The Philippines' running ace Manolito Divina returns to the Asia Trail Master scene this weekend at the Ultra Trail Mapawa race on Mindanao Island. A 50km race with about 2400 metres of elevation gain that should suit him well to regain the top spot in the Asia Trail Master ranking. Divina would equal the points achieved by Jan Nilsen (1600), but in the latest direct confrontation between the two in an ATM points race (Malaysia Eco 100) the Pinoy star won and Nilsen DNF'd. Still, nothing will be decided for the championship this weekend as the two will clash again next month at CM 50 Ultra, and will even face stern opposition from other Asian top runners in that race as well. This weekend, what counts for Divina in the Mapawa race is to win and get the maximum available points (500). 

UT Mapawa is a popular event that has been on the Mindanao trail programme for a few years, but it is the first time the organisers are opening up the event to a wider and more international audience. In fact, the 50 km trail route is new this year and therefore references to the previous editions are not very significant. The race takes place in a Nature Park, about half an hour's drive outside the local city hub of Cagayan de Oro in the northwest of Mindanao. The course is quite technical with lots of single trails, and there's four official mountain climbs and five water streams on the itinerary. It does take some time to travel to Cagayan from outside the Philippines, but it will be a rewarding experience. 

An impression of the Mapawa Nature Park 

Manolito Divina should not expect a training run, however, as there are more strong trail runners on the list of starters. Aldean Lim was third in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, for example, and Thumbie Remigio returns after some time off due to injury. Never count him out!

In the women's a lot of attention will go to the performance of Majo Liao, only three weeks after the grueling 100k of the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge in Indonesia. Majo was one of only three women to complete that race run in very difficult conditions. Now back on more familiar territory, she starts the Mapawa 50 as the favourite. A victory on Sunday would push her up to second place in the Asia Trail Master championship, behind Tahira Najmunisaa. 

All the participants on the 50k will not only be rewarded with the standard finisher points and performance points for the ATM championship ranking, but will also receive a gift from our sponsor Simple Hydration! 

Majo Liao returns to the trails only three weeks after the devastating MesaStila Peaks Challenge

Manolito Divina on a mission to regain the points lead in the Asia Trail Master ranking

The 2017 edition of the Echigo Country Trail in Oguni Forest Park, near Nagaoka in Niigata, Japan, takes place on the weekend of 17 and 18 June. This colourful race counts 53 kilometers and a substantial 2500 metres of elevation gain that are often quite steep as well. The entire event receives the kind support of the local communities in this countryside area of Japan that international runners otherwise seldom get to experience. The local online registration has already opened and there is also the possibility for international runners to register using PayPal. 

Registration via Japanese site (PayPal payment) 

You can check our Tale of the Trail on our cover page, and you can watch the below video to get an idea of what this colourful Japanese race is all about. There's a substantial part of road in the 53 km as well, but the experienced organiser Hiroaki Matsunaga has announced his intention to reduce the stretches of tarmac and use as much trail and offroad as possible to connect between villages. As such, the total race distance and course map may still be altered somewhat come next spring. 

The heavy rainfall in many parts of Asia, specifically northern Asia, over the past weeks is causing problems for plenty of trail running organisations. Unfortunately, we have been informed that UT X, short for Ultra Trail XinXian in Henan Province, China, is also affected. The event - scheduled in November - cannot take place for safety reasons. Please see below's statement from the local race director on behalf of the Organisation Committee of UT X. 

On behalf of the organizer of UTX, we are very apologetic to make today's  statement that due to severe geological developments of landslides and mud flows caused by  recent heavy rainfall in the Xinxian area, we are obliged to postpone our race, UTX,  from its originally scheduled date, 12/13 November 2016, to 4/5 April 2017. It is a very difficult decision for us to make, but we need to ensure the safety of the trail course and all the runners and working crew. We are sorry for the change of race date, and we will be responsible to take care of reimbursements of registration fees, or forward your race entry automatically to the new date 4/5 April 2017. 

We humbly apologise for the inconvenience caused by the change of date, and please note we have deepest appreciation for your support.
--- Race Director of UTX

Please note that UT X keeps its spot on the Asia Trail Master race calendar, and has thus been added on 4/5 April 2017. 

More info on the event via our cover page. 

