We are happy to announce that the 3rd edition of Camiguin Island Trail race, scheduled for the weekend of 12 July, has entered the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar. Organised by Vertical To Sky under Doi Calbes, this event has been growing rapidly in popularity and for the first time will feature a 70km race category - long enough to offer a Grandmaster point to finishers.

Camiguin is an island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. The trail event is held out of the island’s and provincial capital Mambajao. The island has some lush green forest reserves, even protected under the ASEAN Heritage Park label. Camiguin also has a rich cultural history and treasures, such as Old Mambajao Fountain and the façade of the Santo Rosario Church in Sagay. This is a mountainous island, which offers the opportunity for some splendid trail running, including some technical mountain sections. The highest peak is Mount Timpoong, which towers a respectable 1500 metres above sea level.

The event has already opened for registration and in no time secured 650 entries. Contrary to other Vertical To Sky events, this one does not have a limited participation quota. However, better sign up fast to also secure your personal desired accommodation. The course map of 70km is currently being updated and will be released in due course. Via the official facebook page you can stay up-to-date on the latest developments regarding Camiguin Island Trail.

To register, Doi likes to keep it simple. Just send him an email on verticaltosky@gmail.com with your usual event registration details, and his team will come back to you within 48 hours.

The Philipino Mountain Trail Festival in Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya saw some expected and also surprising victories and performances in what what as always a tough physical and mental exercise. The Hardcore 100 Miles, a.k.a. H1, is the flagship race of the newly designed Festival and witnessed truly fantastic victories by Rhys Pawid and by Shally Yuson. While Pawid is an experienced long ultra specialist from Luzon, Yuson hails from Mindanao and took part in her first ever miler - having previously often struggled even in 100k races. Pawid, a 2022 ATM Finalist, scored his first ever ATM race win, for 2024 Finalist and Grandmaster Yuson it was her second win after MUSPO 50 at home last year. 

Rhys Pawid went solo early in the race already, between checkpoints 2 and 3, as he created a gap with the two main pre-race favourites Kik Suello and Jevie Cagatin, both from Mindanao. The gap would remain between just ten and fifteen minutes for a while, but by CP 5 at Cabayo Pawid had suddenly doubled it and would disappear out of sight for the duo behind. Pawid reached the finish after 161 km in a superb 26h02’15”, which turned out to be more than three hours faster than second-placed Kik Suello. Mantra-like differences in other words, even between some of Philippines’ most acclaimed long ultra trail runners. A new podium for Kik Suello this season, but after three third places now his first second. When is that first victory coming about? Just a matter of time for last year’s 7th place in the ATM Championship. His qualification for this year’s Final in Vietnam in October is already as good as certain. Jevie Cagatin took third, and his first Grandmaster star as well. Cagatin was the highest ATM points scorer in Philippines last season and winner of Mount Kalatungan in the process. He came 11th in the Final, just off the Top 10 enlarged podium. Another 2024 Finalist took fourth place in H1, Jomarc Ferrer. Jordan Bugnay was fifth, just a few minutes ahead of Ronnel Valero. 

The women’s H1 race was much closer than the men’s with Shally Yuson, Shela Mae Bahian and Rhea Falitnang all reaching out to victory. While the gaps were not huge, pre-race favourites Ann Jilian Pulanco and Mary Joy Sumanda somehow were never in the mix for the race win. Rhea Falitnang initially had the quicker pace, with Bahian perhaps the more consistent in second. Until Yuson made a move from CP 4 onwards. Falitnang, however, was able to up her pace again towards the end and returned to within just a few minutes of Yuson by Cp 10. Bahian there looked to be settling for third, but also she had some extra juice left in the tank. At the finish, Yuson held on to take the prestigious victory and Bahian still managed to get second just 12 minutes later. Falitnang secured third place on the podium. Mary Joy Sumanda still finished in fourth place, and became a 2-star Grandmaster by doing so. 

