Every new season around the summer months we put the entire Asia Trail Master project under a magnifying glass and try to identify areas where we can twist and tweek the set-up, so everything becomes even more attractive for all parties concerned. Now in its third year, ATM still continues to grow on a constant basis according to all our internal parameters, for which we are of course very grateful to all of you. From the get-go in 2015, Asia Trail Master was the pet project of our Hong Kong-based mother company Kuai Sports Promotions with as main ambition the development of trail running, and runners, in Asia. We have hit turbulent weather at times and for sure not everything has gone the way we had imagined it, but we are confident to claim that ATM mid-2017 is a much bigger animal than mid-2015. Our champions like Arief Wismoyono, Manolito Divina and not in the least Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid clearly value their championship titles, and today do their utmost best to retain or regain them. The competiton in 2017 is bigger than ever and we are looking forward to a fantastic conclusion of this year’s championship in the next few months, hopefully with a showdown of the best runners at the Izu Trail Journey in Japan on 10 December. Still, Asia Trail Master has never been only about the fastest of runners out there. Our Grandmaster Quest is an individual challenge for every type and level of runner. Today, six athletes have achieved the first level of six races of 70+ km in two years, and Thailand-based Filipino Aleksis Capili has even managed to score his second Grandmaster star already for finishing ten such long distance races. It has pleased us to hear all around the ATM circuit that people now have the Grandmaster Quest in focus. 

We are grateful to each of our sponsors and promotional partners of the Asia Trail Master Championship series and hope we can continue to cooperate in 2018 and beyond. Trail running remains a niche in the overall running business, which means it is still not easy to obtain large financial support but some brands do see the potential now of strategic regional marketing to increase their share in the trail industry, and indeed the running industry as a whole.  As of the second half of 2017 already, ATM will boost its media services to unprecedented heights creating new brand exposure opportunities for brands and companies, either pan-Asian or national. Traditional sports are in crisis worldwide - just look at the difficulty of finding olympic host cities nowadays as just one example -, and trail running belongs to a new wave of popular activties that, perhaps, fits the 21st century better than what we thought a few years ago. Along with that comes the opportunity for innovative and creative marketing and sales ideas to blossom using the latest available technologies. 

As our social media community has grown bigger than any regional trail media platform, we have recently also opened a closed community group on facebook called ‘ATM Trail Talk’  for runners and trail running insiders with opinions. ATM Trail Talk is not meant for publishing news about events, but rather as a discussion forum for organisers, runners and other stakeholders. At Asia Trail Master, we are always open for new suggestions - or founded criticisms - and happy to discuss them with all of you keeping our core ambition close to heart. So, if you have any well-founded ideas or arguments, we are happy to hear them on ATM Trail Talk. The floor is open for all registered members.

Last but not least, a big thank you to all event organisers and all dedicated runners in the Asia Trail Master Championship series. Without you no races, and no Championship. It is fantastic to see that events have matured and gotten ever better since the beginning in 2015. Likewise, many trail runners have become household names in trail families outside their native countries. All of this to the extent that some global trail running stakeholders, such as UTWT, have taken notice. All things considered, that is a very positive development and shows that Asian trail running is moving up. One of our goals remains getting the top of the ATM Championship into the annual trail world championships organised by IAU and ITRA. For a variety of reasons, Asia is largely absent from that competition. But as institutional matters go, it takes time, unfortunately. 

We keep on working, we keep on running, we keep on making new friends and enjoying ourselves on the magnificent trails of Asia!

- KVDV

In part 4 of our 2018 calendar preview we highlight three perhaps lesser known races, but little gems they are for sure: the Mount Apo Sky Race on Mindanao in the Philippines, the Ultra Trail Nepal in Kathmandu and Batase, and the Tengri Ultra Trail in Tamgaly Tas, Kazakhstan. All three take place back-to-back from 22 April to 6 May, and are followed by the big Malaysia SuperTrail, Penang Eco 100! 

