In the most epic edition of Izu Trail Journey ever, Hirokazu Nishimura and Honoka Akiyama both scored their third victory at the event in impressive style. Nishimura made his move at the very end after a smart and controlled race, while Akiyama was the outstanding female athlete this year finishing even in eleventh overall.

Heavy rain characterised the first five hours of the 70km race across the Izu peninsula south of Tokyo. While it wasn’t that cold, the wind along the mountain passes ensured that the rain-soaked runners had to protect themselves and layer-up to prevent hypothermia. Still, many participants would suffer that fate. Including none other than John Ray Onifa, the 2023 ATM Champion who was keen to be the first male foreigner to win ITJ. Alas, his bid ended at CP 3 and km 52, when he had already been dropped for good by the top five in the race. Also the young Natsuke Tomii, third female last year, would not make it to the finish along with over 650 others who had taken the start. Many others actually did not even turn up at the start due to the bad weather. Unseen at this event, just showing how tough it was out there and how rain can suddenly turn a fairly runable trail race into an absolute slugfest.

Yuya Kawasaki took the bull by the horns and went solo at the front, crossing the Nishina Pass first . Although the rain finally stopped right after the front runners crossed the Pass, there were no stunning Mount Fuji views this time. Short distance specialist Shoma Otagiri was close in second and also Hajime Kasagi and Hirokazi Nishimura were within just a few minutes. Tatsuya Itagaki was in fifth but losing touch with the lead quartet, as John Ray Onifa behind him also kept losing terrain. Hisashi Kitamura was running 14th at this point. One checkpoint later at km 52, three runners were practically back together. The one missing was Kawasaki, who seemed to be paying a bit of a price for his earlier attack. While Kasagi and Otagiri gave it their best shot on the ondulating final 15km, the experience of Nishimura proved decisive. When the winner of 2019 and 2023 and second-placer last year, made his move at the end of the race, the others no longer had a response. Nishimura crossed the new finish line in 6h13. Otagiri took second just under two minutes later, Kasagi third. Kawasaki and Itagaki held on to rank four and five, but Kento Tamura barely made it to sixth as Hisashi Kitamura ran a superb second part of the race to take seventh place still. Yuta Matsuyama suffered from the cold and came in in 36th place. He has placed Top 20 before in ITJ.

Some way behind Honoka Akiyama, who took her victory in 7h14, it was Arika Ito and newcomer Saegusa Moeka who scored second and third. The latter only started trail running three months ago! To note, both also still finished in the overall Top 50, which means something at Izu.

The next Japanese qualifier for Season 11’s ATM Championship ranking is Deep Japan Ultra in Niigata at the end of June.

This Sunday’s Izu Trail Journey promises to be one of the best of recent years with last year’s stars Koken Ogasawara and Hirokazu Nishimura challenged by a large number of domestic contenders - including Hisashi Kitamura - plus John Ray Onifa, who will aim to become the first non-Japanese man to win the classic 70km race across the Izu Peninsula. The 2023 ATM Champion from the Philippines is no stranger to Japan, and with the weather forecast showing uncharacteristic rain for race day, his chances of success may increase even more.

Veronika Vadovicova (2019) and Eszter Csillag (2023) already managed to win the women’s Izu race, but so far no “foreign man” has come really close to beating the local elites. John Ray Onifa, in excellent shape the past months, could just be the right man to accomplish this feat. It’s a course and a distance that suits him very well, and he finished ahead of last year’s race winner Koken Ogasawara at the latest world championships in Spain. While not every race is the same, it’s fair to assume that Ogasawara was not in Spain to enjoy a nice holiday either. Although Onifa has been around winning races in Hong Kong and Asia for several years now, a win this Sunday “in the lion’s den” could elevate his international standing still quite considerably. Last year, Ogasawara and Nishimura - also a former winner of this race - finished about a minute apart in 6h00. With rain expected, finishing times may be slower by default. The mid-section of ITJ has several technical downhill sections. With temperatures very moderate for the time of year and some slipping and sliding expected, Onifa could not wish for ‘better’ conditions for himself. One contender who knows Onifa like the back of his hand is Hisashi Kitamura. A regular participant in ITJ, he has never managed the top five (his best was sixth), but Kitamura has had several outstanding runs this season in Japan - including race wins. Let’s see if he can get closer to Nishimura, Ogasawara, Yuya Kawasaki, Kento Tamura and the like this year.