The second ATM Championship points race on the PMTF programme was the Mount Ugo Marathon, another “old” classic race in the Philippines. Medium trail distance of 47km, but spicy with the well-known beautiful Mount Ugo in it. Kristian Joergensen did what he came to do, grab the 500 ATM points by winning the race - his first ATM victory in a while, in fact. Joergensen, who often trains in the Cordilleras and who is familiar with the route, was a good half an hour faster than the surprisingly strong Erico Villamor. Angelo Maynard Encormal took the third spot on the podium, ahead of Sean Aying. 

In fifth overall we already had the first woman, and it was not Filipino favourite Angelie Cabalo. Japan’s Chisato Kario managed to stay a few minutes ahead of Cabalo, who ultimately had to cede second place also to South Korea’s Hee Joo Jang, fifth in last year’s ATM Championship Final. Another podium in any case puts Cabalo in a strong position to qualify for this season’s Final. She also becomes the overall points leader this season with 1325 points in the account, 45 more than Tara Savage and 50 more than her compatriot Ritzy Amor, who will be competing in Bali BTR 60 this weekend, however. 

The next Filipino points race takes place in Bukidnon, Mindanao: Point Trail 70km on 14 June.

2024 ATM Finalist and Grandmaster Shally Yuson took a rather unexpected win at H1

3rd place in the Mt Ugo Marathon was enough for Angelie Cabalo to claim the overall female points lead

Rhys Pawid was an ATM Finalist in 2022, but H1 was his first ever ATM race victory

The new Philippine Mountain Trail Festival kicks off the long Labour Day weekend on Thursday with the start of the prestigious Hardcore 100 Miles, perhaps better known as H1. A classic in the Philippines, renowned for its difficulty level and high DNF rate. Now organised by Intrepid Spirit, it is the first time H1 - and also Saturday’a medium distance classic Mt Ugo Marathon - are part of the Asia Trail Master Championship series.

Filipino ultra trail runners feel obliged to at least try H1 once. The majority knows in advance it will be hard to finish, but if you succeed you forever have a big feather in your cap. And so we again see over 100 participants for the 100 miles or 161 km long ultra race, including a fair share of female runners. The event takes place in Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet, east of Baguio City. A remote area in the Cordilleras.

Lots of ATM Championship protagonists and Grandmasters on the start list. Among the expected victory contenders we have great competitors such as Kik Suello, Jevie Cagatin, Poy Brillantes, Yoyong Sacayle, Rhys Pawid and so on. Also a few experienced Malaysians could finish close. In the women’s race, we find ATM Finalists such as Shally Yuson and Mary Joy Sumanda on the list. Sumanda already traveled to the area from Bukidnon last February to do the Mount Pulag Ultra 130km, with success. Long ultra specialist Ann Jilian Pulanco will be a serious contender for the win, and perhaps Michella Aradanas and Shekinah Velasquez can pull off something big this weekend.

Saturday’s Mt Ugo Marathon centres around the meanwhile famous Mount Ugo and is 47km in length. Interestingly but tellingly, the list of participants is shorter than H1. However, it features some big names as well. Kristian Joergensen will be looking for his first ATM race victory of the season against the likes of Maynard Encormal and Sean Aying. In the women’s we are looking forward to an interesting race between Angelie Cabalo and Hee Joo Jang. Cabalo is very much into the ATM season this year, having banked already 900 points in two races, including a race win at Mount Kalatungan Ultra two months ago. She goes into Mt Ugo as the obvious favourite, but let’s not forget that Hee Joo Jang was fifth in last season’s ATM Championship Final at Borneo TMBT.

Maynard Encormal: can he keep up with Kristian Joergensen on Mount Ugo?

Mary Joy Sumanda: went to Pulag 130 in February to be ready for H1

Kik Suello: two ATM podiums this season have proven his 7th place in the 2024 Final was no coincidence

Angelie Cabalo: favourite for the women’s Mt Ugo Marathon

Jevie Cagatin: will this be his breakthrough weekend?

Meanwhile a classic race on the Asia Trail Master calendar, we are happy to confirm that the 11th edition of The Punisher on Samal Island will again be the final Filipino ‘qualifier’ for points in the Championship ranking this season. The event is scheduled for 16/17 August. The 80 km course will be modified to accommodate a new and improved start/finish venue at the Botanical Garden in Barangay Bandera in the Kaputian District of the island Samal, which is located just off the coast of Davao City and reachable by a short ferry ride.