The 2nd race on the 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar is the Rizal Mountain Run in the Philippines, and the registrations open this Monday, 17 October. RMR, as the abbreviated name goes, is a tough 50k, not too far from Manila, that moves up from Candidate Race this year to a genuine points race in the Asia Trail Master championship. 

Organised by the team of Ahon, the local brand known for its gaiters and trail socks, the race received great feedback from runners last February. The competition in itself was a thriller with Danish-born Kristian Joergensen and Koi Grey going head-to-head for victory. The women's race was won by the experienced international trail runner Cheryl Bihag. 

Rizal Mountain Run 50k will offer the standard points total of 500 for the race winners (100 finisher points, 400 performance points for the winners). Remember that in 2017, each runner's best five points results will count for the final classification at the end of the year, as opposed to the best three this year. 

Please see below more details on the Rizal Mountain Run, a video trailer as well as the link to the registration portal. 

ATM cover page on Rizal Mountain Run

http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/#/rizal/

Event website & registration

http://rizalmountainrun.com/

This year Kristian Joergensen defeated Koi Grey in a fantastic man-to-man dual

This weekend there are two points races on the Asia Trail Master schedule: Ultra Trail Jeju in South Korea, and Mount Falaza Ultra Trail in Eastern Russia. Both races are young and keen to develop further into important races on the Asian trail calendar. UT Jeju is a three-day stage race of 100 km in total, while Mt Falaza UT features a 50 km and 39 km race valid for Asia Trail Master points on and around the Falaza mountain that characterises the Promorye region in the very far East of Russia, close to Vladivostok. 

This Friday, approx 110 runners will begin the stage race on the beautiful Jeju Island that belongs to South Korea. On day 1, they are supposed to climb the highest peak of the island, Mt Halla, in a race of 30 km. Day 2 and 3 consist of 36k and 34k respectively. Two weeks ago, harsh weather conditions forced the organisers of Ultra Trail Mount Jiri to reduce their event to 50k, but this weekend should not be that dramatic. 

Mount Falaza Ultra Trail is hosted by the Gribanovka Ski Resort, a popular place for skiing in winter and now also increasingly so for trail running and adventure racing. While still a boutique event this year, the local organiser is a well-known and respected athlete in the North Asia region himself, who is highly motivated to develop the event in the years to come. Trail running is also in eastern Russia still a very young sport. Participants can combine the race with a city visit to Vladivostok, as shuttle bus transport to and from the Gribanovka Ski Resort is arranged by the race organiser. 

As always, via our social media channels you can stay tuned to the action on the scene! 

The Siberian forest on and around Mt Falaza, scene of Sunday's Mt Falaza Ultra Trail 

Ultra Trail Jeju caters for all types of runners in a three-day stage race

The 6th MesaStila Peaks Challenge this year will go into the trail running archive as the toughest edition yet. Not only was the original course including the ascent of Gunung Merapi retained this year, it was pouring down with rain for most of the weekend. The wet conditions turned several trails into slippery mudbaths and the volcano sections at night surprised plenty a runner for being freezing cold despite this being Indonesia! As usual, the tough race profiles of the five race distances are compensated with a solid event organisation, excellent hospitality at the MesaStila Resort & Spa and pleasant atmosphere throughout the weekend. A worthy Indonesia SuperTrail in other words, which had the additional pleasure of seeing Malaysia's Tahira Najmunisaa crown herself as the new women's Asia Trail Master champion. 50-year-old Jan Nilsen, quite simply incredible this year, took the men's 5 Peaks race over 100k against some big names and claimed the points lead in the men's ATM ranking, setting up a major showdown for the title at CM 50 in Philippines next month against, amongst others, Manolito Divina.

The 100k race with 7700 metres of elevation gain started in the early hours of Saturday and provided a good warm up for the runners before the rain began to come down after the first peak - the steep Mount Andong. Defending Asia Trail Master champion and MesaStila champion Arief Wismoyono had prepared himself well for the important race and immediately put the pressure on Jan Nilsen, Kristian Joergensen, Abdul Rahman and a grouo of strong local contenders. ATM points leader Isaac Yuen Wan Ho unfortunately did not start claiming a back injury. Already on Andong it was clear that Tahira Najmunisaa was back at her very best. Coming down from Andong, the Malaysian star ran in fifth place overall and had put quite some distance between herself and her main competitors Mary Josephine Liao, Ruth Theresa and Mila Marlina, last year's MesaStilla winner. 

