By now everyone knows this year’s Asia Trail Master Championship will be concluded in Indonesia, with the deciding race being Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Central Java on 2/3 December. But do you know the event also has many open race categories - that is, besides the ATM Final race? So, why not join and support your national country team members for their big appointment, and then run yourself, too? You can choose between 15km, 30km, 50km and - indeed - the 77km. The latter is on exactly the same course as the ATM Final, but starts two hours later.

Siksorogo Lawu Ultra is one of the most popular trail events in Indonesia, especially as Tahura Trail in Bandung has still not returned post-covid. Highly applauded for technical event organisation and overall event atmosphere, Siksorogo will be a wonderful trail party and an exciting end of our season VIII. Gunung Lawu is one of those many Indonesian 3000m+ mountain summits and the central point of the race. But there’s a lot of sightseeing options in the area as well. The event is held in Karanganyar, near Solo (a.k.a. Surakarta) and Yogyakarta, cities with a lot of Javanese history. Solo is famous as a stronghold and center of Javanese culture and tradition. It features two royal houses in one single city: the Kraton of Solo and the Mangkunegaran, a principality. Descendants of these two royal houses are still considered leaders today. A quick google search will provide you with loads of links to attractions and tourism options in the area, including visits to the old royal palace, batik and antique markets, historical temples and waterfalls. If you have more time on your hands during your visit to the Siksorogo event, you could even consider a trip to nearby Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world and widely considered as one of the seven world wonders. A great and relaxing opportunity perhaps for the day after the race on Sunday, on the way back to Yogyakarta, where most runners will fly in and out of.

Regular registration for the open races will begin in August via the website below. The second button links to a write-up of hikers’ experiences climbing up Gunung Lawu, which may serve as some background information, and stimulation as well!

 

With Mantra 116 last week we entered the second half of Season VIII (8) in the Asia Trail Master Championship, so let’s take a quick look at the situation in the country rankings with a view to the great ATM Final event in Indonesia on 2/3 December: Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. Runners need to qualify for that final race by ending the season within the Top 5 of their country, and finish at least 2 ATM races. Former ATM champions can get a wild card as long as they meet that latter requirement.

On top of the standings overall, we find Malaysia’s Amir Zaki and Philippines’ Roan Biguasen. Both have been busy in the first semester and already put three and four points results in the bank, respectively. For Biguasen, it means she has already arrived at the consolidation phase: only a runner’s best four race results are taken into account. She has 1690 points, courtesy of three second-places (V Trail 85, Orang Utan Trail 50 and Trail of Man 55) and one seventh place (Sierra Madre Trail). Her goal is now to turn that 7th place into a 6th place or better in her next race. Biguasen already tried to do so at Mantra 116 last weekend, but instead suffered a DNF. Always smiling, Biguasen, who lives in Kuala Lumpur and joined Team Ole Athletic, is still very much a newcomer in trail and distance running. Mantra was her first attempt at a high altitude and technical mountain trail. Getting a spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Championship Final is not the easiest task given the sheer quantity of great trail runners in the country, but Biguasen already seems quite safe with her current points total. Her compatriot Irish Glorioso is on the same path with already 1540 points collected in four races this season. Glorioso won the season opener in Laos - V Trail 85 - , but has not been near the podium since. Ample improvement possibilities still in the second semester, and let’s not forget Glorioso was an ATM Finalist last year finishing seventh on Mt Apo! They are the only female runners with four results already in the pocket.

In third place we find Indonesia’s Shindy Patricia: one of the stars of the current season from a purely competitive point of view. Shindy has been around since the beginning of ATM in 2015, was third in the Championship in 2016 and fourth in 2017. She took a bit of a break from our series in 2019 to focus on another project, but returned remarkably last year already with fourth place in the ATM Final and the fastest summit attack on Mt Apo in that race (i.e. faster than dominant race winner Hau Ha!). That level of new-found competitiveness has still been increasing ever since, as Shindy showed by winning Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 100 in Vietnam and Mantra 116 in her home region of Malang in East Java, both times placing among the top 5 male runners.. She now has five ATM race wins on her record. Rumours have it Shindy started working with a new coach, focusing less on quantity and more on quality of performances. It clearly pays off so far! With a maximum of 1000 points in just two races, she should already be quite safe for Team Indonesia qualification. Especially as she has another two ATM races on her programme in the coming months. And here’s an interesting detail: Shindy Patricia knows the ATM Final’s mountain very well: she won a domestic race on Gunung Lawu last year!

