The 2nd edition of EcoTrail AlUla in Saudi Arabia confirmed its status as a pioneering trail event for the country and region. The participation field doubled compared to the first pre-pandemic edition in February 2020 and local and regional trail runners flocked to Saudi’s premium tourist destination now that country immigration procedures have relaxed. The 80K route had been significantly fine-tuned to increase runability, important given the necessary 12h30’ cut-off time that had to be adhered to. In addition, the finish was now located at Hegra, the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site and icon of AlUla, a town roughly 7 hours’ drive north of Jeddah.

Local 80k runners showed their enthusiasm after the flag off by setting a fast pace. Known runners such as Japan’s Yuta Matsuyama, winner of Ultra Trail Chiang Mai in 2019, and Pierre Breuer (2nd in 2020) let them take an advantage on the first flat 15 km. It was to be expected that the locals would be overpacing themselves and when the frontrunners came out of the 12km long ‘canyon section’, the most technical of the race with several rock climbs to negotiate, the more experienced international runners came to the fore. Abdulaziz Alghamdi made it over halfway in the lead position, but shortly afterwards faded away and even retired around km 60. Mickael Gasc, from southern France but based in Saudi Arabia, took over the command with Pierre Breuer chasing him initially. Meanwhile, temperatures in Al Ula were rising above 30 degrees, adding to the difficulty of the race. A few days prior to the race the max afternoon temperature was hardly 16, so it was a bad stroke of luck for those struggling with heat. Yuta Matsuyama was among the latter. The Japanese Uglow runner got a knock of the hammer and would even drop out of the top 10. Energy management and pacing was key in the 80k race to score a result and Mickael Gasc did that very impressively. The gap to second place kept on increasing and would measure 50 minutes at the finish in Hegra. Gasc concluded the course in 7h38. Second place went to a trio of friends and teammates based in Dubai: Gareth Gallagher, Marcus Smith and Robert Jones.

In the women’s race the victory was mainly contested between Ivana Kolaric, originally from Serbia but now residing in Dubai, and India’s leading female trail running ambassador Nupur SIngh. Kolaric, who also competes in triathlon, was always ahead but Nupur SIngh for a long time kept her within range. SIngh, supported by our nutrition partner Unived, has very fast PBs on the half and full marathon, even though the covid 19 situation kept her out of action for basically two years. It was the Indian’s first appearance on the ATM circuit and she certainly left an impression. While Kolaric did go on to win, Nupur took time to take photos and videos and still kept a solid pace all the way to the finish in Hegra and take second place. If she were to decide to focus on it, she could be a dark horse for this year’s ATM Championship title in December. What a breakthrough that would be for India’s blossoming trail running community!

Robert Jones and his Dubai teammates ran together and scored a joint second place

Mickael Gasc was an impressive and smart race winner

EcoTrail AlUla offers a mixture between sandy and rocky trails

Nupur Singh is one of India’s prominent trail running ambassadors. In AlUla she came back from a long period of inactivity to score a great second place

Team Uglow’s Yuta Matsuyama started well but the afternoon heat got to him and he had to shift down a few gears to finish the 80k race

What an event we had in Malaysia again last weekend! The Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon (BUTM) in Kiulu, Sabah, made its debut on the Asia Trail Master Championship calendar with a big bang, and offered drama, spectacular finishes, new faces and turbulent weather that made especially the 100 km a very tough challenge for all runners. During that 100 km, it became clear pretty quickly that Sabah’s new star Wilsen Singgin did not have the same legs as he did at MMTF last December. Blisters would make matters even more complicated and he never really featured for the podium. Fourth was the best he could hope for, but he would finish three hours behind the eventual winner. That winner was not the runner who crossed the line first. After an amazing dual reminiscent of pre-pandemic TMBT 2019, Hisashi Kitamura managed to come back and drop home favourite Milton Amat in the final kilometres. His excitement was short-lived, however, as the mandatory gear check - which is always conducted after the finish at BUTM and TMBT - revealed the Karate Kit missed his blinker, which cost him a time penalty of 1 hour. Moreover, a 30-minute time penalty was already looming for him ever since he missed - not deliberately - checkpoint 3 during the early stages of the race. The race jury therefore awarded the victory to Milton Amat and relegated Kitamura to third place, even behind good old Daved SImpat, who managed to stay within one hour of the leading duo. Despite the disappointment of missing out on a big victory in Sabah, Team Uglow’s Hisashi KItamura took the penalty with dignity. “I must have lost my blinker when I had a big fall halfway in the race, and I did not realise it,” he said. “Nevertheless I m very happy with my performance today on a very technical course and with Milton as a fantastic competitor!” Milton Amat returned the compliment on his facebook page by stating that Hisashi “beat him on the course today”. Milton officially completed the 106 km in 13 hours and 16 minutes. The number 5 in the result list, Aqmal Adzmi, not exactly a snail himself, finished over five hours later….