Tahira Najmunisaa ran a superb race and claims the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship

Arief Wismoyono knew he had to basically win this SuperTrail race to keep his Asia Trail Master title defence in check. The 50 bonus points do matter in the men's ranking. Sadly, the 32-year-old Bandung hero missed a marker on Gunung Merbabu, which put him suddenly behind Jan Nilsen, Muhammad Dzaki and Kristian Joergensen. Yohannis Hiareij, who narrowly lost the spring to Wismoyono at Ijen Trailrunning last May, seemed to have an off-day and would not feature in the debate up front. To be fair, the conditions for running got increasingly difficult, too. The combination of pouring rain, high altitudes and strong winds when night fell turned the race into a true epic. Wismoyono witnessed four of his running friends suffer from hypothermia and decided like a real gentleman that helping him was more important than chasing down Nilsen and Dzaki. Kristian Joergensen, originally from Denmark, also saw no choice but to escape from the frigid elements for a few hours, which put him down the race ranking and out of podium contention. Still, if a strong northerner like Joergensen freezes up, one can only imagine how hard it must have been out there on Merapi and Merbabu. 

Jan Nilsen: "Running smart is better than running fast" 

But when the going gets rough, one guy never seems to be too bothered: Jan Nilsen continued his amazing form this season and was in control of the race. The Thailand-based Norwegian was not even too concerned when the surprising local runner Muhammad Dzaki came closer and closer and reportedly even caught up with Nilsen with less than 10k to go! Dzaki had been training for a long time for this race, and his efforts, along with knowledge of the route, clearly paid off. Still, Nilsen had an extra gear left and ran solo to the finish at the MesaStila resort in just under 20 hours. In his usual style, Nilsen had a thing or two to say about trail markings and other inconveniences, but he quickly returned to smiles and began to  realise himself that he had just done another serious exploit - after dominating Rinjani 100 earlier this year! Muhammad Dzaki finished second, and another Indonesian Muhammad Fauzi Difinubun moved up to third place in the latter parts of the race. Abdul Rahman was fourth and consolidates his top five ranking. Joergensen, in his first 100k outside his resident country Philippines, had to settle for seventh. 

That was after Tahira Najmunisaa had taken victory in the women's race and by doing so becoming the new Asia Trail Master champion. Tahira scored two SuperTrail victories this season (Malaysia Eco 100, MesaStila 5 Peaks) plus two more ATM wins at Beach Bunch (Brunei) and Merapoh Trail (Malaysia). As the best three results count for the final ranking, only Ma Yanxing (winner China SuperTrail) and Yuen Kit Shan (winner Hong Kong SuperTrail) can mathematically still catch up with Tahira, but both would need to win CM 50 as Philippines SuperTrail next month, and another third ATM race to boot. A scenario that is unlikely. Last Sunday, the 26-year-old Malaysian was joined on the podium by Ruth Theresa, in her first 100k race (!), and Majo Liao. The latter, multiple race winner in the Philippines, showed true grit and did a great job returning from a nasty ankle injury. Majo still has two more ATM races lined up and can finish the season high in the final ranking. 

The statistics of Tahira Najmunisaa 's Asia Trail Master campaign do not lie: 5 career ATM race victories and undefeated! She also has collected four Grandmaster points already. To receive the honourary title of Grandmaster, a runner must complete 6 races of 70k or more inside 24 months.

This year, the cut off time of the MesaStila 5 Peaks had been extended by four hours to a total of 36 hours, which resulted in more finishers (28) and more delighted runners afterwards. Being an official finisher in the epic 2016 MesaStila Peaks Challenge will be remembered for a long time! 

Muhammad Dzaki and Muhammad Difunubun kept the local honours very high

Whereas the 100k, or the 5 Peaks race, obviously gets the most attention, it does somewhat injustice to the 65k race, which is essentially the same route minus Gunung Merapi and a massive elevation gain of almost 5000m as well. Given those numbers, it was decided earlier this year to grant the 4 Peaks also 1 Grandmaster point. Both the men's and women's competition was tight with changing positions and possibilities. Firdaus dropped Polish runner in the last 7km only for a superb home victory. However, Jessica Lintanga made it a double hit for Malaysia as she took the women's race after a good battle with last year's winner Ina Budiyarni. Lintanga, from Sabah, is a first-year trail runner who - like Tahira - belongs to her country's Running Project to prepare aspiring athletes for UTMB in a few years. It was her first race victory outside Malaysia. Ina Budiyarni may have missed a second consecutive race victory at MesaStila, but now has five Grandmaster points in her bag. One more, and she will be the first ever female Asia Trail Grandmaster. A feat she aims to accomplish at Bromo-Tengger-Semeru next month! 