The event is organised by Vertical To Sky under Grandmaster Doi Calbes and also offers shorter distance categories for the less ambitious: 50km, 25km and 15km. Runners looking to score points for the ATM Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest need to focus on the 80km as usual.

The Punisher is often labeled as a ‘boutique’ event and attracts hardcore trail runners, or runners ‘of the first hour’ who do not need all the bling bling and just enjoy the camaraderie and challenge in a beautiful and relaxed setting. Trail running at its natural finest. No surprise that the event has always attracted a wealth of elite runners, too. Hisashi Kitamura has won it twice and twice ahead of Arnie Macaneras. John Ellis came third in 2019, Jcy Ho won it that same year and so on. Last year, it was Angelie Cabalo who ran a fantastic race to take the women’s win, while Kik Suello and Eldy Bulod came in together as joint male winners. As the 2025 edition will again be the last chance for Filipino runners to score ATM Championship points on home soil before the Season’s Final in Vietnam on 4 October, many of the country’s elites will be circling the date in red. Contrary to last year, The Punisher is not the last ‘qualifier’ on the international ATM calendar, though. Afterwards, we still have Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia and the new Ijen Mountain Marathon in Indonesia.

The course of The Punisher is typically a nice mix of runable and technical. The start is at 4 am, the cut-off time is 25 hours, i.e. 5 am on Sunday morning.

International runners will be pleased to see that there’s again more and more direct flights to Davao. This is also the case for Hong Kong and for Singapore. From the airport in Davao, it is quick and easy to reach the ferry to take you to Samal island, where plenty of accommodation options are available. Take a look at the Vertical To Sky website and stay up-to-date via its Facebook Page for all details.

Sierra Madre Trail Ultra once again proved to be one of Luzon’s most respected trail running events and witnessed an impressive first win in ATM for Randolf Gonzales and an equally strong fifth ATM race win for Cecille Wael. Barely a week after Gonzales came 7th in Lantau 70 in Hong Kong and behind Kristian Joergensen, he seemed more recovered than the latter and switched positions to take victory in Rodriguez. Wael had her own issues before the race, as she barely made it to the starting line following her regular daytime job in Manila. But once she got going, Wael outpaced Malaysia’s Rejlen James and took an important victory for her own self-confidence, after several races had not gone to plan due to her sensitivity to nutrition-intake while competing. The male and female top 3 was completed by Kik Suello and Jericha De la Paz, respectively.

Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, by the Maharlika Team, was the second Filipino points race of this ATM season and the first in Luzon. The 75km had some course changes compared to previous years, but Randolf Gonzales was pretty accurate in his own prediction. His goal was sub-9 hours and he did finish in 8h56. That was 14 minutes quicker than last year’s winner Kristian Joergensen. ‘Youth is catching up,” was the Manila-based Dane’s conclusion of the past two weekends’ races. For years, Joergensen has been the benchmark for races in the northern Philippines and the man-to-beat. Now at 40+, he sees a considerably large group of young, talented trail runners challenging him for the victories. Third-placed Kik Suello was the early leader at nighttime and also still finished ‘just’ ten minutes behind Joergensen. It is Suello’s third consecutive third podium place in ATM this season. At present, he is in pole position to join former champions John Ray Onifa and Arnie Macaneras in Team Pilipinas in October this year. Randolf Gonzales has also increased his chances for qualification considerably by means of this Sierra Madre victory. When you look at former obstacle racer Gonzales’ 3 ATM races so far this year, he has proven to be learning quickly on how to bring home big results. In February at 9 Dragons, he still blew himself up big time and would drop down the leaderboard from second to well outside the top ten. Beating Joergensen and Suello - 7th in last year’s ATM Championship Final - offers perspectives for Gonzales, who undoubtedly will still improve as he gains pure racing experience. Roberto Cain III was first of another trio of talents. Jomarc Ferrer and John Ivan Zonio ended up fifth and sixth.

