The 3rd edition of Echigo Country Trail will see close to a thousand runners strike down in the Oguni Forest Reserve of Nagaoka in Japan’s countryside. This is one of the most colourful events in our series, thanks to the overwhelming hospitality of the local people, and the expert organisation and direction by local professional runner Hiroaki Matsunaga. On Sunday, there’s again a 52 km race on the menu: runable for the most part, but with some very technical hills nonetheless to break the rhythm and test runners’ resilience. 

As this is a race in Japan, obviously Japanese runners are top favourite to score the podium spots. But one woman could actually upset the natural order of things. Thailand-based Carole Fuchs from France will be doing her second ATM points race of the season, and after her demonstration during the Cordillera Mountain Ultra in Philippines last March it is hard not to see her at least on the podium on Sunday. One thing that could of course hamper Fuchs this weekend is that she hasn’t done much specific running training since CMU. Instead, she - successfully - climbed Mount Everest! Japan’s Tomoko Ueno was 4th last year in this race, can she improve this season to grab a top three? 

Back from Mount Everest: Carole Fuchs

In the men’s, we can expect anything to happen. Jun Kaise is always a favourite on home soil in this part of Japan, Niigata. A few weeks ago, the sympathetic firefighter again won the short an crispy Kushigata Wind Trail. Clearly in shape, can he do better than his third place in Echigo from last year. Jun Kaise was also the best ranked Japanese runner in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Speaking of which, another Japanese runner can propel himself into the top spot of this year’s ATM championship! Tomohiro Mizukoshi from Tokyo has been a very busy bee traveling and racing in Malaysia and South Korea as well as Kushigata. Mizukoshi is third in the standings with 1510 points now with four race results in bag already. Echigo will be his fifth race and he will be the first of the top male runners to reach the fifth level. He needs 265 points to overtake points leader Pablo Diago Gonzales, which corresponds to a place in the top 14 on Sunday. If Mizukoshi succeeds, it would be the first time a Japanese runner is on top of the ATM championship ranking. 

For the race win, Mizukoshi - a good road runner as he showed during Penang Eco 100 - will be up against other big names in Japan such as Sota Ogawa and Kazufumi Ose. Ogawa had a DNF in Penang due to heat and stomach issues, and will be keen to set something straight this weekend. Ogawa has also planned Mantra Summits Challenge next month and wants to compete for the championship. Kazufumi Ose already has 500 championship points in the bag this season: he was second in the 50/50 of The 9 Dragons in Hong Kong last February. 

As usual, we will be reporting live on our social media channels from Nagaoka and the Echigo Country Trail. 

You can also follow action here with a webcam:

https://oguni.love/events/echigo-country-trail

Sota Ogawa and Tomohiro Mizukoshi finds themselves together again this weekend

One of the most anticipated new events at the end of this year is the Malaysia Ultra Trail Festival. A rather bombastic title for a new event and the slogan "lose your mind, discover your soul" adds even more flavour and - especially - intrigue. However, organiser Ewegene Tan and his experienced crew know very well what they are putting up in the city of Taiping in Perak, north of Kuala Lumpur. From 30 November to 2 December, trail runners can truly expect a trail feast. What's more, the event has been granted the 2019 ATM Candidate Race label. 

Malaysia Ultra Trail festival will be held in Taiping Town which sits on a coastal plain at the foothills of the Bintang Range. Taiping is located about 48km northwest of Ipoh, the capital of Perak. It is connected with Kuala Lumpur and Putrayaja by highway, and if you are driving, you could even consider getting there quicker starting from Penang. 

The 1st edition of this highly anticipated new event take runners through 15 / 30 / 70KM of pristine trails around Taiping with elevation gain of approx 1000m, 2000m and 4000m  respectively. The 70 km long distance race is obviously the one that will receive most attention from our Asia Trail Master point of view. Looking at the figures, 4000hm for 70k, that's a tough one, so you need to have some reserves in the tank after a long year of running. The race will give each and every runner a chance of a lifetime to experience up to 6 different trails going up and down the iconic Maxwell Hill (5 of which are not normally open to the public on any given day). 

