IZU TRAIL Journey, the Japan SuperTrail in this year's Asia Trail Master Championship and last race of the season has opened registration! Be quick for this very popular event running from A to B over 72 km through the Izu peninsula with magnificent views of Mt Fuji! Be prepared as there's 4100 m of elevation gain as well. The race takes place on Sunday, 10 December and you can access it best via Tokyo Haneda airport. 

Registration goes easily via https://www.sportsentry.ne.jp/entry/t/70830/e

Check out more via our cover page and the event website: http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/#/izu-trail-journey/ and http://www.izutrailjourney.com/ENGLISH/index.html

While the main island of Java has been enjoying a boom of trail running activity in recent years, relatively little has been happening on Indonesia's main holiday island Bali. This is about to change with the birth of the BNI Plataran X Trail event on 22 July, the first major trail running on Bali with an international ambition. The event features a 50 km fast trail course through the West Bali National Park, and has eco resort Plataran L'harmonie as home base for start and finish.

The new event is also a Candidate Race for the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship. . 

A genuine trail run with a mixture of forest paths, beach and rainforest single trail. There will be almost no tarmac road or concrete in the race course. Elevation gain in West Bali NP is limited, but there are a few hills to be negotiated nonetheless to add some spice and to offer some breathtaking views of the coastal area. Brief, this is a very runable course in a very beautiful setting that will appeal to trail lovers of all levels. Lots of cultural performances and add-ons are planned, and along with a generous COT to allow everyone to finish, BNI Plataran X Trail is set to be a trail running festivity. 

The event has 3 race categories:

50 K , COT 11 hours
25 K, COT 10 hours
7.1K fun run 

Registration is open via: http://plataranxtrail.com/online-registration/

July is in many countries the off season for trail running, but not so in Indonesia. There's quite a number of races taking place and some of them at international level and with ambition to join the Asia Trail Master Championship series in 2018. We have already highlighted Bandung Ultra 100 on 16-17 September before, but on 29 July you can challenge yourself in East Java as well. The Mantra Summits Challenge, hosted by the Kaliandra Eco Resort in Prigen Pasuran, offers a tough programme of 50k , 30k and 15k races with significant elevation gain. The 50k festures the ascent of two mountains above 3000m: Gunung Welirang and Gunung Arjuna. 

Adventurous, beautiful yet also very challenging. A combination of mountain trail running with nature conservation, which we will highlight in the next weeks. The event is organised by an experienced team of trail runners, which also has 2016 Indonesia Trail Master Shindy Patricia in its ranks. 

The event has 3 race categories:

50 K with 4500 hm elevation gain, COT 17 hours
30 K with 2100 hm elevation gain, COT 12 hours
15 K with 900 hm elevation gain, COT 4 hours 

Registration via https://mantrasc.com/ 

Bandung Ultra 100

16-17 September 2017, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Bandung 100 K is a race with magnificent views in the northern mountains around the city of Bandung. The event is organised by the renowned team of Bandung Explorer, which features some of the country's best trail runners such as Arief Wismoyono and Ruth Theresia. The new race joins our list of 2018 Candidate Races, which means that it is in pole position to be granted a slot on the calendar of the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship. 

The event has three race categories;

100 K with elevation gain 6.360 m, COT 32 hours.
50 K with elevation gain 2.680 m, COT 15 hours and
Ekiden, a relay team of 4 take 25 K each person with COT 8 hours

Start: Tahura
Finish: Villa Istina Bunga

Registration via: https://bdg100.id/registration/

The Indonesia SuperTrail in the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship has opened the registration books. MesaStila Peaks Challenge in Magelang, Central Java, will once again offer 50 championship bonus points for all finishers on the 5 Peaks (100km) and 4 Peaks (65km) races. Both distances are of course also valid for the Grandmaster Quest. The 65k exceeds 4500m of elevation gain. The 100k notoriously offers about 7700m of gain! 

Last year, Jan Nilsen was the man of the event in super tough conditions, and Tahira Najmunisaa claimed her ATM championship title by winning the 100k for women. A strong field of runners is again expected to line up at the MesaStila Hotel Resort for the weekend of 7/8 October. Accommodation packages are available at MesaStila itself, but be quick as rooms are limited. 

Find out details about the race via our cover page, where you can also link to the registration site and race website.

Jessica Lintanga (65k) and Tahira Najmunisaa (100K) won the women's races last year

The Singha Ultra Trail Chiang Rai in northern Thailand is selling out fast! The event, scheduled for 21/22 October, has two race distances for ATM championship points: 122km (5400 hm) and 66 km (2800hm). The longest distance is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest.

This new entry in the Asia Trail Master Championship series is brought to you by the same team that delivered UTKC earlier this year and UT Panoramic in December. The events are highly popular in Thailand, so better sign up quickly before it is too late. The 122 km race is hilly to mountainous but 40 hours of cut-off should allow appropriately prepared runners to complete the entire course. The highest peak sits at 1486m above sea level, which is not extremely high, but note that this climb in the middle of the race implies an elevation gain of nearly 1000m! 