Podium of the 5 Peaks Challenge: Nilsen, Dzaki and Difinubun

Kristian Joergensen thinking "what the hell was this?" 

A worthwile trip all the way from Poland: Michal Kaszorowksi, 2nd in 4 Peaks 

Jessica Lintanga arrives to win the women's 4 Peaks race in another downpour

It is time for the Indonesia SuperTrail! The 6th edition of the MesaStila Peaks Challenge this weekend in Central Java has record participation numbers and will see a significant battle for points in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship. Ranking leaders Tahira Najmunisaa and Isaac Yuen Wan Ho are both registered along with a whole list of potential challengers to their thrones. On the agenda for them, of course, is one of the toughest races on the Asian trail calendar. An elevation gain of approx 7500 hm in 100 km, including the ascent of Gunung Merapi, is a big feat. Everyone who finishes this race within 36 hours will be a hero. 

MesaStila is the name of a boutique luxury spa and resort in Magelang, between Yogyakarta and Semarang, and close to the legendary temples of Borobudur. Trail running and trekking is inherent to the magnificent area, characterised by volcanic peaks that are scattered all over the place and offer breathtaking views. The race has gradually developed over the years and is proud to be the Indonesia SuperTrail in the Asia Trail Master series. Race director Sri Agus explains: "Indeed, it has been a long journey. In 2011 we started with the Losari Challenge, a 16km run, and one year later the name MesaStila Challenge was born: a Half Marathon following old train tracks. In 2013 the MesaStila Challenge went from rails to trails, and in 2014 we introduced the first Ultra distance of 60k. Last year we then added the 100k category. "

Last year, however, the event was affected by the major forest fires nearby. Gunung Merapi was closed at the time so that runners this weekend will conquer the nearly 3000m high volcano for the first time as part of the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge. Only 100k participants will proceed as far as Merapi. The 65k, nicked the 4 Peaks Challenge, reaches until Gunung Merbabu.  "Gunung Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes on earth and it is the signature item of our 100k race,"says Sri Agus. "It is a difficult trail to go up Merapi compared to other mountains nearby.  It is very steep in parts, and there's loose volcanic rocks. Overall this is technical terrain.  All participants on the 100k are advised to focus, pay attention and forget the racing when climbing up to the Pasar Bubrah check point. Once one top you will be rewarded by a view you will never forget. Take your time to take it in, then descend again carefully and only then start thinking of the race again. Safety should always come first."

Mila Marlina will try to repeat her victory from last year

The champions from last year are back. Arief Wismoyono, who laid the foundation for his successful Asia Trail Master championship here, and Mila Marlina are both on the start list for this weekend's 100k - or 5 Peaks - race. Wismoyono will be aiming to get himself in the mix to defend his ATM title. He already has a victory under his belt this year, at Ijen Trailrunning, but he needs more points after a DNF at Rinjani 100 last July. Wismoyono has home advantage, but faces a stern challenge from the amazing Rinjani champion Jan Nilsen. The 50-year-old Norwegian, who lives in Thailand, was the only finisher on the volcano in Lombok and is still in outstanding form. Last week, Nilsen finished third in MF 42, a preparatory race for the Clark-Myamit Falls Ultra - the Philippines' SuperTrail on 27 November. More importantly, Nilsen was not far behind Manolito Divina and Kristian Joergensen on a trail course that suited him much less. Nilsen and Wismoyono start as big favourites this weekend, but the just mentioned Kristian Joergensen certainly ranks as the dark horse. Joergensen, from Denmark, is a multiple race winner in his resident country the Philippines and is a young runner who can still feature highly in this year's Asia Trail Master championship. The question is: can he keep his fast running pace over a 100k distance?