Centre point of the long distance race is indeed Maxwell Hill, named after William George Maxwell, who was the British Assistant Resident in Perak. Also known locally as Bukit Larut, it is a hill resort founded in 1884. As such, it is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. It is approximately 1440m above sea level. Bukit Larut and Taiping also receive some limelight for being the wettest places in Peninsular Malaysia. The high amount of rainfall has led to a fertile collection of flora and century-old rain trees in the Taiping Lake Garden.

The name of the event indicates it, and yes, MUTF will be more than just a trail race. It will be a trail party! After the event, runners and their companions can get together to discuss their experiences over some delicious food and drinks at the after party. 

The official website for registration and information is: http://mutf.my

The final weekend of the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship will again consist of two events where the final points for this season can be gathered: Ultra Trail Panoramic in Pai, Thailand on 7/8 December, followed by Izu Trail Journey on the Izu Peninsula in Japan on Sunday, 9 December. Upon conclusion of these two events, we know who succeed Steven Ong and Kim Matthews as the male and female champion in the Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Different from last year, we are introducing an added rule to the points distribution at these two events to allow for a fair conclusion to the championship and to offer runners a fair choice between the two events. The new rule is:

“Only runners who have scored points in minimum two ATM races during the 2018 season will receive ATM Championship points for their respective result in UT Panoramic 100 miles or 100k,  or Izu Trail Journey 72k.” 

In other words, the total race results of both Thai and Japanese events will be filtered, and only runners for whom UT Panoramic or Izu Trail Journey is the third ATM points race of the season will be retained and given championship points. 

Practical example: runner A finishes 9th in Izu Trail Journey. However, the runners in 2nd and 4th place have not done any other race in ATM this year, and the runner in 5th place has only done one before Izu Trail Journey. They are taken out of the list, and runner A gets points equivalent to 5th place. 

By introducing this added rule, runners in contention for the  ATM championship title can freely choose their final race without worrying about the competitive level of the potential local participants. 

Please note that Izu Trail Journey is of course the Japan SuperTrail, meaning 50 bonus points for the relevant finishers. Relevant finishers on the 100 miles of UT Panoramic likewise score the 100-miles bonus, i.e. also 50 points. 

To be clear, this concerns the ATM Championship only and not the Grandmaster Quest. All finishers of the UT Panoramic 100 miles and 100k races, as well as Izu Trail Journey 72k will score a point for their individual Grandmaster challenge. 

With Kushigata Wind Trail in Tainai City wrapped up - the 28km race won by Jun Kaise and Kazumi Matsuo - the Japanese chapter of this year's Asia Trail Master Championship has been opened. The next points race is Echigo Country Trail - a classic meanwhile - and on 9 September we have a new gem in our series: Hakuba Trails. Another solid 52 km race in the outskirts of the Japan Alps near Nagano, former host city of the Olympic Winter Games. Hakuba itself is a famous international ski resort in Japan, and in summer what can be better than using the available facilities to put up a serious trail running event. Hakuba Trails happens to be one of Japan's most popular races these days, and as of 2018 international runners have a great opportunity to join the event and score points for the Asia Trail Master Championship series. The official registration has now just been opened. There is an English form to do so, and below you can also find a contact person at Hakuba for your immediate queries in English. 

A short itinerary will also be provided in due course for runners who like to stay a few more days in Japan after the race. The itinerary will include 20 to 30 km runs/hikes in the Japan Alps area before heading to Tokyo. Please stay tuned for more on this optional trip, which is separate from the race. 

Link to Hakuba Trails English registration form: [LINK}

Email contact in English for quesions: Kento Maruyama (k.maruyama.shinya@gmail.com) 