We knew from his strava exploits that Milton Amat, although no longer the youngest elite runner in the field, was in superb shape. Kitamura did not look the part at MMTF three months ago, but has managed to get back to his best form now the ATM season has gotten underway. We look forward to many more spectacular duals between the numbers 2 and 3 of the 2019 ATM Championship behind John Ellis.

The first woman of BUTM 100 was an interesting new face on the ATM scene in the person of Sally Yap. Hailing from Kuching in Sarawak, south of Brunei and Sabah, Sally Yap was in the lead for most of the race and arrived in just under 23 hours in the company of Japan’s Seiji Morofuji, who is more than a decent benchmark performance-wise. Yap was indeed three-and-a-half hours ahead of number 2, Aslin Sarawi. Siti Hajar Razali completed the women’s podium shortly afterwards. Pre-race favourite Adelinah Lintanga was a DNF around half distance.

The 50 km race category was also a points race for the ATM Championship, as we usually have in the early season. The specialists of the medium distance grabbed the opportunity to deliver a spectacle that was pure promotion for the sport. Local star Safrey Sumping could not shake off the tough Mohamed Affindi - winner of Tahura Trail in Indonesia in 2019 - during the race and both ended up sprinting full gaz and side-by-side to the finish! That does not happen very often in trail running and unsurprisingly there was no line on the ground to mark the actual finish. Deciding who came first was next to impossible and so both runners got announced as joint winners of the race. The fight for the third spot on the podium was equally tense. Moo Sat narrowly held off Marius Mousin to claim it. Amir Zaki was fifth and Jeffery Budin sixth. All big names in Malaysian trail running.

The women’s 50km was a very tight affair as well. Britain’s Amy Bartlett arrived first with just a minute advantage over SIngapore Deborah Lim. Halimatun Saadiah took third just over ten minutes later. Jess Lintanga settled for 21st place. Prior to the start she told our reporter that her training has only just begun again after nearly two years of focus on developing her now successful ethnic bracelet business.

Watch our facebook page for numerous video clips of the BUTM event, including interviews with the protagonists, courtesy of our ATM reporter on-site Mark Jinmin.

100k podium: Milton Amat (middle), Daved Simpat and Hisashi Kitamura

Women’s 100k podium with Sally Yap as winner, flanked by Aslin Sarawi and Siti Hajar Razali

50k podium men: Mohamed Affindi and Safrey Sumping joint first

50k podium women with Amy Bartley in the middle, flanked by Deborah Lim and Halimatun Saadiah

The first Malaysian event on the 2022 ATM Championship calendar is taking place in Sabah on the large island of Borneo, and it promises to be a cracker! BUTM, or the Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon, has a fantastic start list that will see great racing on both the 100 km and the 50 km, distance categories that both count for Championship points. BUTM is often called the little sister of TMBT, but in the mean time it has grown to be a popular highlight in itself. The races take place around Kiulu, an adventure playground where the famous Sabahan runners feel at home. Milton Amat, Wilsen Singgin and Daved Simpat, they will all be there on the 100 km. It would not be a major surprise if the trio takes the complete podium, but the competition will be fierce. Hisashi KItamura was no match for Wilsen Singgin last December at MMTF, but the KL-based Japanese has been working hard since then to get back to his best form. Also peninsular Malaysian runner Aqmal Adzmi has ambition to at least score another podium in an ATM race. In the women’s 100km, there’s Adelinah Lintanga, another local Grandmaster, who will have a good shot at another ATM race victory. Her sister Jess will be tackling the 50 km this weekend, a distance where she has booked her biggest competitive successes. Both women are of course favourites to be among the five Malaysian women to qualify for the ATM Championship Final in December. In the men’s 50km , we can expect a nice battle between local Saffrey Sumping and Mohammed Affindi.

Trail running in the Rizal mountains east of Manila is taking off very seriously again and it seems written in the stars that very soon runners from across Asia can once again score coveted ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest points in the Rizal. Another new event sees the limelight on 28 May: the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75 in Rodriguez and Antipolo.

