One month after the Jungle Marathon, Vietnam is again in the spotlight this weekend as the Tam Dao Mountain Trail is on the Asia Trail Master Championship programme. Hosted by the Belvedere Resort 1,5 hours northwest of capital city Hanoi, the 70 km race is highly anticipated and has the potential to grow into a classic. The race course is very interesting and quite unique, with the big climb of Tam Dao coming at the very end of what is otherwise  a runable course. The 70k starting field sees several big names, and two runners can even become the new leader in the male Asia Trail Master Championship ranking. Four runners of the current male top 10 will be competing this Saturday! 

Vietnam is increasingly establishing itself in the Asian trail scene, and this second of three points races in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship can also count on the participation of the first local star Cao Ngoc Ha. Third in UTKC (Thailand SuperTrail) and winner of the Vietnam Jungle Marathon, Cao Ngoc Ha can make a statement this weekend. One of his main competitors will be Malaysia's Steven Ong, who finished ahead of him at UTKC, but being a real endurance athlete may find 70 km a little too short. In any case, Ong will not be able to afford himself an easy start this time around. It's a big occasion for the ULTRON athlete, as he can take over the lead in the ATM championship from Arief Wismoyono. Tam Dao will also be his 4th ATM race of the season already. But were Ong to have an off-day, Spain's Pablo Diago Gonzales can take over also! Residing in Singapore, Pablo Diago is on a winning streak with victories at Mt Apo in the Philippines and at the Ijen volcano in Indonesia in the past two months. Can he add Tam Dao to that list? Note that both those races were also.... 70 km. 

And in the end there is also Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho, who showed at Penang Eco six weeks ago he is absolutely flying at the moment. Although also a typical 100 miles runner, Yuen Wan Ho has the speed to put all the others on the backfoot from the get-go. All things considered, he may have the key to victory this weekend and propel himself into a  championship-winning position later this year. For him, it will be the third race of the season. One peculiar characteristic of Yuen Wan Ho, though, is that he has a subscription on second places. 

In the women's the outspoken race favourite appears to be Australia's Kim Matthews. The rather unfortunate runner-up at Penang Eco 100k (Matthews led the whole race until she fell asleep at the final checkpoint and then saw China's Dong Minfei pass by to grab the win), has recently moved to south Vietnam and is another fast-paced runner who can be expected to open up a gap in the early stages and hang on during the Tam Dao climb. Matthews, after all, won UTKC 70 k last February. In her third race of the ATM season, she can hop over Tahira Najmunisaa to fourth place in the championship. The same applies to Siawhua Lim from Malaysia, albeit in her 4th race already. 

As usual we may encounter a few new names as well this weekend. After all, this is trail running and even in a new trail country. 

We will be reporting live from the event - signal permitting - via our social media channels.

Steven Ong: new potential ATM leader

Isaac Yuen Wan Ho: the man to beat? 

Kim Matthews is one of the favourites in the women's race

Pre-race top favourite Shunsuke Okunomiya won a fast edition of the Echigo Country Trail 52k in just under five hours. The celebrated Japanese runner was pushed forward all the way, though, by his compatriot Hayato Kimura. Kimura was never far behind and took second place just five minutes behind Okunomiya. Niigata's Jun Kaise came back from a modest start to take third place, and after winning Kushigata Wind Trail three weeks ago is now the top Japanese runner in the ATM championship. Kazuyuki Takahashi was a solid fourth place, and Kobe's Yuta Matsuyama completed the top 5. In the women's race, Kayo Siimbo led from start to finish. 

The race was held in good weather conditions with rather cool temperatures at the start. Nevertheless, the 2000 metres of elevation gain are  treacherous, as several forest climbs are so steep ropes are required to reach the top. As a result, there were again a considerable number of DNFs as the cut off time proved rather tight. 

A photo album of the event can be found on our facebook page. 

THe Echigo Country Trail has established itself as one of those unique races on the Asia Trail Master calendar. Not necessarily because of the race course or distance (52 km, 2000 hm), but because of the warm and jolly atmosphere during the event. Festivities already begin this afternoon at race pack collection and are followed by an organised dinner at Oguni Forest Park, close to Nagaoka in Niigata. That is the west coast of Japan's main island and north of the Japanese Alps. Local communities are delighted to have the race and come out to cheer for the runners, as if it were a road marathon. The race tomorrow morning itself promises to be a good one as well again, with several top Japanese runners present, mixed with motivated international runners. Jun Kaise, second last year and recently winner of the Kushigata Wind Trail is a favourite, along with Shunsuke Okunomiya.