T8 Indonesia’s Shindy will not be the only ‘home’ runner at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra with dreams of winning the ATM title, or at least score a genuine podium. At Mantra, not only did former ATM champion Arief Wismoyono show he is still Indonesia’s mountain ultra runner-to-beat, but on the medium distance we saw some of the country’s young trail stars finally compete against some regional competition - and with great success. Risqi Kurniawan hails from Central Java, Magelang - gateway to Borobudur -, and knows Lawu very well, too. He collected his first ever 500 ATM points last week and is signed up for next week’s Dieng Trail Run 50, too. Hilman Maulana and Akmad Nizar, Sobiri Haerudin, Erwin Simanjuntak and Andre Sinaga - the two Sumatra boys who took a great 1-2 in Orang Utan Trail - are all great new faces to follow in the coming months. It may even be tougher than expected to get into the men’s top 5 by the end of November and secure a spot in Team Indonesia, especially as famous Bali-expat Thimo Kilberth has been carefully preparing his race programme to maximise his performances and get onto the team as he did last year. Thinking ahead, Thimo can be a strategic team captain for the others. On the female side, 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia is one race finish away from getting a wild card after finishing Lantau 70 in March. SIti Nuraini, Fitta Emike Sari, Yustina Wardhani, Nia Swastika, Yuni Noor Hayati and Sianti Candra had great runs in Mantra. Let’s see who of them can all make it to the Team by year’s end.

Amir Zaki leads the overall ranking today, and obviously therefore also is in pole position for qualification into Team Malaysia. Something he accomplished also last year. Zaki was known as a short to medium distance runner, but following fatherhood has tried himself out on the long ultras. Winning Borneo Miler in June, and running very intelligently, proved he can also perform in that! His fourth place in Koboi earlier in May, right behind 50k specialist Mohamad Affindi was already a sign Zaki, from Team Crampfix Malaysia, has made a competitive step forward over the winter. Perhaps not yet fully recovered from the Borneo Miler, Zaki had to settle for fifth in Mantra 65 last weekend, but it’s clear he will be one of the spearheads of Team Malaysia in December. He has 1300 points out of three races so far. In his footsteps follows Amierul Amin from Team Ole Athletic, another new youngster making a name for himself in the first semester of 2023. Amin collected 1140 points in three races so far. These two have been going so well, they are gradually applying some pressure on other Malaysian top runners. Milton Amat won Koboi and took 500 points there, but is currently “only” 8th in the ranking with that single result. Obviously, plenty of races left in the second part of the season, including his home race Borneo TMBT in September. The same applies for a.o. Wilsen Singgin. However, just like in Philippines, there’s a lot of runners doing their utmost best to get in the top five, so nothing seems for granted. That applies to the women’s Malaysian team as well. Norlela Ismail - Team La Sportiva Malaysia - tops the ranking so far with 730 points from two solid results in Koboi and Mantra. Nur Amaani Razilan collected 640 points and ranks second so far. Nur Amaani also won Janda Baik Ultra, a Candidate Race, and looks like a strong candidate to enter Team Malaysia for the first time. Vice-ATM Champion Sally Yap got 450 points from her second place in Koboi and currently sits in 6th. Based on her performance on Mount Apo last year, Sally Yap is logically one of the top favourites for the ATM Championship title this year. But to win, you first need to qualify, of course. Sabah’s Rejlen James - who has reportedly moved to Team Sportlicious - is the comeback story of the season so far. James won Borneo Miler and also BUTM 100 - against Sally Yap - even though the latter this year was not a points race. Rejlen James was a race winner on Bromo in 2017 but then disappeared from the scene to give birth. In her footsteps follows a Sabahan youngster from Team Kolumpa, the team managed by the legendary Lintanga sisters. Lynda Marylyn looked good in the Borneo MIler. Let’s see how she fares on shorter distances in the coming months. Also qualified for now is Celeste Teo, and she is a crafty experienced trail runner who might as well focus on securing that spot.

We already put the spotlight on the women’s Team Pilipinas in this article, let’s mention a few words about the men’s . Davao’s Sean Aying is in pole position for qualification at the moment with 1085 points from three races. Aying, a fresh Grandmaster, was already a finalist last year. Just like for Team Malaysia, however, anything can happen in the next few months. Yoyong Sacayle has looked very competitive in two races this year, followed by Maynard Encormal. Reigning ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras scored a 3rd place in Lantau 70, and is just 1 race finish away from securing his wild card. Macaneras, from Team T8, is keen to defend his title in December. Will Elmer Retolado - winner in Santa Ines - recover from his injury in time to boost his points total and earn his spot in Team Pilipinas? What about John Ray Onifa and Larry Apolinario? The men’s pinoy team could potentially appear the strongest of all. On the female side, Elizabeth Dangadan, Angelie Cabalo and Cecille Wael have all already collected a result in Santa Ines. But with busy bees like Biguasen, Glorioso and dark horse Ann Jilian Pulanco, team places won’t come cheap.

