A very promising new ATM Candidate Race takes place this weekend in Thailand: Tulay Trail is part of the much talked-about Tak Trail series in the northwest of the country and has obtained the Candidate Race label with a view to being part of our Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendar next year. Proving the solid reputation of the organising team of RunRun, this weekend’s edition of Tulay Trail has attracted many hundreds of runners already - despite the relative remoteness of Tak Province.

The Tak Trail series’ events aim to elevate the regional trail running scene to international standards and showcase its natural and cultural richness. Tulay Trail offers a number of distance categories with a 100km as the main race. Less ambitious runners can also go for the 75km, 45km, 25km or 8km. Elevation gain and technicality should be taken seriously before signing up. Tulay Trail 100 has an estimated elevation gain of 5500 hm and has a cut-off time of 32 hours at the finish line. The 100 km offers a very nice natural loop with the longest climbing coming immediately after the 3 am start, going from approximately 200m to 1400m above sea level.

The long start lists feature some better known trail runners such as Sanya Khancai, still going strong even though now in his fifties. Several Japanese runners are making it to Tulay, and also France’s Emmanuel Abadie, who scored some great race results in Malaysia a while back. The 50km nearly has 340 runners on the start list. The double digit distance shows over 100 names on the list, with another 65 on the 75km.

Good old Sanya Khancai will be running the 100 km at Tulay

Tokyo’s Taichi Yui won his ATM debut race in Luang Prabang in Laos, the opening event of the new Championship Season 11. A friend of last year’s winner and ATM protagonist Yuta Matsuyama, he controlled the men’s race from start to finish. His time at the finish was 11h28. Yui, born in 1985, says ATM is an objective for him in the coming year with qualification for the Championship Final very much on his mind. The redesigned race in Luang Prabang is receiving praise from runners for its wonderful scenery and fantastic aid stations. While the 2800 metres of elevation gain does not sound too much, the 75km race is another example of ‘numbers can be deceiving’. Less technical and tough than V Trail, yet Luang Prabang also has its share of technical jungle trails with some significant descents.

In second place we had Vietnam's 25-year-old youngster Khanh Dam Quoc in 13h11'. Belgium's Antoine Deligne, in his long ultra debut, scored third place in 13h58. Thailand's Peeramata Chiemchit took fourth and Switzerland's Raffael Alpiger fifth.

The winner of the women’s race was Vietnam's Luong Dong Anh, who finished just ahead of Philippines' Merionne Dimen Elkins in 20h04. Both runners are also new faces on an ATM podium. Nakin Visisombat gave home country Laos a podium on the 75km main distance category with third place. Australia's Liz Colee came back to the finish in fourth.

The next ATM qualifying points race event is V Trail in Vang Vieng, scheduled for 14/15 March 2026. Luang Prabang Ultra Trail will take place on the same weekend of 17/18 October 2026.

We are very excited to announce that the Season 10 Asia Trail Master Championship Final, postponed after the cancellation of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail due to the devastation caused by typhoon Bualoi , will now be held on 28 February 2026! The place is Hong Kong and the event host is none other than The 9 Dragons! 

We are absolutely thrilled and grateful that RaceBase, in particular Steve Carr and Michael Ormiston, were immediately keen to substitute for the Vietnamese event following the latter’s cancellation. It did not take long for all the pieces to come together and we are convinced the organising team will design and put on a fantastic new race within their existing event programme.  The ATM Championship Final race will be held on a special course of 70km with approx 3800 elevation gain and a separate race start at 1 a.m. The trail will largely follow the default 50 Miles course, but then see a shortcut to bring the distance down to the standard 70-75 km window, as usual for the ATM Final.

The 9 Dragons has been a very popular classic in our Asia Trail Master series since 2018 and has always fostered a solid competition amongst elite runners, while simultaneously never losing sight of the overall event experience for the every-day runner. It will be the first time in ATM’s decade-long history that the Championship title will be decided in Hong Kong. 

All the runners who were qualified for the ATM Final at the Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail two weeks ago, remain qualified for the new Final at the 9 Dragons. The Season 10 points ranking is closed and will not be re-opened. The events taking place as of Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in Laos this weekend all count towards the new Season 11 ranking already. All relevant runners will soon receive details and guidelines for the 9 Dragons event .

