The Asia Trail Master series' first event in mainland China is the Dalian 100 Ultra Endurance Race on 18 April. An event that has rapidly gained appeal, and not only because of the domestic popularity of race organiser Yu Lei. Dalian offers something that few trail races offer:infinite seascapes!
The race course starts on the beach and then twists and turns in the hills along the famous Binhai lu, or coastal road, and is close to the city centre, making it an ideal weekend trip for the whole family. Dalian is ranked among the most relaxing and enjoyable of China's main cities and has a solid reputation for sports, be it running, football, cycling or triathlon.
The race begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday and the trails go up and down continuously, resulting in significant altitude gain over 100km and even over 50km. There's plenty of refreshment stations and the event is known for its hospitality. Race organiser Yu Lei has participated himself in some of the biggest ultra trails in the world, such as UTMB and UTMF, and we are delighted to partner up with him.
International runners can sign up easily via the ATMs website and settle the registration fee via credit card. Note that the event is technically already sold out for mainland Chinese, as participation is limited to 1000 (sold out in 2 days, which shows how popular the race is in China!). International runners should also not hesitate and sign up very soon. For further logistical and other info, just drop us an email.
Meanwhile, the registrations for the Ultra Trail Hong Kong on 27/28 February, the first event of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series, are going well. Remember, the registrations for this event close already at the end of January! On the same weekend in Nepal the oldest trail race of the Himalayan country, the Annapurna 100 and 50k is being held, another race where you can open your ATMS points' account!
We proudly welcome the Annapurna 100, Nepal's oldest trail running event, as second event in the inaugural Asia Trail Master series in 2015. The event, taking place in Pokhara, will be held for the 9th time on 28 February and offers 100km and 50km race distances.
The Annapurna is a well-known trail for mountain hikers , but now you also have a chance to run it and be part of a great event. What's more, you score points for the Asia Trail Master championship and the Grandmaster lifetime achievement award when you reach the finish line.
As we can read on the official event website, the Annapurna 100 race has got big Himalayan mountain views, forest trails, village culture and it's probably the only ultra race where you get a tikka on your forehead at 20 km and a khata around your neck. It is Nepal's original ultra trail race, having been organised for the first time in 1995, twenty years ago!
You can sign up easily via this website, especially if you wish to conduct an online payment of the race fee, otherwise you go via the official event website and do an offline wire transfer.
For further logistical and other info, just drop us an email on kris@kuaisports.com
Many of you have seen the reference to a new multi-stage trail running race in Japan on the Asia Trail Master series calendar for 2015. Indeed, Trans Kansai will be held between Osaka and Kyoto in the early part of October and will provide runners not only with a challenging course, but also with a splendid new experience.
The event will be directed and promoted by Kuai Sports Promotions and for the first year must have limited participation numbers. The team is working hard on the official website and announcement of Trans Kansai, and everything should be out in the open before Christmas. Stay tuned!
The Asia Trail Master series (ATMs) organisational committee is delighted to welcome on the calendar a brand new and challenging event in our home base Hong Kong. Ultra Trail Hong Kong will be held from 27 February to 1 March in the Northern Territories, and will offer two long distance courses of 170km (9500 Hm) and 92km (5100 Hm). It will be the first event of the inaugural Asia Trail Master series and destined to be a worthy one!
Ultra Trail Hong Kong wishes to connect with flagship long distance trail running events such as UTMB (France) and UTMF (Japan) and as such differentiate itself from other established races in Hong Kong. Organiser Augustine Wong has a long-term strategy for Ultra Trail Hong Kong and is looking forward to the collaboration with Asia Trail Master and turn the new event into a highlight on many a runner's calendar. The start will be given in the North West New Territories on Friday the 27th of February and finish at Sai Kung.
For the first edition, registrations are not unlimited so it is recommended to sign up early. You can do so easily online via the RTS-based online form.
Every finisher will score points for the 2015 Asia Trail Master ranking according to the standard points regulations:
- 170km finishers: 170 kilometre points + performance points for long distance
- 92km finishers: 92 kilometre points + performance points for middle distance
Check the key event details and/or go to the official event website
Trail runners in Asia can look forward to a brand new series of races taking place on the Asian continent as of 2015. The Asia Trail Master series features an annual championship based on a transparent and easy-to-follow points system, but puts emphasis on all participants via special achievement awards for persistent long distance finishers.
The new series is a creation by Hong Kong-based Kuai Sports Promotions and currently lists 8 races in 6 Asian countries, beginning with 'The Wild Elephant Trail' in Sri Lanka in early March 2015. Other countries with events on the current schedule are China, Philippines, Japan, Cambodia and even Bhutan. The calendar for the inaugural edition of the Asia Trail Master series next year is not yet complete, as negotiations with a handful of other race organisers are still ongoing.
"We are very excited to launch this new initiative for the ever-growing trail running community in Asia," says Kris Van de Velde, managing director of Kuai Sports Promotions. "The boom of the sport is a result of people's modern urban lifestyles, in combination with an increased desire to live healthily and in proximity to nature. Advocating a healthy lifestyle and respect for the environment are two important pillars of the Asia Trail Master series. A third one is connecting people from various countries and cultures and bringing them together to enjoy some great sporting experiences. Finally, we aim to actively assist organisers in promoting their events, and give runners the opportunity to take part in quality races across the Asian continent and provide a reward for their efforts as well."
Runners score points in each ATMs event that they finish and in so doing receive a place in the ATMs Ranking, which will be updated immediately after every race on the series' calendar. Points come two-fold: distance points reflect the number of kilometres run (so 100km = 100 points) and performance points reflect the ranking a runner obtained in the official result of a race, and follow a well-defined points distribution table published on the ATMs website. The annual Asia Trail Master champions, men and women, are those runners who scored most points during the year, taking into account each runners' best three results. Along with the title, cash and sponsored product prices will be their rewards.
Furthermore, all participants in ATMs races can aim to obtain the honourable title of Asia Trail Grandmaster. To become a Grandmaster you need to finish six long distance races within two calendar years. As a token of achievement, Grandmasters will receive a unique and specially designed badge shield that can over time be topped up further from 1 star (6 race finishes in 2 years) to 4 stars (20 career race finishes).
All details on the new Asia Trail Master series can be found on the official website www.asiatrailmaster.com . Runners and event organisers who wish to join the series are also welcome to send an email to kris@kuaisports.com and/or connect to several social media networks.