning Borneo TMBT in September 2024 and has been knocking on the door of the world stage. Combining competitive trail running with the last year of her university education seems to work really well for her, having seen her performance in Kalaw, Myanmar, just three weeks ago. In that 50km race, she waited patiently in the first half before switching on her engine mercilessly in the second half. Given that her main rivals for the win are unlikely to make it to Hong Kong (Team Nepal unfortunately suffered travel visa problems), Priya may adopt a similar wait-and-see tactic keeping her inexperience running in Hong Kong in mind. She certainly has one serious competitor from the home team to worry about: Man Yee Cheung, who will make her debut as an ATM Finalist. Perhaps better known as a 100 miles runner, Man Yee knows the trails better than anyone of the contenders, with the possible exception of Nepal’s Dilu Limbu, who lives in Hong Kong. Dilu was the winner of the women’s 100km at Gombak last June. Japan has a number of podium challengers, too. Chisato Kario won two races in season 10 and Miho Tsuboi is a highly respected performer in her home country. Plus, there’s Akane Nemoto - already twice on the podium in an ATM Final. The strong female side of Team Japan, with also Yasuyo Hotta and Miki Ueki, will keep Team Pilipinas on their toes this Saturday afternoon in the context of the Team Championship, wherein the finish times of the best three men and best three women count.

Singapore has a hot iron in the fire with Dening Lo. A fast-pace runner who has also upgraded her technical skill set over the past few years, having won a.o. Mantra 68 in Indonesia twice. Just a month ago, Dening looked superb in winning Vietnam Trail Marathon 70km. Outsiders for a top 3 podium spot, but not to be underestimated are Philippines’ Ritzy Amor and Shally Yuson, Thailand’s Siriporn Leumathong and Asia Expat’s Tara Savage.

The race starts at 1 am local time on Saturday early morning, which means for the top runners it will be mainly a nighttime race. The estimated male winner’s timeframe is 9:30-10:00 am. As always, ATM will be livestreaming and updating on its usual channels with focus for video on facebook and youtube, highlights on X and Instagram.

Lodewijk Vriens

John Ray Onifa

Dening Lo

Chisato Kario

Man Yee Cheung

The 5th edition of Ultra Fish N Sheep between Fanling and Po Lam in Hong Kong did not miss its debut in our ATM Championship series. Tougher than expected, the 75km left a mark on the many participants, who nevertheless returned home satisfied thanks to a commendable race organisation. Dominator of the day was Lodewijk Vriens, who scored his second ATM race win of the year after BTR Bali 60k last May. From the Netherlands but based in Hong Kong, Vriens absolutely smashed it from the gun and did not leave co-favourites Jeff Campbell and Wai Hei Ng any chance for victory. Throughout the day, and in ever rising temperatures, the gaps between the top runners just increased ever more. Vriens came into the finish arena in a superb 8h33, half an hour quicker than Jeff Campbell, still our reigning men’s champion after the cancellation of Mu Cang Chai three weeks ago. Wai Hei Ng, one of the revelations of Season 10, was another half hour further back in third. With the new Season 10 Final now scheduled in Hong Kong at the 9 Dragons event, with many of the same trails as Fish N Sheep, Lodewijk Vriens has suddenly propelled himself into a top favourite role.

Behind the top trio, we saw a very solid performance by Nepal’s Santosh Tamang, who continues his comeback in Hong Kong with again clear signs of competitive progress. Tamang was a known race winner a decade ago, and has recently returned to trail running after a long break. Fourth place in Fish N Sheep, that’s a big points haul also with a view to next Season’s Championship Final. In fifth came another HKNTRA athlete, Limbu Yamanath, who was running together with Tamang until cramps hit him badly. In sixth place at the finish was Chin Ching Cheuk.

The women’s race actually had a bit more excitement than the men’s race. Nicole Lau was the fastest starter until and across Tai Mo Shan and the km 20 mark, but then saw Wong Tze Kei edging closer and closer to her. Tze Kei managed to overtake Nicole Lau about halfway into the race and ran towards her first ever ATM race victory in 11h25. Nicole Lau held onto second place over an hour behind, but only narrowly so. Kimmy Leung and Yuen Tze Kwan finished right behind her in three and four. Valerie Chan completed the top 5 a bit later, and Indonesia’s Ruth Theresia took sixth after a solid second half of the race. Cherry on the pie was her Golden Grandmaster title, for finishing 20 ATM ultras.