More on the UT Chiang Rai event via our cover page. Registration works via Teelakow website itself. 

2017 Asia Trail Master Championship - Updated Rankings now show Arief Wismoyono (INA) and Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (MAS) in the lead after 9 points races. Many runners have already completed more than one race, remember at the end of the year it's only the best five results that count. Anything can happen! The next points race is Korea 50K, followed by UT Nepal!

2017 ATM CHAMPIONSHIP
MEN:
1. Arief Wismoyono (INA) 1350 pts
2. Gaspard Dessy (BEL) 1250
3. Yim Heng Fatt (MAS) 1145
4. Steven Soonseng Ong (MAS) 1025
5. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1000
6. Yohanis Hiareij (INA)
Aleksis Capili (PHI) 730
8. Hendra Siswanto (INA) 640
9. Aris Supiandi Muklis (INA) 620
10.Jeshryl De La Cruz Aranzaso (PHI) 600
11.Wataru Iino (JPN) 550
12.Mahdi Manshuri (INA) 540
13.Julian Baker (CAN)
Zack Reimer (CAN) 520
15.Abang Jamadi Rosli (MAS) 506
16.Abdoullah Mitiche (ALG) 
Sefli Ahar (BRU)
Arnold Lozano (PHI)
Liang Jin (CHN) 500
20. Frans Sibarani (INA) 476
21. Cao Ngoc Ha (VIE) 475
22. Jules Freund (FRA) 459
23. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 450
Marcelino Sano-Oy (PHI)
Ari Masrudi (INA)
Kristian Joergensen (DEN)
Nikom Tonjai (THA)
Ismail MD Norrisman (BRU)

WOMEN:
1. Tahira Najmunisaa (MAS) 1500
2. Cheryl Bihag (PHI) 1450
3. Ruth Theresia (INA)
Sandi Menchi (PHI) 1000
5. Jassica Lintanga (MAS) 900
6. Siawhua Lim (MAS) 850
7. Adelinah Lintanga (MAS)
Lily Suryani (INA) 820
9. Patricia Ann Morota (PHI) 
Mila Marlina (INA) 790
11.Kim Matthews (AUS) 520
12.Joanna Kruk (AUS)
Diorella De La Cruz Cerujano (PHI) 500
14.Monta Sontornwit (THA) 470
15.Divine McBride (USA)
Ninie Hauschildt (INA)
Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 450
18.Terada Kazue (JPN) 440
19. Jeri Chua (SIN) 
Majo Liao (PHI)
Sakuna Usanawasin (THA)
Shindy Patricia (INA) 425

Full Rankings are available on:
http://m.racetimingsolutions.com/rankings

** Please report to info@asiatrailmaster.com if any points are not appropriately allocated **

We are happy to announce our latest new entry in the 2017 and 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series: the Vietnam Jungle Marathon! The event will be held on 27/28 May and features a 70 km as main distance that offers points for the ATM championship and for the Grandmaster Quest. It is the third event in Vietnam on our calendar, which proves the growth of trail running now also in this exciting South-East Asian country. 

The Vietnam Jungle Marathon is organised by Topas Travel and the same crew who bring you the reputed Vietnam Mountain Marathon in September. The registration is already open and for this year's edition it is better not to wait too long anymore to ensure you get in. The venue is called Pu Luong Nature Reserve near Mai Chau, a well-known place on the Vietnamese backpacker and travellers trail. It is approximately 140 km southwest of capital city Hanoi. 

The 70 km course is considered very demanding with several climbs and descents for a total elevation gain of 3100 hm. After the start, runners will immediately tackle the longest climb to Bo Dieu village at just over 900m above sea level. The finish follows a lengthy descent. On the way you will cross impressive valleys and pass through local villages. 

Find out everything about the event via the website, or get a quick view via our cover page on the ATM website. 

Cover page of the VJM

The Indonesia SuperTrail in the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship series is now confirmed and will again be the MesaStila Peaks Challenge at the MesaStila Resort in Magelang, Central Java. The 6th edition of the popular event takes place on 7 and 8 October and will feature the meanwhile traditional race distances of 100 km, 65 km, 42 km, 21 km and 13 km. Only the three longest distances provide points for the ATM championship. 50 SuperTrail bonus points go to finishers of the 100 and 65 km races, which both are also valid for 1 point in the Grandmaster Quest. 

Last year, Tahira Najmunisaa crowned herself as the female Asia Trail Master champion by winning the 100k race, labeled as the MesaStila 5 Peaks, with the climbs of Gunung Merapi, Merbabu (twice from different sides), Andong, and Telemoyo. Best male runner was Jan Nilsen, who of course was unbeatable in Indonesia last season. 

Online registration is opening soon, so please stay tuned. 

The 5 SuperTrails in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship,credited with 50 important bonus points for finishers on the two longest race distances are:

• Thailand - UT Unseen Koh Chang (February)
• Malaysia - Penang Eco 100 (May)
• Indonesia - MesaStila Peaks Challenge (October)
• Philippines - Clark-Miyamit Falls Ultra (November)
• Japan - Izu Trail Journey (December)

At the end of another month, the official race registrations for two hot Asia Trail Master points races are coming to a close. First of all, the Malaysia SuperTrail race, Penang Eco 100, and also the unique Mt Apo Sky Race in Mindanao, Philippines. 

