This weekend, trail runners on the Grandmaster Quest can also score a point at the Marilog Ultra event in Mindanao, Philippines. The 70km race was a Candidate Race last year and features on the Grandmaster calendar for the first time . Organised by Team Brad and directed by 2-star Grandmaster and former ATM Finalist Julieann Morales, Marilog Ultra takes place in a district west of Davao City and southeast of Bukidnon.

The 70km has an estimated elevation gain of 3600 hm. The toughest part is the mid-section , as can be seen from the elevation profile , and the trail to the finish line also goes uphill. Last year, the 70km race was won by Roberto Cain III in the men’s and Shekinah Velasquez in the women’s. Among the favourites for this weekend’s edition we have Jomarc Ferrer, ATM Finalist, 3-star Grandmaster Sean Aying, Punisher 2024 co-winner Eldy Bulod and Allan Gadong. The women’s race seems to have less outspoken favourites, but the name of Julie Mae Marquez always sticks out in Mindanao. Lots of Grandmasters on the start list as well, runners aiming to get that extra GM point on the way to their next level on the Quest.

ATM will be reporting from Marilog Ultra thanks to our contributors Christine and Brian.

Godwin Mirar grabbed his third ATM race victory of the season and a guaranteed ticket for Team Pilipinas in the upcoming ATM Championship Final at last weekend’s 11th edition of The Punisher. The 25-year-old young talent from Bukidnon ran away impressively from everyone else to finish the 80km in a time of 8h 36 minutes. Mirar needed this win to eliminate his unfortunate DNF at Lam Dong Trail in the early part of the ATM season last November. With 1950 ATM points, including the abroad bonus, he is even the overall points leader as well, having scored 25 points more than reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell and Chris Timms. It perfectly illustrates the step forward he has made this year and Godwin Mirar will be among the top favourites at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail on 4 October!

Behind him, Marjunes Abugan, Brigz Zamora and Sean Aying had a great competition for the remaining steps on the podium. Abugan made it into a career-best second place, which puts him in sixth place in the Filipino ATM ranking. That means first reserve. Zamora took third in the race in a nice debut for him. Aying was fourth and upped his points total by another 70 points, good enough for seventh in the ranking and second reserve.

The women’s race was expected to be more open and in the end developed into a battle between Kimberly Flores and Metzi Joy Alson. The 28-year-old Flores had the upper hand and scored her first ever ATM race win in 13h 18 minutes. Flores is close to qualification for Team Pilipinas, but may need another result in the remaning two qualifiers, or points races, of the season at Borneo TMBT or Ijen Mountain Marathon. Metzi Joy Alson on the other hand is now fourth in the points ranking after a consistent performance level this season. Second place in The Punisher was her first ATM podium. Third place was for Kriz Bondad, also for her a trail career first podium in ATM. She managed to stay ahead of Hong Kong’s Rachel Chan in fourth place, who neverthless secured her third consecutive qualification for her country’s team in the ATM Championship Final.

Six years after it all started for the then just 19-year-old, Godwin Mirar returns to The Punisher this weekend as part of a renewed ambition to qualify for this season’s ATM Championship Final. Indeed, we are entering the final three qualifying points races of Season 10 with the big day at Mu Cang Chai in Vietnam just under two months away from today. The Punisher on Babak Samal already celebrates its 11th edition and while it has always stayed loyal to its ‘grassroots’ nature it’s become a great race to have on your record as a trail runner, whether as a competitor or a Grandmaster Quest point seeker. The 80km points race has a new start and finish venue, so the course has also undergone some changes. The island, just off the coast of Davao City in Mindanao, features a great mixture of runable and technical trails.

Godwin Mirar actually already ran this race twice. After his amazing 4th place as a 19-year-old in 2019 behind Hisashi Kitamura, Arnie Macaneras and then-ATM Champion John Ellis, Mirar finished 3rd on the podium in 2022 behind Kitamura and Macaneras again. Now in 2025, he is unmistakenly the runner to beat this Saturday. It’s been almost four months since his fantastic race win in the Penang Sky Race and with The Punisher he continues his ATM season in a last-minute attempt to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Championship Final early October. Mirar is also scheduled to run the 50km at Borneo TMBT in two weeks.