Our team is present at the Echigo Country Trail and as usual will be reporting live, signal permitting. Follow the action on our social media channels. 

Japanese trail running is gradually becoming more accessible for international runners with also the IZU Trail Challenge coming up as the Asia Trail Master final and Japanese SuperTrail later in December.  Registration for the Izu Trail is now open but remember only until the end of this month! It is one of the biggest races in Japan and fills up very quickly. 

Lots of green around the course of Echigo

He was second in the Echigo Country Trail last year and determined to win the colourful race in his home region of Niigata this coming Sunday. Jun Kaise is one of Japan's fastest non-professional trail runners, especially on the medium distance. He proved as much three weeks ago when he won the Kushigata Wind Trail, the shortest race in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship series. Not that it was a walk in the park, because no fewer than 2500 metres of elevation gain had to be conquered over a mere  30 km. Perhaps Kaise is not just fast, but also stronger than he thinks. A smile on his face wherever he goes, Jun Kaise will be one to watch this weekend. And possibly for the rest of the season, as another victory means 1000 ATM Championship points, which would put him right up there in the ranking. Let's find out a bit more about the Japanese trail runner! 

Q: Where were you born and did you grow up ?
In Minamiuonuma city, in Niigata Prefecture. 

Q: What created your interest in running and trail running in particular?
To make use of it for my day to day work. Also, I love mountains.

Q: What do you do for a living?
I am a firefighter, or an emergency medical technician. I need to be in good shape. 

Q: What do you like about the Echigo Country Trail?
I very much like to talk with the local people.

Q: What is your ambition for this event?
First and foremost, enjoying the contact with local residents.

Q: Do you prefer the long 100k ultras or shorter trail races like the 52k Echigo?
I am at my best racing around 30 to 50 km.

Q: In your eyes, what is the current state of trail running in Japan?
I am excited about it, and I think that it will be even more exciting in the future.

Q: There have been some set-backs in Japan lately for trail runners, with arguably the biggest event UTMF cancelled this year and still without a confirmed date for 2018. What do you think is the reason?
Because the act of running in the mountains can not get the understanding of some stubborn people.

Q: What do you talk about when you talk about running?
The splendor of mountain scenery.

Q:  You won Kushigata Wind Trail two weeks ago, is that race comparable with Echigo? Not so much. In my view, KUSHIGATA needs speed, but Echigo is requires a high degree of toughness.

Q: Have you ever run IZU TRAIL Journey? It is the big final of the ATM Championship this year.
Not yet, but I am looking forward to it. 

Q: Is it easy for Japanese runners to travel abroad to other trail races in the Asia Trail Master championship series?
In Japan, there are many people who have difficulty in taking leave from work,  and it is difficult to travel for more than just a couple of days. So, it is difficult to go to remote areas of Asia.

Q: How do you see the future development of trail running in Japan?
I think that as the number of competing runners increases, it will become more and more familiar and understood, also for those people who are not runners. 

Q: Many athletics federations in Asia do not recognise trail running as a genuine discipline. How's that in Japan?
Unfortunately, in Japan this is also the same situation. 

Q: Should trail running become recognised as an olympic sport?
I think it is difficult. Because you can not get the same course, distance and altitude difference every time.

Q: What is your favourite piece of running music?
Japanese pop music.

Jun Kaisen proudly wearing the winner's shirt of Kushigata Wind Trail 3 weeks ago

Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset is a genuine classic on the Asian and Asia Trail Master calendar. The event will soon take pace already for the 19th year in succession! There's very few, if any, trail ultras in Asia that can claim such a long history. Moreover, this is a race in a very distinct and remote area: the wide grasslands on the plains of northwestern Mongolia. 

• The untouched nature of Northern Mongolia is the setting for the 19th Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) 42km and 100km trail run from July 29th to August 5th 2017.
• Registrations are open until end of June! Sign up on www.ms2s.org to experience the unique nomadic culture and run in one of the world’s most remote mountain areas.

