We are glad to announce that Harkor 4: Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountains will offer a Grandmaster Quest point for all finishers of the 75km race category in 2026. The event, an ATM Candidate last May, is the first of its kind offering GM points in General Santos, which is a city in the south of the large Mindanao island in Philippines. It is scheduled for the weekend of 16/17 May 2026.

The event features a 75km main race distance with over 4000 metres of elevation gain, but is known to be quite runable. The event is organised by the Drunken Runners Team and Team Akbri.

Registration for the event is already open and can be accessed via the button below. There is a quota on the participation numbers, so if you are keen - better be quick. In 2025, the 75km had a cut-off time at the finish of 25 hours. Important, flag off is on Saturday at 14:00 in the early afternoon.

New on the Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2026 is Arakan Mountain Run in Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines. Organised by Vertical To Sky, the second edition of the event has a scenic 80km long ultra and is scheduled for the weekend of 21/22 March. The event venue is the Katipunan Central Elementary School in Arakan.

Less ambitious runners can also choose the 42km, 25km or 14km options.

Arakan is a municipality between Davao del Sur and Bukidnon and blessed with natural resources and magnificent landscapes. Runners should definitely also try the local cacao drink, which is a genuine treat. The 80km course features the 3 famous waterfalls of Arakan -Matigol, Epol and Lebbas. The 2026 course map will be released in due course.

As always, Vertical To Sky remains true to its boutique style of trail events with restricted participation numbers to give everyone the chance to fully enjoy the place and the trails. For registration, kindly check-out the details on the poster, or you can do an onsite registration at Podium Multisport in Davao.

He was the biggest pre-race favourite and he totally lived up to the expectations: Roberto Cain III also added the Mount Apo Sky Race to his ever expanding list of trail race wins. Cain was strongest in the very tough inaugural 100 Miles race ahead of Yoyong Sacayle, who made a great return to championship racing himself. For Cain it was his second ATM points race win of the year after BTR Bali 100 in May. He is part of Team Pilipinas for the upcoming ATM Championship Final at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong on 28 February. Sacayle was on the podium as eighth in the Season 8 Championship Final and finished 13th last year at Borneo TMBT in Season 9’s conclusion. He did not take part in any qualifying races since then, but aims to be back in the team in 2026.

There were only six finishers on the 100 Miles with Kenmark Ladrillono grabbing the final spot on the podium. Australia’s Andrew Farmers was running in third for a long time, but he was one of many who called it quits after the skies opened and runners got battered by heavy rainfall (truly a common theme this autumn).

100 Miles Finishers:

1. Roberto Cain III (Davao City) - 39:47:20

2. Joselino Sacayle (Malaybalay City) - 40:14:15

3. Kenmark Ladrillono (Koronadal City) - 41:38:15

4. John Marvin Buizon (Valencia Bukidnon) - 44:15:01

5. Jovane Adam (Tagum City) - 44:15:02

6. Leoniel Perez (Cabadbaran City) - 44:15:03

The 42 km was the second ATM Championship qualifier, designed for medium distance enthusiasts. As expected, Jomarc Ferrer and Kimberly Flores took top honours in this category. Ferrer was faster than Grandmaster Reymar Taleon and Oliver Enot. For Ferrer it was the first ever ATM points race victory, for Flores the second after winning The Punisher last August.

The next Filiino qualifying points race event is New Corella Trail Ultra in Davao del Norte on 20/21 December.

Season XI of the Asia Trail Master Championship continues this weekend with the Mount Apo Sky Race, one of the oldest and more prestigious events in Mindanao. The races from the sea to the summit of the highest mountain in the Philippines have been redesigned for its 8th edition and for the first time features a 100 Miles distance category., alongside a 80km, 42km and 21km category. Runners aiming for Championship points need to choose between the 100 Miles and the 42km , while runners looking to score a Grandmaster point can also opt for the 80km besides the 100 miles.

Despite it’s decade-long history and impressive winners’ list, the Mount Apo Sky Race has always remained a boutique trail running event with modest participation rates, but by design. Event director Doi Calbes from Vertical To Sky is himself a 2-star Grandmaster and fan of ‘authentic trail experiences’ . No big mass at the starting line this weekend, but a group of distinguished and experienced ultra trail athletes. The traditional Mount Apo Sky Race was already a tough and in parts technical affair (the Boulderface towards the summit of Apo is legendary, not in the least after the event hosted the ATM Championship Final in 2022 with Hau Ha and Arnie Macaneras as winners). Now adding another 60-80km to the course creates a lot of unknowns for every participant, so it’s clear this cannot be someone’s first miler.