The next Hong Kong qualifying races for the ATM Championship ranking of Season 11 are The 9 Dragons (50-50 and 50km) and Lantau 70 .

Season 11 continues this weekend with a new entry on our ATM Championship calendar: Ultra Fish N Sheep is the third qualifier or points race event in Hong Kong. Taking place in the New Territories with start in Fanling on Saturday morning 8 a.m., the 5th edition of the popular event introduces a 75km category for both Championship and Grandmaster Quest points.

It’s a pretty serious race with an estimated elevation gain of 4400 hm for the 75km distance. Moreover, after a week of cool weather, the heat is expected to return to Hong Kong this weekend with temperatures reaching 30 degrees celsius. Normal conditions for the average South-East Asian trail runner, but in Hong Kong it remains a topic that circles around in runners’ heads. We could be seeing some surprises on the race leaderboard in other words.

The men’s start list shows some big names including the still reiging ATM Champion Jeff Campbell. It’s been three weeks since the cancellation of the Season 10 Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail , a race for which Campbell undoubtedly had prepared very well for. If he has preserved that form, he should be the logical one to beat on Saturday. However, this year in Hong Kong has also proven that he can be beaten at times. His T8 teammate Wai Hei Ng finished ahead of him at Lantau 70, for instance. One of the most exciting newcomers on the ATM scene in Season 10, Wai Hei Ng also won the 50km at The 9 Dragons in February and may be Campbell’s greatest challenger in the Fish N Sheep race together with Lodewijk Vriens, also Team T8. Vriens was the 50km race winner at this event last year, and also looked impressive in winning Bali’s BTR 60 last May. There’s 275 participants for the 75km race, let’s find out if anyone else can get between these three top runners.

On the women’s side, we will be paying attention to Indonesia’s Ruth Theresia, now based in Hong Kong. Our 2018 ATM Champion has had a decent training block over the past few months and looks ready to finally get that 20th ATM ultra race finish, which would mean her 4th Grandmaster star! If she completes Fish N Sheep 75, she will be the first Indonesian Golden Grandmaster and only the second female in general after Philippines’ Rhea Batac in July 2024. Of course, a strong Ruth Theresia also implies she won’t be far away from the podium and the women’s race win either. Other contenders are expected to be Nicole Lau, third on the 50km last year, Kai Hei Chan, Kimmy Leung and Nikki Han.

ATM will be reporting live from Ultra Fish N Sheep from start to finish. The race starts at 8 am local time.

Top favourite for the men’s race and still reigning ATM Champion: Jeff Campbell

Wai Hei Ng: finished ahead of Jeff Campbell at Lantau 70 and won the 50km at 9 Dragons this year

2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia aims for her 20th ATM Ultra finish: the Golden Grandmaster title

BTR 60 race winner Lodewijk Vriens will aim to give Campbell a run for his money

We are very excited to announce that the Season 10 Asia Trail Master Championship Final, postponed after the cancellation of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail due to the devastation caused by typhoon Bualoi , will now be held on 28 February 2026! The place is Hong Kong and the event host is none other than The 9 Dragons! 

We are absolutely thrilled and grateful that RaceBase, in particular Steve Carr and Michael Ormiston, were immediately keen to substitute for the Vietnamese event following the latter’s cancellation. It did not take long for all the pieces to come together and we are convinced the organising team will design and put on a fantastic new race within their existing event programme.  The ATM Championship Final race will be held on a special course of 70km with approx 3800 elevation gain and a separate race start at 1 a.m. The trail will largely follow the default 50 Miles course, but then see a shortcut to bring the distance down to the standard 70-75 km window, as usual for the ATM Final.

The 9 Dragons has been a very popular classic in our Asia Trail Master series since 2018 and has always fostered a solid competition amongst elite runners, while simultaneously never losing sight of the overall event experience for the every-day runner. It will be the first time in ATM’s decade-long history that the Championship title will be decided in Hong Kong. 