Hakuba Trails

Joanna Kruk: 4th career ATM race win

Penang Eco 100 again delivered on its reputation as being probably the most underestimated event in Asia Trail Master. As last year, both the 100 miles and 100k SuperTrail A-races were filled with drama and unexpected twists. And even though, he did not follow into the footsteps of his compatriot Manolito Divina by winning the 100 miles, Philippines’ Wilnar Iglesia scored a great 3rd place that puts him on top of the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Normally there is always a solid rainshower at some point during Penang Eco, but this year it was just hot and humid all the way. It made everything just a bit more runable, but clearly some of the race favourites got too excited. A quartet of four runners took off on the 100 miles with a blistering pace. Japan’s Tomohiro Mizukoshi, who is becoming a regular contender on the ATM tour, actually felt so good he went out in front by himself. Behind him were top favourites Steven Ong, the ATM champion and winner of Penang Eco 100K last year, Wilnar Iglesia and another Japanese ace, Sota Ogawa. Malaysia’s other iron in the fire, Sabah’s Milton Bin Amat, took a more conservative approach knowing his technical skills would be best applied 100% during the very technical final 60 km of the race. Australia’s Joanna Kruk made another trip to ATM from Adelaide, Australia, and was following the leading quartet as first woman. America’s Susan Swier was giving her a run of her money, though. Swier is known as a fast ultra road runner and found those initial flat runable sections very much to her liking. She won Merapoh Trail 70k last year, but otherwise she has had little credentials on the trail circuit. As it happened, after being passed by Kruk after approx 40k, she kept the pressure and was only losing minute-by-minute for most of the saturday. Swier would pay the price for that eventually, as she faded away in the final technical sections and ultimately finished third behind Law Lay Eng, from Malaysia also. Kruk was looking superb herself, as usual, and at some point the question was if she would manage to compete with the male leaders for the overall win. 

Sota Ogawa and Tomohiro Mizukoshi from Japan coloured the first 100k of the 100 miles race

The men’s 100 milers were blowing each other up. Steven Ong, not yet fully recovered from a flu attack a few days before the race, even decided he had enough after approx 65k. Being busy setting up his own running shop in Kuala Lumpur, Ong's ATM campaign will require a strong surge in the second half of the season if he is to retain his title this year. Next was Sota Ogawa. Not used to the heat and humidity of Malaysia, Ogawa suffered from major stomach issues that prevented him from absorbing anything just before sunset. The Japanese top trail runner was a DNF. Meanwhile, a runner from Hong Kong was slowly making up ground on the leaders… and at km 112 we had the unusual situation of having three 100 milers sitting at the checkpoint together: Wilnar Iglesia, Tomohiro Mizukoshi and Law Chor Kin! Indeed, it was the Hong Kong runner Law Chor Kin who appeared by far the freshest of the three. Iglesia had just lost valuable energy missing a marker and doing an extra hill, and Mizukoshi looked cooked. The scene did not lie. In the final 55km, Law Chor Kin quickly built up a solid advantage to grab a very intelligent and admirable victory in 26h15. A newcomer on the ATM tour, he scores 600 points for the championship. Behind him, Iglesia was increasingly struggling on the tough technical jungle terrain and Mizukoshi needed to catch sleep at a checkpoint in the middle of the night. Mizukoshi deserves a lot of applause for his very courageous race at the beginning, even when in the end it did not fully played out. He would cross the finish line in 7th place in 34h49. A loss of over 8h30 on 56km compared to Law Chor Kin says enough. But he made it, and he moves up to 6th place in the ATM championship! 

Law Chor Kin wins the 100 miles just before sunrise after a conservative first 100k

It was clear that a conservative start was the best strategy last weekend. Wilnar Iglesia stlll got himself overtaken towards the end of the race by local Malaysian veteran Liew Tho Fatt, who produced a fantastic and well-balanced effort. Milton Bin Amat finished in 4th place, the same result as in the 9 Dragons Ultra. He moves up to 11th place in the ATM championship and is also the first Malaysian. Experience counts big time at Penang Eco 100 miles. Lau Say Niong came home in sixth place, just ahead of Soo Kong Yong. 

Exhausted but satisfied: Wilnar Iglesia finishes 3rd and is the new ATM championship leader

The 100K race at Penang Eco is also considered an A-race for the ATM Championship and thus attracts a lot of strong runners, too. On paper, it was going to be a battle between several Asia-based expats and Mohamed Affindi from Malaysia in the men’s. In the women’s Vietnam-based Marieke Dekkers from the Netherlands was the top favourite, similar to Joanna Kruk on the 100 miles. Dekkers proved to be fastest, indeed. The training partner of ATM Champion Kim Matthews won her second ATM race of the season after Dalat Ultra Trail in 20h21. Dekkers climbs up to 4th place in the championship standings. Malaysia’s Siokhar Lim was a very happy second place last Sunday in 22h 25, as it happened to be her first ever 100k race. The podium was completed by another Malaysian, Lili Wong. 

