The third mainland China race in this year's Asia Trail Master series takes place in one of most popular tourist destinations of the Southwest. The Dali 100 is scheduled for 31 October and international runners can now sign up exclusively via our website here. 

Dali is the capital city of the Bai ethnic minority in Yunnan Province, and is often referred to as the original backpacker mecca in China. Tourism is super important for the population, and it is indeed worth it to pay a visit to Dali. Central to the city is the big Erhai Lake, which is surrounded by high mountains. It is therefore no coincidence that the Dali 100, and also the 50km, trail race cover quite a bit of altitude. 

Organised by the same people as the Dalian 100 in April, Dali 100 is also one of the most popular races in mainland China and has sold out all of its mainland China entries (800) in less than 24 hours! Only international runners can now still sign up, and score a solid number of Asia Trail Master points by finishing this race.  Please take note that this race is not meant for beginners. The organisers demand a certain level of experience:

• 100km: must have finished 1x 100km trail race already, or 2x 50km trail races, or 3x road marathon in less than 5 hours 
• 50km: must have finished 1x 50km trail race already, or 2x road marathon in less than 5 hours

Map of the 100 km race

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Profile of the 100 km race

The organisation committee of the  inaugural Altai Ultra Trail in Russia on 22 August has regrettably informed us of the need to postpone the 100km and 50km race distances to next year. Official permits have only been received for the shorter distances, which do not meet the requirements for entry into the Asia Trail Master series. However, as a token of support for this new and exciting event, the Altai Ultra Trail will receive the label of  2016 Candidate Race.

The event organiser of the new Ultra Thai Chiang Mai in Thailand has informed us the event will be postponed to next year. Originally, the 150km ultra race was scheduled for 4 to 6 December but the plan has had to be shelved due to official permit issues in a key area of the running trail. 

All participants who have already signed up for the event will be contacted and receive a refund. More information regarding the 2016 date will become available in due course. 

Trail runners can treat themselves to an early Christmas gift and take part in the first ever major trail running race in Myanmar, previously known as Burma. The Shaman Trail between Kalaw and the southern point of the magnificent Inle Lake measures 70 km and is also the final race of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series. 

The race course follows natural trails used by villagers every day and with approx 1500 elevation gain is a solid but not a super tough run. The highest hills will be negotiated in the early part of the race, before it goes gradually down towards the lake. 

The course goes past three villages where the local shaman will bless the runners as they pass. 

Beginning runners can also opt for a shorter version of 15 km, which will start at the penultimate drinking station of the main race and finish at the same jetty point directly at Inle Lake. After the finish, runners will be taken by small boats to their five star accommodation on the Northeastern shore of the lake. An outdoor after party at the Novotel resort is also part of the programme. All details of what will be a memorable long weekend can be found on the event website, where you can also register easily online. 

As Bhutan's stage race The Last Secret came to its conclusion last weekend, the Asia Trail Master ranking has been updated and will remain as is during the summer break. The next race on the calendar takes place in Mongolia on 5 August.

China's Xie Zhangrong and Hong Kong's Yuen Kit Shan will therefore continue to see their names on top of the ranking sheet. However, the Last Secret did cause a few movements as runners finished their second ATMs race of the season. Remember: after the Shaman Trail in Myanmar, it is each runner's best three point results that count for the final classification to decide the championship. 

Mongolia Sunrise 2 Sunset is in fact a cult classic on the international trail running calendar, featuring a 100km ultra and 42km marathon distance in the grasslands. A non-profit organisation to the benefit of Khovsgol National Park, it is a chance for everyone to visit this remote but breathtaking area. It takes time to get there, so runners should consider turning participation into a short holiday. Registration is still possible via the event website. 

August will be a busy month with also races on Lombok (Mount Rinjani Ultra), Russia (Altai Ultra Trail) and Malaysia (Borneo TMBT) on the programme. 

The Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra trail is the fourth Indonesian race in this year's Asia Trail Master series and arguably the toughest. The longest distance is no fewer than 170 km and has a five digit elevation gain number. Slight less ambitious runners can also go for the equally hard 102 km race distance. Finishers on both these distances will score points for the Asia Trail Master ranking, which is not unimportant given the timing of the event and the difficulty - meaning a lot of performance points may be up for grabs as well for those strong enough to make it to the end. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra has a  high DNF quota.

You can sign up now via the official race website. A few key details can also be found here.

Plenty of action coming up in Indonesia:  the next race  that is part of the Asia Trail Master series is the Mount Rinjani Ultra on Lombok on 7 August. Later that month there is also the 2016 Candidate Race Ijen Trail on East Java on 22 August. 

Race 7 in the 2015 Asia Trail Master series witnessed a thrilling battle for victory against the might backdrop of Bhutan's Himalaya mountains. Hong Kong-based American Marcia Zhou's dash on the sixth and final stage was just sufficient to claim the win at the expense of France's Isabelle Dufour, who had been leading the standings since day 3. Saudi Arabia's Mo Foustok, who also won Cambodia's Ancient Khmer Trail last year, was the best in the men's race.

Trail running in Bhutan remains very special as the natural surroundings are not only breathtaking but also still unspoilt. However, the high altitudes - some stages go well above 3000m - are to be reckoned with and some acclimatisation before the race begins is highly useful.  It was the 3rd edition of the Last Secret stage race, 200 km in 6 stages,  and with three different female leaders and stage winners, including a stunning finale, certainly had a lot of spice this year.