His main competitors this weekend are expected to be Sean Aying and Marjones Abugan, both also keen to keep or earn a spot on the team for the Championship Final. Aying is currently fifth in the points ranking, just ahead of Mirar. Abugan has more work to do to still try to get in, but has been in excellent form recently. There’s more international runners with the same ambitions, and trail runners with ambition often can cause surprises. Singapore’s Ko Ing Hui and Japan’s Eiji Tagami, for example.

The female race has less outspoken candidates for race victory. Youngsters like Kimberly Flores, Metzi Joy Alson and Julie Mae Marquez are all in with a good shot. Rachel Chan from Hong Kong needs a good result to get herself qualified for her country’s team again, and might be a serious challenger for the local aces. Over the past two years, Rachel has often proven to be competitive when she wants, e..g 7th in the ATM Final 2023 and 2nd in Silabur 100 in Sarawak last year. Her compatriot Ellen Cheng is also on the start list, a 2-star Grandmaster and winner of the very technical V Trail 85 this year. From Sabah, we also have Vianah Ng Chen Sia.

ATM will be reporting live from The Punisher 80km on Saturday, as always subject to connectivity.

Kik Suello and Eldy Bulod, last year’s co-winners at the Punisher

Ko Ing Hui will try to run himself again into Team Singapore for the ATM Final

Already a 2-time finalist, Rachel Chan needs a good Punisher to qualify for the 3rd year in a row

The race when it all started for Godwin Mirar: The Punisher in 2019 (he came 4th behind Kitamura, Macaneras and John Ellis

Expected winners at MUSPO 100 this year. Roberto Cain III and Shally Yuson had to fend off a solid challenge by others, but nevertheless prevailed in the penultimate Filipino points race of Season 10, propelling both of them to the top of the Filipino ATM ranking and a certain qualification for the Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October.

Already a race winner at BTR Ultra in Bali this season, Roberto Cain III was running nearly the entire race, which started at midnight, side by side with co-favourite Jevie Cagatin. Behind the duo, Marjones Abugan, Sean Aying and the surprising Cabalona Ace were battling it out for the third step on the podium. It was only towards the end that Cain III reached out to victory, also aided by the fact that Cagatin began to suffer from stomach issues. Cagatin even briefly dropped behind Marjones Abugan, who was running his best and most competitive race of the season. While Cain III marched on to victory, Cagatin persevered in the last hillclimb to overtake Abugan again for second place and important points to ensure qualification for Team Pilipinas. Abugan was third, Sean Aying a very solid fourth and Cabalona Ace fifth. Gerald Paday was sixth.

Shally Yuson and Kimberly Flores also looked equally matched for a while, until Yuson began to apply her experience in competing. She went on to her third ATM race win of the season - which does underline the improvement in performance and the consistency we have seen this year. Flores finished second some 20 minutes later - a great result for the podium placer in Point Trail last month. Unfortunately, some confusion at a checkpoint earlier in the race resulted in a time penalty for Flores, which brought her down to sixth place in the official result. Emelyn Cabingas therefore claimed second place, a strong performance by her, just ahead of Roflyne Fangayen.

Roberto Cain III celebrates his second ATM race win after BTR Ultra in Bali two months ago

Jevie Cagatin is edging closer to his top form again. Another podium in the bag.

Marjones Abugan was a very competitive third in MUSPO 100

the men’s podium

Shally Yuson has become the benchmark in women’s trail racing in Mindanao

Kimberly Flores: a great run, not too far behind Yuson, but a missed checkpoint meant penalty time

Emelyn Cabingas scored a great podium

Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run, perhaps better known as ‘DASAL’, is a new entry on the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar on the weekend of 8/9 November 2025. The popular event takes place in Marilog - some 80km outside of Davao City and - indeed - has a full decade’s history already! This will be the 11th edition and following last year’s Candidate Race label, the organisers continue with the freshly introduced long ultra category of 85km that has instilled fear in many participants. Hence, the race carries the tagline “Leave you fears beehind” At least, it is regarded as a considerable challenge with 5000 metres of elevation gain on paper. Of course, the 85km is the category to go for if you wish to score a Grandmaster Quest point. For less ambitious runners there is still the shorter distances of 42km, 21km and 12km during the weekend. For those wondering: the bee is the event’s mascotte, chosen also to highlight the importance of bees for the natural environment.