Also, in the context of the regular 9 Dragons event, please note  that the 50/50 stage race and Sunday’s 50km remain qualifying points races for the aforementioned Season 11 Championship ranking. Registration for the 50/50 and other open public races is still open. Response has been superb this year, so if you wish to secure a spot for the open public races you better sign up quickly.

In addition, please note that it is also confirmed that Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam will now host the Season 11 ATM Championship Final on 3 October 2026. And last but not least, a priority agreement has been struck with MUTRA to host the Season 12 ATM Championship Final in Myanmar in 2027! For competitive-minded runners, the scene is set for the next two years. This longer horizon gives ATM stability and enables us to work on greater developments to benefit all in the years to come.

John Ray Onifa and Kanako Edamoto won the 50/50 stage race in 2025

Tomorrow, 18 October 2025, Asia Trail Master fully enters its second decade since the inaugural Championship season in 2015. The new Season 11 kicks off in Laos with the Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in the famous UNESCO World Heritage city, also former capital of the country before that honour went to Vientiane. Organised by Green Step, trail running pioneers in Laos and founders of V Trail in Vang Vieng, the event has been redesigned for this year and now features a 75km points race for both the ATM Championship points ranking, which leads to qualification for the Season 11 Final in Vietnam’s Mu Cang Chai on 3 October 2026, and the Grandmaster Quest. 

The 75km race starts at 9 am local time and has a rather modest elevation gain total of 2900 hm. Numbers can be deceiving and certainly in Laos, as everyone who as run V Trail knows. Still, Luang Prabang is known to have friendlier terrain than Vang Vieng and participants with a decent running pace should have the edge on Saturday. 

Starting a new Asia Trail Master season always means opening a new can of runners as well. People one has never heard of before suddenly pop up and claim the spotlights. It won’t be any different this weekend as the 75km start list offers a great mixture of nationalities, but without any big name standing out. We can expect an open race in other words.  Last year, the then-longest distance of 100km was won by Japan’s Yuta Matsuyama and Thailand’s Siriporn Leumathong. Let’s see who comes out on top on Saturday. 

You can follow the action live from Luang Prabang on ATM Facebook and YouTube, with highlights on Instagram. 

The 8th edition of Mindanao’s iconic Mount Apo Sky Race will take place on the weekend of 29 and 30 November 2025. It will be the first Filipino points race event for our new Season 11 Championship Ranking. Focus will be on the new 100 Miles and 42 km categories , because - indeed - the event has been redesigned for this year’s edition.

Event & Race Director Doi Calbes is himself a Grandmaster and a keen 100 miles runner and providing runners the opportunity to race that distance on and around his home mountain has been a long-time dream of his. Knowing the terrain, this will certainly not be the easiest of 100 milers, but just like when the event started a decade ago, winners are bound to become local legends. The event programma also offers a 80km category, which will also reach the summit of Mount Apo - the highest mountain in the Philippines at just under 3000m above sea level. As it is longer than 70km, this category of course offers a Grandmaster Quest point, but no Championship points. Those can be scored on the 42km medium distance category, however. This race is kind of an up & down race with approx 1400 metres of elevation gain.

Start and finish is still at the Playa de Oboza resort venue on the beach in Santa Cruz, close to Davao City. Last year, the event offfered GM points only and was won by rising star Godwin Mirar on his 100k debut. Rizalyin Lauron was strongest woman last year.

Registration is open and all details can be found on the Vertical To Sky Facebook page, linked below.

The 42 km race offers points for the Season 11 ATM Championship Ranking

The 80km is a Grandmaster Quest distance

Grandmaster Quest points were on offer in Penang, Malaysia, last weekend at the annual Ultimate Trails of Penang event, better known as UTOP. Just one week after the scheduled Season 10 Final, it could not be a Championship points race this year. Two race categories above 70km were on the programme, namely the 100 miles and 100km. Penang is highly underrated when it comes to difficulty level of the trails and so it proved once again.

