This Saturday we have a new ATM Candidate Race in Ifugao, famous for its lush rice terraces, in the northern part of the cordilleras in the Philippines. The Amuyao Mountain Ultra offers a 50 Miles and a 50K as main race categories.

The 50 miles race is serious business with 6700 metres of elevation gain. Ifugao is still part of the Cordillera mountain region. The highest peak in the province is Mount Amuyao at an altitude of 2702m above sea level, and it’s the mountain that lends its name to the event.

Candidate Races are often a great occasion to get to know new names in the competitive trail scene, and Amuyao 50 looks like it may offer exactly that. There’s not that many races in this part of the Philippines so, as we saw two weeks ago in Jumla Rara Ultra in Nepal, we may be up for a few surprises. On the start list of the 50 miles (85km) race we at least also have two very familiar names: Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag and Romando Cumahling.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking beauty and intricate agricultural engineering. The route typically winds through the terraces and the surrounding mountainous landscapes, offering participants a unique and challenging running experience. The event not only promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship but also serves as a platform to showcase the natural and cultural wonders of the region.

Stay tuned for news and updates of the Amuyao 50 event via our ATM facebook and Instagram pages.

Bukidnon Province in the northcentral part of Mindanao in the southern Philippines is increasingly profiling itself as a trail running hub in the country and beyond. A few years ago, events such as MUSPO and Mt Kalatungan Ultra put the region on the map - also in ATM - and since then plenty of runners have emerged. Think of Yoyong Sacayle and Mary Joy Sumanda, just to name two competitive athletes in our ATM Championship circuit. More runners means more opportunities to set up new trail events, too. Hence, Point Trail on 8/9 June. Directed by the aforementioned ATM race winner and 2023 Finalist Yoyong Sacayle, Point Trail is centred around Bukidnon’s capital city Malaybalay and has applied for Candidate Race status. The event offers three race distances, of which the 50km is the main one. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 30km and 15km. The 50km course map and profile reveal a total elevation of 2360 hm and basically seven distinct ‘peaks’ , of which the second, third and fifth stand out. Along the way, runners will be treated to magnificent views across the area. Bukidnon means “highlander” or “mountain dweller” so you know what to expect. In fact, the province is one of the country’s leading rice, corn and pineapple producers, too, and is stated as one of the Philippines’ fastest growing economies.

To reach Malaybalay from outside Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is arguably the easiest and closest as it is a main domestic flight hub.

Via the official facebook page you can stay up-to-date with the latest news about the new event. Registration can be done via the link below.

ATM race winner and Finalist Yoyong Sacayle is the RD of Point Trail Ultra

We are happy to announce the latest ATM Candidate Race event in the Philippines, scheduled for 27/28 April: the Altra 50 Amuyao Mountain Ultra. This is bound to be a very scenic trail run as it takes place through the great natural landscapes and heritage culture of the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, northeast of Baguio.

Runners can look forward to a 50 miles (approx 87km) race as the longest distance category. Less ambitious runners can also opt for the shorter varieties of 42k, 25km and 10km. The 50 miles race is serious business with 6700 metres of elevation gain. Ifugao is still part of the Cordillera mountain region. The highest peak in the province is Mount Amuyao at an altitude of 2702m above sea level. Views from the summit area are breathtaking.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking beauty and intricate agricultural engineering. The route typically winds through the terraces and the surrounding mountainous landscapes, offering participants a unique and challenging running experience. The event not only promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship but also serves as a platform to showcase the natural and cultural wonders of the region. The event is scheduled at the beginning of planting season, when the terrace fields are bursting with green and the weather is fairly predictable. The course features breathtaking sceneries, ancient rice paddies, forest trails, and steep mountains that will surely captivate and challenge outdoor sports enthusiasts from local and abroad.

The event aims to position the Banaue as being one of the prime destinations in the Philippines.

To get to the event, you first make your way from Manila or Clark to Baguio City.

Check all the details on the official event website, and register soon. The official number of participants is restricted so get your bib as soon as you can!

