It was the first ever ATM race win for Indonesia’s Akhmad Nizar in Ijen Mountain Marathon in Banyuwangi, East Java, last weekend. He completed the 50km course in 6h32'. After several podium places and places of honour, Nizar finally got that victory. His biggest opponent was the newcomer from Flores island, who goes by the name of Ino. Akhmad Nizar already scored an 8th place in the ATM Championship Final in 2023. He is again qualified now for next month's 2025 Final in Vietnam. Ino took second place not too far behind, and in third we had Japan's Nuobo Mori.

Also in the women’s 50km race, we had a first-time race winner. Bali's experienced trail runner Dian Pradina led the 50km race across Ijen volcano more or less from start to finish. In second place we found Zoe Wong from Singapore, with Fauziah taking third on the podium. Endang Suryani did not finish the race, citing it was much tougher than she had expected. Dian Pradina has now also officially qualified for team Indonesia in the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam next month . Fauziah, who previously scored a second place in Dieng Trail Run at the very beginning of Season 10, also got herself qualified.

Ijen mountain Marathon was the last qualifier or points race in Season 10. The Championship Final will be held next month in Vietnam, at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail on 4 october.

Season 11 will start on 18 October with Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in Laos.

This weekend’s Ijen Mountain Marathon in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia closes the qualifying period for the 2025 Championship Final that will be held in exactly one month from now at Mu Cang Chai in Vietnam. It’s the first time Ijen Mountain Marathon, part of the Ijen Green Trail Festival, offers a points race in our series. It’s not a new event by any means, “IGT” was already on the domestic calendar before the corona crisis. The eastern part of East Java remains not so easy to get to, but runners are always rewarded with the most outstanding volcanic scenery there. In fact, ATM has a long history at Ijen with the previous event around the volcano - held on the other side out of Bondowoso - a member of ATM from 2015 to 2019.

The 50km Ijen Mountain Marathon will be an important one for a few runners as they still attempt to qualify for their country’s team in the Championship Final. Indonesia’s Akhmad Nizar and Bali-based Thimo Kilberth no longer need to worry about that, however. They have already scored enough points during the season. Nizar goes into Saturday’s race as the top favourite on paper. Could he finally get that first ATM race victory after so many podiums already? Furqoni is another podium candidate, as well as Indonesia-based Egyptian Ahmed Bedair, who may get himself into Team Asia Expat for the Final.

In the women’s race, we have Bali’s Dian Pradina and East Java’s winner of Dieng Trail Run at the very beginning of Season 10, Suryani Sipayung Endang, as well as the number 2 in that race Fauziah.

As always and particularly in Indonesia, we are likely to see some new names popping up on the leaderboards this Satuday as well.

ATM will be reporting from the Ijen Mountain Marathon in Banyuwangi all day on Saturday on our usual channels.

We are delighted to announce that the Ijen Green Trail event in Indonesia is joining the Asia Trail Master Championship calendar on 6/7 September with the Ijen Mountain Marathon race. This race is 50km in distance and includes the ascent of the fantastic Ijen volcano. The event has been organised successfully for several years already out of Banyuwangi in East Java. Ijen Mountain Marathon will be the last points race in Season 10, and thus the last chance for runners seeking last-minute qualification for the Championship Final one month later in early October.

The Ijen volcano has a long history in ATM. From 2015 to 2019 inclusive, Ijen Trail Running was one of the more remote yet more popular races on our calendar for international runners especially. That event, however, was by a different organiser and held out of Bondowoso, which is the regency to the west of Banyuwangi. The covid crisis meant the end of that event, but Ijen Green Trail has managed to survive - also because Banyuwangi is one of Indonesia’s hot spots in tourism development. You cannot go further east on Java island, and Banyuwangi City is just a short ferry ride away from Bali. As such, international runners can also consider flying into Bali and travel by bus/car/ferry to the event. Or by domestic flight. Banyuwangi has a small airport with connections to Jakarta, Denpasar and Surabaya as well.

The 50km on the programme is new and the precise course map and details will be made available soon. Those familiar with Ijen volcano mountain and the surrounding trails know that one should expect runable terrain, unlike many other big mountain ultras in Indonesia.

Indonesia is very fond of Instagram, so most event information can be found there on the Ijen Green Trail page (link below).