Roberto Cain III is one of the big favourites in the men’s race. Winner of BTR 100 in Bali this year and ATM Finalist for the upcoming Season 10 Final at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong, Cain has already won several of the toughest ultras in Mindanao. Mount Apo is still missing on his record, though. He will be challenged for the win by Yoyong Sacayle, who is making his return to the ATM Championship after a break of more than one year. Sacayle is also no stranger to adventures. Rexell Aguirre will also be a serious contender. A runner who doesn’t race often, but usually performs well when he does. The dark horse will be Sabah-based Australian Andrew Farmers. Used to similar mountainous jungle terrain, Farmers will in any case not be afraid of the 100 miles distance. He likes doing even longer ultras! Incidentally, the same can be said of the women’s race favourite, Ann Jilian Pulanco. A race winner at Sierra Madre in 2023, Pulanco can collect her second ATM race win this weekend.

The 42km race does not go to the summit of Mount Apo and caters for medium distance trail runners. ATM Finalist Jomarc Ferrer will be the one to beat, on paper, with Kimberly Flores the favourite for the women’s race.

Start and finish is still at the Playa de Oboza resort venue on the beach in Santa Cruz, close to Davao City. Last year, the event offfered GM points only and was won by rising star Godwin Mirar on his 100k debut. Rizalyin Lauron was strongest woman last year.

You can follow the action live on our ATM Facebook page this weekend, with focus on the 100 Miles and 42km races.

Last year: Godwin Mirar on the famous Boulderface

ATM Finalist Roberto Cain III won BTR 100 in Bali this year

ATM Finalist Jomarc Ferrer is the favourite in the men’s 42km race

Returning to the ATM Championship after a one-year break: Yoyong Sacayle

Ultra long distance specialist Andrew Farmers will keep the Filipinos honest this weekend

It’s quite likely that Ann Jilian Pulanco scores her 2nd ATM race win this weekend on Mt Apo, after Sierra Madre in 2023

Kimberly Flores won The Punisher 80 this year. She can add the Mt Apo 42 to her record this weekend

Last weekend’s SC 70 race in Santa Cruz, Davao, Philippines, gave runners another chance to add a Grandmaster point to their records. As announced, it was a tough one, and technical, with rain that made matters even more complicated. Up front there was of course also a competition. 2022 ATM Champion and local hero Arnie Macaneras crossed the finish line with an impressive time of 12 hours and 4 minutes as male race winner. It was his first real race in two months. Macaneras is also scheduled to run the upcoming Season 10 Championship Final at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong. last year, he still finished 3rd in Season 9’s Final at Borneo TMBT. In second place behind him was emerging talent Rodel Angatan, followed by Elbert Ligan who took third on the podium.

Just two weeks after winning DASAL 80, Bukidnon’s Shally Yuson also proved strongest female in SC 70. Becoming ever more consistent and dominant on Filipino trails, Yuson led from start to finish and came in in 19 hours (also showing how tough the course was). Luzon’s Jennifer Comandante secured second place in 21 hours, followed by Dolly Alonso in third.

Trail runners can stick around in Santa Cruz and Davao, because next weekend is the next event already: the Mount Apo Sky Race. This year, the redesigned Mount Apo event is also a qualifier again for the ATM Championship points ranking.

Season 11 continues this weekend with a doubleheader for the ATM Championship points ranking, plus a third event valid for the Grandmaster Quest. It’s been a difficult month for trail running in Southeast Asia, particularly, with heavy rainfall causing landslides resulting in event cancellations or postponements in quite a few places. Especially Vietnam is hard-hit. Our Season 10 Final at Mu Cang Chai already got cancelled in early October, and in recent weeks also the two Dalat events Lam Dong Trail and Prenn Trail Summits have been compelled to postpone to a later date. For this weekend, the forecast in the three relevant countries looks good, though.

Malnad Ultra is still the only ATM qualifying event in India. Taking place in the Karnataka region close to Bengaluru, the programme has received a few little tweaks for this year’s edition but the bottom line has remained the same: a 50km loop in the large coffee plantation that can be done once or twice. Last year, Shashwat Rao once again took the win in the 100km, while a group of young Nepali runners featuring Rayma Rawal and Kalpana Budha stole the show in the women’s 50km race.

In Japan, we have a debut for Island Trail Awaji on the ATM Championship calendar. Recommended by 2-star Grandmaster and multiple race winner and Finalist, Yuta Matsuyama, this event features a very scenic 43km points race on Awaji island, off the coast from Kobe and Kansai. It’s an A to B race with no fewer than 2200 metres of elevation gain, so this one is quite treacherous. On the start list, several big names of the Japanese trail scene. 2024 Izu Trail Journey winner Koken Ogasawara is arguably the top favourite, but he will need to watch out for e.g. the experienced and former 9 Dragons winner Kazefumi Ose and the aforementioned Yuta Matsuyama. Island Trail Awaji is the first of potentially five Japanese qualifying events in Season 11 of the Asia Trail Master Championship.