On the 100 miles, Grandmaster Seng Lip Ku was leading the race comfortably until he dropped out with knee pain. His place at the top of the leaderboard was taken up by Mohammadlee Binlateh, who finished the 100 miler in 43h48. Sai Hee Lim and Zahiruddin Bin Mohammad completed the men’s podium. Siow Yen Wong was the strongest woman in the longest ultra, finishing third overall as well in 46h26. Chin Chin Chan was the second and only remaining female finisher.

On the 100km distance, victory went to Mohd Nazrin Shah Bin Jamlee in 21h58. He was followed by the first female, Ang Yee Mei in 24h07! A great win by Ang Yee Mei, ahead of Hong Kong’s Grandmaster duo Ellen Cheng and Rachel Chan, the latter one of several who went the wrong way at some point during the race. Ameer Izuddin Ridzuan and Harith Hatta were second and third male on the podium.

It is a pleasure to announce that the new Mt. Anggas Vertical Challenge will be a Candidate Race for Asia Trail Master on 18 January. 2026. It is the first-ever trail running event to be held at the iconic Mt. Anggas in Gitagum, not too far from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, Phillipines. Designed to showcase the rugged beauty of Misamis Oriental, this race combines stunning ridgeline views, steep ascents, and community spirit into one unforgettable trail experience.

After Davao and Bukidnon, the northwestern area of Mindanao is also clearly developing into yet another trail hub. Only last week, Impasugong Ridge Ultra took place as well. Mount Anggas Vertical Challenge offers several race distance categories, of which the 42km is the longest. It has 1800 metres of elevation gain. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 21km, 15km or 10km categories. 

Mount Anggas has been a popular hiking and trekking destination for a while. It is a grassland mountain range, rich in minerals and rocks. Not very high, but providing great scenic views across the region nonetheless.

The event is organised by Bakyard Events in cooperation with LGU Gitagum. As Jay Lorenzo Amarga states: “We aim to highlight Mt. Anggas as a premier trail running destination in Mindanao while promoting eco-tourism, sustainability, and mental health awareness.”  The event therefore has a long horizon, envisaging gradual growth towards one of the country’s flagship trail events. 

The event is very easy to access for those coming from a bit further away. Mount Anggas is basically next to Laguindingan Airport, the airport of Cagayan de Oro. Via the facebook page below, you can get all details including links to the registration page.

After the unfortunate cancellation of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail and therefore also the Season 10 Asia Trail Master Championship Final race due to the devastation caused by typhoon Bualoi, we are working on alternative solutions as we speak. While a definite and formal conclusion will probably not be announced within the next week, please note the following nevertheless:

1) The idea is to still have a Season 10 Final race with January 2026 as the target month. This also to allow the qualified Finalist runners to properly prepare and plan for this new race goal. Discussions with a one particular event have already begun. Interested event organisers are also welcome to reach out to Asia Trail Master via kris@asiatrailmaster.com .

2) All the runners who were qualified for last weekend’s race, remain qualified for the envisaged new race in January.

3) Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail has requested to host the 2026 Season 11 ATM Championship Final on 3 October 2026. ATM gladly accepts the bid as we remain convinced Mu Cang Chai will make for a fantastic championship race and overall running experience.

4) Season 11 kicks off as scheduled on 18 October with Luang Prabang Trail in Laos, followed by Ultra Fish N Sheep in Hong Kong and Lam Dong Trail in Dalat, Vietnam. Runners score ATM points already for the new Season 11 rankings that will decide the qualifiers for the aforementioned Mu Cang Chai Final on 3 October.

As previously mentioned, Asia Trail Master, Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail and the local authorities in Mu Cang Chai and Yen Bai Province wish to thank everybody for their understanding and acceptance that there was no way the event could be held last weekend.

It is a cliche as high as a skyscraper: you can be 100% ready and prepared to stage a wonderful event, but you can never book the weather. A very powerful typhoon hit Hanoi and Northwestern Vietnam on Monday and early Tuesday causing havoc and heaps of damage through landslides and flooding, even in Hanoi City. With road access to the Mu Cang Chai town and region blocked as well, the local authorities informed the organiser of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail that the upcoming event, scheduled from 3 to 5 October, cannot be held in the given circumstances. On Tuesday night local time, the official announcement was published via the company’s facebook page and shared via Asia Trail Master.

