The latest ATM Candidate Race in Philippines was last Sunday’s Mt Karilongan Trail Marathon, organised by Vertical To Sky in Davao. Local runners competed with each other in three distance categories of which the 42km marathon was the main event. The men’s race resulted in a strong podium with youngster and relative newbie Eldy Bulod again taking victory in an ATM Candidate Race. Bulod also won SC 70 a few months ago. At Karilongan, he finished with an advantage of 35 minutes over Grandmaster and double ATM Finalist Sean Aying, and 42 minutes over 2022 ATM Finalist Angelito Vertudazo. Another well-known name and ATM race winner, Rexell Aguirre, had to settle for 6th place.

In the women’s race, it was Jahen Bonhoc taking top honours ahead of Dolly Joy Alonzo.

Mount Karilongan Trail Marathon was a “Plant & Run” charity race , wherein runners had to briefly stop and plant a new tree at aid station 1, in support of the reforestation program of the EGIP Foundation. Mount Karilongan is a relatively small mountain at 1102m above sea level, featuring duran fruits, but especially the 1083 steps to ‘God’s Hand’. Proceeds of the event went to the materials and equipment of Indigenous Obu-Manuvu Forest Guards and for the smart development of their still young eco-tourism project in Mt. Karilongan. The Obu Manuvu are looking to promote environmental awareness and create an additional source of needed income, so they can bring their ancestral traditions back to practice. The area is also included in the recently opened Koontayan ‘to Obu Manuvu Eco Adventure Park.

1. Eldy Bulod - 6:06:46

2. Sean John Aying - 6:41:48

3. Angelito Vertudazo - 6:48:48

4. Randy Pascua - 8:19:00

5. Earl Nasual - 8:36:02

6. Rexel Aguirre - 8:37:16

7. Michal Canubas - 10:31:11

8. Jay Ofonda - 11:32:36

9. Jahen Bonhoc (female) - 10:57:17

10. Dolly Joy Alonzo (female) - 12:05:07

11. Francis Ian Gilayo - 12:05:08

12. Richard Sastrellas - 12:42:21

13. Melvin Mig Clamor - 13:24:07

14. Mario Raymund Yap - 13:57:00

Sean Aying congratulates Rexell Aguirre

We are very happy to announce that the 10th anniversary edition (!) of the Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run in Mindanao, Philippines, is a new ATM Candidate Race scheduled for the weekend of 9/10 November. ‘DASAL’ ,as the event is commonly known, has grown from what was essentially a local interclub competition to a fully fledged running event that every year attracts hundreds of athletes to Datu Salumay, the venue approximately 80km away from Davao City. The longest race category is 85km, but there’s also 42km, 21km and 12km for less ambitious runners.

In recent months there have been quite a few Candidate Races in this part of Asia, but DASAL is one that already has a decade-long history in itself. The participants of the different categories race through the trails of Datu Salumay, passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. This is a major highway with public transportation available. Participants on the 85km should prepare well, as there’s about 5000 metres of elevation gain in this course. The start is at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler. The cut off time is 25 hours.

You can stay up to date via the event facebook page linked below. Registration can also be done easily online via RaceTech.ph .

Last year, Julie Ann Morales was a race winner at DASAL

Vertical To Sky has announced a new event on its roster near Davao City and should in theory please lovers of the more runable trails. Mount Karilongan Trail Marathon is a “Plant & Run” charity race on Sunday, 12 May at Barangay Hall Carmen and is labeled as an ATM Candidate Race. The inaugural edition offers three race categories: 42km trail marathon, 21k trail half marathon and a 10k trail run.

Mount Karilongan is a relatively small mountain at 1102m above sea level, featuring duran fruits, but especially the 1083 steps to ‘God’s Hand’.

The Mt Karilongan Trail Marathon goes in Partnership of EGIP Foundation Inc., the Obu-Manuvu Tribe in Carmen, LGU Barangay Carmen Davao City and Vertical To Sky (V2S) Sports Management. Proceeds of this event will go to the materials and equipment of our Indigenous Obu-Manuvu Forest Guards and for the smart development of their still young eco-tourism project in Mt. Karilongan. The Obu Manuvu are looking to promote environmental awareness and create an additional source of needed income, so they can bring their ancestral traditions back to practice. The area is also included in the recently opened Koontayan ‘to Obu Manuvu Eco Adventure Park.

