The Asia Trail Master series contain plenty of fantastic events, but from time to time you may also wish to go beyond Asia  and spend some time running on another continent. Therefore, we happily provide a few holiday tips and recommended trail runs in our 'Beyond Asia' section of this website. 

Kuai Sports Promotions has officially partnered or has strong links with the events we present in the Beyond Asia section, and in most cases we can even offer discounts on the registration fees. Right now, for example, we are happy to offer discount rates for the spectacular 8-day stage race in Portugal, Europe, the Peneda Gerés Trail Adventure from 28 April to 3 May 2015. The race attracts some of the best trail runners and covers a total distance of 280 km. 

Go to the Beyond Asia section and watch the promotional video of the event. If you want to sign up and score a EUR 50 discount on the registration fee, shoot us an email on kris@kuaisports.com 

MEDIA RELEASE - Kuai Sports Promotions and Venture Travel are happy to announce the birth of a new foot stage race through the magnificent Kansai region of Japan this autumn. From 3 to 11 October 2015 runners from Asia and the rest of the world will cover a total distance of 200km in 8 days starting in Osaka and ending in Kyoto. Trans Kansai is a member of the inaugural Asia Trail Master series to boot. 

The event will commence with a non-timed warm-up urban run in Osaka to the legendary 16th century castle, before the real task begins with a 20km stage in Nara through the Kasagayama Virgin Forest. Other highlights during the week are the Diamond Trai and the ascents of Mount Atago, Daimonji and Hiei in the Kyoto region. Kyoto is the former imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years and the city is filled with historical buildings, shrines and other impressive cultural sites. The region around the city is characterised by green forests, hills and lakes, and lends itself perfectly to trail running. 

The stage race has a variety of long and short distance stages, with stages 5 and 8 measuring up to 50 km in length. Participants will enjoy great hospitality at their local accommodation, plenty of onsen (hot springs) and local food that is both delicious and healthy. It is the first trail race of this kind in Japan and a perfect short holiday away from work. 

Registrations for the first edition of Trans Kansai are opening soon via the official website. On the site you can already read all details of the various running stages, as well as check out the logistics and discover some background facts on the Kansai region. For the first edition of the event there will be a restricted number of runners, so early sign-up is required. 

Each finisher of the stage race will obtain 175 distance points for the Asia Trail Master ranking (see ATMS regulations), and added to that will be the performance points according to the participant's race result.

Kuai Sports Promotions is a sports event management company based in Hong Kong and founder of the Asia Trail Master series, a continental-wide series of trail running races featuring an annual championship and a lifetime achievement award. Venture Travel is an Australian-Japanese company specialised in active outdoor travelling with over a decade of experience in Kansai. 

Who has not yet heard of the Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset race in the remote west of the mythical country and the Hovsgol National Park to be precise. For 17 years this classic 100km trail race has been a dream for many a runner around the world. We are therefore delighted to announce that Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset is a new entry in the inaugural Asia Trail Master series. ATMS points can be scored on 5 August, but most of all participation means supporting the National Park and the Mongolian running scene, which remains in an early stage of development. 

Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) is a non-profit race and all profits go to and are managed by ecoLeap foundation, registered in Switzerland. MS2S was first held in 1999 and the race fist project was to raise money to buy a garbage truck to help with the waste management in the park. The funds from the race continue to support keeping Hovsgol National Park as beautiful and pristine as we found it in 1999.

The race starts at sunrise (4 a.m.) and ends at sunset (10 p.m.). This timeframe allows most runners to finish the distance, despite a significant altitude gain of over 3000m on the century run.  Apart from the long 100km trail, less ambitious runners can also opt for a 42km marathon distance. Given the remoteness and lack of transportation options, the race is part of a one-week tour package in the Park, where participants will get a true feel of ethnic Mongolian life. All details can be read on the very good event website, where you can also register for the event.  

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.