The organisation is in the hands of experienced trail runners and headed by Arven Alcantara, a national team athlete in the Philippines. Interesting and eye catching is the fact that the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra will only feature a one-and-only race category: 75 kilometres! Competition-wise it is always good if all participants in an event are going head-to-head instead of being spread out over several categories. The 75K is scheduled to have 4600 metres of elevation gain, so that ‘s a tough course. It will take you to the southern peaks of Sierra Madre Mountain range in Rodriguez and Antipolo including Mt. Parawagan, Mt. Purro, Mt. Mapatad, Mt. Kawa-Kawa, Mt. Malemod, Mt. Ayaas and Mt. Kapananan. This is serious business and it is therefore no suprise that the organisation requires participants to have some degree of experience. Namely, proof of having completed a road or trail race of minimum 42 KM (marathon) before. The cut-off time for the Sierra Madre is 19 hours and the starting time is set at 2 am. The course map can be consulted below.

This event will be the second ATM Candidate Race in the Rizal area this spring, four weeks after the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure Run. Both events have completely different race courses, however, and except a 3 km road section have no overlap.

Thailand-based Briton George Burkin is a strong new winner of UTKC 100 in a time of 13:13:15. Narin Kongsiri finished in second place 43 minutes later and Arnon Srimat was in third, one hour and twenty minutes back. UTKC 100 was the opener of the new ATM Championship season. The event on Koh Chang island in the south of Thailand saw an incredible number of 3500 registrants. Due to ongoing covid mitigation efforts, certainly not everyone turned up at the starting line but it was a great feast nonetheless! In the absence of Jay Jantaraboon and Sanya Khancai, both on the start list provided by the event organiser but not in the race, the trio of runners that scored the podium was actually in the leading positions all night and day. For George Burkin it’s his first ATM podium and victory.

Chonlada Kappiyanond was another newcomer on the ATM scene and a great winner of the women’s race. She managed her race beautifully as a few others faded in the second half. At the finish, Chonlada Kappiyanond turned up fifth overall and one hour and 28 minutes (!!!) ahead of experienced Grandmaster Montha Suntornwit of The T8 Team! Here I am! Montha Suntornwit ran a smart race herself and moved up the leaderboard as the race went on, as is often the case with the established ultra runner. She came into the finish together wth Sawangjit Saengow of Thailand’s Team Instinct. . Chanchaya naphawanroed scored 4th and UTCR 230 winner Kanlaya Thongfachailai of Team La Sportiva Thailand was in 5th place.

On the 70km there’s a Thai race winner with Danon Rattanatumrong. He was 27 minutes faster than Norwegian Eirik Knudsen and Somjai Pesri of Thailand. As the 100k and 70k were evenly rated in terms of ATM Championship points, that implies Danon Rattanatumrong tops the Thai national ranking with 500 points ahead of Narin Kongsiri with 450.

In the women’s race victory went to Areerat Kareeklin ahead of Suphalak Kotapae and Payungjit Kosopa, all three from the home country.

The next ATM points race in Thailand is scheduled to be Ultra Trail Chiang Mai at the end of August.

photo credit: UTKC official

George Burkin wins the men’s 100 km

An impressive introduction to Chonlada Kappiyanond, winner of the women’s 100 km

At last, we have arrived. The first trail race weekend of what currently promises to be an exciting new season of the Asia Trail Master Championship series - the first after 2019. UTKC, Ultra Trail Koh Chang, is the event and venue for the opener in Thailand tomorrow. An event with 100k and 70k race categories relevant for points, and one that brought us several fantastic runs in the past. While the big majority of participants will still be residents of Thailand, there are international athletes who have taken the step to travel and face the remaining covid-19 mitigation measures. It’s the start of a new season and one is quick - perhaps despite knowing better - to call it ‘post-pandemic’ , but unfortunately many people are still in no position to cross country borders or even take part in running events at all. Consider, for instance, Hong Kong, home city of our last two and actually still reigning ATM Champions John Ellis and Veronika Vadovicova. Nevertheless, UTKC inspires growing confidence that ‘real’ trail running events are on the return in Asia. In fact, there’s three more events on the calendar for the next two weekends, too. Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon in Malaysia, EcoTrail AlUla in Saudi Arabia and last but not least Dalat Ultra Trail in Vietnam. It may be later than usual, but safe to say that the 2022 ATM Championship is flagging off with a bang!