Someone who can is Isaac Yuen Wan Ho. The Hong Kong runner moved into first place of our rankings last July with a second place in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia. Already completed three races this season, Yuen Wan Ho will aim to score more than 450 points to improve on his total of 1400 ATM points, which means he needs to come second this Sunday to do so.... and Jan Nilsen should not win, otherwise the Norwegian, currently third with 1000 points, will take over the points lead in any case. Technically, also Malaysia's Abdul Rahman can find himself topping the Asia Trail Master ranking after the weekend! Currently ranked fifth with 775 points, Rahman needs a victory, though, and even then it depends on the performances of the others. One thing is for sure: Rahman, a finisher of the Malaysia Eco 100 miles and Merapoh Trail 100, will not have a problem with the long distance. The same can be said of Brunei's Ali Ajis Rasil, number 6 in the ATM ranking today following fine performances at Beach Bunch, Ijen Trailrunning and Vietnam Mountain Marathon. 

Finally, remember the tight sprint finish at Ijen Trailrunning this year? Local running star Yohanis Hiareij may have lost that one to Wismoyono, but he's back at MesaStila and might just as well take his revenge. 

Gunung Merapi is the highest point of the 5 Peaks race

Moving over to the women's side, Asia Trail Master points leader Tahira Najmunisaa from Malaysia will be aiming to consolidate her lead this weekend. Another race victory would mean Tahira has got the championship basically all wrapped up. Earlier this season, she won the Malaysia SuperTrail, Eco 100, on top of other victories at Beach Bunch and Merapoh. If Tahira wins her second SuperTrail race at MesaStila, only Yuen Kit Shan and Ma Yanxing can still come alongside her in terms of points, but for them that would imply winning two more races, including the Philippines' SuperTrail in November, AND beating Tahira in a straight dual.  Quite unlikely. However, there is a second scenario in which Tahira does not win this weekend and sees Pinoy running star Majo Liao crossing the finish line first. Majo Liao has recovered from her ankle injury sustained in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra last June and is making her comeback at high level. Scheduled to run also at UT Mapawa at the end of this month and the Clark-Myamit Falls race, which she won convincingly last year, Liao is probably the biggest threat to Tahira Najmunisaa's championship ambitions. 

As such, the experienced Mila Marlina can play a major role in the women's race. As defending champion at MesaStila, Marlina will be keen to please the local Indonesian running community with a back-to-back win. From an Asia Trail Master points' perspective, it would put her back in the mix after difficult races in Hong Kong and Malaysia in the early part of the season, but she can also take away points from the two leading contenders.  

Several more well-ranked runners are doing the 4 Peaks Challenge of 65 km at MesaStila, such as Jessica Lintanga (5th) and Jocelyn Cheung (6th).  Given the high elevation gain (4800 hm), the Asia Trail Master committee decided that the 65 k distance is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest. 

A race on at times dense rainforest terrain like this requires appropriate markings. Runners should pay attention to the following items: 

• MesaStila Peaks Challenge flag
• Sticker reflectors
• Plastic lines
• Paint Markers
• Cut coloured paper  

We will report on the Indonesia SuperTrail from start to finish via our usual social media channels. Stay tuned for what promises to be an epic trail weekend! 

Tahira Najmunisaa can become Asia Trail Master champion this weekend. Her husband Abdul Rahman can jump to the very top of the male standings as well.

The 5th edition of the Tahura Trail in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, has opened registrations for the event on 21/22 January 2017. After the cancellation of The Dirt Track in Thailand, Tahura Trail is set to be the opening race of the 2017 Asia Trail Master series. 

The event features several race distances, but only the longest one of 42 km (marathon) counts to obtain Asia Trail Master championship points. 

This is one of the most popular events in the country, and early sign-up is recommended. In 2016 it received almost 2000 runners as an Asia Trail Master Candidate Race, and attracted strong athletes such as Abdullah Mittiche and Cassidy Jones who won the 42k race for men and women respectively.  Tahura Trail will be preceeded by a trail running expo on Saturday. For international runners, the event can easily be combined with a trip to Indonesia's capital Jakarta, as Bandung is just roughly one hour away. You can check all race and logistical details conveniently via our race cover page on this website, or go to the event website, where you can also register yourself. o

Event website with registration

This weekend the second Korean trail race of the Asia Trail Master season is on the menu. A tough mountainous race in the country's Southern region, on and around the holy Jirisan mountain. Mount Jiri is in fact the second highest mountain in Korea at 1915m above sea level, and the surrounding national park the largest of its kind. Trail runners have 100km or 50km to absorb this weekend. The main race has approx 5900m of elevation gain and a tight cut-off time of 32 hours. Spectactular views and local ethnic culture will accompany the athletes during their effort.  