Hau Ha was the first ever Vietnamese ATM Champion last year with an overwhelming season culminating in a difficult, and yet ultra dominating victory in the Mt Apo Sky Race. Logically, Hau Ha has been eyeing the world stage for 2023 and also the Vietnamese marathon record on road. It is a question mark whether she will have energy left to defend her ATM title in December. Hau Ha already took an ATM win this season in Dalat and is on the start list of her home race VMM, so a wild card should be no issue. Team Vietnam was the third strongest team in the 2022 Championship, so in any case there’s life besides Hau Ha. Rank 2 to 8 in the women’s is currently only separated by 75 points, so literally everything is still up for grabs. Thi Lan Huong Vu and Huong Nguyen Thi are leading the pack today. Looking at the men’s, Nguyen Si Hieu, Chris Devoize (Frenchman living in Vietnam for over 8 years) and Nguyen Tien Vo are setting the tune with two strong results so far. Nguyen Si Hieu was unable to make it to the Final for professional reasons last year, but can more than make that up at Siksorogo. A very smart performer, Nguyen Si Hieu also has Indonesian experience - having won Mantra 116 last year together with his compatriot Quang Tran. The latter has been the man-to-beat in Vietnam for years, and reportedly has his eyes set on doing better in the ATM Final this year than sixth last year. Without 100 km in the legs from a week before, Quang Tran - a great painter in his free time - can indeed be the outside favourite for the ATM Championship title at Siksorogo. Few people will talk about him, but when he is ready, physically and mentally - watch out!

Team Japan: At this time last year, Hisashi Kitamura was winning everything and had already secured his place in his country’s team. A dip in performance and a bad bout of covid in the autumn jeopardised his chances on Mt Apo and he had to settle for fifth place and the honour of finishing the 2022 ATM season as the overall points leader. Kitamura collected an easy race win in Cuc Phuong 42k early April and has since moved back from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo. His move unfortunately coincided with a bad tumble in the very wet Korea 50k race, which ended with a broken wrist and a serious black eye. ‘Karate Kit’ has only recently resumed training, but his dedication to his ambition to win the ATM Championship remains in tact. Qualification for Team Japan should not be an issue for him. The question is who will join him in Team Japan? Tomohiro Mizukoshi is a near-certainty. The Roppongi runner actually tops the standings with 725 points from two races this season. Deep Japan Ultra last month propelled a number of ‘Japanese star runners’ into the leaderboard. Takashi Doi, Saturo Geya and Kazufumi Ose - just to name them - all could join Kitamura as potential podium placers, even champions, should they dedicate themselves to it. With another points race in Japan coming up next weekend in Hokkaido, we may get a clearer picture already. The same applies for the female team. Hiroko Suzuki leads with 525 points for winning Deep Japan Ultra. No runner has as yet finished two ATM races this season - remember, a minimum requirement.

Team Thailand - UTKC fell into the water in January, and so Thai runners have one race less in their home country to score ATM points. Chiang Mai’s Trail of Man in June delivered some very interesting results, however. Thosaeng Kunno won that race as young newbie to trail and eager to test himself against other strong runners from across the region. He is due to race again at the upcoming Akha Trail. Jay Jantaraboon won Korea 50k and currently sits in the top 5 of the Thai ranking with that. Traditionally, his focus is on the global stage, however, so it seems unlikely he will be part of Team Thailand in our ATM Final on 2/3 December. Narin Kongsiri and Amorn Kimnguan have been doing well, both collecting points in two races already and heading the board. On the female side, Morgan Nisachon was excellent in Trail of Man, her ATM debut. Let’s see if she can follow that up with more in the second semester. Qualification for Team Thailand is still very open today.

Team Hong Kong currently has two near-certainties already with Jeff Campbell (winner in Sierra Madre Trail and Lantau) and Gone Running Teammate Jose Luis Alvelais. Campbell is a potential ATM Champion for sure, and will be happy to know that Gunung Lawu is considered much less technical than Mount Apo. Who will support the Canada-born Campbell at Siksorogo is still open. The same for the women’s Hong Kong Team, as no runner has so far delivered two results this season.

Team South Korea is interesting to follow this year, as they might have another potential ATM champion in the ranks. Kim Jisub has been the benchmark over there for ages, especially on the medium distance. Kim Jisub has reportedly taken an interest in the ATM title and will start his qualification campaign next week at Mt Daisetsu Trail in Hokkaido. With also Ulju Trail 5 Peaks still on the menu end of October, that’s two potential strong race results already - could be enough for Team Korea. Mind you, if he can stimulate some of the other Korean ‘stars’, both male and female, we have a team that can surprise everyone in December.