PRESS RELEASE: 

Mongolia (5 June 2017) – Adventure seeking runners can still sign up for the ultimate Mongolia experience: The registration period for the 19th edition of the Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) closes on June 30th. The MS2S 42km and 100km ultra marathon will take place from July 29th to August 5th, 2017. The race location in Hovsgol National Park is stunningly beautiful: With the crystal-clear Lake Hovsgol, remote, marshy forests, windblown lowlands and craggy mountains, the MS2S is without a doubt one of the most beautiful runs on the planet.

The Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset is more than a marathon and ultra-marathon race: Participants from all over the world spend one week in the wild nature. They get in touch with the nomadic culture of the locals and learn about Mongolian traditions, beliefs, and way of life. On their quest to complete this spectacular race, runners pass by wild horses and yaks, seas of wildflowers, the craggy mountains and windblown lowlands. MS2S opens new perspectives.

All proceeds of the event are used to keep Hovsgol National Park pristine and clean as well as to support the culture of the local nomads via the “ecoLeap foundation”. “We want to keep this pristine mountain area as beautiful as it is now. That is why we fund a litter control project and its ongoing operation including hiring park rangers, providing eco-friendly garbage bags and raising awareness nation-wide through TV ads and education of local children and families”, explains race director Nicolas Musy.

Beautiful & challenging

The race is not only beautiful but also challenging: The accumulated elevation gain/loss in the marathon distance is more than 2.200 meters, in the 100km ultra run it is more than 3.300 meters. Still, everybody with a strong spirit and good training can complete the race. The cut-off time is 18 hours.

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/ 

The first Vietnam Jungle Marathon in and around the Po Luong Nature Reserve was held in very hot and humid conditions, making the race tougher than it already was on paper. Local hero Cao Ngoc Ha dropped his compatriot Duy Quang Tran in the final sector to win the race  in 8:22, nearly four minutes ahead. After a great third place at UTKC in February, the first ATM race win for Cao Ngoc Ha, who now totals 975 championship points. Cao Ngoc Ha and Duy Quang Tran ran most of the trail together, but in the end Ngoc Ha had the upper hand. He will also compete at Tam Dao Mountain Trail next month and can become a dangerman for the Asia Trail Master Championship. 

United States' Kent Luu completed the men's podium with a third place in 9:45 after a tight battle with Singapore-based Fabien Billaud, who came in 12 minutes later and who suffered from cramps towards the end. Stephen Hargrave finished fifth, Ric Stockfis sixth, closely followed by Paul Nicholas of France. Duncan Wilson, Myanmar-based Kiwi, has arrived in 8th place.

Malaysia's Nicole Ng won the women's race! She finished ahead of local Vietnamese runner Thi Thieu Phuong Nguyen and Phuong Vy Le. Nicole Ng likes Vietnam, as last year she also completed the 70k race of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon. Pre-race favourite Ann-Mari Lillejord unfortunately did not start the race. 

A photo album by our house photographer Adventure III will be uploaded in the course of this week. 

Winner: Cao Ngoc Ha

Winner: Nicole Ng 

The men's podium last Saturday

The 70k race started at night time

Two races on the agenda for this weekend in the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship. On Saturday we have the first of three events in Vietnam this season, the Vietnam Jungle Marathon. On Sunday, the shortest but crispiest race of 2017 will be held in western Japan, the Kushigata Wind Trail - also the first of three in the Land of the Rising Sun. 

In fact, both races share quite a few similarities. Vietnam Jungle Marathon and Kushigata Wind Trail are events that have been set up following the success of two other events by the same organisers. VJM is the new race by the Vietnam Mountain Marathon team, and Kushigata is produced by the team that brings you Echigo Country Trail. It is a clearcut sign of how trail running has been developing in Asia. Mind you, these two races are no simples warm-up runs, they are tough and challenging in their own right. 

According to race director David Lloyd, VJM offers probably the best trail running scenery Vietnam can offer. The 70k race goes through the Po Luong Nature Reserve, a wild, hilly, adventurous and natural rainforest area about two hours from country capital Hanoi. Trail running in Vietnam has started to flourish and this year's three points races for the Asia Trail Master Championship are testimony to that. Not only do runners from Asia and the rest of the world get a chance to visit and experience Vietnam in a different way, but Vietnamese runners also get a chance to learn, develop and be part of the ever growing Asian trail scene. Already this year in February, we go to know Ngoc Ha at UTKC in Thailand. The Vietnamese runner scored a great third place in the SuperTrail race behind Steven Ong and Wataru Iino, proving the potential he has. Ngoc Ha will be in action this weekend, and also in the next Vietnamese race in a month's time, the Tam Dao Mountain Trail. In the women's race, the top favourite is arguably the Singapore-based Norwegian Ann-Mari Lillejord, winner of last year's Ijen Trailrunning 70 in Indonesia. 

