As announced already early this year, Tulay Trail and Soimalai Trail are two new entries in Thailand on our Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendar in 2026. Both events in the Tak Trail series are highly scenic and popular, and you can sign up now. Tulay Trail is scheduled for the weekend of 24-25 October, making it the third ATM Championship Qualifier event in Season XII, after Luang Prabang Trail (Laos) and Ultra Fish’n Sheep (Hong Kong).

On the programme are three relevant distance categories, of which the 100km and 45km are qualifiers for the points ranking. Grandmaster Quest chasers should choose between the 100km and the 75km. Tulay Trail was a very successful ATM Candidate Race last October.

Tulay Trail is organised by RunRun and is part of the Tak Trail series in northern Thailand. The Tak Trail series’ events aim to elevate the regional trail running scene to international standards and showcase its natural and cultural richness. Elevation gain and technicality should be taken seriously before signing up. Tulay Trail 100 has an estimated elevation gain of 6300 hm and has a cut-off time of 34 hours at the finish line. The 100 km offers a very nice natural loop with the longest climbing coming immediately after the 3:30 am start, going from approximately 200m to 1400m above sea level. The start and finish venue is the Ban Mae Chawang School in Tha Song Yang District. The main village, however, is located about 7km before the school. It has several shops and restaurants. Note that the “100km” is actually 108km long. The 45km race starts at 4:30 am and has 2800 metres of elevation.

Tak is rather remote, but worth your effort to travel for a few days. The event organiser will assist international runners to make their journey as smooth as possible. You can contact the relevant team via the event facebook page below, or you can also contact info@asiatrailmaster.com first. There is a domestic airport called Mae Sot, from where you drive about 3 hours to the race village. From Chiang Mai and Bangkok the journey takes longer.

Be quick to register as slots are limited.

The annual ATM appointment on Samal Island off the coast of Davao City in Mindanao saw the 19-year-old Michael Angelo Lorono and Merudin Idsla as fastest male runners on the 80km long course. Strongest female was Ana Fe Gamo, who a month ago also finished first in SIlabur Ultra Trail 100 in Sarawak, Malaysia. The 12th edition of The Punisher was part of the Grandmaster Quest calendar.

No elite superstars on the start list meant that upcoming talents had a great opportunity to show themselves. Lorono and Idsla did that in style, completing the course in a time of 14h30. Joshua Pateno and Rennier Arcenal came next in 15h45.

Ana Fe Gamo took the women’s race win in 15h53 , fifth overall. Jasmin Dela Pena and Devere Galo joined her on the podium.

Golden Grandmaster Mario Yap has come very close to becoming Legend by finishing The Punisher. Mario has already accumulated 480 kilometers (= 480 points) in five different countries. Originally, he had planned to reach the Legend milestone of 500 kilometres at BTR Ultra in Bali two weeks ago, but there he suffered an uncharacteristic DNF. In any case, Mario Yap seems keen to be first!

The Punisher is organised by Vertical To Sky and was one of the pioneering trail running events in Mindanao alongside the Mount Apo Sky Race now well over a decade ago. It remains a great introduction to long ultra trail running given its varied course and easy accessibility from Davao City. Moreover, Samal Island is worth a weekend stay no matter what.

Photos below credited to Vertical To Sky (facebook page)

Trail running in india is growing and we are happy to announce that the Summit Run Lurntsu Circuit has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its next edition on 5 December 2026. The event is part of the SUMMIT RUN Series and takes place in the Tehri-Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, Indian Himalayas, a few hours from Delhi in the north of the country. Mussoorie is a well-known hill station and local gateway. The event is organised by Boots & Crampons Pvt. Ltd.

The Summit Run Series currently focuses on shorter trail distances, yet that’s relative as elevation gain is substantial and the altitudes, too. The Lurntsu race measures 42km - making it a trail marathon - and has over 3000m of elevation gain. No walk in the park, in other words, and the cut off time reflects that as well: 14 hours. The 42km race starts at the Deolsari Forest rest house at 4:30 am. The course is run entirely on mountain trails through dense forests, high ridgelines, and two prominent Himalayan summits. After the start, participants will be climbing towards Nag Tibba via the quieter Ontor village side, a lesser-used approach that winds through deep forest before opening out near the summit at just above 3000m altitude. After touching the Nag Tibba temple, the route descends briefly towards the Bhatwari / Shrikot side for about 3 km before turning back up for a second climb towards Nag Tibba top.

From here, the course moves onto one of its defining sections — a long, scenic ridgeline traverse towards the Ghodiappa meadows, gradually gaining elevation towards the second summit of Lunrtsu Peak. After crossing Lunrtsu, runners descend through forest trails back towards Deolsari Forest Rest House, where the finish line awaits.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, 5 December and it is recommended to register with overnight camp stay + meals. If you wish to remain independent, the organisation can recommend some homestay options in villages surrounding Deolsari you can choose from.