Qualification for some of the, let’s say, smaller countries is still very much open. Team Australia may have a strong men’s squad, including Andrew Farmers and Washingto Firmeza. Team Singapore may see Deric Lau as a potential top 10 podium candidate. Trung Nguyen likewise. On the women’s side, Vincere Zeng, 8th in the Final last year, is keen to qualify again to keep Singapore in the spotlights, too. Team Brunei was still absent in 2022 following covid, but is looking good to have a decent representation in Indonesia in December. Team Nepal is likely to have one of the smallest teams in the ATM Final, but the two ladies most likely to qualify, Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa, are both candidates for the podium - and who knows more? They looked good on a flat 50k in Koboi in May, what if they have a high altitude mountain in front of them like Lawu?

We conclude this round-up with Team Asia Expat , as usual a very strong group of runners. Important to remember is that the expat team is not part of the ATM Team Championship, so all runners will only feature in the individual race result. Alex Tilley, based in Penang, has been one of the most active and successful male runners this season and already collected 1250 points. He should be safe already, and he loves mountains so he is a dangerman for the Final. And so is T8’s Alessandro Sherpa as well, of course. The 2018 ATM Champion, also third last year, made sure he got two strong results in the bank before returning to Italy for the summer. Sherpa will return to Asia at some point in Q3 , and is a competitor who knows how to prepare himself, also psychologically, for a big objective. Nobody has ever won the ATM Championship twice, Sherpa - alongside Macaneras - are arguably the most likely men to achieve that feat. Chris Timms, 9th in the Final last year, is a dark horse and is currently a third card Team Asia Expat can play during the 77km long race. On the female side, no protagonist has so far banked two results this season, and so things remain wide open. But we have seen some excellent performances by Katrina Hamlin, Christine Mitchell and last-but-not-least Vanja Cnops. Vanja was third on Mt Apo last year - taking the fight bravely to Hau Ha in the early stages, and putting the Vietnamese runner under pressure for the first time in her running life. Cnops paid the price herself afterwards, though, got a knock of the hammer on the climb and she also had to let Sally Yap pass for second place. As for runners like Campbell and Kitamura, Gunung Lawu will suit Vanja a lot more than Apo…. so who knows?

Check the full ATM 2023 rankings here

https://m.racetimingsolutions.com/rankings/2023

No points races for the championship ranking this weekend - in anticipation of the perfect storm next week with three separate points race events - but we have a very nice ATM Candidate on the programme in the south of the Philippines. Camiguin Island Trail Race is the latest project by Vertical To Sky and takes place in northern Mindanao between Cagayan de Oro, Balingoan and Bohol Island. The island Camiguin is also knows as the Island Born of Fire, and ranks among the most scenic in the whole of Philippines. A must-visit for the outdoor enthusiast, as it has everything on offer: trails to run, hike or mountainbike on, swimming and diving areas - including free diving, and several refreshing waterfalls.

The actual event host is the Municipality of Mambajao, and the 50k main race takes place on. Sunday.

The course is a nice natural circle around Mambajao with Mount Hibok standing out halfway during the race. Runners will go up and down the peak. Total elevation gain is set at approx 2200 hm.

Camiguin Island Trail is a boutique event, as most Vertical to Sky events are, which means tightly controlled participation numbers to ensure a great experience for all. On the start list of the 50km category, we find some well-known names as Elle Alvarez - female winner of the Mt Apo Sky Race a few years back -, Freddie Blanco, Eldy Bulod, Rodney Ortega and Archie Paran: regular winners and podium placers in domestic events in Mindanao and the Visayas.

We will be reporting from the event this weekend, thanks to our reporters Tin Salazar and Richard Akol. Stay tuned to our regular ATM channels, in particular facebook and instagram.

Event organiser and ATM Grandmaster Doi Calbes is very enthusiastic about his latest project on Camiguin Island

The 6th edition of Mantra 116 (previously known as Mantra Summits Challenge) in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, was arguably its best so far. A wonderful high mountain trail festival with very competitive races, a considerably upgraded safety protocol and superb support from the community. It was very foggy on the summits this edition, but that also made the temperatures quite cool and comfortable for the runners. Despite 500hm less elevation gain this year, Mantra remains one of the toughest and more extreme trail races on our ATM Championship calendar, and yet there were only smiling faces at the Kaliandra Eco Resort.

Most of the current Indonesian trail stars proved to be inspired as well this year to take on Mantra. The 116km and 65k race categories were points races for the ATM Championship ranking in a season that has the Final in Indonesia, and not even so far from Malang: Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Karanganywar, featuring another 3000m+ mountain climb, Gunung Lawu. The 65 km race at Mantra with Gunung Welirang and the extension to Arjuno in particular is therefore a good indication, albeit 13 km shorter and more technical than the ATM championship decider on 2/3 December.