In Japan, the 30km race with 2500 hm is open on paper, and we are likely to discover some new names and talents at Kushigata. 

Our Asia Trail Master team is present at both events as usual, and will be reporting from the field - signal permitting. 

Profile of the VJM 70

Indonesia's Ruth Theresia is the new points leader in the women's Asia Trail Master championship after scoring her third race win of the season at Ijen Trailrunning in Sempol, Bondowoso, East Java. It didn't come easy. Shindy Patricia looked like having the victory all wrapped up, until Theresia came back in the final kilometres. The two leading ladies of the Indonesian trail scene then sprinted for the win. An amazing conclusion to a 100k race, and arguably also a symbolic one: Patricia was last year's Indonesia Trail Champion, but this year Ruth Theresia seems to have taken over. With 2020 ATM Championship points in 4 races, she now leads the standings at the expense of Cheryl Bihag, who also sees Lily Suryani overtaking her. Both Bihag and Suryani already completed 5 races this season. Last year's champion Tahira Najmunisaa has three races so far. The best five results count at the end of the year. 

Ijen Trailrunning offers one of the most beautiful trail courses of the year with the impressive Ijen volcano crater as the centre point of the race. The weather conditions were unusually cool at the nighttime start of both the 100k and 70k races, which was of course pleasant for the participants. While Shindy Patricia had the best start in the women's, local running star Yohanis Hiareij put the hammer down in the men's 100k. Hiareij finished second in a close finish with Arief Wismoyono at Ijen last season, and was determined to win this time around. Having notched up places of honour at Tahura Trail and Coast To Coast Night Trail, he was keen to take his first ever major race win. But alas, as with the women's race, and just like last week in Penang Eco, the race is not over until it is over. Hiareij was in control for over 90 km, and then Central Java's dark horse Dzaki Wardana ran up to him. Wardana is known to mix stellar results with average ones, but at Ijen he clearly felt great. Wardana caught Hiareij and dropped him to win his first career ATM race! At the finish the difference was about ten minutes. His race time was just under 17 hours for the 100k and 4200 hm. Vincent Chalias from France looked set to gain third place, but in the end Sam Samides took it. 

The field of participants on the men's 70k on paper looked even stronger. With this year's new regulations, each Grandmaster distance race offers the same championship performance points. All eyes were set on Grandmaster Jan Nilsen, making his comeback from injury, and Spain's Pablo Diago Gonzales, king of Mount Apo on Mindanao last month. Before the start, there was a third runner popping up who could spoil the party for both established runners: Indonesia's Ari Masrudi, second at Tahura Trail in January ahead of Wismoyono, Dessy, Hiareij and others, is a roadrunner looking to find his way on the trail. Ijen 70 was his first 70k ever. In the race, Gonzales went to the front quickly and coming down from the volcano crater had a gap of approx ten minutes on Jan Nilsen, who did very well in his first race in 2,5 months. Gonzales kept the advantage until the finish. Masrudi followed with Philippines' Jared Tevis closely behind in fourth place. The latter duo would change places later on, making it an interesting non-indonesia podium for the 70k race. 

In the women's 70k, Switzerland's well-known and very experienced Katja Fink proved to be the fastest. Fink led from start to finish. Grandmaster Ina Budiyarni was in second for over three quarters of the race until hydration issues slowed her down to see Elisabeth Perez (USA) come past with 13k to go and grab second at the finish. 

After the dramatic races at Penang Eco 100 in Malaysia, the Asia Trail Master Championship series move to Indonesia this weekend for already the third time this season. Ijen Trailrunning is on the agenda, also
known as the the Race to the Blue Fire, after the blue glow runners will see at night as they climb the  Ijen volcano in East Java. Contrary to the ultra tough MesaStila Peaks Challenge and Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra races later in autumn, Ijen Trailrunning is in fact quite runnable. Nevertheless, this year the event by Egon Trails has also seen a face-lift as a new 100 km category has been added to the programme,  with total elevation gain of approx 4200 Hm. That is comparable with the biggest trail race in Hong Kong each January, and the good news is that also the same cut-off time is being applied at
Ijen. That means every runner has a good chance of completing the distance and return home happy, especially those who are attempting their first ever 100K.