For less ambitious runners there is also a 30k and 16k on the programme. Expect mountain trail running pur sang , and bring a sense of adventure. Lurntsu Summit Run aims to become a recognised international trail event and become part of the ATM Grandmaster Quest.

You can find registration and further event details on the website linked below.

The last Malaysian ATM Championship Qualifier this season will be Jagoi Ultra in Sarawak on Borneo Island. Organised by Alpha Sports Events and RD Josh, Jagoi Ultra substitutes on the Championship calendar for their other event Silabur Ultra Trail, held in May. The event features a 70km long race for points, and given the distance is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest.

As always, when proven organisers have several events in their portfolio, we like to alternate between them in order to increase variety in the choice of races that matter for competitive-minded trail runners. In fact, Jagoi was an ATM Candidate back in 2023, before the choice in Sarawak fell on Silabur first.

Sarawak has as much rainforest as Sabah, but in general less elevation to conquer. It makes the races different. Still, it’s not flat either as the course profile of the 70km at Jagoi shows: 2500 hm elevation gain is not nothing. Held out of Kampung Serasot, Bau, runners will do a loop that at one point touches the border with Indonesia’s Kalimantan Province. The Jagoi area lies southwest of Kuching, main city in Sarawak and your gateway to the event. There’s shorter distances available as well on the event programme, but for ATM the 70km is your target.

Jagoi Ultra takes place one week after the classic Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah. People with more time on their hands could consider a combo. Plenty of things to see and do in Sabah and Sarawak and why not pass by Brunei while you’re there?

Registration is open via the link below. You can also stay up to date on the latest news via the event’s facebook page.

Just like the current season, the new ATM Championship Season XII (12) will commence with a ‘hidden gem’ : Luang Prabang Trail in Laos on the weekend of 10/11 October 2026. The event, organised by Green Step - also known for V Trail - will again feature a highly scenic 75 km race for points, both for the Championship ranking and for the Grandmaster Quest. Luang Prabang is a large UNESCO World Heritage Site and a wonderful place to spend a few days.

A boutique event on purpose, i.e. the number of participants is strictly controlled to ensure the best possible experience for all trail runners. Registration has just been opened and early bird rates are available.

The 75km course will largely copy the one from last year, which was new and deemed great by the participants. A great mixture of runable and technical parts, the estimated elevation gain of 2100 hm is certainly not excessive. It’s a daytime race initially with an early morning start on Saturday to allow everyone to enjoy the magnificent landscape around Luang Prabang. Of course, it also means it can be hot.

Luang Prabang has plenty of accommodation options in all budget ranges, which you can find easily online. To get there, you could consider a flight to Luang Prabang directly. There’s available options from Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hanoi), China (Kunming, Haikou) and Cambodia (Siem Reap). Alternatively, you fly to capital city Vientiane and take the high-speed train from there (Luang Prabang is a stop on the Vientiane-Kunming network), or a bus.

The event’s facebook page, linked below, provides the latest details as well as the international contact number (whatsapp preferred).

Last year, the 75km race saw the emergence of Japan’s Taichi Yui as race winner. The women’s race was won by Vietnam’s Dong Anh Luong.

The 2026 course map will largely mirror the one from last year

Today we have a rather special announcement as for the first time in the history of Asia Trail Master we put the spotlights on Bangladesh! A new destination in Asian trail running highlighted by the Albatross Ultrail, which will be organised for the second time on the weekend of 30 October/1 November and which has received the ATM Candidate Race label. On the programme for runners are three race categories: 100km, 50km and 33km.

Albatross Ultrail was established last year by Run Bangladesh, the country’s leading sports event organiser that also has, amongst others, the Dhaka 25k international road race in its portfolio (accredited by World Athletics). Run Bangladesh has a clear goal to showcase the raw, untapped beauty of the country’s trail terrain to the international community. While Bangladesh is known for its flat terrain, there are hills, in fact, and these hills offer a technical, raw trail experience that should fascinate the international ATM community. The hill sector is known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Albatross Ultrail is held in loops of just over 16km, to be done twice (33km), four times (50km) or six times (100km). For the longest distance that results in an estimated elevation gain of 2800 hm. A dedicated and experienced team - RBAN Team - is committed to ensuring international standards are met. The core team consists of endurance athletes and brings over a decade of deeply rooted, hands-on experience to the endurance sports landscape.

Zooming out, Run Bangladesh “revolves around building a functional, highly active societal unit through competition and education. By hosting diverse sporting events and capacity-building sessions, we foster social bonding and drive nationwide campaigns, including our upcoming Run 4 Good Cause initiatives, to create a better, more active Bangladesh.” The company is committed to being a catalyst for positive change and put Bangladesh firmly on the map of international sports tourism.