The 2025 Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail event will not be re-scheduled for later this year and instead all efforts will be directed towards the 2026 edition already scheduled for the same first weekend of October.

In collaboration with the event organiser, Asia Trail Master is considering options for a new date and venue to still hold the Season 10 Championship Final race before year’s end.

Runners who are travelling to Hanoi can still make use of the previously planned hotel arrangement in Hanoi. Gatherings may be organised ad-hoc for Friday and Saturday.

A few runners, including reigning female ATM Champion Priya Rai, witnessed the typhoon first-hand as they had already arrived in Hanoi before. Grandmaster Ann Jiiian Pulanco got stuck between Hanoi and Mu Cang Chai during her journey to the event destination. 2022 ATM Champion and local hero Hau Ha stated that her hometown Sapa is also cut-off due to landslides.

Asia Trail Master and the event organising team of Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail are highly grateful for runners’ kind understanding of this force majeure situation. Further information is to follow.

Godwin Mirar and Rejlen James are the overall Points King and Queen, respectively, of Season 10 in the Asia Trail Master Championship series. Both scored 2000 points in total, more than anyone else in four races during the season that began with Dieng Trail Run in Indonesia last year and ended with Ijen Mountain Marathon, also in Indonesia, earlier this month. Godwin Mirar succeeds Wilsen Singgin on the palmares, while Rejlen James follows Julieann Morales. 

The ATM Points Title neatly reflects the maturity Godwin Mirar has gained over the past months, after a rocky start of his season. First, he DNFd together with Kristian Joergensen as the duo went off course in Lam Dong Trail, and then the 25-year-old Filipino saw a near certain victory slip out of his hands in the final section of a bitterly cold Vietnam Trail Marathon. A couple of months later came the reset. Godwin Mirar ran his home race in Bukidnon, Mount Kalatungan Ultra, and took his first ever ATM race victory. Barely two months later, he impressed everyone with his showing in Penang Sky Race - taking his second win in superb style. Two wins, a fifth place and a DNF did not suffice to qualify for the highly competitive Team Philippines, so Godwin added The Punisher and Borneo TMBT Ultra to his race schedule in August. On Samal Island he collected race win number three, in so doing eliminating the DNF in Lam Dong from his points tally. He also crossed the finish line first at TMBT, but a mandatory gear infringement relegated him to second place afterwards. Still, he also deleted the 375 points of VTM and replaced it with 450 of TMBT and in so doing ended up with 2000 points, also including the 50-point Abroad Bonus for having traveled to at least 1 race abroad. In the final points table, he has 75 points more than 2024 ATM Champion Jeff Campbell and Singapore’s Chris Timms. His Filipino compatriots Roberto Cain III and Kik Suello are fourth and fifth in the final ranking of the season, indicating once again how dense the competition in his country is. 

Godwin Mirar will be one of the logical race favourites in Saturday’s ATM Championship title race. If he can keep his nerves in check and his head cool, Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail may very well be his real international breakthrough. 

Rejlen James once again proved she is the trail Queen of Sabah this season, winning in all three major events: BUTM, KAR Ultra and Borneo TMBT Ultra! Combined with a second place behind Nepal’s Dilu Limbu in Trail des Gombak 100, that also results in 2000 points for her four best races of the season. She collected the 50-point Abroad Bonus for traveling to Philippines and do Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains near Manila. Given James has a reputation for struggling when racing abroad, she actually did well in that race also: second place behind local hero Cecille Wael. Overall, a highly consistent and impressive season again for Rejlen James, who deservedly takes the ATM Points Title this year. In the final ranking, she preceeds Philippines’ Shally Yuson (who clearly made a step forward in performance this season) and Kuala Lumpur-based Filipino Ritzy Amor - another exciting newcomer this season, combining trail running with boxing, muay thai and wall climbing. 

Rejlen James will not be claiming her spot in Team Malaysia for the ATM Championship Final this coming Saturday. Despite very good race results also in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, she could not deliver the same performance in the Finals and has therefore decided to give it a miss this year. Her place in Team Malaysia has been taken by first reserve Yvette Chong Mi Chin from Sarawak, a very busy bee in our ATM series who sees her perseverance rewarded with a second qualification for the Finals after the first in 2022. 