Marieke Dekkers scored her 2nd ATM race win of the season on the 100k!

The men’s race started quite explosively, similar to the 100 miles earlier that day. Mohamed Affindi, Alessandro Sherpa and David Giannelli took off quicky. Affindi and Sherpa then went by themselves as Gianelli lost a bit of terrain. Hong Kong trail star John Ellis, meanwhile, was biding his time as he usually does. Running 10-15 minutes behind the leading duo in the early hours, it looked every bit of a standard Ellis strategy. Chin Yit Khiang, living in Hong Kong but born and raised in Penang, Britain’s Sam McGrath and Japan’s Hisashi Kitamura were keeping up also. Halfway, Ellis caught up and took the race lead. Drama unfolded shortly after for both Mohamed Affindi and David Gianelli. Affindi twisted his ankle badly in a downhill section and saw no other option but to retire from the race! Technical runner Giannelli, who had just begun to decrease the time gap to the frontrunners, missed a crucial marker and suddenly found himself two checkpoints further down the course. Demotivated, Gianneli retired from the race. All of this was happening in the middle of the night, and Ellis was steadily opening up a bit of a gap on Alessandro Sherpa, until suddenly he didn’t anymore. Sherpa clearly had not yet given up on the race win and, perhaps using his bigger experience of negotiating South East Asian trails, managed to fight his way back to a struggling Ellis in the last 15k! Something one rarely sees on an ultra trail, but it proved again what a treacherous and therefore almost unique race Penang Eco 100 is. The Singapore-based Italian dropped Ellis in the last 9k and cruised to a big victory in 14h25, three minutes ahead of John Ellis. A bit in the shadow of the leading duo, but by all means a stellar effort was third-placed Chin Yit Khiang in 15h30. Behind them it was three hours till the finish of Sam McGrath, Hisashi Kitamura and Beng Wan. 

Sherpa’s win over Ellis could prove meaningful later in the season when the ATM championship gets decided. Sherpa collects 550 to Ellis’ 500 and jumps to 4th place in the ranking with 3 results in the books, while Ellis is now 8th with 2 results. 

While all finishers of Penang Eco deserve a honourary mentioning, we would like to note that Japan’s Masafumi Yamamoto finished his 5th ATM race of the season already, of which 4 Grandmaster distances plus CMU 50, the Philippines’ SuperTrail back in March. Respect! 

The next points race in the ATM championship is the first of four races in Japan this season: Kushigata Wind Trail. It’s also one of the shortest on the circuit with 30 km , but also 2500 hm. 

Race organisers Seow Kong Ng and Allan Lee with Milton Bin Amat, 4th on the 100 miles

The Malaysia SuperTrail in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series promises to be another cracker this weekend as a long list of excellent trail runners from all over the region are lining up in Bukit Mertajam for the Penang Eco 100. An event with a very specific course, be it the 100 miles or the 100k (the two race distances that matter for the championship, and remember both are A-races also). Last year’s edition was full of last-minute drama with changing leads and positions in the final kilometres of what has become known as a very treacherous race. 

Looking first at the 100 miles, which starts at 4 a.m. on Saturday, we see Asia Trail Master champion Steven Ong making his second appearance of the season. Ong has been busy setting up his own running shop in Kuala Lumpur and keeping a low profile after his 13th placing in the -for him- too short Tahura Trail in Indonesia back in January. However, a lot of people will bet on him to win this weekend. Ong is famous for his racing intelligence and the longer a race lasts, the better it is for him. Moreover, Ong knows the Penang course: he won the 100k here last season and with hindsight already laid the foundation for his championship win in this race. This being a SuperTrail, the competition of course will be severe. Sota Ogawa is a Japanese professional runner who is making his debut in the ATM Championship after winning a Candidate Race in his own country last autumn. Ogawa is highly motivated and left nothing to chance in his preparation for Penang Eco. The big question to be answered this weekend is: how well can he handle the Malaysian heat and humidity? Another Japanese runner seemingly has few issues with the climate looking back at his great 4th place in Sungai Menyala Forest Trail last month: Tomohiro Mizukoshi . Ranked 16th in the current ATM Championship, Mizukoshi was 8th in Korea 50K a few weeks ago as well. He came to the foreground in our series last December, when he finished 18th in the Izu Trail Journey, a performance that underlines his potential perhaps the most given Izu is almost like a national championship race in Japan. All abovementioned races are short to medium distance trails, how well will Mizukoshi fare on the 100 miles? 