Experience is what Cecille Wael by now has a truckload of, both with positive and negative outcomes. Her ‘acid reflux’ issues in races, along with irregular working hours make consistent training - especially on trails - difficult these days. However, her road running times over the past few months did suggest she is still in great form, and when the stars align for her she is always a potential victory and podium contender. She proved that once more at Sierra Madre. Cecille Wael now has no fewer than five ATM race wins on her record and she boosts her chances to qualify for her country’s team in the Championship Final in Vietnam in October. With also Angelie Cabalo on form already, Team Pilipinas could be stronger than ever this year and a serious challenger to take back the ATM Team Championship Title from Nepal.

Rejlen James kept the pressure on Wael all race and finished second 13 minutes later. James has won multiple ATM races on home soil in Sabah, but previously had always struggled abroad. This solid second place should give her confidence a boost, and she collected another 450 Championship points to go with the 500 for winning BUTM 100 last February. Also in Malaysia it is not easy to qualify for the ATM Final, but James certainly will find herself under less pressure after two fine results already. Jericha Laguna De La Paz scored third in Sierra Madre, a new name and a very decent performance given she kept Shekinah Velasquez behind by an hour. Keziah Loreto finished fifth.

The next Filipino points race event is coming up next month. The Philippine Mountain Trail Festival features the H1 - Hardcore 100 Miles - and the Mount Ugo Marathon 50km as the next opportunities for runners to score ATM Championship points.

The 4th edition of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra is up next in the Asia Trail Master Championship series this weekend. It is the second Filipino points race of Season 10, and it’s one of the most honest and simple races on the calendar: 75km, take it or leave it. Since its conception by the Maharlika organisational team, the event in the Rizal mountains east of Manila has been widely applauded as a highlight for trail runners in Luzon and the whole country, and it has seen some of Asia’s top performers taking part. The 2025 edition has a few modifications, from a midnight start to some significant course changes. Sierra Madre Trail Ultra also celebrates the 154th anniversary of the host town Rodriguez.

The new route consists of both technical and wide trails, river crossings and bouldering with minimal road sections. It’s trail running pur sang and the daytime heat needs to be factored in as well. Total elevation gain is estimated at a bulky 4200 hm. Sierra Madre is a race that takes mandatory gear seriously, so runners need to make sure they carry all that is deemed necessary.

Two years ago it was current ATM Champion Jeff Campbell who set the trails on fire, last year it was Kristian Joergensen. The latter, of course a resident in the Philippines, will return this Saturday, despite having run Lantau 70 in Hong Kong last weekend. Joergensen came sixth, after finishing fifth in Vietnam Ultra Marathon just a month ago as well. A third solid result would probably put him already in the safety zone for Team Asia Expat in this year’s ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam in October. Given his heavy race load over the past month, a new victory in Sierra Madre may not come as easy, however. A group of young, talented Filipinos may be smelling blood. Joergensen has been a benchmark in the Philippines for years, so most certainly the likes of Kik Suello, Roberto Cain III, Jomarc Ferrer, John Ivan Zonio, Randolf Gonzales and Maynard Encormal will be dreaming of more than a podium this weekend. It will make for some interesting racing, also tactically. For the Filipino contenders, any ATM points race is important, given a lot of them want to be in Team Pilipinas at the ATM Final later in the year. Godwin Mirar and Kik Suello are currently 1-2 in the ranking, followed by Gonzales. Former ATM Champions Onifa and Macaneras have already secured their wild card for the Final, so the question is which five other guys will join them in the team.

75 kilometers is of course also a Grandmaster distance, and it’s great to see quite a lot of Grandmasters on the start list on their journey towards the next level and star. Runners such as 3-stars Dward Fuentes and Sean Aying, Ben Chiok, Munintaran Sundram, Mario Yap and Bhert Orpiada.