Sierra Madre Trail Ultra proved itself once more as one of the Philippines’ marquee events for competitive runners. Kristian Joergensen dominated the men’s 75km race, while the women’s saw a great battle between five runners that remained exciting until the very end when the surprising Christine Muntoya opened up a decisive gap to Cecille Wael. The battle for ATM Championship points in order to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final is still wide open!

Organised by the Maharlika Team led by Emman Manongsong, Sierra Madre is laying emphasis on a pure competition between top runners with great prizes as a reward. The 75km is the only distance category so runners cannot avoid each other. It was no surprise that Kristian Joergensen was far ahead in the men’s race, he stands his ground even in ‘global’ competitions and is the second runner-up in last year’s ATM Championship Final. But behind him, many Filipino runners were eyeing the remaining podium spots. Davao’s Jensen Pasaforte, Jomarc Ferrer and - initially - Henry Joe Cottilon were laying claims on that, with others like Bhert Orpiada and Florence Alave and youngster John Ivan Zonio, who finished 2nd in this race last year, not far back either. Sierra Madre is one of those races where you can blow up, even though moving the event from May to March was slightly better in terms of weather conditions. Cottilon in particular began to drop down the leaderboard, while Maynard Encormal suddenly moved up in rapid fashion. Encormal - winner of Bagtit Ultra 100 last month - came third last year, and clearly learnt from that experience. He needed a little bit of luck to take second, as Pasaforte went a wrong way for a while, but Encormal looked solid nonetheless - knowing in advance that Joergensen would be impossible to beat. Pasaforte held on to third place, which is a great result for him. Ferrer and Zonio came fourth and fifth. Jordan Bugnay was sixth not too much later.

Five women controlled proceedings in the women’s race. Last year’s race winner Ann Jilian Pulanco, Cecille Wael, Mary Joy Sumanda, Shally Yuson and Christine Muntoya. All of them very much in shape these months as their recent results have shown. Positions kept changing during the race and the gaps between them remained manageable. One imagined that the more experienced racers Wael and Pulanco were biding their time. Towards the end, Mary Joy Sumanda seemed to be going for her first ever ATM race win after several podium placings. But then Wael accelerated and so did Muntoya, the least expected among the front runners in this field. Kathleen Logan - winner in Danao City ahead of Wael last January - had already thrown in the towel by then. At the final checkpoint before the finish, Muntoya and Wael were leading. Sumanda was 12 minutes behind, herself just a few minutes ahead of Yuson and Pulanco. The last 8 km left no doubt about who the strongest of the day was: Muntoya ran away from Wael and put no fewer than 18 minutes between them at the finish! A fantastic maiden race win for her in ATM. Ces Wael was happy to settle for second, citing acid reflux in the final stint. Sumanda managed to hold on to third and another podium. She had to work for it because Pulanco came within three minutes. Yuson arrived in fifth place.

Another outstanding performance by Kristian Joergensen

Winner in Bagtit, 2nd in Sierra Madre: Maynard Encormal is going strong!

Fantastic achievement by Jensen Pasaforte. Third, but even had 2nd within his grasp

Another ATM podium for Cecille Wael, but Christine Muntoya was too strong for the win

It’s not only Lantau 70 this Saturday, but also Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. Taking place two months earlier compared to 2023, Sierra Madre was one of the highlights of last season in terms of technical organisation and atmosphere in the field of ‘grassroots events’. It is a pity the event now clashes with a Hong Kong classic, because Sierra Madre also deserves full attention. On the start list we also find none other than recent 9 Dragons 50/50 winner Kristian Joergensen.

The 75km long race has start and finish in Sitio Wawa in Rodriguez in the Rizal. All year round it’s a hub for trail runners from Manila and surroundings, who gather there on weekends during their training outings. The course has well over 4000 metres of elevation gain and is a nice mixture of wide and technical single trails, including a number of river crossings. Heat and humidity can play a big role, which is the main reason why event director Emman Manonsong moved Sierra Madre Trail Ultra from May to March. Last year, several runners got cooked during the day. Jeff Campbell was the outstanding winner ahead of John Ivan Zonio and Maynard Encormal. While Campbell is out of action with injury, Zonio and Encormal are both back on the start list and will certainly try to put some pressure on Kristian Joergensen. But with the sun-loving Dane in great shape, it will be hard to see victory. Plenty of other podium contenders, though. Eldy Bulod, Florence Alave, Henry Cottillon, JC Murillo, Jomarc Ferrer and so on.