The event takes place in Southeastern Bangladesh in the northern part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. To get an idea of what it is like, we recommend checking out the videos below as well as the official facebook and youtube channel of Run Bangladesh. To obtain further information, also on logistics, please contact Run Bangladesh via the facebook page or via email on official.runbangladesh@gmail.com .

Trail runners on the Grandmaster Quest now also have a chance to score a point at the rebranded A1 Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Terraces event in Banau, Ifugao, Luzon. Previously known as Amuyao, a Candidate Race in 2024, the event now features a 100 Miles race as longest ultra, alongside a 50 Miles, which still carries the name Amuyao Mountain Ultra 50 Miles. These are the two categories in which a Grandmaster point can be earned.

Less ambitious runners can also opt for shorter categories such as 42km, 25km and 10km.

A new name, but the event will actually already be held for a 10th time in 2026. Scheduled for the weekend of 20-23 August, it is also a fund raising event to support the rehabilitation od Batad Village, which was heavily affected of the landslide caused by the recent typhoon. We are in the heart of the Cordilleras here.

The official event description says it all: “Set in the stunning landscapes of Banaue, Ifugao. Runners will pass through the extreme natural landscapes of the great Ifugao and Mountain Province villages, mountains, and terraces, which were built more than 2,000 years ago and are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It will pass also with the two prominent mountains of Cordillera - Mt. Amuyao and Mt. Napulawan. Brace yourself for rugged trails, breathtaking views of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, and an unforgettable adventure alongside fellow passionate runners! leave your mark on one of the toughest courses in the Philippines.”

As beautiful as it may be, this is also very tough terrain. Start and finish is at Banaue Ethnic Village. 100 Milers already begin their long journey on Thursday at 15:00 in the afternoon, and are supposed to be back 72 hours later. The 50 milers start at 3 am on Saturday early morning need to return by 15:00 on Sunday as well.

Registration is already open. Via the facebook page below you can get all necessary details. As always for the Cordilleras, coming from Manila or Clark, your first gateway is Baguio.

After the unfortunate cancellation of Point Trail Ultra, which was scheduled again for mid-June, we are happy to announce that we have confirmed a new and substitute Championship Qualifier in Mindanao, Philippines. Marilog Ultra will take over. The event has been on our Grandmaster Quest aready, and in its 4th edition is now ‘stepping up’ to also attract competitive minded runners for their last chance to score points in the Philippines for the ATM Championship ranking that leads to qualification for the Finals in Vietnam on 3 October. Marilog Ultra features a 70km race that needs to be targeted. Obviously, 70km also means it’s valid for runners’ Grandmaster Quest.

The 70km at Marilog is considered quite tough and goes across ondulating terrain for approx 3300 metres of elevation gain and an uphill finish. As quite often in Mindanao, the race has a large nighttime portion. Start is scheduled for Saturday afternoon/evening and the cut-off time is 22 hours later. The 2026 course map will be made available very soon.

Interestingly, 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras has taken over from Grandmaster Julieann Morales as race director for the event this season. The event is organised by Team BRAD.

Start and finish is MWES Marahan in the Marilog district of Davao, to the west of the main city of Davao. Registration is already open and please note that there is a maxium quota for each race distance, including the relevant 70km.

Further details can be obtained via Team Brad’s facebook page.

Harkor 4: Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountains was held last weekend near General Santos in Mindanao, Philippines, and offered Grandmaster Quest points for finishers of the 75km long ultra. It’s a tough one with considerable elevation gain of over 4000hm, but the beautiful scenery along the ridges make up for the sometimes painful effort. Runners also expressed satisfaction with the aid stations during the event.

Three men set themselves apart at the front of the race. Ronny Jandog, Jeffrey Rivero and Peter Balolong, Jr finished 1-2-3 within 11 minutes of each other. The latter, Peter Balolong Jr , had just become Grandmaster at Silabur in Sarawak, Malaysia, two weeks ago. Winning time for Jandog was 11h04.

Valerie Mae Marcos proved to be the strongest female runner on the Harkor course. She won in 14h32 as 14th overall. Laica Rivas was second and Irene Tan third on the podium.

Ronny Jandog

Valerie Mae Marcos

Fish Tail 100 Ultra in Nepal: the tough mountain trail event near Pokhara in the breathtaking Annapurna region saw Pancha Ram Budha and Anita Rai take the race victories on the 100km in the men's and women's respectively. This is a highly challenging 100km, as the race saw only five official finishers. Pancha Ram Budha crossed the finish line in 20h45, Anita was about two hours later and second overall. Also Surya Raj Rai, Julien Pieters and Edgar Gourdin made it within the tight cut-off time.