The 3rd edition of the Mount Apo Sky Race is organised by the Vertical 2 Sky Team, which has set up several nice races in Davao and on Mindanao island. In 2018 the main points race will be upgraded from 70K to 100K, yet remains an out-and-back route to the summit of the highest mountain of the Philippines. The registration is open earlier than ever soon, and with Air Asia now flying directly from Kuala Lumpur to Davao, the event has become more accessible than ever as well! 

One week later we travel to Nepal for the Ultra Trail Nepal event, which commemorates the devastating earthquake of 2015. Running from Kathmandu to the Batase Valley, also this course has been extended from 86K to a full 100K for the next edition of 28 April. Although this is Nepal, this event actually has quite some runable sections as well. 

Meanwhile a classic on the ATM calendar is the Kazakhstan pioneering race in UNESCO World Heritage Site Tamgaly Tas, 100K from Almaty. The 4th Tengri Ultra Trail is scheduled to retain its 70K main course, which is characterised by grasslands with snowcapped peaks on the horizon, and a rocky canyon to be traversed. Registrations for non-Kazakhs will be open in due course. 

Finally, Penang Eco remains the Malaysia SuperTrail on 12/14 May 2018. This is a big event with the first 100 miler of the season, along with a 100K as main race as well. Less ambitious runners can also do the 50K or 35K, but those do not offer any ATM Championship points. The courses are expected to stay as they are more or less. As everyone who has done Penang Eco knows, this one is not about the elevation, but about the humidity and mental resilience as the techical sections come at the end and after a very runable first part. 

Tengri Ultra Trail

Penang Eco 100

the 2018 ATM Calendar so far

As every year we have been evaluating our points attribution system for the Asia Trail Master Championship. Without changing too much and always sticking to the principle of "easy to calculate, easy to follow" , the 2018 system sees a few modifications that may be relevant for those fast runners gunning for a top placing in the championship. The most significant of these amendments is that B-races of 70K will no longer offer the full 400 performance points for the winner, but only 300. In our attempt to harmonise everything across the whole event calendar, we felt that B-races of a few events were overvalued - points-wise - in 2017. 

While the 'five-best-count' rule remains for the final classification at the end of the season, it should be noted that we require one of those five races to be a SuperTrail in 2018. If no SuperTrail is among the races run by an individual, his or her points total will be reduced by 250 points. This amendment is being introduced to avoid a situation whereby a runner collects high doses of points in some of the more remote or less competitive races on our calendar. 

There will be six SuperTrail races in 2018, whereby UTKC in Thailand, the 9 Dragons Ultra in Hong Kong and the Penang Eco 100 in Malaysia have already been confirmed. The allocation of the SuperTrail event for Indonesia, Japan and Philippines will be done soon. 

The Asia Trail Master Championship series continues to offer challenges and opportunities for runners of all levels and characteristics, mountain goats and quick rabbits. 

In a nutshell: 

2018 ATM Championship Points System - The key facts

• The best 5 results in terms of points count for the final classification after the last race
• Standard races: 500 championship points for winners:
  • 100 finisher points + 400 performance points
• Performance points for winners:
  • A races: 400 
  • B races of 100K: 400
  • B races of 70K or C-races of 70K: 300
  • B races of < 70K: 200
  • Exceptions to this rule possible in selected cases
  • Performance points overview table link
• Bonus finisher points:
  • SuperTrail bonus: 50 
  • 100 Miles bonus: 50
  • Abroad bonus: 50 (when 1 of minimum 3 races outside of resident country)
• NEW: SuperTrail requirement
  • To avoid fast runners collecting high doses of points in very remote or less competitive races, we introduce the SuperTrail requirement, which says that 1 of the - minimum - five races that count for the final classification must be a SuperTrail for the runner to keep all his or her points. If the runner did not compete in a SuperTrail, his or her points total will be reduced by 250 points after the last SuperTrail race of the year has taken place. 
• There will be 6 SuperTrails races in 2018. Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia are already confirmed. Japan, Indonesia and Philippines will be announced in due course

