Trail runners on the Grandmaster Quest now also have a chance to score a point at the rebranded A1 Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Terraces event in Banau, Ifugao, Luzon. Previously known as Amuyao, a Candidate Race in 2024, the event now features a 100 Miles race as longest ultra, alongside a 50 Miles, which still carries the name Amuyao Mountain Ultra 50 Miles. These are the two categories in which a Grandmaster point can be earned.

Less ambitious runners can also opt for shorter categories such as 42km, 25km and 10km.

A new name, but the event will actually already be held for a 10th time in 2026. Scheduled for the weekend of 20-23 August, it is also a fund raising event to support the rehabilitation od Batad Village, which was heavily affected of the landslide caused by the recent typhoon. We are in the heart of the Cordilleras here.

The official event description says it all: “Set in the stunning landscapes of Banaue, Ifugao. Runners will pass through the extreme natural landscapes of the great Ifugao and Mountain Province villages, mountains, and terraces, which were built more than 2,000 years ago and are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It will pass also with the two prominent mountains of Cordillera - Mt. Amuyao and Mt. Napulawan. Brace yourself for rugged trails, breathtaking views of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, and an unforgettable adventure alongside fellow passionate runners! leave your mark on one of the toughest courses in the Philippines.”

As beautiful as it may be, this is also very tough terrain. Start and finish is at Banaue Ethnic Village. 100 Milers already begin their long journey on Thursday at 15:00 in the afternoon, and are supposed to be back 72 hours later. The 50 milers start at 3 am on Saturday early morning need to return by 15:00 on Sunday as well.

Registration is already open. Via the facebook page below you can get all necessary details. As always for the Cordilleras, coming from Manila or Clark, your first gateway is Baguio.

After the unfortunate cancellation of Point Trail Ultra, which was scheduled again for mid-June, we are happy to announce that we have confirmed a new and substitute Championship Qualifier in Mindanao, Philippines. Marilog Ultra will take over. The event has been on our Grandmaster Quest aready, and in its 4th edition is now ‘stepping up’ to also attract competitive minded runners for their last chance to score points in the Philippines for the ATM Championship ranking that leads to qualification for the Finals in Vietnam on 3 October. Marilog Ultra features a 70km race that needs to be targeted. Obviously, 70km also means it’s valid for runners’ Grandmaster Quest.

The 70km at Marilog is considered quite tough and goes across ondulating terrain for approx 3300 metres of elevation gain and an uphill finish. As quite often in Mindanao, the race has a large nighttime portion. Start is scheduled for Saturday afternoon/evening and the cut-off time is 22 hours later. The 2026 course map will be made available very soon.

Interestingly, 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras has taken over from Grandmaster Julieann Morales as race director for the event this season. The event is organised by Team BRAD.

Start and finish is MWES Marahan in the Marilog district of Davao, to the west of the main city of Davao. Registration is already open and please note that there is a maxium quota for each race distance, including the relevant 70km.

Further details can be obtained via Team Brad’s facebook page.

Harkor 4: Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountains was held last weekend near General Santos in Mindanao, Philippines, and offered Grandmaster Quest points for finishers of the 75km long ultra. It’s a tough one with considerable elevation gain of over 4000hm, but the beautiful scenery along the ridges make up for the sometimes painful effort. Runners also expressed satisfaction with the aid stations during the event.

Three men set themselves apart at the front of the race. Ronny Jandog, Jeffrey Rivero and Peter Balolong, Jr finished 1-2-3 within 11 minutes of each other. The latter, Peter Balolong Jr , had just become Grandmaster at Silabur in Sarawak, Malaysia, two weeks ago. Winning time for Jandog was 11h04.

Valerie Mae Marcos proved to be the strongest female runner on the Harkor course. She won in 14h32 as 14th overall. Laica Rivas was second and Irene Tan third on the podium.

Ronny Jandog

Valerie Mae Marcos

Last week’s Grandmaster Quest event Zamboanguita Mountain Ultra Trail was held with the first Golden Grandmaster Masafumi Yamamoto part of the participant’s field for the 70km long ultra, minimum race distance for a Grandmaster point. Masafumi completed the course and so also began his Trail to Immortality.

Up front, the race was won by Loyd Echalar from Iloilo in a time of 12h04. Only 23 years old, Echalar was 24 minutes ahead of Johnrey Espadon, himself also just 25 years old. Third place on the podium was for the 43-year-old Chuck Paul Mata. Great to see also a youngster in fourth place, JM Esquilarga, 25. Those four were clearly the fastest of the pack.