A year ago Ann Jilian Pulanco scored her first ever ATM race victory at Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, proving her inherent competitiveness. Just two weeks ago, she showed to be in good shape again with second place in Mt Kalatungan Ultra behind Julie Ann Morales, who’s been dominant in the ATM races in Philippines this season. A repeat victory is certainly not far-fetched. However, there’s other contenders with maybe a little more freshness in the legs: Cecille Wael and Kathleen Ligan, for example. Ligan won Danao 50 ahead of Wael, the latter then won Bagtit 50 a month ago. Mary Joy Sumanda has kept on improving in terms of competitiveness and was third in Mt Kalatungan. Will this be her weekend? Other challengers for the win and the podium are Ram Rongavilla, Shally Yuson and Melanie Hingpit, who was on the podium in third last year.

The Sierra Madre Trail Ultra starts at 2 am local time on Saturday. Subject to connectivity, we will be reporting live from the event on our usual channels.

Kristian Joergensen the obvious favourite for the men’s race at Sierra Madre

Can Ann Jilian Pulanco score a back-to-back victory at Sierra Madre this Saturday?

The young John Ivan Zonio surprised last year with a second place. Can he do that once more?

The women’s top 5 in 2023

The men’s top 5 in 2023

At Mount Kalatungan Ultra in Bukidnon, Philippines, Julie Ann Morales already grabbed her third victory of the current ATM season in the event’s 85km race! The Davao mountain ultra specialist took control on the long ascent of one of her country’s highest mountains and hung unto the lead despite the challenge of ultra long distance specialist Ann Jilian Pulanco. Morales finished before sunset. She now totals 1500 ATM Championship points, which could already be enough to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final. Morales was part of the team in 2022, but not last year as she competed in just two events. Since the end of the covid crisis, the 32-year-old has collected five race wins in our series.

Pulanco managed to keep second place till the finish. Great performance by last year’s winner in Sierra Madre! She was 23 minutes behind Morales. In third place on the podium was local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda, ATM Finalist last season and just like the race winner a new face that has emerged in the Philippines’ competitive field over the last two years. That also counts for Shally Yuson, who fnished in fourth place ahead of Chloe Base and Irish Glorioso.

The men’s 85km race saw two runners crossing the finish line together: Jevie Cagatin and Yoyong Sacayle. Cagatin had set the pace early on with Kik Suello and Anthony Paladin. The latter would fade away, but Cagatin and Suello climbed well. Two names that will not ring a bell with ATM followers. Suello is a newcomer to the scene, Cagatin first appeared on Mount Apo last December, where he scored second place on the podium. While Suello lost ground in the second half of the race to take third place, Cagatin pressed ahead but was nevertheless joined by local favourite and ATM Finalist, 7th last season, Yoyong Sacayle. The duo stayed together till the end, but instead of a sprint they came in hand-in-hand. Moments later, Sacayle suggested that Cagatin is the deserved race winner with him in second. Cagatin, Sacayle and Suello were remarkably far ahead of the others in what was a strong field. Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal did not have the best of races and finished in 7th place. Florence ‘Enciong’ Alave was 12th. Mount Apo race winner Isaiah Paraiso found Kalatungan also tougher than expected. He came in fourth , but almost two hours behind the lead duo. Jomarc Ferrer and Marvin Buizon did well in five and six, with Sean Aying in 8th.

The busy Filipino season continues in a fortnight with Sierra Madre Trail in the Rizal mountains east of Manila.

The men’s top 3 at Mt Kalatungan Ultra with Jevie Catagin declared as official winner

Julie Ann Morales keeps winning: this was number 3 of the current ATM season!