The trail route covers pavements, stair climbing, single track, dirt roads, river crossing, jungle trail, technical and runnable terrain. It covers 5 minor mountains to climb especially for 42km distance with only 2,000+ meters of elevation gain, which is still a number to reckon with. The start for the 42k is scheduled on Sunday at 4am.

You can find all details of the new event on the website of Vertical To Sky and stay up-to-date via its Facebook page, both linked below.

This Saturday we have a new ATM Candidate Race in Ifugao, famous for its lush rice terraces, in the northern part of the cordilleras in the Philippines. The Amuyao Mountain Ultra offers a 50 Miles and a 50K as main race categories.

The 50 miles race is serious business with 6700 metres of elevation gain. Ifugao is still part of the Cordillera mountain region. The highest peak in the province is Mount Amuyao at an altitude of 2702m above sea level, and it’s the mountain that lends its name to the event.

Candidate Races are often a great occasion to get to know new names in the competitive trail scene, and Amuyao 50 looks like it may offer exactly that. There’s not that many races in this part of the Philippines so, as we saw two weeks ago in Jumla Rara Ultra in Nepal, we may be up for a few surprises. On the start list of the 50 miles (85km) race we at least also have two very familiar names: Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag and Romando Cumahling.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking beauty and intricate agricultural engineering. The route typically winds through the terraces and the surrounding mountainous landscapes, offering participants a unique and challenging running experience. The event not only promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship but also serves as a platform to showcase the natural and cultural wonders of the region.

Stay tuned for news and updates of the Amuyao 50 event via our ATM facebook and Instagram pages.

Bukidnon Province in the northcentral part of Mindanao in the southern Philippines is increasingly profiling itself as a trail running hub in the country and beyond. A few years ago, events such as MUSPO and Mt Kalatungan Ultra put the region on the map - also in ATM - and since then plenty of runners have emerged. Think of Yoyong Sacayle and Mary Joy Sumanda, just to name two competitive athletes in our ATM Championship circuit. More runners means more opportunities to set up new trail events, too. Hence, Point Trail on 8/9 June. Directed by the aforementioned ATM race winner and 2023 Finalist Yoyong Sacayle, Point Trail is centred around Bukidnon’s capital city Malaybalay and has applied for Candidate Race status. The event offers three race distances, of which the 50km is the main one. Less ambitious runners can also choose the 30km and 15km. The 50km course map and profile reveal a total elevation of 2360 hm and basically seven distinct ‘peaks’ , of which the second, third and fifth stand out. Along the way, runners will be treated to magnificent views across the area. Bukidnon means “highlander” or “mountain dweller” so you know what to expect. In fact, the province is one of the country’s leading rice, corn and pineapple producers, too, and is stated as one of the Philippines’ fastest growing economies.

To reach Malaybalay from outside Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is arguably the easiest and closest as it is a main domestic flight hub.

Via the official facebook page you can stay up-to-date with the latest news about the new event. Registration can be done via the link below.

ATM race winner and Finalist Yoyong Sacayle is the RD of Point Trail Ultra

We are happy to announce the latest ATM Candidate Race event in the Philippines, scheduled for 27/28 April: the Altra 50 Amuyao Mountain Ultra. This is bound to be a very scenic trail run as it takes place through the great natural landscapes and heritage culture of the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, northeast of Baguio.

Runners can look forward to a 50 miles (approx 87km) race as the longest distance category. Less ambitious runners can also opt for the shorter varieties of 42k, 25km and 10km. The 50 miles race is serious business with 6700 metres of elevation gain. Ifugao is still part of the Cordillera mountain region. The highest peak in the province is Mount Amuyao at an altitude of 2702m above sea level. Views from the summit area are breathtaking.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking beauty and intricate agricultural engineering. The route typically winds through the terraces and the surrounding mountainous landscapes, offering participants a unique and challenging running experience. The event not only promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship but also serves as a platform to showcase the natural and cultural wonders of the region. The event is scheduled at the beginning of planting season, when the terrace fields are bursting with green and the weather is fairly predictable. The course features breathtaking sceneries, ancient rice paddies, forest trails, and steep mountains that will surely captivate and challenge outdoor sports enthusiasts from local and abroad.

The event aims to position the Banaue as being one of the prime destinations in the Philippines.

To get to the event, you first make your way from Manila or Clark to Baguio City.