All the runners who were qualified for the ATM Final at the Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail two weeks ago, remain qualified for the new Final at the 9 Dragons. The Season 10 points ranking is closed and will not be re-opened. The events taking place as of Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in Laos this weekend all count towards the new Season 11 ranking already. All relevant runners will soon receive details and guidelines for the 9 Dragons event .

Also, in the context of the regular 9 Dragons event, please note  that the 50/50 stage race and Sunday’s 50km remain qualifying points races for the aforementioned Season 11 Championship ranking. Registration for the 50/50 and other open public races is still open. Response has been superb this year, so if you wish to secure a spot for the open public races you better sign up quickly.

In addition, please note that it is also confirmed that Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam will now host the Season 11 ATM Championship Final on 3 October 2026. And last but not least, a priority agreement has been struck with MUTRA to host the Season 12 ATM Championship Final in Myanmar in 2027! For competitive-minded runners, the scene is set for the next two years. This longer horizon gives ATM stability and enables us to work on greater developments to benefit all in the years to come.

John Ray Onifa and Kanako Edamoto won the 50/50 stage race in 2025

The 2026 edition of The 9 Dragons in Hong Kong has been scheduled for 28 February and 1 March. A bit later than usual due to Chinese New Year taking place mid-february. The traditional menu remains, however. The 50/50 stage race is the flagship race category, 50 miles on Saturday and 50km on Sunday. Runners can score ATM Championship points for the 50/50, and also for the 50km single race - as has been the case for some years already. If you are on the Grandmaster Quest, you can also consider doing the single 50 Miles. Less ambitious runner can also choose a shorter distance (25km) in 2026.

One of the more unique events on our calendar, the 9 Dragons has indeed become cult. Running another 50km after a gruelling 50 miles (approx 84km) the day before is a challenge for even the greatest trail athletes. Many have cracked on Sunday, while others seem to thrive. A stage race is not the same as a single day race. Yet, while one of the toughest races on the ATM calendar, it’s also one with a superb vibe among the participants.

The 50 miles and 50km race courses will be confirmed in due course, but are unlikely to change much. Registration is already open and you might also wish to take a look at the accommodation offer at the Regal Riverside Hotel in Sha Tin, not too far from Saturday’s finish line (yes, keep in mind the 9 Dragons runs from A to B and then to C). It all happens in the New Territories of Hong Kong.

This season, 2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa left his comfort zone to win the 50/50 stage race, proving once more what a great all-rounder he has become. In the women’s competion it was Japan’s Kanako Edamoto who was strongest ahead of Hong Kog’s own long ultra trail star Man Yee Cheung. The 50km points race was won by the exciting HK newcomer Wai Hei Ng, with Singapore-based Aurore Dacier from France taking top honours in the women’s 50km.

Kanako Edamato was the strongest female runner last year on the 50/50

John Ray Onifa proved that he can also dominate a stage race

We are happy to announce a new entry in Hong Kong for Season 11 of the Asia Trail Master Championship series : Ultra Fish’n Sheep joins the ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendar with its event scheduled for Saturday, 25 October 2025. It will be the 5th edition of the popular Ultra Fish’n Sheep, but the first time it will feature a 75km long course, which will be run during daytime from Fan Lin in the north of the New Territories to the finish at the YMCA Junk Bay Youth Camp. It’s a typical Hong Kong trail course, which means a decent amount of elevation gain as well. The 75km is estimated to have over 4300 metres of elevation gain. The start is at 8am and the cut off time at the finish is 2 am on Sunday morning, i.e. maximum 18 hours.

Joining The 9 Dragons and Lantau 70 in the early part of each year, Ultra Fish n Sheep will thus be the third Hong Kong points race in Season 11 of the ATM Championship, which begins the week before in Laos with Luang Prabang Ultra Trail on 18/19 October. Hong Kong continues to have a vibrant trail running scene, in which this event has managed to secure a solid footing over the past four years. Ultra Fish n Sheep is organised by Sky Sportage.

Registration is open and it is recommended to sign up early. Apart from the 75km there are other distance categories, but note that only the 75km provides ATM points. On the official website linked below you can also download the GPX file of the race course. Remember, just like 9 Dragons in February, this is a race from A to B. Luggage can be transported by the event crew from the starting point to the finish point at the YMCA Junk Bay Youth Camp.