Traditionally, the women’s race at Sierra Madre has always been very exciting to follow as well with rather surprising race winners even. Ann Jilian Pulanco took her maiden ATM race victory here two years ago, and last year Cristine Montuya surprised everyone with her strong finish to take her first ever ATM race win. Both Pulanco and Montuya are absent this time, but the start list still shows several competitors who can dream of success. The two runners with most wins and podiums on their records are Malaysia’s Rejlen James and Manila-resident Cecille Wael. As outstanding Borneo star Rejlen James has been on home soil, things have never really worked out for her so far when abroad. Can she turn that corner this weekend? Cecille Wael knows the trails by heart and came second behind Montuya last year. Recently, Wael’s been suffering from inconsistent training opportunities and nutritional problems while racing. Last month she ran the 9 Dragons 50/50 basically on just water. Her road running times this year have been solid, though, and she has the potential to give James a run for her money. Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez are two other contenders, but both just returned from Lantau 70 in Hong Kong. Marquez in particular has had a particulary busy few months - also reaching Grandmaster status. Morales, already a Grandmaster and a three-time race winner in Season 9, cannot be underestimated, however, as one has the feeling she has not been emptying her tank over the past couple of races. The dark horse of the women’s race may very well be Shekinah Velasquez. Given Sierra Madre has a history of surprise female winners, this may very well just become her breakthough-weekend. Let’s also not discount the chances of Ellen Cheng from Hong Kong. A bit underwhelming perhaps at Lantau 70 last week, but she did win the V Trail 85km in Laos on a very technical course just a month ago.

You can follow the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra live on our ATM Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels all day on Saturday.

Running back in time

Sabah’s Rejlen James : already a winner again this season on home soil at BUTM 100

3-star Grandmaster Cecille Wael: 2nd last year. Last month, she finished 9 Dragons 50/50 on water only

Last year’s winner Kristian Joergensen is going for the double at Sierra Madre

Roberto Cain III: one of Joergensen’s top challengers this saturday

For the fourth year in succession, MUSPO is one of the ATM points race events in Philippines. The event is scheduled for the weekend of 19/20 July and from an ATM point of view, contrary to last year, will focus on the 100km distance category exclusively. Organised by Try Mountains, the host of MUSPO is the town of Valencia in Bukidnon, a northern province in Mindanao.

MUSPO highlights the popularity of trail running in this province since a few years. Runners such as Yoyong Sacayle, Mary Joy Sumanda, Shally Yuson and also Godwin Mirar have become genuine protagonists and regular podium placers in ATM points races since the end of the covid crisis. No wonder that we also have a number of Bukidnon races in our Championship this season.

MUSPO attracts the country’s finest trail runners as we can tell from its list of winners. 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras and Shally Yuson took the honours last year, and two years ago it was 2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa and Julieann Morales, for example.

Runable at best, mudcrawling at worst. The weather does have quite an impact on the MUSPO trails. Therefore, one can never be certain what one goes in for. However, the atmosphere in Valencia has always been great - even when rain comes down torrentially. Race Director Philip Anthony spares no efforts to ensure every participant has a great weekend experience. Musuan Peak and Lake Apo are two of the scenic highlights runners will come across during the race.

Registration is open and all specific details can be checked via the event’s facebook page linked below. Make sure you also check the mandatory gear list. To get to Valencia, there are basically two options: take a flight to Cagayan de Oro or to Davao. The former choice requires a shorter bus/car drive than the latter. The drive to Valencia is actually very scenic in parts, for those who have never been in the area before.

The 2024 route of MUSPO 100. This year’s route will be confirmed soon.

Last year, 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras was the winner of MUSPO 100

Running back in time

We are happy to announce that Harkor Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountain in General Santos in the south of Mindanao in the Philippines has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. 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 and scheduled for 31 May/1 June.

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.

The 75km has a cut-off time at the finish of 25 hours. Less ambitious runners can also opt for shorter distances, such as the 42km, 25km and 12km. 2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa tested the trails of Harkor and gave a thumbs up, saying the trails reminded him of those in France.

General Santos has an international airport, but Davao is another bet - if you don’t mind some bus travel from there.