Check all the details on the official event website, and register soon. The official number of participants is restricted so get your bib as soon as you can!

Sierra Madre Trail Ultra proved itself once more as one of the Philippines’ marquee events for competitive runners. Kristian Joergensen dominated the men’s 75km race, while the women’s saw a great battle between five runners that remained exciting until the very end when the surprising Christine Muntoya opened up a decisive gap to Cecille Wael. The battle for ATM Championship points in order to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final is still wide open!

Organised by the Maharlika Team led by Emman Manongsong, Sierra Madre is laying emphasis on a pure competition between top runners with great prizes as a reward. The 75km is the only distance category so runners cannot avoid each other. It was no surprise that Kristian Joergensen was far ahead in the men’s race, he stands his ground even in ‘global’ competitions and is the second runner-up in last year’s ATM Championship Final. But behind him, many Filipino runners were eyeing the remaining podium spots. Davao’s Jensen Pasaforte, Jomarc Ferrer and - initially - Henry Joe Cottilon were laying claims on that, with others like Bhert Orpiada and Florence Alave and youngster John Ivan Zonio, who finished 2nd in this race last year, not far back either. Sierra Madre is one of those races where you can blow up, even though moving the event from May to March was slightly better in terms of weather conditions. Cottilon in particular began to drop down the leaderboard, while Maynard Encormal suddenly moved up in rapid fashion. Encormal - winner of Bagtit Ultra 100 last month - came third last year, and clearly learnt from that experience. He needed a little bit of luck to take second, as Pasaforte went a wrong way for a while, but Encormal looked solid nonetheless - knowing in advance that Joergensen would be impossible to beat. Pasaforte held on to third place, which is a great result for him. Ferrer and Zonio came fourth and fifth. Jordan Bugnay was sixth not too much later.

Five women controlled proceedings in the women’s race. Last year’s race winner Ann Jilian Pulanco, Cecille Wael, Mary Joy Sumanda, Shally Yuson and Christine Muntoya. All of them very much in shape these months as their recent results have shown. Positions kept changing during the race and the gaps between them remained manageable. One imagined that the more experienced racers Wael and Pulanco were biding their time. Towards the end, Mary Joy Sumanda seemed to be going for her first ever ATM race win after several podium placings. But then Wael accelerated and so did Muntoya, the least expected among the front runners in this field. Kathleen Logan - winner in Danao City ahead of Wael last January - had already thrown in the towel by then. At the final checkpoint before the finish, Muntoya and Wael were leading. Sumanda was 12 minutes behind, herself just a few minutes ahead of Yuson and Pulanco. The last 8 km left no doubt about who the strongest of the day was: Muntoya ran away from Wael and put no fewer than 18 minutes between them at the finish! A fantastic maiden race win for her in ATM. Ces Wael was happy to settle for second, citing acid reflux in the final stint. Sumanda managed to hold on to third and another podium. She had to work for it because Pulanco came within three minutes. Yuson arrived in fifth place.

Another outstanding performance by Kristian Joergensen

Winner in Bagtit, 2nd in Sierra Madre: Maynard Encormal is going strong!

Fantastic achievement by Jensen Pasaforte. Third, but even had 2nd within his grasp

Another ATM podium for Cecille Wael, but Christine Muntoya was too strong for the win

It’s not only Lantau 70 this Saturday, but also Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. Taking place two months earlier compared to 2023, Sierra Madre was one of the highlights of last season in terms of technical organisation and atmosphere in the field of ‘grassroots events’. It is a pity the event now clashes with a Hong Kong classic, because Sierra Madre also deserves full attention. On the start list we also find none other than recent 9 Dragons 50/50 winner Kristian Joergensen.

The 75km long race has start and finish in Sitio Wawa in Rodriguez in the Rizal. All year round it’s a hub for trail runners from Manila and surroundings, who gather there on weekends during their training outings. The course has well over 4000 metres of elevation gain and is a nice mixture of wide and technical single trails, including a number of river crossings. Heat and humidity can play a big role, which is the main reason why event director Emman Manonsong moved Sierra Madre Trail Ultra from May to March. Last year, several runners got cooked during the day. Jeff Campbell was the outstanding winner ahead of John Ivan Zonio and Maynard Encormal. While Campbell is out of action with injury, Zonio and Encormal are both back on the start list and will certainly try to put some pressure on Kristian Joergensen. But with the sun-loving Dane in great shape, it will be hard to see victory. Plenty of other podium contenders, though. Eldy Bulod, Florence Alave, Henry Cottillon, JC Murillo, Jomarc Ferrer and so on.