Over in Mindanao, Philippines, trail runners will gather in Santa Cruz, near Davao, for the first race of a double weekender. Team Jegol is organising SC 70 starting this Saturday, one of the races on our Grandmaster Quest calendar. Next week, also in Santa Cruz, is the traditional Mount Apo Sky Race by Vertical To Sky, a qualifying points race event for the ATM Championship this season. Even without Mount Apo on the itinerary, SC 70 is certainly much more than a warm-up. No fewer than an estimated 4800 metres of elevation gain need to be conquered during the 72 km long ultra race. On the start list we find many familiar names of runners, Grandmasters or runners aiming to become Grandmaster. For the race victory, two big names stand out in the male and female categories: 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras and Shally Yuson. A “home race” for Arnie, it will be interesting to see if anyone feels courageous to try and follow him this weekend. Shally Yuson hails from Bukidnon, but has proven this year she can win races anywhere now.

Another interesting newcomer on Mindanao’s trail scene in the Philippines: the Altra Philippine Ultra Trail 100. Taking place this weekend at the Freedom Park in Zamboanga City, the new event offers a range of distance categories, of which the Philippine Ultra Trail 100 is the flagship race. The event has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for this first edition.

Zamboanga City is the second largest city in Mindanao, lying in the southwestern tip of the island - almost as close to Sabah in Malaysia as to Davao. It’s a busy port city with also tourism appeal, in particular the Old Spanish Fort stands out, as part of a long historical journey to the city’s present. Zamboanga City is also often referred to as the ‘City of Flowers’.

Both the 100km and 50km distance categories will commence at 4 am on Saturday morning. Total elevation gain for the 100 is estimated at a significant 6300 hm. The 50 km has about 2800 hm. Cut-off time for the 100 is 32 hours, which implies participants at the back of the field will need to keep moving. It’s 16 hours for the 50km runners.

A number of established championship and Grandmaster runners will be taking part in the new event.

The 8th edition of Mindanao’s iconic Mount Apo Sky Race will take place on the weekend of 29 and 30 November 2025. It will be the first Filipino points race event for our new Season 11 Championship Ranking. Focus will be on the new 100 Miles and 42 km categories , because - indeed - the event has been redesigned for this year’s edition.

Event & Race Director Doi Calbes is himself a Grandmaster and a keen 100 miles runner and providing runners the opportunity to race that distance on and around his home mountain has been a long-time dream of his. Knowing the terrain, this will certainly not be the easiest of 100 milers, but just like when the event started a decade ago, winners are bound to become local legends. The event programma also offers a 80km category, which will also reach the summit of Mount Apo - the highest mountain in the Philippines at just under 3000m above sea level. As it is longer than 70km, this category of course offers a Grandmaster Quest point, but no Championship points. Those can be scored on the 42km medium distance category, however. This race is kind of an up & down race with approx 1400 metres of elevation gain.

Start and finish is still at the Playa de Oboza resort venue on the beach in Santa Cruz, close to Davao City. Last year, the event offfered GM points only and was won by rising star Godwin Mirar on his 100k debut. Rizalyin Lauron was strongest woman last year.

Registration is open and all details can be found on the Vertical To Sky Facebook page, linked below.

The 42 km race offers points for the Season 11 ATM Championship Ranking

The 80km is a Grandmaster Quest distance

It is a pleasure to announce that the new Mt. Anggas Vertical Challenge will be a Candidate Race for Asia Trail Master on 18 January. 2026. It is the first-ever trail running event to be held at the iconic Mt. Anggas in Gitagum, not too far from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, Phillipines. Designed to showcase the rugged beauty of Misamis Oriental, this race combines stunning ridgeline views, steep ascents, and community spirit into one unforgettable trail experience.

After Davao and Bukidnon, the northwestern area of Mindanao is also clearly developing into yet another trail hub. Only last week, Impasugong Ridge Ultra took place as well. Mount Anggas Vertical Challenge offers several race distance categories, of which the 42km is the longest. It has 1800 metres of elevation gain. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 21km, 15km or 10km categories. 

Mount Anggas has been a popular hiking and trekking destination for a while. It is a grassland mountain range, rich in minerals and rocks. Not very high, but providing great scenic views across the region nonetheless.

The event is organised by Bakyard Events in cooperation with LGU Gitagum. As Jay Lorenzo Amarga states: “We aim to highlight Mt. Anggas as a premier trail running destination in Mindanao while promoting eco-tourism, sustainability, and mental health awareness.”  The event therefore has a long horizon, envisaging gradual growth towards one of the country’s flagship trail events. 