In the women’s race eyes will be focused on 2022 winner and last year’s runner-up Honoka Akiyama. A year ago, she put up a great effort against China’s Xiang Fuzhao but had to settle for second place. Natsuki Tomii , third on the podium last year, will be one of her rivals for the victory.

ITJ is attracting ever more international runners. Also ATM Grandmasters Alfredo Reyes Jr (Golden Grandmaster). Trevor Lim, Mario Yap, Nick Pilapil and Julie Mae Marquez are running tomorrow.

You can follow the race live on Asia Trail Master facebook and Youtube as usual with the race start at 6am local time (5 am Hong Kong/Manila time)

2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa this year won the 50/50 at The 9 Dragons

Hisashi Kitamura has shown superb form in Japanese races this year

ITJ has some of the most amazing scenery of any trail in Asia, but rain and clouds may hamper the joy

Running back in time

Niigata has become one of Asia Trail Master’s permanent race regions over the past ten years and we are happy this tradition continues also in 2026. Deep Japan Ultra is confirmed as an ATM qualifier for Season XI’s Championship with its usual two Grandmaster Quest race distances: 100 miles and 80km.

Organised by well-known runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, the event takes place in Niigata Prefecture, roughly 2-3 hours by shinkansen northwest of Tokyo. There’s also a few international flights to Niigata city directly. Visitors not familiar with Japan will experience the real countryside, which often remains unexplored. The host venue is the Mount Asakusa Park. Participants should be prepared for technical mountain trails, which at higher altitudes may still be covered in snow. Especially if you sign up for the 100 miles, do not come unprepared and unfocused. This is not a race to ‘try out’ 100 miles for the first time. The 80 km category has plenty of spice and technicality as well. Those who take it seriously will be rewarded with one of Asia’s finest endurance trail runs.

Make sure you read all the requirements in terms of mandatory gear. The website - linked below - is very detailed and in English , so you can prepare in the best possible way.

Register as soon as you can, because spots are limited. Note also that there is a strict registration deadline of 28 February. Too late is really too late here. Give yourself time to plan the event, including accommodation and travel, and get yourself ready for a wonderful trail experience next June!

Keen on a weekend in Singapore with the family and grabbing some ATM points while you are at it? Also in 2026, Mountain Goat Running Club is making that possible again with its popular UTSG event. Pay attention: the event is scheduled one month earlier than normal. Runners should pencil in the weekend of 30/31 May.

The UTSG trail course maps are being redesigned as well, and even the start/finish venue may change. These will all be confirmed in due course. Important for runners to note is that the ATM qualifying race for Championship points will measure 60km instead of 50km and will take place on Sunday instead of Saturday. New in 2026 will be a single day 80km race on the programme. 80km , that’s more than 70km , so it qualifies for the Grandmaster Quest. It will be the first time in ATM’s 11-year-history that race finishers can score a GM point in Singapore.

Via the below facebook and webpages you can and will get all the info needed to plan your trip to Singapore. Registration for the races goes via the RunnerReg platform, which is also linked below.

The UTSG 50 race has had some fantastic winners in the last two years with 2024 ATM Champion Jeff Campbell, 2022 ATM Champion Hau Ha, local road star Wen Sheng and Japan’s Chisato Kario.

We are glad to announce that Harkor 4: Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountains will offer a Grandmaster Quest point for all finishers of the 75km race category in 2026. The event, an ATM Candidate last May, is the first of its kind offering GM points in General Santos, which is a city in the south of the large Mindanao island in Philippines. It is scheduled for the weekend of 16/17 May 2026.

The event features a 75km main race distance with over 4000 metres of elevation gain, but is known to be quite runable. The event is organised by the Drunken Runners Team and Team Akbri.

Registration for the event is already open and can be accessed via the button below. There is a quota on the participation numbers, so if you are keen - better be quick. In 2025, the 75km had a cut-off time at the finish of 25 hours. Important, flag off is on Saturday at 14:00 in the early afternoon.

Last weekend’s Soimalai Trail in Tak province in northern Thailand saw many hundreds of runners taking part in one of several race distance categories, which even included a 100 miles and 100km. Soimalai Trail is the fourth and last event of the annual popular Tak Trail series and had obtained the ATM Candidate Race label - just like Tulay Trail six weeks ago. Doi Soimalai is a mountain area covered in pine forests that lies roughly 1600m above sea level, and is known for its ‘sea of fog’.