The 50km had more finishers, just over half of the participation field. Bishal Rai was clearly the fastest in 8h40. He was flanked on the podium by Buddhi Ram Gurung and Roland Hunter. The women's race went to Anne Mai Baan in 10h57. Elise Witkopf and Jodi Baerg joined the Dutch woman on the podium.

The Fishtail 100 Ultra is more than a race — it is a catalyst for establishing Nepal as a premier destination for trail and ultra running. While Nepal has long been celebrated for mountaineering and trekking, events like the Fishtail 100 Ultra are redefining the country's adventure landscape by introducing a new discipline that combines athletic endurance with Himalayan exploration.

Anita Rai

Last week’s Grandmaster Quest event Zamboanguita Mountain Ultra Trail was held with the first Golden Grandmaster Masafumi Yamamoto part of the participant’s field for the 70km long ultra, minimum race distance for a Grandmaster point. Masafumi completed the course and so also began his Trail to Immortality.

Up front, the race was won by Loyd Echalar from Iloilo in a time of 12h04. Only 23 years old, Echalar was 24 minutes ahead of Johnrey Espadon, himself also just 25 years old. Third place on the podium was for the 43-year-old Chuck Paul Mata. Great to see also a youngster in fourth place, JM Esquilarga, 25. Those four were clearly the fastest of the pack.

The women’s race was won by Resie Gaudiano in 16h07. In second, we found Keziah Marieah Loreto and in third place Mary Rose Canete.

The event was organised by Happy Feet, which in the past also held the Mt Talinis Mountain Marathon in Negros Oriental.

70km runners before the start

Loyd Echalar: new name and a race winner at 23.

Hiroyuki Matsuda and Celine Loubiere claimed the spotlights in Bali last weekend as both trail runners scored their second ATM race victory of the current season. It was a fine day for competitive Japanese runners, as Yutaro Yokouchi won the men’s 60km. The women’s 100km went to South Korea’s Bo Min Park.

After a difficult start of the 105km race, recent BUTM winner Hiroyuki Matsuda joined his compatriot Akihiro Maeda at the front and ultimately had the strongest pace to win in 17h15. Another 500 Championship points in the bag for him this season: he now totals 1750 points in four races, should be sufficient to be part of Team Japan in the ATM Finals in Vietnam on 3 October. Akihiro Maeda took second place in 17h27. India's Grandmaster Shashwat Rao was a solid third place, showing again his competitiveness as a mountain runner. His time is 19h02. Russia's Igor Zaytsev grabbed fourth after a strong second half in 19h58. Rounding up the Top 5 was Italy's Silvio Pesce in 20h26. In sixth we have the first Indonesian runner, Sobiri Haerudin in 20h37. Shortly behind him are his compatriots Muhammad Abdul Majid, Rachmat Septiyanto and Yusuf Aprian. Yandi Yoko Bumi made it into the top 10. Quite a surprise that none of the local stars made it into the top five of what is now arguably the biggest Indonesian trail event.

The women's 100km race was won by Korea's Bo Min Park. She took over from local runner Dian Pradina during the night and stayed ahead of the rest by roughly one hour. It's her first ATM race victory. Ang Yee Mei from Malaysia claimed second place. Metzi Joy Alson and Alison Gauthier were competing for podium, eventually coming in together. Ruth Theresia was running third until she made a bad tumble at km 79, following which she retired from the race. Former Mantra race winner Henny Sutanda finished in fifth place.

Another Japanese victory on the 60K today: Yutaro Yokouchi won the race in 8h17, ten minutes ahead of France's Dorian Houzu. Indonesia's newcomer on the international scene, Putra Julio Ekdo Badayu, showed a lot of promise with third place on one of his first longer trail races. His time, 8h34 - so well in contention. Sobari Herdiana was fourth, Surasaka Somboon fifth.

Celine Loubiere has become a victory and podium candidate everywhere she starts and she showed again why. From France but based in Hong Kong, Loubiere was fastest on the 60K in a time of 11h01. Forty minutes ahead of Philippines' Trisha Reyes. Earlier this year, Loubiere also won the 50km at 9 Dragons and took a 3rd place in Lantau 70 to boot. One of the best performing female athletes in our series this season, she is basically assured of qualification for the Championship Finals in Vietnam on 3 October. For Trisha Reyes, these are the first 450 points of the season. Last year, she was 3rd in the 50km of 9 Dragons. Thailand's Phitchanana Mahachot scored third place on the podium. Elsa Ng from Malaysia was fourth and Jana Lindstrom from South Africa fifth.

Hiroyuki Matsuda impressed with another 100k win. Last month he had also won BUTM in Sabah

France’s Celine Loubiere also won the 50km at 9 Dragons a few months ago