A year ago Ann Jilian Pulanco scored her first ever ATM race victory at Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, proving her inherent competitiveness. Just two weeks ago, she showed to be in good shape again with second place in Mt Kalatungan Ultra behind Julie Ann Morales, who’s been dominant in the ATM races in Philippines this season. A repeat victory is certainly not far-fetched. However, there’s other contenders with maybe a little more freshness in the legs: Cecille Wael and Kathleen Ligan, for example. Ligan won Danao 50 ahead of Wael, the latter then won Bagtit 50 a month ago. Mary Joy Sumanda has kept on improving in terms of competitiveness and was third in Mt Kalatungan. Will this be her weekend? Other challengers for the win and the podium are Ram Rongavilla, Shally Yuson and Melanie Hingpit, who was on the podium in third last year.

The Sierra Madre Trail Ultra starts at 2 am local time on Saturday. Subject to connectivity, we will be reporting live from the event on our usual channels.

Kristian Joergensen the obvious favourite for the men’s race at Sierra Madre

Can Ann Jilian Pulanco score a back-to-back victory at Sierra Madre this Saturday?

The young John Ivan Zonio surprised last year with a second place. Can he do that once more?

The women’s top 5 in 2023

The men’s top 5 in 2023

At Mount Kalatungan Ultra in Bukidnon, Philippines, Julie Ann Morales already grabbed her third victory of the current ATM season in the event’s 85km race! The Davao mountain ultra specialist took control on the long ascent of one of her country’s highest mountains and hung unto the lead despite the challenge of ultra long distance specialist Ann Jilian Pulanco. Morales finished before sunset. She now totals 1500 ATM Championship points, which could already be enough to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final. Morales was part of the team in 2022, but not last year as she competed in just two events. Since the end of the covid crisis, the 32-year-old has collected five race wins in our series.

Pulanco managed to keep second place till the finish. Great performance by last year’s winner in Sierra Madre! She was 23 minutes behind Morales. In third place on the podium was local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda, ATM Finalist last season and just like the race winner a new face that has emerged in the Philippines’ competitive field over the last two years. That also counts for Shally Yuson, who fnished in fourth place ahead of Chloe Base and Irish Glorioso.

The men’s 85km race saw two runners crossing the finish line together: Jevie Cagatin and Yoyong Sacayle. Cagatin had set the pace early on with Kik Suello and Anthony Paladin. The latter would fade away, but Cagatin and Suello climbed well. Two names that will not ring a bell with ATM followers. Suello is a newcomer to the scene, Cagatin first appeared on Mount Apo last December, where he scored second place on the podium. While Suello lost ground in the second half of the race to take third place, Cagatin pressed ahead but was nevertheless joined by local favourite and ATM Finalist, 7th last season, Yoyong Sacayle. The duo stayed together till the end, but instead of a sprint they came in hand-in-hand. Moments later, Sacayle suggested that Cagatin is the deserved race winner with him in second. Cagatin, Sacayle and Suello were remarkably far ahead of the others in what was a strong field. Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal did not have the best of races and finished in 7th place. Florence ‘Enciong’ Alave was 12th. Mount Apo race winner Isaiah Paraiso found Kalatungan also tougher than expected. He came in fourth , but almost two hours behind the lead duo. Jomarc Ferrer and Marvin Buizon did well in five and six, with Sean Aying in 8th.

The busy Filipino season continues in a fortnight with Sierra Madre Trail in the Rizal mountains east of Manila.

The men’s top 3 at Mt Kalatungan Ultra with Jevie Catagin declared as official winner

Julie Ann Morales keeps winning: this was number 3 of the current ATM season!

The Filipino ATM season continues this weekend in Bukidnon in Mindanao with the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra. A successful Candidate Race in 2020 just before the covid pandemic brought everything to a halt. Four years went by, and the team around Grandmasters Ramie and Rene Amigleo from the Ultra Runners Republic are delighted they can finally put the event back on. For non-Filipinos, Mount Kalatungan is a stratovolcano, albeit with no historical eruptions, and a serious altitude of 2860m making it just a bit smaller than Mount Apo near Davao. The ATM points race is 85km long with the ascent of Kalatungan located in the first third of the race. Runners better save some energy for after the big climb, in other words.