Men’s Overall Top 10 of Season 10

1. Godwin Mirar (PHI) 2000 points (6)

2. Jeff Campbell (CAN/HKG) 1925 (4)

3. Chris Timms (GBR/SGP) 1925 (4)

4. Roberto Cain III (PHI) 1900 (5)

5. Kik Suello (PHI) 1875 (5)

6. Kristian Joergensen (DEN/PHI) 1825 (5)

7. Muhammad Faris (MAS) 1775 (4)

8. Wilsen Singgin (MAS) 1775 (4)

9. Hisashi Kitamura (JPN) 1715 (4)

10. Oswald Maikol (MAS) 1700 (4)

Women’s Overall Top 10 of Season 10

1. Rejlen James (MAS) 2000 points (5)

2. Shally Yuson (PHI) 1925 (4)

3. Ritzy Amor (PHI) 1825 (5)

4. Adelinah Lintanga (MAS) 1630 (4)

5. Shekinah Velasquez (PHI) 1590 (4)

6. Lalitah Lintanga (MAS) 1580 (4)

7. Metzi Joy Alson (PHI) 1555 (4)

8. Cecille Wael (PHI) 1480 (4)

9. Nurul Emyra Fazira Isnariah (MAS) 1470 (4)

10. Yvette Chong Mi Chin (MAS) 1460 (8)

It’s another busy weekend in the Philippines with the Grandmaster Quest event Santa Cruz Trail Ultra near Davao, and on the other side of Mindanao, the Impasugong Ridge Ultra near Cagayan de Oro. A new ATM Candidate Race, which will have its third edition and the main race - 55km - starting on Sunday early morning.

Organised by Trillchaser Sports Promotion Services and directed by experienced trail runner Juliet Chavez, Impasugong offers a challenging and scenic 55km race. Impasugong Ridge Ultra aims to provide for runners of all levels. The 55km is the flagship race, but there’s also a 30k and a 15k for the less ambitious. Participants on the 55 will need to conquer no less than 2600 hm of elevation gain: not nothing. For competitive runners, the last 10k are downhill and flattish to the finish, so one better keep some juice in the legs.

On the start list of the 55km we find new names almost throughout the list, which proves again the enormous boom of trail running that has been happening since covid on this large southern island in the Philippines. Mind you, the list is 110 lines long - just for the 55km. We are looking forward to getting to know some of them this weekend.

One week before the conclusion of Season 10 in the Asia Trail Master Championship series in Vietnam, runners on the Grandmaster Quest have a chance to collect another GM point in Santa Cruz, Davao, Philippines at the Santa Cruz Trail Ultra. Established by Santa Cruz Trail Runners and with Grandmaster*** Sean Aying as race director, the event was a Candidate last year and now offers a GM point for finishers in the 75km category.

2025 is the third edition of the Sta Cruz Trail Ultra. The event is in celebration of the 141st Araw ng Sta. Cruz, a tribute to the rich heritage and awe-inspiring landscapes of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. While the 75km is the main category, less ambitious runners can also choose 3K, 15K, and 30K categories options. As the official SCTU intro reads: “the event will be guiding participants through the heart of the central mountain ranges and across the rugged ridgelines of majestic summits. The course reaches its climax at Mt. Tinako, standing proudly at over 1,300+ above sea level—the highest point of the race—offering not just a test of endurance, but views that will take your breath away. “

Interesting to note is that SCTU is part of the Trailblazer Program under the Sta. Cruz Tourism Office, positioning the municipality as a top trail running destination in Southern Mindanao. A strong focus on eco-tourism and community involvement, the event brings together athletes, nature lovers, and local stakeholders for a cause that goes beyond the finish line.

The start venue is the new Sta Cruz New Municipal Hall and the 75km will be flagged off on Saturday afternoon 4 pm. On the start list, several well-known runners and Grandmasters such as Jay Delgado, Elron Joyce Josue, Ryan Arriola, Emman Manongsong, Leoniel Perez, Rhodel Sarande, Mario Yap, Benjamin Nueva Jr and even ATM Finalist Roberto Cain III.