The women’s race was won by Resie Gaudiano in 16h07. In second, we found Keziah Marieah Loreto and in third place Mary Rose Canete.

The event was organised by Happy Feet, which in the past also held the Mt Talinis Mountain Marathon in Negros Oriental.

70km runners before the start

Loyd Echalar: new name and a race winner at 23.

Trail running has been booming in Mindanao since a few years. Not only are there now several good events, but also a huge number of runners - some of whom even have reached elite status. Think of Arnie Macaneras, Godwin Mirar, Kik Suello, Roberto Cain III, Jomarc Ferrer, Shally Yuson, Kim Flores, Julieann Morales and many others. Initially, events got established in Davao and later in Bukidnon, but recently we also observe several new organisations popping up near General Santos City in the south of the large island of Mindanao, which is actually closer to Sabah on Malaysian Borneo than to Luzon (Manila). F’Lomlok Trail Run is the latest new addition to the trail calendar and the event has applied for ATM Candidate Race status for its inaugural edition on 5/6 September.

Organised by Lady Justice Endurance Events, F’Lomlok turns around Polomolok and Mount Matutum. On the programme are several race distance categories, of which the 70km is the longest. Goal of the organising team is indeed to have that longest race included in the Grandmaster Quest calendar going forward. Furthermore, the event aims to position itself as a recognized and sustainable destination race by continuously attracting local and international trail runners, while promoting eco-tourism and community involvement within the municipality of Polomolok.

Mount Matutum stands out in the landscape and is a remote volcano, the highest point in the South Cotabato region. The peak is 2286m above sea level. Trail runners cannot go to the peak but will run on the slopes of the volcano. Elevation gain for the 70km is estimated at over 3100 hm and the route is nearly entirely offroad. The race director points out that proper trail running footwear is a must for this course. Start and finish is set at the Landan Elementary School at the Landan Barangay in Polomolok. Cut off time is 21 hours with the start set for 15:00 in the afternoon (Saturday).

Less ambitious runners can also opt for shorter distances, such as 42km, 25km, 15km and 5km.

General Santos City is the nearest airport (30km fron Polomolok) and there are also bus services from Davao and a few other places.

Registration goes via the form linked below.

Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo were the top stars of last weekend’s classic Filipino trail race H1 in Nueva Vizcaya, Luzon. Both runners from the Kogi Athletics team emerged victorious for the second time in three weeks, having also just won Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75. While Angelie Cabalo proved that she was indeed the big favourite in the women’s 100 miler, Kik Suello had a hard time fending off his surprisingly strong teammate Jomarc Ferrer, who himself is enjoying the best competitive season of his trail running journey. Suello used his pure running pace to get the advantage, but Ferrer’s technical ability and stamina brought him back in victory contention deep into the race. Ferrer even seemed to be taking the upper hand by km 143, but Suello - who perhaps needed a wake-up call - dug deep and managed to drop Ferrer again in the final section of the race. Suello finished in 30h33, six minutes ahead of Ferrer. Although they are teammates, both recognised the significance of H1 as a classic race in Philippines and beyond and so battled each other for victory to the delight of all the trail fans following the proceedings on social media. No surprise therefore that H1 was the most followed and viewed ATM race of the season, behind the Season 10 Championship Final in Hong Kong two months ago. Clearly, competition between the best runners remains a major drawcard to boost the sport’s recognition. Suello and Ferrer deserve a round of applause for that alone already!

Behind the duo, Ligorinson Abbugao did a fantastic effort himself to come in third in 31h24, i.e. within an hour of the two protagonists. Abbugao is quite unknown on the ATM circuit, so he certainly left his name card on the table! Ronnel Valero and Rowein Diokno were fourth and fifth, before the women’s race winner Angelie Cabalo. Cabalo came in more or less together with Bukidnon’s well-known Yoyong Sacayle, himself a race winner and multiple podium placer in ATM just a couple of years ago.

As expected, Cabalo was in a league of her own although the question remained whether she could keep it going for 100 miles. The answer was a firm ‘yes’. Coming in in a time of 37h05, she took another win on the ATM circuit and is finding herself in a good position for qualification for the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 3 October. The same applies for second-place Kimberly Flores, already a double race winner this season, and who was a late addition to the start list. The youngster also made her debut on the miler distance. Flores was smart and did not attempt to keep pace with Caballo, and focused on making it through. She did it in style in 39h55, and ahead of very established long ultra specialists Mia Revilla - winner of BUTM 100 last month - and Ann Jilian Pulanco.