The Filipino ATM season continues this weekend in Bukidnon in Mindanao with the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra. A successful Candidate Race in 2020 just before the covid pandemic brought everything to a halt. Four years went by, and the team around Grandmasters Ramie and Rene Amigleo from the Ultra Runners Republic are delighted they can finally put the event back on. For non-Filipinos, Mount Kalatungan is a stratovolcano, albeit with no historical eruptions, and a serious altitude of 2860m making it just a bit smaller than Mount Apo near Davao. The ATM points race is 85km long with the ascent of Kalatungan located in the first third of the race. Runners better save some energy for after the big climb, in other words.

Bukidnon is the region roughly between Davao and Cagayan de Oro, from where lots of new trail running talent has emerged in the past few years. The Amigleo brothers did a lot for the sport there. Today, Yoyong Sacayle is arguably the best-known local top runner, Mary Joy Sumanda another up-and-comer. Both were ATM Finalists and top ten placers last year, and both will toe the start line in Pangantucan this weekend.

ATM Championship overall leader Julie Ann Morales will be aiming to make it three victories out of three races this season. Morales has been on a roll with wins on Mt Apo and last month at Bagtit Ultra. Another top performance would put her already in a very comfortable position to make Team Pilipinas for this year’s ATM Final. Her main competitors for the victory will be the aforementioned Mary Joy Sumanda, Ann Jilian Pulanco, Shally Yuson, Anne Maridol Rongavilla and Chloe Base. Keep an eye out for Sumanda, who on home soil could as well take her first ATM race win.

In the men’s race, Yoyong Sacayle will have to take care of Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal, amongst others. Encormal looked solid three weeks ago, hopefully he has fully recovered from the effort. Sacayle ran the 9 Dragons 50/50, though, albeit rather anonimously. Perhaps that was calculated to be 100% for this weekend? On paper, Encormal and Sacayle look like the ones to beat, but there’s many other podium contenders in the race, such as Jonathan Pido, ATM Championship points leader Sean Aying, Florence Alave, Freddie Blanco, Henry Joe Cottilon and Ariehmar Bardoquillo.

ATM will be reporting from the Mt Kalatungan Ultra event on the usual channels.

Local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda could go for her first ever ATM race win this weekend

Yoyong Sacayle: can he keep Maynard Encormal at bay ?

Maynard Encormal was a great winner at Bagtit 100 just three weeks ago

ATM Points Leader so far: Julie Ann Morales. Kalatungan is already her 3rd race this season

Bagtit Ultra in Tarlac, Philippines, lived up to its name last weekend. The heat of day particularly turned the 100km into a ‘crazy’ sufferfest on top of the 4800 metres of elevation gain. Luzon’s Maynard Encormal proved to be the most resilient on Saturday and grabbed his first ever ATM race victory after a few podiums in previous seasons. Maynard was at the top the leaderboard for basically all day and completed the course in 18h56. When all was said and done, ultra race experience and effort-management played a big role at Bagtit Ultra as Julie Ann Morales also showed in the women’s 100k race. The Davao runner started very modestly and was not even placing in the top positions on the leaderboard early in the day. But at the finish, she arrived in third overall (!) and just two minutes behind second placed male Geza Oszacki. Morales already won Mt Apo 100 in December and thus so far collected 1000 ATM Championship points, making her the female leader in this season’s ranking.

Geza Oszacki was second, also after a solid second half overtaking a.o. Bhert Orpiada and Ariehmar Bardoquillo. Bardoquillo was leading the race together with Encormal early on, but in the end he fell off the top 3 podium. Kimberly Gaela managed to hold onto second place in the women’s race after leading for 75 km and until Morales caught her. For Gaela it was her most competitive ATM result as well. Michella Aradanas, winner of the Grand Malico Ultra Candidate Race a few weeks ago, arrived in third place, but she was later relegated for missing a checkpoint during the day. Ann Jilian Pulanco therefore was announced as the third woman on the podium.

Pre-race favourite Elizabeth Dangadan was a DNS at Bagtit Ultra 100.

Marjones Abugan from Davao del Norte won the 50k men’s points race in 9h42! His first race victory in ATM after leading throughout. Henry Cotilllon was trying to keep up initially, but dropped back in the second half. Cotillon saved his great second place nevertheless, finishing just ahead of Noy Gentoleo. All three go home with remarkable results, showing competitive improvement still in the early part of this ATM season.