The road to the ATM Championship conclusion will see over 25 points races throughout the continent between now and 17 December, date of the final event at a location soon to be officially announced. In between, we will have several Candidate Races as well. New events that have applied for a spot on our championship calendar next year or after. It will certainly be busy and we are looking forward to loads of exciting stories, stellar achievements and the Big Reconnection!

This weekend’s men’s 100k at UTKC could see the second installment of a battle that took place in 2018. Local trail heroes Jay Jantaraboon and Sanya Khancai are both featuring as favourites on the start list. Four years ago, the slightly older Sanya pushed Jay forward nearly all the way without ever really relenting. Let’s see if the Thai veteran can repeat that level of performance again on a course that is less technical as back then. We know Jay has not spent his time lying on the sofa during the covid-19 crisis and by all means he is the man to beat. Outsiders and podium candidates could be Nikom Tongjai, Narin Kongsiri and probably several others. After over two years it would be logical to see the appearance of many new faces at the forefront of the competitions.

In the women’s 100km we will follow Kanlaya Thongfachailai carefully. She won the Ultimate 130 at UT Chiang Rai in 2020. And in the 70km race category, we will have Canadian Carrie Jane Stander, 9th in the 2019 ATM Championship series.

As a clear sign that things are also not yet so straightforward in Thailand, event organiser Nop Suksawat and his team have had to make amendments to the race courses up to the last couple of days. Koh Chang is a relatively small island with a small community and not everyone is already keen to see runners returning en masse for the event. A couple of reroutes is likely to reduce the total distance to some 95 km and bring the elevation gain closer to 3000 hm instead of the advertised 4300+ hm. These changes could affect the outcome of the races, as fast-paced runners will have the best chance ever for a great result at this event. The strongmen and strongwomen who prefer the more technical, dense and steeper hilly jungle trails , something UTKC is renowned for, will have fewer opportunities this year to leave a mark.

Ryan Whelan of the Gone Running team in Hong Kong won the 70k race two years ago

Also this year we let Milestone light our way through the Asia Trail Master Championship series. The head lamps have become a trendy asset for every ultra runner in Japan and meanwhile also in other parts of Asia. Milestone is a lighting company based in Osaka, Japan. The founder, Shuhei Nishioka, was born in a family that has specialised in lighting business since as far back as 1920. Milestone has mainly focused on headlamps using a Warm White LED (natural warm color) to get better visibility when snowing or getting foggy. Its uniqueness distinguishes Milestone from other brands in the sector.

A top hit in the line of head lamps is the Trailmaster. A very fitting name! The company spent 3 years to produce Trailmaster and is strictly made for serious trail runners. It also matches with a running cap, especially designed to go along with the headlamp and its strap. Milestone proudly produces the Trailmaster in Japan. Every single piece is tested by their professional engineers before packaging.

On the official website of Milestone you can look through all the different styles of head lights suitable for trail runners. In Asia, you can also get the products, amongst others via MMTF Consultant and via Red Dot Running Company in Singapore.

Also in 2022 Gone Running in Hong Kong is our preferred physical and e-store for all things trail running. Located in 16/F, Simsons Commercial Building, 137 Johnston Road in Wanchai on Hong Kong Island, Joe Joe’s team is always happy to assist you with advice on brand and products for road and trail running, and offering competitive prices and fast shipping, too.

Several of ATM’s partner brands are available at Gone Running, and if you are not based in Hong Kong, you can just order online as well.

The history of Gone Running already goes back eight years to 2014, with the aim to provide a better online shopping experience for Hong Kong trail and road runners. But as their website says: “ it's about more than just good prices. We want to offer the best products (gear we use ourselves) as well as knowledgeable advice from top trail and road runners to make sure you get the kit and nutrition that is best for you. Combine that with efficient shipping and a hassle-free returns policy, and we hope we have a concept that you will love. It's for runners, by runners.”

In the mean time, Gone Running also has built up a great running community in Hong Kong, organising regular running and community events, sponsor budding young runners, collect secondhard gear donations, and support some great running-based charities. Ryan Whelan, and sometimes even John Ellis, can be spotted regularly wearing the Team Gone Running singlets or tees.