The weather forecast is not brilliant for the weekend. One week after the debacle at UTMF last week, there are fears that also this big race may be reduced to a shorter distance. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. In any case, the cold temperatures in combination with potential rainfall will make it a tough day for all competitors. [UPDATE: the 100k has been cancelled. All competitors will be redirected to the 50k distance]

The event will have its second edition following a successful test race last year. Organised by the same crew of Korea 50k - the country's best known trail race and also an Asia Trail Master points race in April - UTMJ has the environment to develop further into a classic race on the Asian calendar.  Accessible via Busan, the organisers also arrange transport from Seoul and the main event hotel is the great Kensington resort. 

The competition is quite open with a great mix of local Korean athletes and international runners. The conditions during the race may affect performances, so it really remains to be seen who will emerge victorious. 

You can follow the action at UTMJ live via our social media channels this weekend. 

THe 100 km race distance of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon was won by two European runners in the male and female categories: Petr Novotny from Czech Republic, and Nathalie Cochet from France. They both had a clear advantage over the next runners, who were both locals from Vietnam: Cao Ngoc Ha and Chi Nguyen. As expected, the race was tough with 34 finishers in total. This includes China's Wang Xin, Denmark's Caster Nielsen, Malaysia's Syed Abdul Rahim and  Brunei's Ali Ajis Rasil, all of whom had scored Asia Trail Master points before this year and will thus move up in the ranking.

There was another French winner on the classic 70km distance in Sapa: Team Uglow's Antoine Epinette was a good 17 minutes faster than American Cory Lewandowski. The female winner came from Japan: Sayaka Matsumoto proved outstanding and gave the opposition no chance. Canada's Amber Lane was second and Hong Kong's Cherrie Chung third. Interesting from an Asia Trail Master points perspective was the 7th place of another Hong Kong runner Jocelyn Cheung. 

The Asia Trail Master points championship continues next week in South Korea with Ultra Trail Mount Jiri.

This weekend's Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa finally launches the second part of the Asia Trail Master championship season. The  4th edition sees a record number of 1600 registered runners spread out over five distances, of which three are valid for ATM points. New this year is the 100km race distance, and it has attracted not a bad number of athletes, including number 18 in our current Asia Trail Master championship, Ali Ajis Rasil from Brunei. The 100k is the hardest single day footrace in Vietnam and climbs up to an altitude of 1779m above sea level. After the start at the Topas Ecolodge, 100k participants will go on a new loop of 30k, before joining the traditional 70km loop. Along the route will be plenty of ricefields, plantations and villages of ethnic minority peoples. On the horizon looms Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam. The weather is always a factor in this race as well. 

A tough but very rewarding event that has put Vietnam firmly on the trail running map. It is fantastic to see how many local and Vietnamese people in general have decided to take part in VMM this year and spend a glorious weekend in the Sapa mountain region. Very much an event for everyone, all finishers on the 100 and 70k races will also score 1 point for their individual Grandmaster Quest.

Ali Ajis Rasil has a great opportunity to propel himself back in the top 10 of the ATM championship ranking for the second time this season. Coming from another country that only very recently has embraced the sport of trail running, the Bruneian has had solid finishes at Ijen Trailrunning in Indonesia and the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in his home country so far this season. Hong Kong's Jocelyn Cheung (27th, 425 ATM points) and Vietnam's own Thanh Vu (37th, 400 ATM points) are two women who could jump forward in the female championship ranking this weekend as both are registered for the 70km race. 

Stay tuned for updates on the races in Sapa via our social media channels on the weekend. 