Pre-race favourite Cecille Wael indeed won the 50km race at Bagtit Ultra, but it was harder than it perhaps seemed. ! After arriving in Tarlac basically just in time after work commitments in Manila and with a significant lack of sleep, Cecille took a modest start but found herself in the lead nonetheless by halfway. Anne Rongavilla from Mindanao applied enough pressure to keep her concentrated in the heat of day. Her Finish time was 12h02, roughly 20 minutes ahead of Rongavilla. It's Wael's 4th career ATM race win and 2nd within six months, having won Matanao Mountain Marathon 70k last October. Rongavilla also scored a podium place (2nd) in Mt Apo Sky Race 100 in 2019. In fact, the female 50km podium was almost a mirror copy of that race’s podium as Melanie Hingpit took third in Bagtit. Five years ago, Hingpit won on Apo with Wael in third.

Julie Ann Morales bags another impressive win on the ultra distance

Marjones Abugan: debut ATM race win on the 50km

Season IX of the Asia Trail Master Championship series continues this weekend in the Philippines with the 3rd edition of Bagtit Ultra in Luzon. On the programme are both 100km and 50km races for ATM points. The event, organised by the Pace Republic, replaces last season’s Santa Ines on our calendar, and was a Candidate Race last June. That day we learnt that the race course of Bagtit is to be taken seriously.

‘Bagtit’ is the local Ilocano translation of the word ‘crazy’. The 100km course has an accumulated elevation gain of 4800 hm and has five distinct peaks. One can experience a panoramic view of the Tarlac and Pangasinan plains and Mt. Arayat from afar. Mt. Damas may arguably have the distinction of being the most scenic mountain in Tarlac. But it is the less explored trails on Mt Sem-Ilya that are considered to be the highlight of the event. The start and finish venue of the 100km is in Mayantoc Municipal Hall. Runners are required to toe the line on Saturday morning 6am. The 50km has a different start location: the Papaac Basketball Court (Camiling, Tarlac) and only starts at 1am on Sunday early morning - meaning the first four five hours will be in darkness.

The list of participants looks very solid as expected for any race that offers points for the ATM Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest. However, in the absence of ‘super elites’ like John Ray Onifa and Arnie Macaneras, the battle for podium on the 100k and 50k is wide open. Especially in the men’s category. Maynard Encormal is from Luzon and could be the one to watch out for most on the long distance. Already a podium placer on a few occasions in ATM races, Encormal may be keen to finally get on the top step of the podium. He was qualified for last year’s ATM Final but decided against participation. Sean Aying, Ariehmar Bardoquillo, Avelino Versola III and Florence Alave will certainly be challenging him. Also last year’s 80k race winner Julius Iglesias is back on the start list, and so is good old Angelito Vertudazo, who could produce the upset.

In the women’s 100k, the runner-to-beat is Elizabeth Dangadang. Part-time obstacle racer, part-time trail runner, Elizabeth Dangadang was a convincing race winner a year ago at Santa Ines, well ahead of Angelie Cabalo and Cecille Wael no less. While she may start as the favourite, plenty of other women will contest the podium, and -who knows- apply pressure on Dangadang. Davao’s Julie Ann Morales has been in great shape recently, also winning the Mount Apo Sky Race 100 in December in a solid time. Ann Jilian Pulanco showed in Sierra Madre Trail last season that she should never be discounted when the going gets tough and when she decides to go for it. And just a month ago, Michella Aradanas won the Grand Malico Ultra (ATM Candidate Race) in great style. Furthermore, there’s Shally Yuson, Kimberly Gaela, Cheryl Bihag, irish Glorioso, Roan Biguasen and Manilyn Mamugay.

On the 50km we have a similar set-up as on the 100 with a more pronounced female race favourite and an open field in the men’s. Looking to return to her most competitive level after a difficult 2023, Cecille Wael had a great start of the year at the Danao 50k just two weeks ago. The victory eluded her, but she showed her speed on technical trails is coming back. This weekend she will be up against a.o. Melanie Hingpit, Anne Rongavilla and Jennifer Commandante.