The event is very easy to access for those coming from a bit further away. Mount Anggas is basically next to Laguindingan Airport, the airport of Cagayan de Oro. Via the facebook page below, you can get all details including links to the registration page.

It’s another busy weekend in the Philippines with the Grandmaster Quest event Santa Cruz Trail Ultra near Davao, and on the other side of Mindanao, the Impasugong Ridge Ultra near Cagayan de Oro. A new ATM Candidate Race, which will have its third edition and the main race - 55km - starting on Sunday early morning.

Organised by Trillchaser Sports Promotion Services and directed by experienced trail runner Juliet Chavez, Impasugong offers a challenging and scenic 55km race. Impasugong Ridge Ultra aims to provide for runners of all levels. The 55km is the flagship race, but there’s also a 30k and a 15k for the less ambitious. Participants on the 55 will need to conquer no less than 2600 hm of elevation gain: not nothing. For competitive runners, the last 10k are downhill and flattish to the finish, so one better keep some juice in the legs.

On the start list of the 55km we find new names almost throughout the list, which proves again the enormous boom of trail running that has been happening since covid on this large southern island in the Philippines. Mind you, the list is 110 lines long - just for the 55km. We are looking forward to getting to know some of them this weekend.

One week before the conclusion of Season 10 in the Asia Trail Master Championship series in Vietnam, runners on the Grandmaster Quest have a chance to collect another GM point in Santa Cruz, Davao, Philippines at the Santa Cruz Trail Ultra. Established by Santa Cruz Trail Runners and with Grandmaster*** Sean Aying as race director, the event was a Candidate last year and now offers a GM point for finishers in 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. On the start list, several well-known runners and Grandmasters such as Jay Delgado, Elron Joyce Josue, Ryan Arriola, Emman Manongsong, Leoniel Perez, Rhodel Sarande, Mario Yap, Benjamin Nueva Jr and even ATM Finalist Roberto Cain III.

It is true pleasure to announce today the first male Golden Grandmaster from the Philippines in our Asia Trail Master series : none other than Alfredo Reyes Jr managed to collect his fourth Grandmaster star at Marilog Ultra 70 in Davao a few weeks ago! Alfredo is the 7th Golden Grandmaster overall, following in the footsteps of a.o. his compatriot Rhea Batac, who completed her Quest back in July 2024.

Alfredo Reyes Jr required just three years to run and finish is 20 ATM ultras. He began his journey at MUSPO 100 in July 2022 and by the end of 2023 scored his first Grandmaster star in Indonesia. He continued with great determination and added his second star eleven months later in at Lam Dong Trail in Dalat, Vietnam. But it’s only since then - ten months ago - that his engine really came up to speed. From 10 to 20 in less than a year! Alfredo was also not shy to include some really tough ultras on his itinerary , such as The 9 Dragons, Pulag Ultra and Hardcore 50 Miles. He traveled to several countries during his Grandmaster Quest, including Hong Kong, Indonesia and Vietnam while crisscrossing the Philippines from Mindanao to Luzon and back as well.

He may not be a Championship runner, but his amazing achievement - especially in the final year - is an inspiration for all of us, proving that with the right mindset you can do everything. Let’s have a very big and well-earned applause for new Four Star Grandmaster Alfredo Reyes Jr!

Alfredo Reyes Jr.’s Grandmaster Quest Palmares

1. Muspo 100km July (2022),

2. Mt. Apo Skyrace 100 Dec (2022)

3. Sta. Ines Mountain Adventure Run 80k (2023)

4. Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75 May (2023)

5. Matanao Mountain Marathon 70k Oct (2023)

6. Siksorogo Lawu Ultra 80 Dec (2023)

7. Bagtit Ultra 100k Feb (2024)

8. Mt. Kalatungan Trail Ultra 85k Mar (2024)

9. Bali Ultra 80k Aug (2024)

10. Lam Dong Ultra 75k Nov (2024)

11. Santa Cruz 70 Nov (2024)

12. Malico Grand Ultra 75 Jan (2025)

13. The 9 Dragons 50miles Feb (2025)

14. Pulag Ultra 65km Feb (2025)

15. Vietnam Ultra Marathon 75k Mar (2025)

16. Lantau 70 Mar (2025)

17. Hardcore Ultra Trail 50miles May (2025)

18. Camiguin Ultra Trail Race 70km July (2025)

19. Punisher Ultra Marathon 50miles Aug 16-17 (2025)

20. Marilog Trail Ultra 70km Aug 30-31 (2025)