When multiple distance categories are on offer at an event, there’s usually also a medium distance race labelled as an ATM Championship qualifier. The H60K race replaced the Mt Ugo Marathon from last year on the programme of PMTF, but interestingly had fewer starters than the 100 miler. It’s a tough 60K course that eventually saw Ahmeer Francis Raza take the win in 12h40. That was 19 minutes faster than the first female, who came second overall, LJ Benitez! A remarkable performance once again by Benitez, who seems to have a subscription on second places in ATM promoted races. Surely, a first victory is just behind the corner, though. Clarisse Yeung was third overall and second female, also for her another strong result this season. Lloyd Magundayao and Crosby Quilino were second and third on the men’s podium, while Irene Buyuccan completed the women’s top 3.

With the unfortunate cancellation of Point Trail Ultra, the next Filipino ATM Championship Qualifier will be MUSPO 100.

Season 11 of the ATM Championship continues this weekend in the Philippines with the Philippine Mountain Trail Festival in Nueva Vizcaya, Luzon. Organised by Intrepid Spirit, PMTF includes the legendary Hardcore 100 Miles (H1) and H60K, the successor of the Mt Ugo Marathon. These two race distance categories offer points for the ATM Championship ranking. Interestingly, nearly all who has name and fame in the country is going for the big one: H1.

It’s the 100 Miles race that nearly every trail runner in the Philippines hopes to finish once. Last year, Rhys Pawid and Shally Yuson claimed victory, both of them are not on the start list this year. Arguably the runners to beat this year are no less solid, though. Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo have both just won Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75 a few weeks ago and have set their sights on H1 for this year, too. Cabalo has been a female benchmark for a few years already in Southeast Asia, and Kik Suello has stepped up to that level in recent months, operating perhaps a bit in the shadow of Onifa, Macaneras and Mirar but he’s only just right behind them now, even beating the likes of Kristian Joergensen three times in a row already. Suello is not the only Mindanao runner who has become increasingly competitive. Jomarc Ferrer is another one with high hopes for this weekend. Already a multiple race winner in ATM races this season, Ferrer could join Suello on that highest level plateau. Others to watch out for in the context of potential podium finishers are in-form Jordan Bugnay, Yoyong Sacayle, good old Koi Grey, Henry Joe Cottilon and Sean Aying.

Angelie Cabalo may have too much sheer pace for the other women in the race, but when the going gets tough she may need to keep an eye out for Singapore-based Mia Revilla, who just won BUTM 100 in Malaysia a few weeks ago, long ultra specialist Ann-Jilian Pulanco and -why not- KIm Flores. The latter is a youngster who has been winning a number of races this season, but H1 is definitely a step up in terms of technical course and distance. But running pace, that she certainly has.

H60K is the other ATM Championship qualifier, as per tradition: one long ultra and one medium distance. On paper the 60k race may be more open than H1. In the women’s race, LJ Benitez and Clarissa Yeung start as favourites.

ATM will be reporting live from PMTF all weekend, connectivity-permitting. This event does take place in a remote area.

No Point Trail Ultra this season, but the event organising team is happy to announce a new event near Malaybalay in Bukidnon: Kibalabag Trail Ultra i set for the weekend of 16/17 May and has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. On the menu are four distance categories, of which the 50km attracts most attention.

The course is serious with 3800 metres of elevation gain to be conquered in those 50km. Participants have to be back in the finish by 17:00 in the afternoon, following a midnight start. There won’t be much of a warm-up as the the trail goes up almost immediately after the start. Given the technicality, pay attention to the mandatory gear list for this 50km race, also pasted below.

The event is hosted by the Barangay Kibalabag near Malaybalay City. It is characterized by densely forested and mountainous terrain, with a deep gorge carved by the Kibalabag River running lengthwise through the barangay.

You can stay up to date on the event via its facebook page linked below.

Lots of Filipino elite trail athletes in Danao last weekend for the Danao City International Ultra Trail event on Cebu island. The event is new on the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar this season as well, and lured none other than Cecille Wael to come and complete her 20th long ultra under ATM! Just a week after finishing third in Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, Wael focused on just finishing the tough 100km in Danao - an event where she finished second on the 50km two years ago. She is the second Filipino woman to score a 4th star and is thus now a Golden Grandmaster!