Risqi Kurniawan was the impressive winner of the 65km race on Saturday, after a great competition with fellow youngsters Akmad Nizar and the surprising Hilman Maulana. Also Bali-based Egyptian Ahmed Bedair and Sobiro Haerudin played along with the top three guys on the ascent of Welirang. The Malaysians, such as Amir Zaki, Amierul Amin and a very strong Ahmad Tanjong did the same. After Arjuno summit, Kurniawan, Nizar and Maulana pushed the throttle even more and it became clear they would contest the podium. Nizar twisted his ankle in the descent and the pain began to bother him more and more. Kurniawan opened the gap and arrived solo at the finish. A first ATM race victory on his debut! Kurniawan is from Magelang in Central Java, and one could argue the upcoming ATM Final takes place in his home area. He will need another ATM race first to have a chance to be qualified for Team Indonesia, though. The same applies for Hilman Maulana, who took second, and Akmad Nizar, who limped into the finish. In two weeks there is Dieng Trail Run 50km, the next points race in Indonesia.

Fourth place went to Ahmed Bedair, who stayed ahead of Amir Zaki, both fell victim to a confused marshal who sent them onto the wrong trail after the descent of Arjuno. Zaki lost a lot of time, but showed his mental resilience by fighting his way back up the leaderboard to fifth place.

The women’s 65km was won for the second consecutive season by Jakarta’s Siti Nuraini. In the lead from the start, she nevertheless could not take it easy as the surprisingly solid Yustina Setyowati kept the pressure on.

On the 116k , Indonesia’s long-time stars Arief Wismoyono and Shindy Patricia took top honours with convincing performances. Wismoyono made the different once again in the descent of Arjuno, having run up the mountain in the company of Fuminori Kondo, Nhon Trong and Rachmat Septiyanto. Kondo sprained his ankle badly and immediately called it a day. Nhon Trong and Septiyanto were trying to keep the gap to Wismoyono small, but towards the end of the race - at night time already - they had to acknowledge the 2015 ATM Champion and 2017 vice-champion was just too fast. Vietnam’s Nhon Trong even had a bit of a scare on the last hillclimb of the day: altitude sickness. With less than 15km to go , he tumbled from third to seventh on the leaderboard. Septiyanto came in second with a big smile: previously he had come in fourth in 2019 and 2022. Finally a podium for the event organiser of our ATM Championship Final, Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. Philippines’ Sean Aying put the cherry on the cake of his great race: third place on the podium.

Shindy Patricia has been around for so many years now, and yet she seems to be running stronger than ever in 2023. Her fourth place last December in the ATM Final, including the fastest summit attack time of all women on Mt Apo, was with hindsight already an indication of her new-found competitive form. Shindy has always been a podium and race win contender, but her overall performance level just seems to have gone up a notch. Best example: her winning time yesterday was almost 5 hours faster than what she did a year ago at Mantra. Five hours, that’s not because there was 500 hm less elevation this year! Indeed, even though a dozen women took the start of the 116k - a record - Shindy was in a league of her own from the get-go. She was even able to keep up with the men for a large part of the Welirang ascent. Ultimately, Shindy finished third overall behind Septiyanto but ahead of Sean Aying and the rest. Her local community in Malang even sounds impressed by her accomplishments this season. It’s her second ATM race win in 2023 following Cuc Phuong in Vietnam in April. With this kind of form, Shindy Patricia will rank among the top favourites for the ATM title win at Siksorogo!

Applause for the three other female runners who completed Mantra 116. Fitta Emike Sari, Nia Swastika and Sianti Candra.

On our ATM social media channels you can find loads of videos and photos taken during the weekend.

Local star Shindy Patricia wins twice in a row but this year with a time nearly 5 hours faster !

Siti Nuraini also won for the second consecutive year on the medium distance at Mantra

Risqi Kurniawan finally appeared on the ATM scene and with great style: victory on the 65km

Akmad Nizar and Hilman Maulana: two more youngsters taking the podium on the 65km

At last on the Mantra podium: after 2 times 4th in previous years, Rachmat Septiyanto is second on the 116km

Davao’s Sean Aying scored a superb 3rd place on the 116k, second time a Mindanao runner grabs podium in Mantra after Elias Tabac won it in 2018.

It’s Mantra time again! The high-altitude classic in Malang, East Java, Indonesia is celebrating its fifth edition this weekend with two points races for the ATM Championship - 116km and 65km - and quite a number of big names on the start lists. Arief Wismoyono, still the Indonesian mountain runner to beat, is arguably the top favourite on the 116km, especially after his fantastic display on the 75k last year. Wismoyono will need to deal with some very solid international competitors, however. Vietnam’s Nhon Trong returns to Mantra after his DNF last year. It was a defeat that bothered him, and already early in the season he announced he would try it again and try to follow into the footsteps of his compatriots Quang Tran and Nguyen Si Hieu, who dominated the 116km race a year ago. Nhon used to be a speedster, but has been focusing more and more on the ultra distances, recently. Another Indonesian ace has been 4th on the 116km already twice. Rachmat Septiyanto, La Sportiva ambassador and driving force behind this year’s ATM Championship Final Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. Can Septiyanto get on the podium this year? Other podium contenders are Japan’s Fuminori Kondo, Philippines’ Sean Aying, Malaysia’s Rasyid Salehuddin and Hafizan Lamin, and Vietnam’s Thang Hoang Huu.