During 2022, stay tuned for news and offers from the Gone Running store. In particular, consider the following brands for your daily trail running needs: Crampfix, to prevent and relief even the nastiest muscle cramps. Gipron, one of the oldest producers of trekking and trail running poles. Founded in…1917(!) and headquartered in Italy, Gipron is legendary in the scene (take a look at the great Gipron website , too. Fractel, very nicely designed and functional running caps to protect you from the sun during open trails. There’s a lot of styles to choose from, have a look at the Fractel website.

With the 2022 Asia Trail Master season just a few days away, It is a genuine pleasure to announce the signing of INSTINCT as our official hydration and running pack partner. Many runners throughout Asia are already familiar with the typically fluo yellow and black coloured lightweight packs, and love their flexibility and ergonomics. As a supporter of our ATM Championship series, INSTINCT aims to convince many more people of their products.

INSTINCT : born on the trails of the French Alps and race-approved around the world. The brand was born following first-hand experience and analytical observations during trail running by the founder. At the heart of each revolutionary INSTINCT product is the desire to achieve a greater degree of function, accessibility and ergonomics; Total liberty of movement, zero obstruction and a second-skin fit.

“BE INSPIRED” represents the initiative & commitment of the brand towards improved & more environmentally friendly production methods and actions. INSTINCT sees that as an integral part of its future development, as love for nature should outweigh the excitement for ever more technical gear. Inspired by nature, part of the product range is now produced with recycled polyester, such as e.g. the Duffel Pack 45l, which also carries the GRS certification. GRS stands for Global Recycling Standard and its goal is to increase use of recycled materials in products & reduce/eliminate the harm caused by its production. Reducing our carbon footprint by using materials produced with recycled plastics is one of the many possible solutions that can make an immediate & positive impact.

Below you can find images of some of INSTINCT’s most popular products. A full overview can be consulted via the official website (click on button below). Throughout the 2022 season, stay tuned for news and updates and chances to win INSTINCT prizes at ATM races.

We conclude this announcement with a little poem written by the founder himself and published on INSTINCT’s website:

Running as one with nature; liberty of movement. A perfect osmosis, unparalleled pleasure.

“You’re in full run.

Your heart is pounding and the adrenaline is rushing.

Your feet prance around all obstacles.

You’re “in the zone.”

Free of any distractions, you’re as one with nature."

Slide on our gear & embrace

a world of greater proprioception,

liberty of movement and function.

Welcome to a “trail” that leads to increased comfort,

support and pleasure.

Listen to your instinct and express yourself.

This is why INSTINCT was created.

Sean Van Court

Founder, Designer & Trail Enthusiast.

As the new season is about to start next weekend, it’s a good time for us to raise attention in the next days to all our supporters and partners for 2022. Despite the past two difficult years due to covid, we are truly delighted that most brands who were with us before the pandemic have remained loyal to the Asia Trail Master Championship series. We are very appreciative, indeed!

Two of those brands are Andorra-headquartered OTSO - Think Sports, and Japan-based New-HALE taping systems.

New-HALE was established by Mr Koji Akuta, who is one of the pioneers in kinesio taping. For those people not yet so familiar with the technology, it is a rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion. It is a therapeutic technique not only offering you the support you are looking for, but also rehabilitating any affected condition as well.

New-HALE has a wide range of items in its catalogue, but in ATM the focus is on the V Tape and the X Tape. Both these are easily available in Asia outside Japan thanks to our preferred retail store Gone Running in Hong Kong. More details can be found on our dedicated New-HALE page under ‘Partners’ , and a great explanatory video below will show you how to use the taping.

OTSO remains on board for the 2022 ATM series as our preferred customisation partner. OTSO has quickly built up a solid reputation in the past couple of years despite the global covid pandemic. This year, OTSO will be equipping some of the national country teams qualified for the ATM Final in December with great outfits to run in, and will also be preparing customised ATM merchandise throughout the season.

OTSO is a brand that was born in Andorra, in the middle of the mountains of the High Pyrenees, a small but great country between France and Spain that provides excellent scenarios for thousands of athletes from different parts of the world to visit every year attracted by its many natural settings.

Cold and snowy mountains in winter for the practice of any sport related to the snow, cool and rugged mountains in summer to practice outdoor sports, make Andorra the ideal place for the birth of our brand.

Some of the best cyclists, motorcyclists, skiers, mountaineers, athletes, trail runners ... spend or have spent a season here trained attracted by its majestic mountains and conditions.

From here is born @OTSO which means WOLF in Basque and represents leadership, strength, courage, power, struggle, cunning, trust, freedom, loyalty, resistance, generosity, humility, family and individuality, values that represent very well all those who like to live sports as a lifestyle and passion.