Female runners stole the show in Danao overall, as the 100km race up front saw an exciting battle between Elizabeth Dangadan and Nepal’s Nirmala Rai - double winner of MTR 100 Miles and making her first appearance in the Philippines. Dangadan set the pace from the beginning, but Rai never gave up and remained close for nearly the entire race. Only at the finish the gap had extended somewhat to 20 minutes. Dangadan won in 18h34, proving again what a tough course Danao 100 is. Angelie Cabalo, winner a week ago at Sierra Madre, took third on the podium. Third was the highest achievable last weekend, but still she finished ahead of Aggy Sabanal.

The 50 km race in Danao saw the appearance of reigning and two-time ATM Champion Priya Rai, the younger sister of Nirmala. Priya is in the midst of university graduation and despite carrying an injury she won the race in 6h44.

The men’s 100km had a fantastic start list including ATM Champion John Ray Onifa, Arnie Macaneras and Godwin Mirar. With also Larry Apolinario, Joebert Elmaguin and former Danao 100 winner Andy Toniaco in the mix, fans were excited to see a tremendous battle between them for victory. Macaneras set the pace early, but would eventually slow down and DNF. Reportedly, Macaneras is between race goals at the moment and therefore not at his peak level. Onifa, Mirar, Elmaguin and Apolinario ran together like brothers. Mirar, however, would also retire from the race towards the end. While many fans were hoping to see a nice sprint between the remaining three stars for the win, they came in side by side. Andy Toniaco was fourth quite a bit later, and Jensen Pasaforte fifth.

Elizabeth Dangadan won the women’s 100k ahead of Nepal’s Nirmala Rai

No royal sprint for victory: Onifa, Appolinario and Elmaguin come in together

The 5th anniversary edition of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in Rodriguez, Rizal in Philippines saw brilliant race wins by Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo. Two Filipino elites who were of course not unexpected, but the way in which they claimed victory was nevertheless impressive. For Kik Suello it was the second time he beat Kristian Joergensen for victory after Point Trail Ultra last year and a definite statement he has arrived at the very top of competitive trail running in his country.

Suello started with confidence in the 75km tough race and soon put the other contenders under pressure. Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second in 2025, did what he could to keep pace, but Suello just proved too fast. The gap would grow to over 35 minutes. Suello’s winning time was 9h03. Behind the duo, Bryan Mundiguing had a great performance that would result in third place at the finish. That was even ahead of Jordan Bugnay and Taichi Yui, two in-form runners. Japanese Yui has already won two races under ATM this season. John Solano came next in sixth place, followed by the female race winner Angelie Cabalo in 12h43. Jeremy Ritcey from Lantau 70 in Hong Kong and France’s Benjamin Nicolas were next. 

Angelie Cabalo showed again she is the benchmark in her country with a superb performance, leaving co-race favourite LJ Benitez no chance for victory. Cabalo ran smart, as well, taking a conservative start before catching Benitez and continuing solo to the finish. Last year’s race winner Cecille Wael followed in third place, a confidence booster again for the established silver Grandmaster, often plagued by digestive issues in ultra races. Wael ran a great second half of the race, moving up the leaderboard. Maria Isabel Reyes was a solid fourth place, followed by a duo of Akane Nemoto and Clarisse Yeung. Jericha de la Paz was next. 

The next ATM Championship qualifier in the Philippines is the PMTF event, which includes the legendary H1 race and the H60K race. 

TOP 5 RESULTS

Male

1 Kik Suello

2 Kristian Jorgensen

3 Bryan Mundiguing

4 Jordan Bugnay

5 Taichi Yui

Female

1 Angelie Cabalo

2 Lj Benitez

3 Cecile Wael

4 Ma. Isabel Reyes

5 Clarisse Yeung & Akane Nemoto

Another strong run by Kristian Joergensen, but Kik Suello again had the better of him

A strong finish gave Ces Wael another podium spot in the race she won last year

This weekend we have the 5th edition already of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the 75km ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest qualifier in the Rizal Mountains close to Manila, which has really developed into a new event classic. Organised by the Maharlika Team, SMTU is just good old-fashioned trail running powered by passion and with only 1 race distance on the programme : 75km. Hence, there’s always a good competition between well-known trail aces, who all like to add a win at SMTU on their career records. For others, newbies and short distance runners, SMTU may be the target, the goal for which they trained all year. It’s 75 km and it’s the only finisher t-shirt of the event.