The trails of Datu Salumay will have runners passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. The start is usually at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler.

Last year, the long ultra saw victories by Roberto Cain III and Metzi Joy Alson.

You can check the official facebook page for more details. Registration is open and you can also order some nice-looking merchandise while you are at it.

The annual MUSPO event in Valencia, Bukidnon, on the southern Mindanao island of the Philippines keeps attracting large numbers of trail runners. As also illustrated by Point Trail Ultra in nearby Malaybalay last month, the sport is absolutely booming in this part of Southeast Asia. It’s the fourth year in a row that MUSPO features on the ATM calendar and this season it’s the 100km category that draws all our attention. Some of the country’s finest trail runners will toe the starting line on Saturday in the penultimate ‘home’ race of the season. Next month, The Punisher in Davao will be the last chance for Filipino runners to score more ATM Championship points in their attempts to get into Team Pilipinas for our ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam on 4 October.

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macanears features on the MUSPO 100 start list, but it remains to be seen whether he will effectively show up. If he does, he would be the logical favourite to win the men’s race. However, there is competition for victory: BTR Ultra winner Roberto Cain III and also last year’s highest ATM points scorer Jevie Cagatin should be the main opponents. Marjones Abugan and 3-star Grandmaster Sean Aying could also be in the mix for podium. And who knows we get to know a new local name once more. So many locals started running in the past two years, we are bound to discover some more new talents.

In the women’s race we were looking forward to a nice race for victory between Shally Yuson, in superb form this season, and Julieann Morales. However, earlier this week Morales was forced to pull out of MUSPO with a significant ankle injury that manifests itself especially when going downhill. Plenty of other female runners on the start list, and as with the men, let’s see if anyone can rise to the occasion and give Shally Yuson a run for her money this weekend.

ATM will be reporting live from Valencia on ATM Facebook and the usual channels.

Shally Yuson: in great form this season with two wins already

Roberto Cain III: superb winner of BTR Ultra last May

Jevie Cagatin: scored most points of all Filipinos last year. This season he has been consistent, yet lacking a win

This weekend’s Camiguin Island Trail has attracted many hundreds of runners to the island in the Bohol Sea, approximately 10km off the northern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines. The 3rd edition is part of the Grandmaster Quest calendar this season and the start list also features many big Filipino names. Jomarc Ferrer, for example, who has just returned from third place at Mantra 116 in Indonesia last weekend. How well has he recovered? Nevertheless, Ferrer will be one of the favourites for victory in the 70km race. Also Leoniel Perez, who recently won the ATM Candidate Race in Arakan, will be one to watch out for in the front of the race. Grandmaster *** Sean Aying is another favourite in the men’s race, alongside local runner Merson Dagondon. Dave Grande is a very young new trail talent, let’s see how he fares in this race. In the women’s competition there’s Ann Jilian Pulanco, Julie Mae Marquez and Rizalyn Lauron, for example. Of course, Camiguin Island Trail offers no Championship points, only Grandmaster points and there’s a lot of people on the Quest who will be starting the race.

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.

Santa Cruz near Davao in Mindanao, Philippines, has become one of the trail running hubs in the country and the wider Southeast Asia region and this is illustrated by the now many events being organised there. Today we are happy to announce that Santa Cruz Trail Ultra has entered the Grandmaster Quest calendar. Established by Santa Cruz Trail Runners and with Grandmaster*** Sean Aying as race director, the event was a Candidate last year and is now scheduled for 27/28 September 2025. Runners on the Grandmaster Quest need to aim for 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. Santa Cruz can be reached easily by public transport and grab cars from Davao City.

Online registration is open and can be accessed via the button below. It is also recommended to join the facebook page of the event to stay up to date on latest developments.

We are happy to announce that the 3rd edition of Impasugong Ridge Ultra in Bukidnon has received the ATM Candidate Race label for the event on 28 September 2025. Organised by Trillchaser Sports Promotion Services and directed by experienced trail runner Juliet Chavez, Impasugong offers a challenging and scenic 55km race near Cagayan de Oro on the western side of Mindanao island in Philippines.