In part 3 of our 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series preview, we highlight four more great races in four different countries. Starting with 23/24 March, we have the first of two superspeed trail courses and it's a classic one: the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei has firmly established itself on the Asian trail calendar thanks to its solid organisation and wonderful atmosphere. The event takes place a month later than usual, but retains most of its characteristics. That means the 100k is still the main race, with a 50K as intermediate distance that also qualifies for ATM Championship points. Beginning runners can also opt for 30K in Brunei, which is nonetheless quite a challenge given the heat and humidity inherent to the small country on Borneo island. The Beach Bunch is of course still an event where environmental protection is a key aspect: the beaches around Jerudong suffer a lot from waste being spilled into the sea in other countries, which all comes ashore here. The local volunteers clean up as much as possible for the event weekend, but you would be stunned to see what amounts of trash actually all arrives there on the beach. 

Fast-legged runners should in any case mark this period on the ATM Calendar as two weeks later there is another trail speedway in nearby Malaysia: the Sungai Menyala Forest Trail is a 50k race without much elevation gain neither. Still, as with the Beach Bunch, be prepared as the DNF rates are quite high also in Port Dickson. In fact, Sungai Menyala can be a little muddy also, which seriously tires you down. 

Time to hit the mountains again. On 14/15 April we have a big return to the Asia Trail Master calendar: Ultimate Tsaigu, a tough 100k race in Linhai, Zhejiang Province, China is back! Previously known as Tsaigu Tangsi Plus, the popular Chinese race had a sabbatical this season after being a points race in 2015 and 2016. Races in China are usually not the easiest to enter, but if you want to make the effort (and we help you!) Ultimate Tsaigu is an excellent opportunity given the relative proximity of major cities Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo. Event town Linhai is a tourist spot with ancient city wall and tea plantations, and linked to the aforementioned cities by train. Come prepared, however, as the 100K has over 6000m of elevation gain and the 70K is serious business as well. Of course, both 100k and 70k are Grandmaster distances.

Not a Grandmaster distance, but quite tough nevertheless is the Korea 50k race near Seoul a week later. In 2018, the course officially measures 58km and has an elevation gain of close to 3000 hm. The country's premier trail event is hitting its 4th edition already and is a hill forest race pur sang with traditionally quite an international field of runners. There's a shorter distance available as well , which makes the event in Dongducheon, in the northern suburbs of Seoul, accessible to everyone. 

The calendar so far...

Yesterday we highlighted the first quartet of races in the forthcoming 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship, and today we are happy to announce the first SuperTrails next year. UTKC, short for Ultra-Trail Unseen Koh Chang, in Thailand is again the first event where runners can score 50 bonus points for the championship if they finish the 100k or 70k race. Making a fantastic debut on the Asia Trail Master scene last February, UTKC stood out for its great atmosphere, challenging course,hot weather and the high-level of the participants. On 16/17 February 2018, we expect no less. You can already sign up, too, via the new event website by the Teelakow crew. 

Only one week later we already have the next SuperTrail. And it's a brand new one: the 9 Dragons Ultra in Hong Kong! After great reviews of the inaugural edition, we are delighted this young event has joined our Asia Trail Master Championship. The 9 Dragons Ultra merits its SuperTrail status for exactly the same reasons as UTKC. There is an additional challenge in Hong Kong, though. The main race is de facto a stage race, with a 50 miles race on Saturday and a 50k on Sunday. ATM points will be scored on the basis of the general classification after the two stages, but runners can also collect if they finish the 50 miles-only. This race goes beyond the usual trajectory of Hong Kong races with the many steps and stairs, and will surprise you of how much beautiful natural trail there still is in the New Territories. 