Kristian Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second behind the surprising Randolf Gonzales in 2025, returns for the third year in a row. He is quite at home in the Rizal mountains, of course, and the usual hot weather tends to not affect his performance as much as cold weather. While not in peak form at the 9 Dragons ATM Final five weeks ago, Joergensen remains the one to beat at SMTU. There’s quite a list of other victory contenders, however. Starting with Kik Suello, who beat Joergensen in a dual at Point Trail last year and also finished ahead of him at 9 Dragons. The runner from Zamboanga City has kept on improving year after year and has matured into a proper victory contender whenever he starts a race, which - intelligently - is not that often. Also Jomarc Ferrer has worked himself to the top of the favourites’ lists. Finishing 10th in the ATM Final was no coincidence. This ATM season he has already collected two race wins and he also tops the overall points ranking. Other Filipinos worth keeping an eye on at SMTU are ‘locals’ Maynard Encormal, John Zonio, Anthony Calixterio and Jordan Bugnay - recently third on the podium in V Trail in Laos. But there’s great international talent on the start list, too. Benjamin Nicolas from France, for example, has quite a strong record of performances and is no stranger to racing in Philippines and Asia in general. With Joergensen as a ‘guide’, Nicolas might just as well score his first victory in an ATM qualifier. Japan’s Taichi Yui may also say a few words, though. Already a winner twice this season in the Laos races Luang Prabang and V Trail, Yui showed great running pace but the competitive level will be up a notch this weekend. Also in the field, Hong Kong’s Jeremy Ritcey. On his day still a serious podium contender and not afraid of the heat either.

The women’s race also again has a considerable list of victory contenders including last year’s winner Cecille Wael. When she is in race mode and her stomach doesn’t bother her, Wael might just as well claim the top step of the podium again in what can be called her ‘home race’. But others have shown more competitive consistency in recent months, including Bukidnon’s Shally Yuson and Japan’s Akane Nemoto - both top 10 at the recent ATM Final. Especially Yuson will be very keen to add the prestigious SMTU to her ever growing list of race wins. Akane Nemoto used to live in Vietnam and has won races in Malaysia, so the heat should also not be an issue for the Japanese runner, now back in Tokyo. Former SMTU race winner Ann Jilian Pulanco also features on the start list. For her, it will mostly be a comeback after a prolonged injury break. Another Filipino, but residing in Singapore, who can cause a surprise this weekend is LJ Benitez. She nearly won UTSG 50 last year, and might find the more technical course of SMTU more to her liking.

ATM will report live from Rodriguez and Sierra Madre Trail Ultra as of 1:45 am local time on Saturday.

The 2nd edition of Arakan Mountain Run in Mindanao, Philippines, last weekend counted towards the Grandmaster Quest, but saw some solid competition as well. Ulyses Esteva even managed to win the 80km men’s race by a big margin over none other than Roberto Cain III. In the women’s 80km race, Guia Cabigas once again raised her competitive profile with another victory in Mindanao.

Arakan is a municipality between Davao del Sur and Bukidnon and blessed with natural resources and magnificent landscapes. Organised by Vertical To Sky, Arakan Mountain Run is aiming to become one of the classic events in Mindanao, alongside Mount Apo Sky Race and The Punisher, established by the same company and its director Doi Calbes over a decade ago and still going.

Offering a good mixture of technical and runable terrain, Arakan has something for everyone. Ulyses Esteva was the surprise winner of the men’s long distance ultra, completing the course in 11h04’. Impressively, that was almost one hour ahead of Roberto Cain III and Ronie Jandog. Whilst not taking anything away from Esteva’s performance, Cain III does seem to find himself in a competitive slump - finishing below expectations in the Season 10 Final at 9 Dragons three weeks ago, too.

Guia Cabigas also won her race with a big margin in 19h43. As Shally Yuson, Cabigas is gradually becoming a repeat race winner in Mindanao and someone who keeps improving pace-wise. She was flanked on the podium by Devere Galo and Realyn Lugo last Sunday.

Arakan Mountain Run is on the shortlist to also become a Championship Qualifier in Philiipines in Season 12.

Podium 80KM Distance

*MALE

1st Ulyses Esteva (M'Lang Cotabato) - 11:04:48

-nd Roberto Cain III (Davao City) - 12:00:10

3rd Ronie Jandog (Zamboanga City) - 12:00:54

*FEMALE

-1st Guia Angelie Cabigas (General Santos City) - 19:43:38

-2nd Devere Galo (Libona) - 21:13:52

-3rd Realyn Lugo (Zamboanga City) - 21:17:43

Event Director of Vertical To Sky Doi Calbes with race winner Ulyses Esteva

Guia Cabigas boosts her competitive profile once more with a new and clear victory at Arakan