Local Malang resident Shindy Patricia will again line up for her home race as well. Patricia won the 116km as only female finisher last year. Now there’s more women giving it a try on the redesigned course, which has become easier on paper after the initial climbs up Gunung Welirang and Arjuno at an altitude of over 3000m. The Mahapena ascent and descent have been taken out of the course following runners’ feedback. Shindy will need to focus to win again as Jakarta’s Sianti Candra was second on the 75km last year and has been rising through the Indonesian ultra running ranks. ATM Overall Points Leader Roan Biguasen is also present again for already her fifth ATM race of the season. Three second places so far, can she claim that first victory this weekend? Septiana Nia Swastika is another strong and experienced Indonesian who can score her maiden win in our series. Tamae Harada can also never be underestimated, and who knows Halimatun Sa’adiah finds her great form from last year back.

Grandmasters Rhea Batac and Yvette Chong are also on the start list.

On the 65km medium distance, we keep our eyes on the performance of Central Javanese up-and-comer Risqi Kurniawan in his ATM debut. One of those Indonesian young talents who have been a bit shy in leaving their comfort zone. Will Mantra 65 be his launchpad to regional fame? There’s quite some challengers for the race victory, including Malaysia’s Mohamed Affindi, who has already won twice in Indonesia in his ATM career. In-form Amir Zaki is running, and so is Amierul Amin, Ahmad Tanjong and Husnan Huzin from Malaysia. There’s another Indonesian youngster, Akmad Nizar, who was third in Jember Hills 70k last season. There’s nearly 200 names on the start list so we are bound to discover some new people as well.

The women’s 65km features last year’s winner Siti Nuraini as the one-to-beat. The battle for the podium is also likely to include La Sportiva’s Norlela Ismail, ATM Finalist for Malaysia last year and Dian Pradina from Bali.

ATM will provide live race coverage on our usual channels starting this afternoon at the race pack collection in the Kaliandra Eco Resort in Malang, and later at night for the start of the 116k and 65k. Mantra 116 takes place in a remote mountain area with little mobile connectivty, but all 116k runners and elite 65k runners will carry our GPS trackers from DTA, so everyone can follow his favourite runner throughout the race.

Arief Wismoyono was flying on the 75km last year. Now he is tackling the 116km longest category

Shindy Patricia was the only 116k finisher a year ago. Now she will have more competitors

Sianti Candra was 2nd on the 75km last year. What can she do on the 116km?

Rachmat Septiyanto has been 4th twice at Mantra 116. Finally a podium this weekend?

One of the great newcomers on the ATM scene last year was Dark 45 in Hong Kong’s New Territories. A nighttime race on the famous Maclehose Trail between Shui Long Wo and Tsuen Kam Au Rotary Park, one of the most popular sections of that long trail. A year ago it was the first bigger event in Hong Kong that was permitted to take place following the covid period. Now it will be organised by a new team, however. The Peak Hunter is a local trail community and charity foundation founded by Hong Kong trail ace Wong Ho Chun, and also including rising trail star AND cancer survivor Angie Yan. Rendez-vous at midnight on Sunday, 1 October.

For Hong Kong trail runners, Dark 45 is the second ATM points race of the 2023 season after Lantau 70 in March. No 9 Dragons yet this season, so for Hong Kongers these two are the only options to score points at home and get potentially qualified for the ATM Championship Final in Indonesia on 2/3 December (minimum two Top 25 race finishes). For non-Hong Kongers, this is a 45k with quite a bit of spice in it as the 2800 hm of elevation gain indicates.

Jeff Campbell was the fastest runner in Dark 45 last season. It was a race that saw the emergence of David Longo as a serious podium contender in any race, and also the renaissance of injury-plagued and then-still reigning ATM Champion John Ellis. Meg Sterling took the women’s victory after a nice battle with Natalie Webster.

Details can be consulted via the Peak Hunter’s Instagram and facebook pages. Registration opens shortly.

The tough 100 miles race at the Deep Japan Ultra event in Niigata last weekend was won by one of the country’s long-standing trail star Takashi Doi. He was an hour and a half quicker than Saguchi Tatsuya and Taro Ueda. India’s ATM Grandmaster Shashwat Rao took 7th place. The women’s 100 miles went to Hiroko Suzuki, who finished over 3 hours ahead of Rieko Seki. Kaori Asahara claimed the final step on the podium.