The 11th edition of Lantau 70 in Hong Kong goes into the history books as one of the most competitive and certainly the fastest edition ever. Although a lot can be said as to why one should not compare times in trail running from one year to the next, when five runners beat the course record time of John Ray Onifa set last year, and the female winner also took a few minutes off Aurore Dacier’s record time - something took place! Moreover, reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell took a rare defeat on home soil and not just by one but by two other local athletes: Alex Neyrinck confirmed his 2nd place in VUM three weeks ago was no coincidence and won Lantau 70 by just three minutes over another season revelation Wai Hei Ng - the recent winner of the 9 Dragons 50km! Neyrinck finished the course in a blistering time of 6h35, 18 minutes quicker than Onifa a year ago! Thanks to a superb final section, Campbell managed to still overtake Chun Kit Tsang and Jason Chan for a top three spot in 6h43 (note that Campbell won the race - on a slightly longer course in 2023 in 7h34..). In the women’s race, local Lantau hero Katrina Hamlin was unchallenged to take her second win in three years in 8h07 (versus 8h38 as 3rd last year). The cool and often even chilly temperatures on race day certainly played a role in the faster times, but the competitors were also just really switched on!

Alex Neyrinck, British but residing in Hong Kong and part of the T8 squad, put the pressure on at CP 3 when he caught and overtook early leader Jason Chan, who had taken the bull by the horns in the first and tough hilly sections. Wai Hei Ng always remained close to the lead and sometimes even appeared to have the highest running pace, but arguably spent too much time at checkpoints to bridge that final gap. Probably due to inexperience racing at this high level. ATM Champion Jeff Campbell took a conservative approach early on, and by halfway somewhat looked resigned as far down as fifth place. But he obviously had kept something in the tank for ‘money time’ and ran the fastest split in the last 10km to grab third place and actually only 7 minutes behind the winner. Campbell expressed satisfaction with his own performance and took off his virtual hat in admiration for Alex Neyrinck and Wai Hei Ng, which says a lot. Just 4’30” after Campbell we had the finish of Chun Kit Tsang, also known locally as Ying Ying. Few people had expected him to stay so close with the top three beforehand. This ATM season, Chun Kit Tsang was also third in The 9 Dragons 50/50, so the highly experienced Hong Konger already has a foot into the team for the Championship Final in Vietnam on. October. Next was Jason Chan, also a Hong Kong regular. His quick start was ambitious, but he nevertheless hung on very well and with a finish time of 6h52, he too stayed under Onifa’s time of last year! Number six was Kristian Joergensen, for whom colder conditions are not ideal for him despite being of Danish nationality. Joergensen was in the mix for the podium until the final 20km. Still, again, 7h08 in Lantau 70 is an achievement. That also goes for trail newbie from the Philippines, Randolf Gonzales, who scored seventh place in 7h15. Gonzales had learnt from his 9 Dragons experience, where he blew himself up in the beginning to finish outside the top ten. France’s Jeremy Pelletant was 8th another nine minutes later.

The women’s race had a clear favourite from the get-go, and that was local resident Katrina Hamlin, already race winner in 2023. Already at the first checkpoint at km 13, she had taken control of affairs albeit by just a few minutes over several other women, including Filipino Angelie Cabalo, Zhu Xiaoqian, Kimmy Leung, Chin Nam Ng, Dilu Limbu and Boney Tsz Kwan Lee. As expected, Cabalo got a bit stuck in a lower gear following her 80km race the previous weekend. Zhu Xiaoqian dropped down the leaderboard as the race progressed, and Naomi Fung - winner of last year’s 9 Dragons 50km - was unable to make a big move forward. Fung would finish sixth in the end. While Hamlin ran comfortably to victory in record time, Tsz Kwan Lee turned out to be best-of-the-rest, but later was penalised for a mandatory gear infringement. She dropped from second to seventh in the race result as a consequence of her 1 hour time penalty. As such, Susuki Ng claimed second place ahead of Kimmy Leung and Angelie Cabalo after a nice battle between the three. Nepal’s Dilu Limbu grabbed fifth and important ATM points. Qualifiying for the women’s team in Nepal is not easy, indeed.