After a DNF in Lam Dong Trail and a 5th place in Vietnam Trail Marathon, Filipino youngster Godwin Mirar has finally gotten his 2025 ATM Championship season really on track. Mirar won the tough Mount Kalatungan Ultra Trail 55km in his native Bukidnon region against an established field and with margin. He led the race nearly from start to finish, despite suffering also from blisters and a fall in the descent of Kalatungan, at 2880m one of the highest mountain peaks in the Philippines.

Almost 30 minutes later, Roberto Cain III finished second to kickstart his 2025 ATM campaign. Perhaps for Cain the 55km distance is a bit on the short side as he has recently been excelling in longer ultras. Kik Suello took third place, just one week after also finishing third in BUTM 100 in Malaysia! That’s a great start of his campaign to once again try to be part of Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final in October. Suello was 7th at TMBT last September - his best result to date. At Kalatungan, he was marginally ahead of Jevie Cagatin - winner last year of MTKU 85 and also an ATM Finalist in 2024.. Newcomer Johnkisler Lamigo came in an excellent fifth!

In the women’s 55km race, Angelie Cabalo confirmed her pre-race favourite status by taking a convincing win without too much pressure from the others, which was impressive when seeing the names of those. The number 3 of the 2023 ATM Championship Final missed out on last year's team qualification, but she launched her 2025 campaign in the best possible way, collecting 500 ATM points for her victory. It's Angelie's 4th career win in ATM.

A good hour behind her, Julie Mae Marquez scored her best performance in an ATM-promoted race with a superb second place. Last year’s race winner Julieann Morales took third on the podium this season. Shally Yuson settled for fourth place and in fifth, we had a nice performance by Belinda Ortiz.

MKTU also had a longer 85km distance, which this year was only relevant for the Grandmaster Quest. This category was won by 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras, who only needs to finish two ATM races to collect a wild card for this year’s Final. The women’s 85km saw a very popular win by local Kimberly Flores.

The next Filipino points race is scheduled for 5 April, one of the young ‘classics’ in the country, the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains near Manila.

Roberto Cain III : second best male behind Mirar

Eye-catching performance by Julie Mae Marquez: second in the women’s 55k behind Cabalo

After 3rd in BUTM last week, Kik Suello scored another 3rd at MKTU

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras ran the 85km (Grandmaster-point-only) and won it easily

Local hero Kimberly Flores was fastest woman on the 85km

This weekend’s second points race for the ATM Championship ranking is taking place tomorrow in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines. It’s the Mount Kalatungan Ultra and it’s also the first Filipino points race event in Season 10 of our series. The focus is on the 55km, while the 85km category is valid for the Grandmaster Quest-only. So, the same as in Laos’ V Trail today - the first event of this ATM doubleheader weekend. 

Mount Kalatungan is the second highest mountain in Mindanao after Mount Apo. Just like APo, also Kalatungan is not always open for outdoor enthusiasts, so the trail running event by the Amigleo brothers and the Ultra Runners Republic is a special treat. Both the 80km and 55km courses go to the summit of Kalatungan. 

Among the expected victory challengers are mainly local Filipino runners. In the men’s 55km, we can look forward to an interesting confrontation between Roberto Cain III and Godwin Mirar, with ATM 2024 Finalists Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and Jomarc Ferrer lurking in the shadows. Either one of these five can come out on top tomorrow. In fact, Jevie Cagatin is last year’s winner, ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Jomarc Ferrer on that day. Godwin Mirar looked like he was going to take victory in Vietnam Trail Marathon 70 two months ago, until the cold temperatures literally froze him. He will be keen to do better than fifth in Kalatungan to ensure qualification for this year’s ATM Final as part of Team Pilipinas, one of his key goals of the season. But that is also the case for Roberto Cain III, who has been winning several races in the Philippines including ATM Candidates and Grandmaster-only races. We are very keen to find out what Cain III can do when real championship points are up for grabs. Cagatin finished just outside the Top 10 in the 2024 ATM Championship Final last September, and this will be his first ATM rendez-vous since. For Kik Suello, much will depend on how much he has recovered from last week’s 100km in Malaysia, BUTM, where he finished third on the podium. 