The event is even more testimony of the boom of trail running in Mindanao and particularly Bukidnon since the end of the corona crisis. 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.

Registration is open and goes via the established platform RaceTech in Philippines. For more details on the event, you can consult the facebook page, also linked below. To reach the event, you need to fly into Cagayan de Oro. The airport is actually closer to the event site than CDO City.

Bukidnon has become a genuine trail running hub alongside Davao in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines, and Point Trail Ultra was testimony to that fact. A solid technical organisation supported by a wonderful vibe created by the various local and regional trail communities made PTU one of the standout experiences of the current season. On top, Bukidnon ace Shally Yason scored her second back-to-back ATM race win just five weeks after the renowed Hardcore 100 Miles in Luzon. And in the men’s points race, it was the first ever victory for Kik Suello, after innumerable podium places in the past two seasons. 

Kik Suello’s win did not come by accident either. The runner from Zamboanga, 7th in last year’s ATM Final, went out to get it on merit. Over halfway into the race by the end of the night, he passed the early race leader Eric Candelanza and also got rid of Kristian Joergensen on an uphill stretch. By that time, pre-race co-favourites like Jevie Cagatin, BTR Ultra hero Roberto Cain III, Jomarc Ferrer, Eldy Bulod, Isaiah Paraiso and Marjones Abugan were already looking at quite a gap that they would not be able to close anymore. In fact, Bulod and Paraiso would even DNF and score zero points. As Candelanza gradually faded towards the end, it was Suello vs Joergensen for victory. Both were more or less running at the same pace only some five minutes apart. Suello, sensing he could finally grab that elusive ATM race victory, did not waste any time at the last two aid stations. Joergensen is always a formidable competitor, and kept the pressure on. The result at the end was two amazing finishing times of 8h05 for Suello and 8h15 for Joergensen. And this for a 70k race with over 4000 hm of elevation gain and lots of muddy, slippery, treacherous trails. A fantastic dual between the two, competitive trail running at its best. Candelanza salvaged his 3rd spot on the podium, a great ATM debut for him. He crossed the finish line in 8h39. Almost one hour later, Jomarc Ferrer outsprinted Roberto Cain III for fourth place, and excellent and potentially significant result with a view to his ambition to qualify again for Team Pilipinas at the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October. Cain III said afterwards he had trouble with his stomach throughout the race. In sixth, after running fourth for quite a while, was Jevie Cagatin, who also was not yet 100% fit after a bit of an injury recently. Marjones Abugan did well in seventh place, closely followed by Dan Fernandez in eighth. 

The women’s race was more clear cut. At the first aid station, Shally Yuson and Erlicete Paragoso were still together, but in the next section Yuson already went solo. She quickly developed a substantial gap to Paragoso and Kimberly Flores, with Valerie Marcos close behind in fourth place. Most of the race nothing changed, but towards the end Paragoso faded and Marcos launched quite an incredible push and overtook both Paragoso and Flores to look for Yuson. In the end, the gap was big enough for Yuson to just maintain a consistent pace and win in 11h52, but it was nevertheless surprising when Marcos finished just 12 minutes after her. Great final third of the race by Marcos. Kimberly Flores finished about an hour later in 12h46. Paragoso still cramped up and lost fourth place to Metzi Joy Alson, who is having a very solid season that might get awarded come September with a spot in the team for the ATM Championship Final. The same applies for Shekinah Velasquez, who finished seventh last Sunday behind Daryl Palomar. Cristine Montuya never featured at the front this time around, yet still scored useful points for eigth place. 

The next ATM Championship points race in the Philippines takes place in Bukidnon as well. MUSPO 100 in Valencia, a bit closer to Davao compared to Malaybalay. 

Sunday’s Point Trail Ultra in Malaybalay in Bukidnon, Mindanao is the next points race in the Philippines, a country where the battle for ATM Championship points is for real. There’s no shortcuts to earn a ticket to the team that goes to the ATM Championships here, so many of the country’s trail stars will be present for the 70km race that starts at midnight.