On the 100 miles we saw very familiar Thai face, Sanya Khancai. However, he had to settle for second place as Kodthananat Anupan managed to grab the win by just two minutes in 27h51. Santichai Salad was third on the podium. Kittiya Piyawan was first female in just under 40 hours. Keson Sinchang and Ravikarn Kumkong joined her on the podium.

Apirat Chaitanarit and Limsiao Ai took the victory on the 100km in the men’s and women’s respectively. Chaitanarit completed the course in 18h33, Limsiao Ai in a solid 20h40. There was also a 65km with the win going to Phissanuwat Inon in 8h27 and Arlene de Abreu in 10h26. The 45km went to Paween Kongyai in 5h21 and Sirikanya Phoobhuaphet in 6h47.

On the official event facebook page of Soimalai you can find a big collection of great photos taken at the event last weekend. Stay tuned for more news on the 2026 edition!

New on the Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2026 is Arakan Mountain Run in Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines. Organised by Vertical To Sky, the second edition of the event has a scenic 80km long ultra and is scheduled for the weekend of 21/22 March. The event venue is the Katipunan Central Elementary School in Arakan.

Less ambitious runners can also choose the 42km, 25km or 14km options.

Arakan is a municipality between Davao del Sur and Bukidnon and blessed with natural resources and magnificent landscapes. Runners should definitely also try the local cacao drink, which is a genuine treat. The 80km course features the 3 famous waterfalls of Arakan -Matigol, Epol and Lebbas. The 2026 course map will be released in due course.

As always, Vertical To Sky remains true to its boutique style of trail events with restricted participation numbers to give everyone the chance to fully enjoy the place and the trails. For registration, kindly check-out the details on the poster, or you can do an onsite registration at Podium Multisport in Davao.

We are happy to announce that Kokol Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, joins the Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2026. The event was a Candidate a few years with good review, but with (too) much tarmac on the running course. Redesigned since then, Kokol has grown in popularity and will be a great new addition on our GM calendar. The 2026 event i scheduled for the weekend of 23/25 October with a 70km as main distance category.

It’s not so common for events to open registration so early and therefore the event organisers also have the opportunity to provide a limited set of 40% discounted bibs. The 70km is the race that matters, of course, but less ambitious runners can also choose the 50km, 35km, 21km or 15km distance categories. The registration link is pasted below.

Cut-off time for the 70km is set at 24 hours. It is advised to pick up the race pack on Friday, 23 October.

The event is organised By Expertise and is quite easily accessible from Kota Kinabalu, the main city in Sabah where the airport is also located. Follow the event’s facebook page to stay up to date with the latest developments.

The 9th edition of Malnad Ultra in Karnataka near Bengaluru saw several outstanding performances in both the 100km and 50km categories, which both counted towards the Season XI ATM Championship ranking. Vishal Valavi was an amazing winner of the double loop race, finishing the 100km in less than ten hours! He crossed the line in 9h59’25”. Even when Malnad is not the most technical of trail races, this remains an eye-opening performance by Valavi, who also made his debut in an ATM promoted event. For reference, the well-known winner of the past three editions, Shashwat Rao - absent this year - scored a 12h14 in 2023. Second placed runner this year was Subhash Fauzdar, who completed the course in 12h48, and Manikandan was third in 13h17. Let’s hope we get to see more of Vishal Valavi in the months to come, as with that kind of 100k pace he looks like a genuine new Championship contender.

The women’s 100km race was won by Soma Dotta in 18h56. She was roughly half an hour ahead of Grandmasters Isabelle Bedard and Siti Hajar Razali.

The 50km category was split up in a daytime 50km and a nighttime 50km, of which only the former provided ATM Championship points. Also here we saw some remarkable runs by various people. The men’s race was tight and ultimately won by Sanjay Negi in 4h53’09” - very fast. Only some two minutes later, Prajwal S Y took second. Dutchman Frank Meiland completed the podium in third in 5h06 - still fast. Jinesh Pillai was fourth just two minutes behind him. The women’s race went to Australia’s Hayley Anderson in 5h57 ahead of Eline Gerritse from Netherlands and Anna Boessneck from Germany in third.