Marcia Zhou actually began the race well with a win on the opening day, but then dropped back behind Canada's Chloe Onofrychuk and Isabelle Dufour of France mid-week. Dufour then lost her advantage during the longest and toughest 53.5km stage 5, which set the scene for a showdown with lightweight Zhou in particular on the last day. The American ran for her life and finished the stage second overall, only marginally behind Australia's Scott Coey! Eventually, she preceeds Dufour in the final classification by 2'17" only. Onofrychuk completed the podium.

Scott Coey may have won the last stage in the men's race, but the race was almost a one-man-show by Mo Foustok, who claimed all other stages. The podium battle was quite  intense here as well, though, and Great Britain's William McMillan and Canada's Chris Hum were the ones flanking Foustok at the end. 

Bhutan remains one of those countries that remain a mystery to most of us. Following a Gross National Happiness philosophy rather than focussing on GDP, the Himalayan Buddhist country is unlikely to be high on people's travel lists either. Bhutan retains a very strict quota on the annual number of foreign tourists.  As such, the name of the trail stage race that starts on Sunday, The Last Secret, is very well-chosen. Organised by German company Global Limits, The Last Secret is a 6-day race over 200km that will make its participants feel very special and honoured.

It is the 3rd edition of the event, which starts 80km east of Thimphu - Bhutan's capital city - and finish in the most spectacular monastery, Taktshang Goemba (Tiger's Nest). The longest stage is stage 4 on Thursday over a length of 52km. During the week, the runners will conquer no fewer than 10 000 metres of elevation gain. Little rain over the past weeks and a fine weather forecast means that the trails are in good condition. Participants as usual come from all corners of the globe.

Finishers will score 175 distance points for the Asia Trail Master ranking, as well as performance points according to their ranking in the final overall result of the race. Updates after each stage will be posted on facebook and twitter. 

We are continuing to post a selection of quality images of the past four Asia Trail Master series races in China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan on our dedicated channels like Pinterest, Instagram and facebook. Shots were taken by professional photographers within the Kuai Sports Promotions media network. 

Images are credited particularly to Studio Zag, Hong Kong (Dalian 100, Gede Pangrango Marathon), and Red Plus Studio, Shanghai (Tsaigu Tangsi Plus)

Asia Trail Master Pinterest board

Dalian 100 Endurance Trail (facebook)

Tsaigu Tangsi Plus (facebook)

Gede Pangrango Marathon (facebook)

Tengri Ultra Trail (coming soon)

The 1st edition of the Tengri Ultra Trail in Tamgaly Tas, approx 120km from Almaty in eastern Kazakhstan lived up to its pre-race hype. The 300 participants enjoyed a gorgeous day on the varied but tougher-than-expected course, and are already looking forward to more. Local hero George Shejko was the fastest man on the 55km distance in 5:37:15. A member of the national team of Kazakhstan in olympic (speed) walking, Shejko discovered the sport of trail running with this race as also for him it was a new experience. The women's race was won by Akmaral Meirman in 6:48:31. 

The whole event was a true outdoor experience as participants camped in tents along the clean Ili River at Tamgaly Tas, a place where one can also do rock climbing. The long distance race consisted of two laps of 27,5km featuring a variety of terrain, including pristine grassland, steep and bushy hills and an impressive but technical and rocky gorge.  It was the best possible introduction to trail running for local athletes. A select group of non-Kazakhs who had made their way to the event spoke of a lifetime experience. 

Men 55 km:
1.Shejko Georgiy 1989 05:37:15
2. Galimbekov Ilyas 1995 06:13:42
3. Denis Vlasov 1983 06:22:44
Women 55 km:
1.Meirman Akmaral 1983 06:48:31
2. Teich Elizabeth 1991 07:41:55
3.Mergenbaeva Diana 1988 09:03:55

The race is set to continue next year and registrations are likely to open already at the end of this year. 

The Asia Trail Master ranking has been updated with the results of the Tengri Ultra Trail. There are no major changes at the front as Xie Zhangrong (men) and Yuen Kit Shan (women) lead. George Shejko enters in 13th place and Akmaral Meirman in 11th. 

This weekend will see the first ever major trail running race in Kazakhstan take place along the Ili River Valley in Tamsgaly Tas, approximately 120km from Almaty in the east of the country. The Tengri Ultra Trail over 50km or 25km will be characterised by superb views and an endless horizon. Mixed with the green colours of the grasslands will be the bright red of the local flowers.

About 300 runners are expected to start the race from a campsite at te Ili River in the early morning of Sunday. Among them also a number of international runners from Hong Kong (supported by Air Astana and Action Asia magazine) and China, who will claim a sort of pioneering role as Kazakhstan is bound to become a popular destination for adventure lovers. Also because the local population is discovering the pleasures of outdoor activities, and cycling, skiing and running in particular.  The Tengri Ultra Trail also plays the adventure angle, as all participants are expected to camp and sleep in tents on Saturday night before the race. There is no wifi or mobile service neither in the area.  Security measures have been taken all along the trail, though, and the 50km and 25km participants will be looping in opposite directions. 

The winners of the 50km race, men and women, will score 450 points for the Asia Trail Master ranking. Podium placers this weekend will also receive prizes by ATMs partners Newline Sport and Simple Hydration. 

A report and main results will be published here on Monday, and a more comprehensive feature article on the event will be published in a summer edition of Action Asia magazine.