It is a debut for Point Trail Ultra in the ATM Championship, after a successful stint as a Candidate Race last year. The 70km race is quite serious business when looking at the estimated elevation gain of 4150 hm, although race director and 2-star Grandmaster Yoyong Sacayle argues the course is runable. Rain might alter that, as there has been precipitation in the afternoons over the past few days and it’s actually the wet season still in Bukidnon. The course is essentially a rollercoaster without distinctive mountain peaks, but to negotiate the relentless ups and downs one better has good legs on race day.

Among the anticipated protagonists in the men’s race, a trio perhaps stands out slightly, but there’s definitely a handful of others who may just take the upper glory tomorrow. Kristian Joergensen, Kik Suello and Roberto Cain III will be the ones most look out for. But then there’s also proven contenders and race winners such as Jevie Cagatin, Isaiah Paraiso, Jomarc Ferrer and Eldy Bulod.

Roberto Cain III, fresh of an impressive 100k race win at BTR Ultra in Bali, will be keen to now also prove himself against Kristian Joergensen, a Filipino resident for years and the benchmark for many in the country. Kristian himself is keen on adding an ATM Championship to his palmares, especially after seeing Jeff Campbell manage that feat at 40+ in Borneo TMBT last year. Point Trail will already be his 5th ATM race of the season, and he finally won again in his last one: Mount Ugo Marathon 50k just over a month ago. A new victory on Sunday would be his 9th ever and put him alongside Hisashi Kitamura and Milton Amat in the all-time ranking. But a victory is exactly what Kik Suello wants, before he becomes the eternal ‘runner-up’. He has been collecting podium places since last season, but an official win has eluded him so far. Already this year, it’s been 1x second and 3x third. He no longer needs to worry about his spot in Tean Pilipinas for the ATM Final in Vietnam on 4 October, but entering that with a race win under his belt would be such a confidence booster. Jevie Cagatin already tasted victory once at Mt Kalatungan Ultra last year. Reportedly, Cagatin has been hampered by a slight injury, though, in recent times. Isaiah Paraiso won on Mount Apo in 2023 and was a Finalist last year, but Point Trail will be just his first ATM points race of Season 10. If he wants to qualify again, he better grabs as many points as possible this weekend!

The women’s 70k race features recent H1 winner Shally Yuson against Julieann Morales, impressive newcomer Kim Flores , Cristine Montuya, Shekinah Velasquez, Metzi Alson and Guia Cabigas, amongst other potential contenders. This race could remain exciting until the finish! Coming off her big win in the Harcore 100 Miler last month, Yuson may have a mental edge, but 70km is different than 100 Miles. Montuya was the race winner at Sierra Madre last year, can she score her second ATM race win on Sunday? It has been quiet so far this season around her, so maybe now will her real start. Velasquez has been a consistent points scorer this year, and if she can continue to do so she may earn herself a spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Final. That also applies for Metzi Alson and Guia Cabigas. Kim Flores won the 85km at Kalatungan this year, but that was not a Championship points race. Her account will open on Sunday, and some people tip her for the full 500 points..

The 70k race starts at midnight in the town centre of Malaybalay and can be followed live via the ATM Channels as usual, subject to connectivity.

Together with Kik Suello perhaps the 2 top favourites for the men’s race: Joergensen and Cain III

Bislig Ultra Trail in Surigao del Sur, north of Davao, this year offers a Grandmaster Quest point to all finishers of the 80km course on 11/12 October. The event, a Candidate Race last year, is organised by the AWRA Team, which also brings you the New Corella Trail Ultra in December.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. You are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.” The highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls” of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

The 80km course is an extension of last year’s 50km. It is a challenging and exhilarating course that showcases the region's diverse terrain, including barangay roads, scenic trails, waterfalls, river crossings, and ridgelines. Last year, the excellent service and volunteer support gave participants a memorable trail experience. The men’s 50k race was won by pre-race favourite Jhon Mahinay and the women’s race went to Lory Gacusan in 10h28.

Bislig is located 200km north of Davao City in Surigao del Sur Province. Davao is your main airport for those who need to fly in. It’s certainly listed among the ‘new destinations’ for trail runners.

The official facebook page has all details and can be accessed via the button below.