The men’s race looks very open with Noy Gentoleo and Aleksei Rodionov as solid podium candidates. Gentoleo is also returning to the scene after a long break during the pandemic.

ATM will be reporting live from the Bagtit Ultra event on our usual channels, and subject to connectivity along the race course.

Florence “Enciong” Alave: third on Mount Apo in December

Avelino Versola III : ATM Finalist in 2023

Sean Aying starts his 2024 campaign this weekend

Julie Ann Morales: race winner in Mindanao a number of times already. Can she also be victorious in Luzon?

Shally Yuson: 3rd on Mount Apo last December

Winner of Grand Malico Ultra just a month ago: Michella Aradanas

Two weeks after finishing 2nd in the Danao Candidate Race, Cecille Wael is aiming for the 50k win at Bagtit

We are happy to announce that the redesigned Pacific Mountain Coast Trail Festival in Luzon, Philippines, has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for the event on 6/7 July. General Nakar is a large municipality located to the east of Manila in Quezon Province, passed the Rizal mountains. On the event programme we find 100km and 50km as main race categories, but less ambitious runners can also choose for the 25km or 12km. There is also a kids race foreseen. This event coincides with the towns' founding anniversary, celebrating bounties and culture through the Gapo and Palusong Festival.

The new PCMTF event is in a way not brand new. A previous version was held back in 2018 under a different management. Back then, the event had a runable terrain, but according to the new race director there will be more technicality in the hinterland this time around. General Nakar itself, of course, lies by the sea. The precise course map will be made available soon.

You can find more information via the webpage and the facebook page linked below.

The first Danao City International Ultra Trail in Cebu, Philippines proved to be a great addition to the Filipino trail calendar and was a successful ATM Candidate with promising years ahead. Andy Toniacao and Chloe Base won a very tough 100km race, but performance-wise it was probably Larry Apolinario who raised eyebrows the most with a stunningly dominant win on the 50km, 1h35’ ahead of second place…

The new event received large support from the Danao City authorities and featured a start & finish arena in the centre of town, which always boosts the festival atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the local population to be involved. Runners were given a technical course that was well-appreciated, including well-stocked aid stations that had about anything you could imagine. Especially the 100km ultra distance turned out to be a genuine challenge for the majority of participants. The 6300 metres of elevation gain were a warning sign on paper, but those numbers never say anything about technicality and gradients - both uphill and downhill. Experienced Filipino runners argued that Danao 100 comes close to being the toughest 100k trail in the country - and it was not even raining. The race winner’s finishing time of 20 hours and 37 minutes of course already says a lot. That winner is Andy Toniacao, a well-known and respected competitive trail runner in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Not a so-called nobody. He was in the lead from the start and soon build up a big advantage over the other runners. Despite slowing down slightly in the final sections - it was Toniacao’s debut on the 100 km - he arrived back in the bustling city centre of Danao on Saturday evening with an advantage of 1h15’ over Jensen Pasaforte and Juan Salang. Only one female runner managed to beat the 30 hours cut-off time: Chloe Base. She was probably the one who managed her efforts in the most efficient way, as during the whole of Saturday she was never reported to be inside the top three.

While the 100km was clearly a race for the toughest of trail runners, the 50km and 30km races were more manageable for the standard runner. Mind you, also the 50k was reviewed as ‘technical to very technical’. All the more impressive was Larry Apolinario’s pace as he blasted away from everyone else. At CP2, he already led the field by 25 minutes after just 15 kilometres. The majority of runners struggled their way to the finish, but Apolinario looked as if he had just gone for his regular Sunday’s jog. His race performances outside the Philippines, particulary in ATM races, have somehow been mostly below-par but on home soil he has firmly set his foot besides Onifa and Macaneras. His finish time was 6h25. Dante Soreno, all cramped up, finished second in 8h00’ , followed by Rodney Ortega in 8h16’.

The women’s 50km saw a very nice dual between local hero Kathleen Ligan, from Compostela - the town between Cebu City and Danao City - and the established competitor Cecille Wael. Both stayed together until aid stations 3 just over halfway. Then, Wael went off course for too long to still have a fighting chance against Ligan. Both of them were in good shape, finishing fifth and seventh overall. Let’s see if Ligan can build on this victory to become yet another contender for the already strong Pilipinas Team in our ATM Championship. From her side, Wael, was happy to have finished a technical race without the injury pains that plagued most of her 2023 season.