The men’s top five with Alex Neyrinck in the middle

After winning the 9 Dragons 50km last month, Wai Hei Ng impressed once more with 2nd in Lantau

Chun Kit Tsang, aka Ying Ying, ran a second strong ATM race this season, finishing 4th just behind Campbell

ATM Champion Jeff Campbell was satisfied with third place

Saturday’s 11th edition of Lantau 70 has attracted one of the highest participation numbers of the trail season in Hong Kong, including many competitive athletes aiming for a top race result and the accompanying points for the ATM Championship ranking. After the 9 Dragons in February, this is the second and final Hong Kong points race on our ATM calendar, so almost a must-run for anyone keen to qualify for the Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October. Lantau 70 is one of the ‘old classics’ in the territory and it’s great to see runners remain enthusiastic for it!

On paper, Lantau 70 is not the toughest race but the past two years the high humidity levels surprised many participants. Top Asian competitors such as Rashila Tamang and Alessandro Sherpa all suffered their way to the finish in Mui Wo. Saturday, however, the forecast says cooler than usual temperatures with a high of just 16 degrees. Trails may be more slippery, though, given rain is forecast for Friday.

2023 race winner and now reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell is on the start list and therefore the logical race favourite. Coming off two impressive victories on our circuit this season in Vietnam and Laos, Campbell has proven to again be in great shape. There’s challengers for him, though. Alex Neyrinck was an amazing second behind Onifa at VUM three weeks ago. Neyrinck pushed the Filipino all the way to the finish line in his ATM debut. The British runner is also part of the T8 Team and may develop further into one of this season’s championship protagonists. The same applies to another T8 runner in Hong Kong, Wai Hei Ng. Impressive winner of the 50km race at the 9 Dragons six weeks ago. Kristian Joergensen is another one and perhaps one of those who would like to prove himself this weekend. Joergensen has been solid over the past months, but seems to be missing that spark that gave him his amazing victory at the 9 Dragons 50/50 last year. For all three, Lantau 70 will in any case be an important race to finish with a view to qualification for the ATM Final on 4 October. Other podium contenders this weekend are expected to be Japan’s Masashi Shirotake, Philippines’ Randolf Gonzales - another one who will be keen to show himself after fading badly in the 9 Dragons 50km -, 2019 ATM Champion John Ellis - who can collect his wild card for this season’s Final if he finishes -, Chun Kit Tsang - third in 9 Dragons 50/50 -, and maybe even Clement Dumont.

In the women’s race we have former winner Katrina Hamlin, Lantau resident and part of T8’s Hong Kong squad. She is arguably the woman-to-beat with also her teammates Tsz Kwan Lee and Chin Nam Ng in the mix. Still, one Filipino ace may give Hamlin a run for her money this weekend: Angelie Cabalo. In great form the past year, also on runable courses, and no stranger to Hong Kong. She finished second in last year’s 9 Dragons 50km. Cabalo did race last weekend in her home country as well, so it remains to be see how fresh she will be. Filipino runners are known to be able to absorb a lot of race mileage, though. Two more Filipino runners who have been performing well in our ATM series are Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez. Morales was tenth in the ATM Championship Final last season, with three race wins during 2024 to boot. Marquez was a surprising second at Mount Kalatungan Ultra just a month ago. Hong Kong’s Naomi Fung and Kimmy Leung, France’s Helene Boursier (ATM Finalist in 2024) and Nepal’s Dilu Limbu are others to watch out for in the top placings of the leaderboard.

ATM will be broadcasting live from Lantau 70 on our usual channels, with consistent updates primarily on ATM Facebook. The race starts at 8:30 am local time.

Angelie Cabalo: can she beat local star Katrina Hamlin ?

Knocking on the big door: Wai Hei Ng, winner of 9 Dragons 50km

Alex Neyrinck: made John Ray Onifa nervous three weeks ago, can he also unsettle Jeff Campbell?

It’s been 3 seasons since John Ellis was in an ATM Final, but this weekend he can collect his 2025 wild card

At Lantau 70 last year, female winner Aurore Dacier confirmed her rising status as a competitive trail runner

Mui Wo