Bukidnon is the region roughly between Davao and Cagayan de Oro, from where lots of new trail running talent has emerged in the past few years. The Amigleo brothers did a lot for the sport there. Today, Yoyong Sacayle is arguably the best-known local top runner, Mary Joy Sumanda another up-and-comer. Both were ATM Finalists and top ten placers last year, and both will toe the start line in Pangantucan this weekend.

ATM Championship overall leader Julie Ann Morales will be aiming to make it three victories out of three races this season. Morales has been on a roll with wins on Mt Apo and last month at Bagtit Ultra. Another top performance would put her already in a very comfortable position to make Team Pilipinas for this year’s ATM Final. Her main competitors for the victory will be the aforementioned Mary Joy Sumanda, Ann Jilian Pulanco, Shally Yuson, Anne Maridol Rongavilla and Chloe Base. Keep an eye out for Sumanda, who on home soil could as well take her first ATM race win.

In the men’s race, Yoyong Sacayle will have to take care of Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal, amongst others. Encormal looked solid three weeks ago, hopefully he has fully recovered from the effort. Sacayle ran the 9 Dragons 50/50, though, albeit rather anonimously. Perhaps that was calculated to be 100% for this weekend? On paper, Encormal and Sacayle look like the ones to beat, but there’s many other podium contenders in the race, such as Jonathan Pido, ATM Championship points leader Sean Aying, Florence Alave, Freddie Blanco, Henry Joe Cottilon and Ariehmar Bardoquillo.

ATM will be reporting from the Mt Kalatungan Ultra event on the usual channels.

Local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda could go for her first ever ATM race win this weekend

Yoyong Sacayle: can he keep Maynard Encormal at bay ?

Maynard Encormal was a great winner at Bagtit 100 just three weeks ago

ATM Points Leader so far: Julie Ann Morales. Kalatungan is already her 3rd race this season

Bagtit Ultra in Tarlac, Philippines, lived up to its name last weekend. The heat of day particularly turned the 100km into a ‘crazy’ sufferfest on top of the 4800 metres of elevation gain. Luzon’s Maynard Encormal proved to be the most resilient on Saturday and grabbed his first ever ATM race victory after a few podiums in previous seasons. Maynard was at the top the leaderboard for basically all day and completed the course in 18h56. When all was said and done, ultra race experience and effort-management played a big role at Bagtit Ultra as Julie Ann Morales also showed in the women’s 100k race. The Davao runner started very modestly and was not even placing in the top positions on the leaderboard early in the day. But at the finish, she arrived in third overall (!) and just two minutes behind second placed male Geza Oszacki. Morales already won Mt Apo 100 in December and thus so far collected 1000 ATM Championship points, making her the female leader in this season’s ranking.

Geza Oszacki was second, also after a solid second half overtaking a.o. Bhert Orpiada and Ariehmar Bardoquillo. Bardoquillo was leading the race together with Encormal early on, but in the end he fell off the top 3 podium. Kimberly Gaela managed to hold onto second place in the women’s race after leading for 75 km and until Morales caught her. For Gaela it was her most competitive ATM result as well. Michella Aradanas, winner of the Grand Malico Ultra Candidate Race a few weeks ago, arrived in third place, but she was later relegated for missing a checkpoint during the day. Ann Jilian Pulanco therefore was announced as the third woman on the podium.

Pre-race favourite Elizabeth Dangadan was a DNS at Bagtit Ultra 100.

Marjones Abugan from Davao del Norte won the 50k men’s points race in 9h42! His first race victory in ATM after leading throughout. Henry Cotilllon was trying to keep up initially, but dropped back in the second half. Cotillon saved his great second place nevertheless, finishing just ahead of Noy Gentoleo. All three go home with remarkable results, showing competitive improvement still in the early part of this ATM season.

Pre-race favourite Cecille Wael indeed won the 50km race at Bagtit Ultra, but it was harder than it perhaps seemed. ! After arriving in Tarlac basically just in time after work commitments in Manila and with a significant lack of sleep, Cecille took a modest start but found herself in the lead nonetheless by halfway. Anne Rongavilla from Mindanao applied enough pressure to keep her concentrated in the heat of day. Her Finish time was 12h02, roughly 20 minutes ahead of Rongavilla. It's Wael's 4th career ATM race win and 2nd within six months, having won Matanao Mountain Marathon 70k last October. Rongavilla also scored a podium place (2nd) in Mt Apo Sky Race 100 in 2019. In fact, the female 50km podium was almost a mirror copy of that race’s podium as Melanie Hingpit took third in Bagtit. Five years ago, Hingpit won on Apo with Wael in third.