For once, the 30km category also attracted a lot of interest from trail followers due to the presence of reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa and the young up-and-comer, some would say ‘The Prince’ , Godwin Mirar. Still only 23 years of age, Godwin caught everyone’s eye already back in 2019 when he finished fourth behind Kitamura, Macaneras and John Ellis in the Punisher 80k race on Babak Samal island. One of those talents with a potentially big future in the sport. Godwin Mirar has been doing things the smart way: no long ultras for him yet, it’s all about body development, speed training and gaining technical experience in shorter races first. Already in VMM last year he showed the progress he had made since 2019. On the 50km he finished third behind Onifa and Joergensen, but just a mere 11 minutes behind. In Danao, Godwin Mirar could have a go at John Ray Onifa. It’s only 30km and Onifa is in recovery from a serious 100km in Hong Kong a week ago. Indeed, the Prince put the pressure on the King. At CP2, Godwin Mirar arrived a minute ahead of Onifa, who did twist his ankle just before. The ATM Champion realised he was in a serious race, grit his teeth together and managed to catch him again before opening up a gap. Mirar also missed a marker somewhere to eliminate his victory chances, but his bravery of taking the fight to Onifa can only be applauded. At the same time, John Ray Onifa showed his resilience to continue racing with a damaged ankle. After he crossed the line, he went straight into the ambulance. Luckily, it soon turned out to be relatively okay despite a swelling. His participation in the 9 Dragoons in three weeks is not in danger.

Chloe Base as the only female finisher of the 100 km

Kathleen Ligan: impressive victory on the 50km

Larry Apolinario: man of the weekend?

The 1st edition of the Danao City Ultra Trail in Cebu, Philippines, can look forward to the participation of reigning ATM male champion John Ray Onifa this Sunday. Being more or less at home in the Visayas, Onifa will be running the 30km shorter distance race of the ATM Candidate event, which also offers 100km and 50km categories. Onifa is probably hoping for a calm race, having just done a highly competitive 100km in Hong Kong last weekend, but will have the 23-year-old up-and-comer Godwin Mirar on his tail this Sunday.

The new event Danao City Ultra Trail has been set up under the direction of Bitbit Marites Sotto, a former highly successful adventure, MTB and trail running racer. The ambition seems clear: make this the stand-out trail running event in the Visayas. Runners can look forward to lush forests, rocky trails, and stunning vistas. The 100km ultra will certainly not be the easiest race to complete, looking at its continuously ondulating profile and the more than 6000 hm of elevation gain. Cut off time has been set at 30 hours with start at midnight. Ezekiel Cheruiyot from Kenya will be one to look out for. As one of few in his country of runners to have a clear focus on long distance trail ultras, Cheruiyot has been on the ATM scene before - collecting a second place in the 100 miles race of Ultra Trail Chiang Mai in Thailand in 2022. Looking at the start list, amongst the known competitors, we find Noy Gentoleo - always a contender for podium or at least top five. Florence Alave, recently third on Mt Apo Sky Race 100, will certainly also be in the mix.

On the 50km eyes will be focused on Larry Apolinario and Cecille Wael in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. Both had a rollercoaster year in 2023 with great race performances alternating with injury-related struggles. Apolinario is also one of those young local stars trying to stay in the slipstream of John Ray Onifa and Arnie Macaneras in the hope of one day taking over the crown.

ATM will be providing live race coverage all weekend from Danao City. You can follow the action as usual primarily on ATM Facebook, but also on ATM Instagram, ATM YouTube and ATM X channels.

John Ray Onifa kicks off his 2024 ATM season with the 30k at Danao City Candidate Race, but will face some strong opposition by the name of upcoming youngster Godwin Mirar

Cecille Wael will be aiming for success on the 50km having taken it easy over the past two months to allow her persistent ankle injury to heal

Larry Apolinario when he impressively won MUSPO 100 in July 2022. He will be on the 50k this weekend.