The Malaysians have another iron in the fire for the longest race this weekend. Milton Amat from Sabah is ready to tackle his second SuperTrail race of the season after finising the Hong Kong’s 9 Dragons in 4th place. Another great result can put Amat into the championship picture. He is the winner of Borneo TMBT 100 last year and that race is back in ATM this year on 1/2 September. With also the Magnificent Merapoh Trail still on the programme in Malaysia in August, Amat can in theory claim the spotlights for sure. 

Finally, also the Philippines is well-represented with Davao’s Rexell Aguirre and also Manila’s Wilnar Iglesia - 3rd in the current ATM Championship ranking - coming back for the 100 miles as well, after finishing second to Steven Ong in last year’s 100k race here. If Wilnar scores 400 points (= 11th place on the 100 miles) he will match the points tally of ATM leader Pablo Diago Gonzales. But the Singapore-based Spaniard will be active on the 100K this weekend, too. Remains to be seen, however, how fast he has recovered from. what has been a very busy late spring campaign with the gruelling Mt Apo Sky Race and last week’s hot and fast Tengri Ultra Trail in the legs. Another Asia-based European is Alessandro Sherpa. When there’s a race, Sherpa is there. But the Italian is still suffering from his ankle injury sustained in UTKC in February so 100 miles might be a mountain of a task this weekend. 

A number of women are also competing on the 100 miles with one big favourite: Australia’s Joanna Kruk. Flying in again from Adelaide, Kruk loves to race in South East Asia and has built up quite a record in doing so: winner of Thailand’s UT Chiang Rai and UT Panoramic and winner of Borneo TMBT 100 back in 2015 as well. Kruk is both blisteringly fast and tough. A former boxer and now police officer, Kruk may even put some of the top men under pressure again like she managed in UT Chiang Rai and Panoramic last December, when she finished in 3rd overall. Not being based in Asia, it is difficult for Kruk to challenge for the ATM Championship and score points in five races. But she is certainly making a name for herself here in the region. While Kruk seems to be the top favourite for the win, Grandmaster Lily Suryani - who claimed 3rd place here last year - and Vietnam’s Vy Le Phuong could flank her on the podium. 

The 100k in Penang is also an A-race, meaning all finishers score 150 finisher points on top of their performance points as well. The only difference is they do not get the 50 bonus points for finishing 100 miles. Hence, a lot of top regional runners are competing on this distance, too. Highly anticipated is the participation of Hong Kong-based Australian John Ellis. Winner of the 9 Dragons Ultra and plenty of other races in Hong Kong, Ellis is thinking about challenging for the ATM Championship and push his own boundaries. Known for running bare-chested, the Australian has little experience running in South East Asia, and just like with many Japanese runners that is an open question to be answered this weekend. Ellis will definitely face pressure from many other runners. Let’s begin with Malaysia’s Mohamed Affindi. A man who burst onto the scene in the middle of last season. Affindi has scored one 2nd place after the other - also this year in Brunei and Sungai Menyala - but still waiting for his maiden victory in  ATM. Can it happen in Penang? Looking at the course profile and Affindi’s characteristics as a trail runner, most definitely yes. David Gianelli is another Italian who is back on the ATM circuit and with ambition. Gianelli won the Mt Apo Sky Race three weeks ago and will aim for nothing less in Penang. 

The women’s 100K race seems quite open although Vietnam-based Marieke Dekkers, training partner of Kim Matthews, could be the benchmark. Dekkers won the Dalat Ultra Trail in March and a second strong result this weekend can put her among the top performers in the ATM Championship. 

The event has a new participation record with close to 1000 participants spread over four race distances. 

We will be reporting live from the field in Penang all weekend during our usual social media channels. 

Kruk is back: the Adelaide police officer aims to collect another Asian race win in Penang

ATM Champion Steven Ong returns to the scene on his favourite distance: 100 miles

Mohamed Affindi: finally the big win this weekend? 