CURRENT ASIA TRAIL MASTER POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP RANKING

1. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 1400 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1050 points
3. Jan Nilsen (NOR) 1000 points
4. Xu Xiutao (CHN) 800 points
5. Abdul Rahman (MAS) 775 points
6. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 737 points
7. Marcelino Sano Oy (PHI) 710 points
8. Alan Toh (MAS) 690 points
9. Philip Kian Yong Yeo (MAS) 680 points
10. Matthew Kennedy (GBR) 641 points
11. Zhong Guan (CHN) 640 points
12. Vincent Chalias (FRA) 635 points
13. Yong Yunseok (KOR) 600 points
14. Carlos Paz (ESP) 561 points
15. Raymond Cheung (HKG) 550 points
15. Zhaohong Hua (CHN) 550 points

TOP 15 WOMEN

1. Tahira Najmunisaa (MAS) 1600 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 760 points
3. Adelinah Lintanga (MAS) 690 points
4. Patricia Shindy (INA) 660 points
5. Jassica Lintanga (MAS) 650 points
6. Ma Yanxing (CHN) 550 points
6. Yuen Kit Shan (HKG) 550 points
8. Akmaral Meirman (KAZ) 500 points
8. Ann Mari Lillejord (NOR) 500 points
8. Zhou Dongmei (CHN) 500 points
8. Qu Lijie (CHN) 500 points
8. Yukako Takashima (JPN) 500 points
8. Yukari Fukuda (JPN) 500 points
8. Tseng Wei Lin (TPE) 500 points
8. Xiao Jing (CHN) 500 points

Photo: David W Loyd Photography

While the second part of the 2016 Asia Trail Master season still has to commence next week in Vietnam, we have been looking further preparing next year's series over summer. In the past few weeks we have already been presenting a number of confirmed races on our calendar for next year, and now we would like to focus briefly on the 2017 Asia Trail Master points championship. The basic principles remain the same, but a few amendments will nevertheless be introduced as our series keeps developing.

The 2017 points system

The points allocation for the 2017 'championship' will differ slightly from the system used now in 2016. The most important change is that as of next year the best five points results of each runner will count for the final Asia Trail Master championship ranking at the end of the year, and no longer just the best three. A second significant amendment to our points regulation follows popular demand from runners: certain B and C races of a big event with a high degree of difficulty, for example a 100 km race when there is also a 100 miles race, or the Rinjani 60k with a huge elevation gain in itself, will be better rewarded with performance points. This means that the winners of the 100 miles and 100 km races of one and the same event (e.g. Malaysia Eco 100) will both score 400 performance points. However, every finisher of a 100 miles will get an additional 25 bonus points to still have a distinction between the two distances. Finally, and this also as a result of popular demand, in 2017 it will no longer be required for a race to have 42 km in length when the elevation gain exceeds 2000 metres, By opening this door, the Asia Trail Master series will become even more diverse and offer opportunities for all types of trail runners to do well. 

From the beginning, the Asia Trail Master points system has been designed to be easily understood on purpose. No algorithms or complicated mathematical formulas, runners should at all times be able to calculate what their approximate points reward will be while they are still racing. We invite you to read the nitty gritty and check the points distribution tables in the dedicated web section, but in a nutshell just remember that everybody scores two types of points:    

• Finisher points: each runner who finishes a race scores finisher points 
• Performance points: based on a runner's official result in a race 

Also next year a select number of events will receive the SuperTrail label. SuperTrails offer 50 bonus points for finishers on the two longest race distances of the event, which implies they are important for fast and ambitious runners who aim for the championship or a high final ranking in general. The first SuperTrail in 2017 will be Unseen Koh Chang in Thailand on 17/18 February. Then there is still the Abroad Bonus: runners who score points in 3 Asia Trail Master races get a 50-point bonus if 1 of the 3 races took place outside the runner’s country of residence at the time of the race. Our series is not just about competition, it is also about mixing and socialising with each other across country borders. 

A final remark on joint finishers. Sometimes you see people arriving at the finish of a race together. While we absolutely have nothing against this form of camaraderie, it could lead to confusion, and complaints, as to who deserves how many performance points. The joint finish can also be tactical gameplay, namely. In the case of a complaint, we reserve the right to consider the race positions of the concerned runners at the last checkpoint before the finish to determine the number of performance points each gets. 

The Asia Trail Master ranking will be updated immediately after each race, and published on the ATMs website via http://m.racetimingsolutions.com/rankings , followed by a press release. The points are allocated according to the official race results as provided to us by the local race organiser. 

This is not all. A number of new initiatives for 2017 are in the pipeline and will be announced in due course! 

The Asia Trail Master series will bring you to picture perfect places also in 2017!