Both events are trail events pur sang. Penang Eco 100 features 100 miles, 100k and 50k races and 30k races and is for the second consecutive year credited with the Asia Trail Master SuperTrail label, which means all finishers on the 100 miles and 100k races get 50 bonus points for the points championship. 100 mile finishers even get an additional 25 as of this year.  However, remember the amount of performance points on both 100 miles and 100k is the same: 400 for the winners, which is a significant difference compared to last year, following feedback from multi-race participants. Several top contenders for the ATM championship have already signed up, underlining the importance of SuperTrails and its bonus points. 

Of course, the 100 miles and 100 k are also qualifiers for the Grandmaster Quest.  Please note that the cut off for the 100 miles is tight to very tight, while the 100k is slightly looser. 

Registration ends on Friday, 31 March. Click here to go directly to the reg page. More info on the event here. 

Two weeks earlier, a very special event takes place on Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines at just below 3000m above sea level. The Mount Apo Sky Race is a technical 70 km virtually out-and-back race that is unique as the mountain park is currently closed for regular tourism. If you want to visit this pristine environment, you need to do this race! Total elevation gain is 4000 hm and the cut off is 22 hours. Less ambitious runners can also opt for 35k, but please note that no ATM points are awarded on that shorter distance. 

The 70 km is also a qualifier for the Grandmaster Quest, and rumour has it that Grandmaster Aleksis Capili will be aiming to score his 10th point at Mount Apo, which translates in a Grandmaster Shield featuring 2 stars! 

Registration ends on Friday, 31 march. You can sign up directly here. More event info is here. 

Trail running is developing in many countries nowadays and lots of people are picking up the sport. Trail enthusiasts and event organisers have set up some great initiatives to assist these newcomers in getting acquainted with the requirements and demands of trail running. In Indonesia, the GOAT RUN series are a prime example of this. As the second edition is about to begin in West Java this weekend, we are happy to announce the new promotional partnership between Asia Trail Master and Goat Run. 

Founded by Jefri Riccardo, the 2nd edition of the Goat Run begins this weekend in West Java with the Mount Guntur race. Textbook Goat Run, so to speak, as the event features two, essentially, short but crispy distances of 25 km and 10 km. Mount Guntur towers more than 2000m above sea level and is a technical and steep climb. The race is basically up and down for those who do 25 km. Exactly the kind of race that beginning trail runners can use to gain experience before tackling the stereotype Indonesian mountain bonanzas such as MesaStila Peaks Challenge or Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra. On the other hand, the Guntur race also gives established runners a decent work out in preparation for their next big target. 

Winners of the main races in the Goat Run series will win vouchers for free race entries to Asia Trail Master events. Likewise, the 2016 winners of the overall Goat Run series have earned a ticket to Clark in the Philippines, for the ATM SuperTrail race this year on 26 November. 

We are delighted to announce the entry of the Tam Dao Mountain Trail in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship. It is the second event in Vietnam in our series and takes place on 24 and 25 June with start and finish at the Belvedere Resort in Tam Dao town, approximately 70 km from capital city Hanoi. The event is organised by the local running community BPM and features races for all levels of trail runners. The two longest races are 70 km and 42 km, on which all finishers will score points for the Asia Trail Master championship ranking. In addition, 70 km is of course also a Grandmaster Quest distance. 

The 70 km race features a great mix of technical trail and runnable terrain. Total elevation gain will be just above 2000 hm. The finale is exciting: the last 10k are virtually all the way up, which means potential race winners will need to time their final effort well! 

Tam Dao mountain town for long has been named the green oasis of the northern Vietnam. With the altitude of 900m, it is a popular tourist site with three summits poking out from the ocean of cloud above – Thach Ban, Thien Thi, Phu Nghia. Tam Dao mountain range also holds many famous cultural and historical sites like Tay Thien pagoda and Tay Thien temple (also known as Den Mau) worshiping Quoc Mau Tay Thien (the Queen) Lang Thi Tieu, Dia Nguc pagoda, television cable tower, stone church, and ancient villas built during the French colony of 1900s. Tam Dao national park of 36.883 ha land is wrapped around by these Tam Dao mountain range with a diverse biological ecosystem varying by the altitude. Many pinophyta species of the temperate forest also reside here in Tam Dao. 

Running among the cool shadow of old forest in Tam Dao national park, crossing the trails, or wading through clear creeks, and climbing the highest summits with amazing view, breathing in the crisp air – you can enjoy all that feeling of freedom and wildness nature brings. Tamdao Mountain Trail 2017 is honored to put aside a small part from registration fee to support Yen Duong commune, Tam Dao district – the poorest commune in Vinh Phuc province, in hope to help those families in need. 

To participate in the Tam dao Mountain Trail race, it only takes approximately 2 hours to drive from Hanoi.  More information on logistics can be found on the event website and on our cover page.