Malnad Ultra is still the only ATM qualifier in India on the calendar. Runners from the country can look towards Nepal and the Manjushree Trail Race in Kathmandu to score additional points for the 2026 Championship without traveling too far.

The new Malaysian ATM Candidate Race in Lenggeng in Negeri Sembilan had an interesting conclusion of its main race distance, the 50km. Three runners came together into the finish and two of these were female! Mukminah Paiman and Azzatie Intan Suraya Zamani finished the race in 8h18 together with first male Aiman Azmi. Jie Jun Chua came next four minutes later. Then it was Azri Hasmi as third male. Third step on the female podium was taken by Aliah Ismaei.

One of Malaysia’s top runners in the last two years, also the highest Malaysian point scoring runner in Season 10, Muhammad Faris, won the 30km race. Albeit in a sprint against Ahmad Asyraaf Abas. KL-based Filipino Ritzy Amor also proved her status as one of Season 10’s best points scorers by winning the female 30km.

Trail des Lenggeng is organised by Projek Hijo, the team that also brings you Trail des Gombak in June.

Photo credit: DeeDee TDL25

He was the biggest pre-race favourite and he totally lived up to the expectations: Roberto Cain III also added the Mount Apo Sky Race to his ever expanding list of trail race wins. Cain was strongest in the very tough inaugural 100 Miles race ahead of Yoyong Sacayle, who made a great return to championship racing himself. For Cain it was his second ATM points race win of the year after BTR Bali 100 in May. He is part of Team Pilipinas for the upcoming ATM Championship Final at the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong on 28 February. Sacayle was on the podium as eighth in the Season 8 Championship Final and finished 13th last year at Borneo TMBT in Season 9’s conclusion. He did not take part in any qualifying races since then, but aims to be back in the team in 2026.

There were only six finishers on the 100 Miles with Kenmark Ladrillono grabbing the final spot on the podium. Australia’s Andrew Farmers was running in third for a long time, but he was one of many who called it quits after the skies opened and runners got battered by heavy rainfall (truly a common theme this autumn).

100 Miles Finishers:

1. Roberto Cain III (Davao City) - 39:47:20

2. Joselino Sacayle (Malaybalay City) - 40:14:15

3. Kenmark Ladrillono (Koronadal City) - 41:38:15

4. John Marvin Buizon (Valencia Bukidnon) - 44:15:01

5. Jovane Adam (Tagum City) - 44:15:02

6. Leoniel Perez (Cabadbaran City) - 44:15:03

The 42 km was the second ATM Championship qualifier, designed for medium distance enthusiasts. As expected, Jomarc Ferrer and Kimberly Flores took top honours in this category. Ferrer was faster than Grandmaster Reymar Taleon and Oliver Enot. For Ferrer it was the first ever ATM points race victory, for Flores the second after winning The Punisher last August.

The next Filiino qualifying points race event is New Corella Trail Ultra in Davao del Norte on 20/21 December.

A classic on the ATM Championship calendar is opening registration this weekend. The 11th edition of Tahura Trail in Bandung, Indonesia, is scheduled for 24/25 January 2026 with the 42km once again a qualifying points race for Season XI in our Championship. Tahura Trail will be the first qualifier of 2026 and the first of a triple header before lunar new year, with Vietnam Trail Marathon and Kalaw Ultra Trail Run coming up the weeks after.

Many ATM stars have run and won Tahura, which used to be our traditional season opener in the years before the corona crisis. Jeff Campbell (twice), Tahira Najmunisaa, Mohammed Affindi, Kim Matthews and last year’s Alessandro Sherpa and Vanja Cnops are just a few of the big names on Tahura’s list of race winners. The 42km course is also great for the beginning of a new year, with many returning to competition after a festive break. An idea mix of runable and technical sections, people do get a good idea of what trail running is about. Weather always plays a role. When wet, it gets muddy and slippery as well.

Tahura is a big park just outside Bandung City, which makes it also accessible and nice for the whole family to spend a weekend there. The park has lots of great restaurants, coffee bars and sightseeing activities.

Bandung has a small, but international airport. Access via Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has also improved over the years, with a fast train now linking the two cities. Travel time can be as short as one hour.

Registration opens on Saturday, 29 November via the website linked below.