The 4th Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan sees a record number of participants with over 1000 runners spread out over three race distances. It is testimony to the growth of trail running also here, even when it is still a minority of people who dares to tackle the ultra trail race of 70 km. The event takes place on Monday - a public holiday in Kazkahstan. Looking at the start list we also see an increased number of nationalities, including Japan, China, Singapore, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Thailand. Most runners from Kazahstan, Eastern Russia, Kyrgyzstan are perhaps not so well-known to the general Asian audience, but one name stands out: Pablo Diago Gonzales. The Singapore-based Spaniard is having a busy early season campaign and Tengri Ultra Trail will already be his 5th points race in 2018. The number 4 of the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship had an injury-caused DNF at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong, but accumulated 1225 points with a 4th place at Rizal Mountain Run (PHI), 2nd at Beach Bunch Trail Challenge 50 (BRU) and 3rd two weeks ago at Mount Apo SkyRace (PHI). A three-time race winner in 2017, can he score his first victory of the season in Kazakhstan? In any case, Pablo Diago only needs a result inside the top 15 and 260 points to take over the points lead in the ATM Championship from Harry Jones. He would be the first top runner to score points in 4 races this season. 

The start and finish of the Tengri Ultra Trail is at Tamgaly Tas, a UNESCO World Heritage SIte along the mighty Ili River that flows into Xinjiang, China. Connectivity is virtually non-existent at the place and all participants will be camping at the riverside on Sunday night. We will update with news from the field when possible. 

Pablo Diago Gonzales keeps busy: TUT will be his 4th points race of the season!

Hong Kong's XTE event organiser has informed us that, regrettably, the Ultra Trail Mount Damavand in Iran has to be postponed to 2019. Originally scheduled for 21-22 June, the timing proves to be too cumbersome for local stakeholders so soon after the fasting month. UTMD will return on the calendar probably in August 2019. 

After the postponement of Tam Dao in VIetnam, this is the second June points race in the Asia Trail Master Championship series that won't take place as scheduled. It means that June will launch the quiet season after a very busy spring campaign. Echigo Country Trail in Japan on 17 June and Mantra Summits Challenge in East Java, Indonesia, on 14/15 July will be the only points races in June and July. 

Several of you have been asking when race registration opens for the Japanese new entry in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship, Hakuba International Trails. The local organisers in Nagano have now set the opening date for registration on Friday, 25 May. Hakuba Trails is one of Japan's most popular medium distance trail races with a longest distance of just over 50 km to be completed in 10 hours. The race is hosted by the ski resort Hakuba, famous in Japan's winter sports community, and runs around the mountains of Nagano, where the Olympic Winter Games took place in 1998. 

To get into the mood, take a look at the video of the 2017 event below. Hakuba Trails is another project of one of the UTMF co-race directors, as is Izu Trail Journey at the end of the year. 

The event takes place on 8/9 September and can be accessed via several international airports in Japan. 

Registration form (in English):

https://www.hakubatrail.jp/english

Hakuba Trails

We are happy to announce the new partnership between Asia Trail Master and Hong Kong's newest coolest brand T8. Technical undergarments, dubbed Typhoon Wear, that is made by and for runners. 

Trail runners and ultra runners  in South East Asia need running gear that is crazy lightweight for minimal heat insulation, extra wicking and quick drying, plus super breathable for maximum air flow. The answer of T8 is the T8 Commando underwear: Ultralight, supercool, chafe-free - "so light you'll forget it's there". It's built for the worst conditions - category T8 typhoons - but also great for everyday casual wear.

The T8 Commando

Features

• ~ Super comfortable Italian fabric
• ~ Ultra lightweight at under 40 grams
• ~ Highly breathable and wicking
• ~ Minimal stride resistance
• ~ Guaranteed chafe-free

Great underwear starts with material and the T8 Commando features an environmentally sustainable Italian-made fabric. It's feather-light at only 85gsm, weighing less than half of the major brands.

The polyamide-elastane weave is super soft for an amazingly luxurious feel, while also providing a three dimensional stretch with minimal resistance and maximum airflow. It's highly breathable and holds very little moisture, keeping you dry and comfortable all day.

The T8 Commando also features thoughtful design. Flat stretch seams are positioned away from high risk areas (including the coccyx), with a six inch in-seam to protect the sensitive inner thighs. A double front panel provides extra support for your bits, while seam washing instructions are printed to avoid any chafing risk. 