Outsiders for a podium are Bernie Bauyot, Sean Aying and Bhert Orpiada, but we for sure will also get to know some new names. 153 starters are expected for the 55km. 

The women’s race is likely to see a competition between Shally Yuson and Julieann Morales for the victory. Shekinah Velaquez can also be a contender, as she has been developing her performances ever more since last year. 

The 85km race category has no Championship points on offer, but finishers will of course collect a Grandmaster point as it’s longer than 70km. Important for 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras, who will try to score his wild card this month with both Kalatungan 85 and Lantau 70 on his race schedule. As former ATM champion, he only needs to finish 2 ATM races during the season. 

ATM will be updating live from Bukidnon the whole Sunday from start to finish on our usual channels. 

This weekend we have a doubleheader on the Asia Trail Master circuit, which will kick off in the Philippines on Friday early morning with Pulag Ultra Trail. A Grandmaster-only event with potential to enter the Championship calendar as well in future. Mount Pulag is a fantastic mountain experience near Baguio in the Cordilleras. .

The event, managed by Intrepid Spirit from VJ 100 last December, is in fact an A to B race and has two Grandmaster distances on offer: 132 km and 65 km. The latter is short of 70km, but - as Mantra 65 in Indonesia - has more than 4500 hm making it eligible as a GM point race.

Pulag Ultra Trail 132km starts in Kabayan deep in the Cordillera Mountains and finishes in Baguio City. It is an exhilarating journey through the majestic landscapes that embrace Mount Pulag, Mount Awa, Mount Ugo and Mount Bidawan and the myriad of scenic landmarks that grace the path leading to Baguio City. Needless to say this is a pure mountain run you should come prepared for. It’s tough, but the untamed scenery will ease the pain Mount Pulag in particular is famous for its views from above the clouds. Official elevation gain for the 132km is 8827 hm and nearly 4600 hm for the 65km.Along the epic course you will also encounter enchanting villages and iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. As the website reads: “Their presence will ignite your spirit and fuel your determination, as you draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of history and culture that surrounds you.”

The event has attracted quite a large number of brave souls, because this is indeed a serious Grandmaster Quest challenge and the finisher point will be hard-earned. Some well-known runners are taking the start tomorrow, including ATM Finalists and Grandmasters Mary Joy Sumanda, Eduardo Fuentes and Henry Yang from Singapore. Also, Poy Brillantes, a lover of long and tough ultras, will go for the 130k. Jeong Taeyun from Korea and Zheng Limin from Shenzhen (China) are also on the start list.

ATM will be reporting from Pulag Ultra Trail from start to finish on ATM facebook , plus ATM YouTube and Instagram.

Mary Joy Sumanda, double ATM Finalist in 2023 and 2024, will be attempting the 130

Henry Yang, ATM Finalist in 2023, is also aiming for another Grandmaster star

Poy Brillantes is a big fan of ultra long challenges

Julie Mae Marquez is going for the 65km option, which also offers a GM point as the elevation gain exceeeds 4500 hm.

This weekend, runners on the Grandmaster Quest can also score a point at the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. The tough 80km race crosses the summits of Mount Irid and Mount Tukduang Banoi, the two highest mountains in the Rizal area. The event is organised by The Pace Republic and directed by 4-star Grandmaster Rhea Batac.

Santa Ines alternates every year with the Bagtit Ultra event. Two years ago, the long distance race saw some great runs in both the male and female categories, but also showed the technicality of the course. Over 20 river crossings had to be negotiated by the participants. For this year’s edition the course has been amended here and there following runners’ feedback.

Maynard Encormal is back in Santa Ines this weekend. He finished third last time and could be the man-to-beat this year. Also Bhert Orpiada is in with a shot for victory. On the female side we have Grandmaster Cristine Montuya - winner of the other ATM promoted event in Rizal, Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, - Michella Aradanas, Metzy Alson and Krizia Bondad. There’s several other Grandmasters going for an extra point on their record: Jay Delgado, Jose Tindog, Ramsey Villanueva, Jux Castaneda and Ronald Natividad.