For the seventh race of the 2018 season we return to the Philippines for the 50k classic Cordillera Mountain Ultra. Hailed year-after-year as one of our championship's highlights, the CMU race will reward runners even more in 2018...stay tuned. Mount Ugo is the centrepiece of this race that starts and finishes in the small town of Dalupirip, where citizens are very enthuastic about the event and will do everything to make you feel at home. You should try the locally produced coffee as well, and if not for anything else, just to support the NGO Cordillera Conservation Trust, which does important environmental and social work in this remote mountain area. 

With the CMU event we have arrived in March, which currently still has two vacant weekends. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, we are still open to receive event applications for the weekends of 10/11 March and 17/18 March. But not for 24/25 March, as then we have the next one of our meanwhile classic events. Which one? Find out tomorrow! 

The 2018 Asia Trail Master calendar so far:

ANNOUNCEMENT - While we are all anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship  in the fortcoming three months, we are also already planning ahead for next year. In the next days we will be making several announcements related to the 2018 championship, including some points regulation changes and of course the race calendar for the first semester of 2018. 

The calendar promises to be even more filled and as varied as this year with a number of exciting newcomers, a big returnee, and of course our young classics. Beginning on the weekend of 20/21 January, trail runners can look forward to Asia Trail Master action nearly every weekend till the end of June. Points will be collected throughout the season, and at the end of the year still the best five results per runner, in terms of points, will be taken into account for the final championship classification. The foundation of the championship therefore will remain the same as this year. A few details will be amended and these will be announced in a separate announcement later this week. 

The 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series will again take off in Indonesia and Philippines, two countries that have witnessed a large growth of their domestic trail running scenes over the past years, which naturally also has resulted in a number of runners gaining fame and prestige throughout the Asian continent. Just think of Manolito Divina and Ruth Theresia, to name two only. 

The Tahura Trail in Bandung, West Java, is the ideal race to get into gear on 21 January. It's not too long at 42 km, it's not too hard neither, but it does have technical sections that will separate the trail runner from the road runner, especially when it's wet and muddy like in 2017. For those who have not been in Bandung, it's a city surrounded by green mountains where Jakartians flock to on weekends. The tourism and hotel industry is therefore well-developed and you can easily spend a brilliant weekend with the family in the area. 

As in 2017, the next event has a similar set-up in that the Rizal mountains are close to Manila, capital city of the Philippines. Participants for the Rizal Mountain Run on 28 January can stay in Manila and grab transport to the event site on Saturday night and return to the city after the race. The Rizal Mountain Run will be the first of two back-to-back pinoy points races because the following weekend we have the Pilipinas Akyathlon, as introduced last week. The Akyathlon takes place around Mount Ugo in the Cordillera mountains, and a full week travel package including the two ATM points races is currently being designed for runners who like to spend a whole week in the Philippines! Stay tuned for more details on this special travel option in due course. 

With three races of 42 km, 50 km and 46 km in the bag, runners will be warmed up for the first genuine ultra race of the 2018 season: the Coast To Coast Night Trail Ultra in Central Java's Yogyakarta. If you thought the 70 km was tough this year, be prepared then for 10 February as the local organisers have announced a 100 km course as main race distance in 2018. Final confirmation of that is still pending, though. The 70 km also remains on the programme, which means CTC offers the first 2 Grandmaster point collection options of next year's season. Coast To Coast Night Trail takes place mostly at night - obviously - and can safely be considered a race suited for in-shape trail technicians. However, there's quite long runable sections, too, which makes for a well-balanced course appreciated by experienced runners. 

With these four great events we are confident the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series will start with a bang. And wait for tomorrow... when we announce the next quartet of races and the first SuperTrails for next year! 

The First Four: 

With three races in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship series, Japan is more than ever open to the international trail running community. The country arguably being the centre of Asian long distance running, we can only applaud this and we are looking forward to discovering more of all these gems of events that have so far been elusive if not outright mysterious. Introducing Hakuba International Trails: a new 2018 Candidate Race taking place this coming weekend 9/10 September in Nagano, former host city of the Olympic Winter Games. 