The 80km race developed into a nice battle between Satoru Geya and Kazufumi Ose - winner of the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong in 2018. Geya took it in 9h10 minutes, nine minutes ahead. Yosuke Abe was third in 10h21. Tomohiro Mizukoshi was a solid 6th in 11h52. The women’s 80km race saw the victory of Miki Saito in 13h24. Yumiko Ooishi was second 20 minutes later. Chikako Inoue completed the podium.

News from the event came through very late, hence the delay in reporting.

The Trail of Man night race in Chiang Mai City delivered some outstanding performances by runners new to the Asia Trail Master Championship series. Victory in both the men’s and women’s 54km points race went to locals: Thosaeng Kunno and Nisachon Morgan (picture left). Especially Kunno had to battle hard for it as he was under consistent pressure from Vietnam’s youngster Tran Van Nghia, France’s Chris Devoize and Hong Kong’s Luis Alvelais. Kunno finished in 7:28, just four mnutes ahead of Tran Van Nghia from Run For Life , who is now the second youngest ATM race podium finisher at the age of 22 , after Filipino Godwin Mirar, who took 3rd at The Punisher last year at the age of 21. Nghĩa Trần is a member of Run For Life club in Ho Chi Minh City and hails originally from Dalat. This was his first ATM points race, as it was for Kunno. Devoize placed 4th in April’s Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths, just behind Luis Alvelais. In Chiang Mai they switched positions. Both in any case did a fine job to boost their chances to get into the ATM Championship Final in December. Julien Petit from France was fifth. He scored two third places at VMM 70 back in 2017 and 2018 and is now returning to the front, apparently.

The race was more technical than most expected, but runners gave the thumbs up for the course and overall organisation. Some argued it would be better to race in daylight so you can actually witness and enjoy the scenery.

Nisachon Morgan won in 9h 11 and was 7th overall. She was out on her own and had wide margin over the other women. Roan Biguasen came second, for the third time this season in an ATM points race. The Filipino, based in Malaysia, is basically guaranteed already of her spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Championship Final with those results. Biguasen has been active all season, running well and selecting the races as to the best of her own ability. She also takes over as overall women’s points leader in the ATM rankings from her compatriot Irish Glorioso, who also already has four results in the bag this season. In the second semester of the year, they both can focus on trying to eliminate their worst result as only a runner’s best four results count in the ATM ranking. Third place in Chiang Mai went to Nachpraewa Srichokhtam ahead of Singapore’s Poh Suan Puah.

On Saturday night, the first Thai points race of the 2023 ATM Championship season will take place in Chiang Mai City. Trail of Man is a 55km race catering for medium distance specialists who don’t mind running at nighttime. Most of the course will be on the trails used in last year’s world championship event. With start and finish very near to the city centre of Chiang Mai, it makes for a great weekend trip to northern Thailand.

With the sudden forced cancellation of UTKC in January, it’s indeed taken nearly six months before Thai runners get a chance to open their ATM 2023 points accounts. Luckily, after Trail of Man there’s also still Akha Trail early August and the classic Ultra Trail Chiang Rai in October. Nevertheless, several Thailanders are already on the points board. For example, Jay Jantaraboon won Korea 50k, and Narin Kongsiri won the V Trail 55km in Laos. Kongsiri fearures on this weekend’s start list, too, and ranks among the several podium candidates. So does his countryman Amorn Kimnguan. But there’s quite a number of international runners who will be challenging them. Ho Chi Minh City-based Frenchman Gaetan Morizur is on the start list. Having won several races in Vietnam since covid, Morizur took a break from trail running after VJM last season as he became a father. Let’s see if he is already back in shape to fight for a victory in Chiang Mai. Hong Kong-based Jose Luis Alvelais will be starting his 4th ATM race of the season and a win would put him on top of the men’s overall ranking. In any case, Alvelais is making it clear he wants to be part of Team Hong Kong at the end of the year in the ATM Final in Indonesia. Firmeza Washington and Chris Devoize are also contenders, having already scored a top placing in earlier ATM races this season. From Vietnam, the young Tran Van Nghia is one to watch out for.

In the women’s race, KL-based Filipino Roan Biguasen, already twice on the podium this year, is also competing for the fourth time and could reclaim the overall ATM points lead at the expense of her compatriot Irish Glorioso.