OTSO has specialized in integrating the best design and the best technologies to make specific custom products, limited editions, unique and exclusive collections for legendary races and sporting events in different places around the world.

It is a pleasure for us to announce our first venture onto the huge Indonesian island of Sumatra this coming spring time. The inaugural Bukit Lawang Jungle Trail Run near Medan has just been confirmed as a new ATM Candidate Race, and the event has been scheduled for the weekend of 27/28 May. On the menu we find several race categories, of which the longest is 42 km with approx 1730 hm of elevation gain. The technical organisation is in the hands of Arras Adventure and the event is receiving considerable support from the Ministry of Tourism.

Bukit Lawang is a tourist destination in Bohorok District, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra Province, which is located about 80 km northwest of Medan city. More than 90% of the land cover in Bukit Lawang is still primary forest. It is a tropical forest which is also the natural habitat and roaming area of ​​the Sumatran orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus abelli) , an icon for the tourism industry. In addition, Bukit Lawang has two more primate species, namely the long-tailed monkey (Macaca fascicularis), and the kedih (Prisbytis sp.). Other fauna are hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), stone srigunting (Dicrurus paradiceus), eagle (Haliartus sp). All these rare animals are key for the protection and maintenace of the balance of the forest ecosystem around the Gunung Leuser National Park. This big national park contains one of the highest volcanoes and has some of the most dense tropical rain forest in Indonesia all together. These animals also play an active role in spreading the vegetation in the forest throughout their home range. The forest is accompanied by the melodious flow of the fresh and clear Bahorok rive, a rafting tourist destination. Mount Leuser National Park was awarded an international title as a Biosphere Reserve in 1981, ASEAN Heritage Park in 1984 and a world heritage site, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, in 2004 by UNESCO.

Bukit Lawang and the wider area is adopting the concept of sport tourism, especially as an arena for trail running sports on a national and also international scale. By joining the Asia Trail Master series, local stakeholders also wish to develop young and local running talent, and give them an opportunity to shine and gain media exposure.

The 42k main race promises to be an interesting one with a very runable-looking profile for two-thirds of the course, before two clear hill peaks catch our attention. Managing one’s efforts will be key for those runners looking to score a podium. Less ambitious trail enthusiasts can also opt for shorter race distances: 24km, 11km or 7km.

The nearest airport is Medan City, well-connected within Indonesia and with usually a few international connections as well. From Medan, it is roughly a 3-hour journey by car to Bukit Lawang. There is plenty of accommodation at the race venue, inn and guesthouse-style. Please see the PDF list below for further details on this.

 

We are happy to announce a new ATM Candidate Race near Manila in the Philippines. The Santa Ines Mountain Adventure Run is a tough 80km race through the Rizal mountains and to the summit of Mount Irid, which at 1467m above sea level is the highest mountain in the area. The event, dubbed ‘leg 2’ following an initial test event that received widespread praise from the local trail communities, is scheduled for 30 April/1 May weekend.

The start and finish line will be at Sta. Ines Covered Court. The route will pass through the trails going to Sitio Kinabuan and Sitio Sadlak and summiting Mts. Irid and Tukduang Banoi. For the 80km category, it will also pass through some trail sections of Brgy. Tinucan traversing to Sitio Nayon. The event will help in promoting the tourism of Tanay, Rizal and healthy lifestyle in the community. Total elevation gain is estimated to be 4380 hm.

Long-time followers of ATM may remember there used to be a solid 50k race in the Rizal mountains before. A race that saw a.o. the emergence of great talents such as John Ray Onifa, Koi Grey and Kristian Joergensen. The new event in Santa Ines has been set up by a different team, The Pace republic, including Grandmaster Quest challenger Rhea Batac, an experienced trail runner who has completed a.o. Ultra Trail Chiang Mai in Thailand and V Trail in Laos.

It is important to note that 80k registrants must have completed at least one 50k race, road or trail, before. Race start will be at midnight and the cut-off time is 22 hours. For beginning trail runners there is also a 30k option, for which the only entry requirement is to be above 18 years of age. We are still living in the covid 19 era, and local authorities demand a cap on the number of registrants. In other words, sign up early!

More information can be obtained via the official website www.thepacerepublic.com and its social media channels.

The 80K route has over 4300 Hm. Not to be underestimated in other words..