It will be the second edition of the event after a very successful premiere last year. Hakuba offers a scenic and spicy 53 km course with 2800 metres of elevation gain. As you can see from the images below, the race takes place in the mountains. Several rivers need to be crossed as well. About 1700 runners are expected to take part in the event that also offers three shorter distances to cater for the whole family. The first start is at 7:00 a.m. and the COT for the 53km is 10 hours, which does imply participants need to move on during the race. 

The event is organised by the Hakuba International Trail Run Committee, which includes several experienced ultra runners. We are looking forward to next week's Candidate Race edition, and are confident Hakuba International Trails will also be a great points race in next year's Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Please take a look at the website of Hakuba International Trails for more details (currently only in Japanese). 

UTKC, aka Ultra Trail Unseen Koh Chang, made quite an impression on runners last February as the Thailand SuperTrail in the Asia Trail Master Championship series. The organising team Teelakow of course has quickly gathered a reputation for delivering well-organised and designed events like also the Ultra Trail Panoramic and Ultra Trail Chiang Rai. We are happy to announce that also in 2018 these three great races will be part of the Asia Trail Master Championship, and UTKC will again be the first SuperTrail race of the season on 16/17 February 2018. 

The event again features tough 100k and 70k Grandmaster distance races, along with two shorter races for beginning runners. For the championship, the two long distances count for points. 

The registration has just opened today for UTKC 2018. While the organisers accept high numbers of runners, better do sign up relatively quickly as the events do sell out beforehand in Thailand. 

Go to the new website www.utkcthailand.com for info on 2018 and the online reg form. 

The Philippines is rich of exciting trail running events and today we are excited to introduce one that is a great newcomer for the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series. The Pilipinas Akyathlon has been recommended to us by the most experienced trail runners in the country, and we are delighted that the organisers of Philippines Skyrunning Association have indeed engaged in a cooperation with us for the next two seasons. Scheduled for 4 February 2018, the Pilipinas Akyathlon’s main event is the 46 km race from Binga Lake in Itogon to the summit of Mt Ugo and back to the lake via a different route. Two shorter races are also on the programme, but it’s the 46 km that counts for ATM points. 

While 46 km is not particularly long, it is a typically crisp course with no fewer than 3257m of elevation gain to be conquered! It’s therefore the perfect addition to our 2018 early season roster, and follows the Rizal Mountain Run a week earlier. Runners coming from a bit farther away or outside Philippines therefore have a chance to spend a fantastic week in the country taking in two ATM points races in one go! A training and sightseeing programme for in-between the two race weekends can be designed for people interested. 

The course of the Akyathlon is very scenic and features rice fields in remote villages, pine forests and hanging bridges crossing the mighty Agno River. And there’s of course the long and often steep ascent of Mount Ugo. For those who wonder, the Akyathlon goes up this famous mountain via a different route than the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, so both races are very distinct, indeed. Kian Vicera, race director, does emphasize that this is a race for runners with already a few trails on their record. 

Registration for the Pilipinas Akyathlon opens very soon via Raceyaya. Stay tuned! 

We are only mid-way in the 2017 season, but behind the scenes preparations for next year have been heating up in recent weeks. As already announced, the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong is an exciting newcomer in our Championship series on 24/25 February as the new Hong Kong SuperTrail (register quickly as selling out quickly!), but there's more to be announced! Watch this space next week for the first introduction of our 2018 ATM Championship calendar for the first semester. 

Concerning this year's Championship, the battle for points continues next month with the Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa. One week earlier, there is of course also the Candidate Race Bandung Ultra 100 in West Java, Indonesia. There's a few more Candidate Races that may be announced in due course as well, for those seeking a pioneering experience.

Enjoy the summer time lull in the mean time! 

Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid once again dotted the i last weekend with a strong second consecutive victory in the 100k Magnificent Merapoh Trail. The 2016 ATM champion not only re-ignites her 2017 Championship campaign and remains unbeaten in 10 ATM races, but she also crowned herself as the third female Asia Trail Grandmaster. After Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra 100 at the end of 2015, the Malaysian mother-of-three completed five more ultra distances of 100k or more: Penang Eco 100 miles, MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge, UT Koh Chang 100 and twice the Merapoh Trail 100. 