Gaetan Morizur was strong winner of Dalat Ultra Trail in 2022

Roan Biguasen will be starting her 4th ATM points race of the season and may claim the overall top spot in the women’s ranking again

Jose Luis Alvelais will be competing already for the 4th time in ATM this season

Fans of remote ultra mountain trails will keep a close eye out on Deep Japan Ultra 100 in Niigata as of Friday morning. 100 miles or 80 km ATM points races through and around the Mt Asakusa Park with serious elevation gain (approx 10,000 hm for the 100 miles) and even still snowy sections. This is a miler that will challenge everyone, the brainchild of reputed Japanese trail runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, original founder of Echigo Country Trail (which this year took place with only short distance race categories following heavy flooding last autumn).

The start list shows many ‘big’ Japanese names and also global elite runner Gediminas Grinius from Lithuania, who is becoming an annual visitor to Asian trail races. Grinius logically starts as the race favourite on the 80 km course, even though he will have to deal with strong contenders such as Kazufumi Ose. Also Tomohiro Mizukoshi, well-known contender in all kinds of ATM races since many years, has appeared at ease with the terrain in Niigata, courtesy of his third place in Echigo last year.

A lot of runners are going to give the 100 miles a try in this event. Takashi Doi is one of the big names here. Kei Kukushima and Sota Agawa are other well-known competitors, as is Indian mountain ultra specialist and ATM Grandmaster Shashwat Rao - always a dangerman when he is on his day. Last November, for example, Shashwat won the 100k of Malnad Ultra in 12 hours without any proper sleep the night before.

As everybody knows there’s a lot of fast and strong runners in Japan so we are highly likely going to get to know several new names as well. Some known ATM competitors in the start list are Grandmaster John Eruel Oquino and Mary Ann Leovis from the Philippines and Cao Wei from Singapore.

Amir Zaki was arguably the biggest name on the start list of Janda Baik Ultra, in the last-minute absence of Chris Timms, and the recent winner of The Borneo 100 Miler in Sabah showed again he has had a fantastic first semester in 2023 by grabbing another victory on his beloved 50km distance. He had to work for it - not surprisingly so short after a tough miler - but in the end Zaki managed to open up a gap of 20 minutes over Akmal Mansur and Malaysia-based Japanese runner Atsushi Ito. Zaki found it amusing he finished just five seconds above the 6 hour mark. In the women’s 50km we had ultra specialist and Grandmaster Siokhar Lim, back from the world championships in Europe, but it was Singapore-based Japanese Hanayo Brighton who took the race victory at Janda Baik. Brighton arrived 10th overall and eight minutes earlier at the finish than Lim, who for sure still had to cope with some jet lag. Third place went to Vivian Shin Yiing Tong, who stayed just ahead of Jenny Holloway.

JBU also offered a 100km option, and that race saw a tight battle between Mohamad Syahmim Nazmy and Maihazan Nurafendy. For quite some time it looked like Nazmy would take it, but he developed an injury in the final descent of Gunung Nuang and had to slow down. Nurafendy had kept something in reserve for late in the race, and overtook Nazmy for the race victory in 17h26’. In third, more than one hour later, Grandmaster Beng Siong Lee finished seven minutes ahead of Italian Francesco Floris.

In the women’s 100km, we saw a rather surprising victory by Nur Amaani Razilan. The young and every more competitive Razilan was 11th overall and ran more than 1h40’ faster than more established names like Sum Mei Soh and Norlela Ismail. A win that propels Razilan up the performance ladder in Malaysia!

Janda Baik Ultra was a solid ATM Candidate Race, taking place not too far from Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. It’s been an established event in Malaysia for quite a few years already and one of the few taking place in the first semester. Lots of videos shot by Mark Jinmin can be watched via our ATM facebook.

Podium of the men’s 100km

Podium of the women’s 100km

The strongest girls on the 50km

The next ATM Candidate Race on our 2023 programme takes place in peninsular Malaysia and is actually already quite a popular event: Janda Baik Ultra. Janda Baik is the name of the host village in Bentong, only some 35 km from Kuala Lumpur. It’s a popular weekend trail running spot for KL and Putrajaya residents, also because of the slightly cooler temperatures in the hills.

On the menu are 100km, 50km, 30km and 16km races. This weekend’s race coverage on our usual ATM channels will focus on the 100km and 50km categories. Some well-known runners feature on the start lists, including last year’s race winner Chris Timms from Singapore. Timms was third in the Orang Utan Trail in North Sumatra a month ago, and is preparing for Mantra 116 and Dieng Trail Run, his next two ATM points races. Someone who has just scored the maximum points (525) in a race is Amir Zaki, co-winner of the Borneo 100 Miler just two weeks ago. Zaki features on the 50km start list this weekend, and he as well is eyeing a trip to the high mountains around Malang in East Java next month. Many other podium candidates on the start lists, such as Jack Oh, Seiji Morofuji and Beng Siong Lee.

​The 100km flag off is at 4 am on Saturday morning, and the 50km one hour later. Follow our race updates via ATM Facebook and ATM Instagram.