Each T8 Commando comes in a reusable water resistant phone case, perfect for protecting your other valuables when out running, and which saves on wasted packaging. We care about the environment!

The Commando has been extensively tested in tropical Hong Kong conditions and is guaranteed chafe-free. If you experience any chafing in these pants, send us a photo and we'll refund you 100%, no questions asked!

T8 will be supporting selected events on the ATM race calendar with products for podium placers and lucky draws, as well as the top ranked runners at the end of the 2018 ATM Championship. 

LINK : https://t8.run/products/commando 
 

The first edition of the V Trail in Laos will open registration next week on 1 May. The event is the first major trail event in the country and technically organised by the teelakow team from Thailand that also brings you UT Koh Chang and UT Chiang Rai to name just two. The race courses for V Trail are now also 100% confirmed and it was decided to have a 85 km course as main race, and a 52 km as middle race. Shorter distances are also available, but the two longest matter for the Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Laos is a new destination on the trail map and of course will be characterised by jungle and mountains, and lots of technical single trail. The 85 km features nearly 5200 hm, but in the fine teelakow tradition you get 30 hours for that - which is still no walk in the park given the terrain, though. Runners should be prepared for a tough technical race in hot conditions. 

Participants can best get to the event via the international airport in Vientiane. From there it's a bus drive north to Vang Vien. 

Below are the profile maps for the 85 km and 52 km. 

Registration will be open via www.teelakow.com 

Vang Vieng Trail

Both the Korea 50K in Dongducheon and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Santa Cruz, Davao in Philippines were characterised by very hot weather giving even more difficulty to the runners on already challenging race courses. The Mount Apo Sky Race proved quite dramatic in particular, with only 20 finishers - 1 female - and the rest already cut-off after either 25k or 43k. If the race hadn’t been stopped by the race director at km 75 for security reasons, few would have made it to the finish. Last year’s winner of the then-70K Mt Apo Sky Race, Pablo Diago Gonzales, was therefore right in his pre-race warnings: this was going to be a shocker. 

The new route added three more peaks to the course and those proved to be extremely technical with virtually no running possible for the first 25K following the flag off at midnight. It took David Gianelli and a local road runner 5 hours and 20 minutes to complete those 25K. Gianelli, the Italian winner of the Indonesia SuperTrail last year, was the fastest man in the race also last weekend. As soon as they hit Mount Apo he was by himself in the lead and by km 75 he held an advantage of over 1 hour over the very strong Jag Lanante. The Thailand-based Filippino overtook Pablo Diago Gonzales just a few kilometres before the improvised finish line. Gianelli completed the 75K in 14 hours and 44 minutes,  and now being temporarily based in Philippines will also travel to Penang in 3 weeks for the Malaysia SuperTrail race, Penang Eco 100, where he will compete on the 100K. Pablo Diago is a busy bee this spring as well, as he is lined up for Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan and the same Penang Eco 100K. Local Mindanao runner Rexell Aguirre was 4th in Mount Apo, preceeding Joseph Gentoleo. 

Rizal Mountain Run winner Aggy Smith Sabanal was the only female finisher and scored her second ATM race victory of the season. Definitely in her element on the most technical of trails, Sabanal overtakes Majo Liao in the Asia Trail Master Championship with this new success by 65 points. Still very young for an ultra trail runner, it will be interesting to see her compete on the tough mountains of Mantra Summits Challenge in Malang, East Java, Indonesia this July. 

All other women, including Hong Kong’s Tanya Bennet, last year’s winner Manilyn Mamugay and Cheryl Bihag were all cut-off at km 43. 

Over in South Korea, there was local success as Kim Jisub took the victory ahead of Austria's Michael Kabicher and Japan's Hiragi Taichi. Jisub finished in 6:33, 14 minutes ahead of the European. The difference between numbers 1 and 2 in the women's was similar with France's Laetitia Pibis staying ahead of Yasuko Natsume of Japan, and her compatriot Sae Enaka completing the podium.

Rene Amigleo is a new Asia Trail Grandmaster

Aggy Smith Sabanal leads the ATM championship after her second victory of the season

Laetitia Pibis was the fastest woman in South Korea during the Korea 50k

Kim Jesub was the great home winner of Korea 50k