Julie Ann Morales bags another impressive win on the ultra distance

Marjones Abugan: debut ATM race win on the 50km

Season IX of the Asia Trail Master Championship series continues this weekend in the Philippines with the 3rd edition of Bagtit Ultra in Luzon. On the programme are both 100km and 50km races for ATM points. The event, organised by the Pace Republic, replaces last season’s Santa Ines on our calendar, and was a Candidate Race last June. That day we learnt that the race course of Bagtit is to be taken seriously.

‘Bagtit’ is the local Ilocano translation of the word ‘crazy’. The 100km course has an accumulated elevation gain of 4800 hm and has five distinct peaks. One can experience a panoramic view of the Tarlac and Pangasinan plains and Mt. Arayat from afar. Mt. Damas may arguably have the distinction of being the most scenic mountain in Tarlac. But it is the less explored trails on Mt Sem-Ilya that are considered to be the highlight of the event. The start and finish venue of the 100km is in Mayantoc Municipal Hall. Runners are required to toe the line on Saturday morning 6am. The 50km has a different start location: the Papaac Basketball Court (Camiling, Tarlac) and only starts at 1am on Sunday early morning - meaning the first four five hours will be in darkness.

The list of participants looks very solid as expected for any race that offers points for the ATM Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest. However, in the absence of ‘super elites’ like John Ray Onifa and Arnie Macaneras, the battle for podium on the 100k and 50k is wide open. Especially in the men’s category. Maynard Encormal is from Luzon and could be the one to watch out for most on the long distance. Already a podium placer on a few occasions in ATM races, Encormal may be keen to finally get on the top step of the podium. He was qualified for last year’s ATM Final but decided against participation. Sean Aying, Ariehmar Bardoquillo, Avelino Versola III and Florence Alave will certainly be challenging him. Also last year’s 80k race winner Julius Iglesias is back on the start list, and so is good old Angelito Vertudazo, who could produce the upset.

In the women’s 100k, the runner-to-beat is Elizabeth Dangadang. Part-time obstacle racer, part-time trail runner, Elizabeth Dangadang was a convincing race winner a year ago at Santa Ines, well ahead of Angelie Cabalo and Cecille Wael no less. While she may start as the favourite, plenty of other women will contest the podium, and -who knows- apply pressure on Dangadang. Davao’s Julie Ann Morales has been in great shape recently, also winning the Mount Apo Sky Race 100 in December in a solid time. Ann Jilian Pulanco showed in Sierra Madre Trail last season that she should never be discounted when the going gets tough and when she decides to go for it. And just a month ago, Michella Aradanas won the Grand Malico Ultra (ATM Candidate Race) in great style. Furthermore, there’s Shally Yuson, Kimberly Gaela, Cheryl Bihag, irish Glorioso, Roan Biguasen and Manilyn Mamugay.

On the 50km we have a similar set-up as on the 100 with a more pronounced female race favourite and an open field in the men’s. Looking to return to her most competitive level after a difficult 2023, Cecille Wael had a great start of the year at the Danao 50k just two weeks ago. The victory eluded her, but she showed her speed on technical trails is coming back. This weekend she will be up against a.o. Melanie Hingpit, Anne Rongavilla and Jennifer Commandante.

The men’s race looks very open with Noy Gentoleo and Aleksei Rodionov as solid podium candidates. Gentoleo is also returning to the scene after a long break during the pandemic.

ATM will be reporting live from the Bagtit Ultra event on our usual channels, and subject to connectivity along the race course.

Florence “Enciong” Alave: third on Mount Apo in December

Avelino Versola III : ATM Finalist in 2023

Sean Aying starts his 2024 campaign this weekend

Julie Ann Morales: race winner in Mindanao a number of times already. Can she also be victorious in Luzon?

Shally Yuson: 3rd on Mount Apo last December

Winner of Grand Malico Ultra just a month ago: Michella Aradanas

Two weeks after finishing 2nd in the Danao Candidate Race, Cecille Wael is aiming for the 50k win at Bagtit