Sempol, which serves as the race venue, is a very remote location and it takes time to get there, but the several hundreds of participants will certainly not be disappointed. The Ijen volcano is a fantastic sight to see.

Looking at the start list, we find many big names of the Asia Trail Master circuit, but one man might steal the show: Grandmaster Jan Nilsen. The amazing Thailand-based Norwegian is making a bit of a comeback this weekend after being out of action with injury for quite some time. Jan Nilsen stole the hearts of many people in the Asian trail running community last year with a string of outstanding performances in the most brutal of trail races on the continent. Seemingly never tired, Nilsen was unbeaten in Indonesia in 2016, demolishing the field at MesaStila Peaks Challenge, Bromo Tengger Semeru 100 miles and Rinjani 100 as the cherry on the pie. Nilsen was
the only finisher of the 100k race at Rinjani. Not bad for a 50-year-old from chilly northern Europe!

Urban legends have been going around about Jan Nilsen. One of the weirdest, which he later denied, was that on weekdays he works and trains on a container ship running around the containers at sea. Nilsen was also always sick or injured, until he crossed the finish
line in first place. But at the end of last year, the many long and demanding efforts did catch up with him. Nilsen lost out on the ATM Championship in a direct confrontation with Manolito Divina in Clark at CM 50, and vowed it was time to take a rest. However, he did not and continued taking part in tough ultra trails. After a few uncharacteristic DNFs, Nilsen did take a little break, eventually. But the damage to his foot had already been done. He returned early March
at the Cordillera Mountain Ultra and could not do better than fifth place: not what one expects from Jan Nilsen in a mountain trail race. He realised it as well, and at last put a stop to his running
activities. Acting like a true professional, he switched to cycling to keep his body in motion and retain his stamina. Now, two-and-a-half months later, the Grandmaster returns to the trail scene. Not yet fully convinced of his performance level, Nilsen has opted to go for the 70K rather than the 100K. It will be great to see him back in action, and competitive as he is, he will go for the race win. However, that might not come as easy: Pablo Diago Gonzales is also on the 70K start list! The Singapore-based Spaniard was the King of Mount Apo on Mindanao last month, and finds at Ijen a course with similar characteristics, only less technical. Gonzales is an excellent road
runner and has ATM Championship ambitions. He starts as the man-to-beat on the 70K, which is a Grandmaster distance and as the 100K accredited with 400 performance points.

The local Indonesian stars are nearly all going for the new 100K race distance. Last year's winner Arief Wismoyono is still recovering from his efforts at Penang Eco 100 last weekend, but his rival from twelve months ago is back to claim that elusive race victory. Yohanis Hiareij has been going very well so far this year and a 10th place in the current ATM Championship ranking proves that. Hiareij is a local from the area and knows the terrain. Last year, he was the only runner able
to follow the pace of Wismoyono. Hiareij seems the favourite to win the inaugural 100k, but will need to watch out for the likes of Vincent Chalias and Laurent Tuffi from France, and Aris Supiandi Muklis. And of course, in any trail race of this nature, unexpected names may turn up...

The women's competition is currently a bit unpredictable. Ruth Theresia, Lily Suryani and Shindy Patricia are expected to start at Ijen, yet the decision on which race distance is pending. Both took part at Penang Eco 100 last weekend, a race that of course cost an enormous amount of physical and mental energy. Ruth and Lily both can claim the top spot in the ATM Championship ranking, led by Cheryl Bihag, this weekend, though. For both it would be the perfect end of
the first semester of 2017. Ruth Theresia in particular can put the pressure on her main championship contenders Tahira Najmunisaa, Sandi Menchi, Kim Matthews and co.

Mila Marlina is another podium and potential race win candidate on the 100k, and on the 70k we can expect Grandmaster Ina Budiyarni to be close.

As usual, signal permitting, we will be reporting live from Ijen
Trailrunning throughout the weekend.

Yohanis Hiareij (right) was officially second in last year's race behind Arief Wismoyono