Last weekend, Tahira had an easier-than-expected race following the dropping out of Ruth Theresia. The Indonesian had decided to stay home due to a family situation. It has to be emphasized, though, that Tahira has never looked stronger than this year. Already at Tahura Trail and UTKC early this year she ran around with an aura of invincibility, and this got even more reinforced at Merapoh as she crossed the finish line just a coupleof minutes behind third-placed male Rexell Aguirre from Philippines and 25 minutes ahead of Isaac Yuen Wan Ho! Her finishing time was 12:13:10. Her new win propels her to third place in the current ATM Championship ranking, in what was her fourth points race of the season. Ruth Theresia is still 25 points ahead of her, thanks to her second place and the bonus points for the 100 miles at the Malaysia SuperTrail in Penang last May. But we do have a new points leader going into the summer break! Indonesia's ultra trail lover Lily Suryani finished her fifth points race of the season in fourth place, which is enough to jump ahead of her younger compatriot Theresia by 125 points. 

At the end of the year, each runner's best five results count. As such, Cheryl Bihag managed to eliminate her poorest result of the season - 33rd at Korea 50k - with 9th place at Merapoh last weekend, boosting her total points slightly higher still. 

Sabah's Adelinah Lintanga, team mate of Tahira at Malatra, finished the 100k in a superb second place, staying ahead of Malang Runner Shindy Patricia by almost 20 minutes in a splendid 14:28.   Lintanga moves up to fifth place in the ATM Championship, just behind Bihag, with Patricia in sixth. 

The men's race turned out to be more hotly contested than perhaps anticipated. Brunei's road runner turned trail runner Sefli Ahar got it all together and won the race in an incredible time of 11:26:18. It's Sefli's third career ATM win, but his first outside his home country. The former winner of the Hong Kong Half Marathon is eyeing more ATM points races in the second half of the season and could become a genuine dangerman for the likes of Steven Ong, Manolito Divina and Arief Wismoyono. 

Ahar ran a seemingly smart race, although Malaysian newcomer Mohamed Affindi Bin Nudin was giving him a serious fight in the early stages of the race. Affindi, as he is commonly known, ran his first 100k after doing his first 50k a mere two weeks ago. The Malaysian army man led the race ahead of Ahar at the first number of checkpoints! It is certainly not a shame, nor a surprise, that he faded somewhat in the second half of the race, but he still finished second in 11:57:46! A new kid on the block, Mohamed Affindi! 

Philippines' Riezel Cabanig looked like the strongest final podium runner for quite a while. Unfortunately, Cabanig missed the markings twice or three times, which dropped him back to sixth place at the finish. Yet, Cabanig is another runner to remember after this race! It was his compatriot from Mindanao Island in the south of the Philippines, Rexell Aguirre, who secured the final podium place for his country in the end. Steady-paced, Aguirre was second behind Pablo Diago Gonzales at the Mount Apo Skyrace in April and thus scored his second ATM podium of the season. Will he be the man to watch on 29 October at the upcoming UT Mapawa on... Mindanao? 

More than twenty minutes behind the Pinoy runner, Isaac Yuen Wan Ho reached the finish in fourth place. Second last year, Yuen Wan Ho had hoped to win it this time around, but moving appartments in the days before a fast-paced 100k race in tropical weather was not the best preparation. He even slept for a while at checkpoint 3. Still, the Hong Kong Grandmaster took it in style and moves up to fourth place in the ATM Championship behind Ong, Yim Heng Fatt and Arief Wismoyono. Yimster was also in the race and proved his grit again after the grueling Mantra Summits Challenge a week earlier. Yim was eighth. Indonesia's experienced Hendra Siswanto ran an excellent Merapoh Trail to come in as number five. Siswanto was in the mix the entire race and his second top 5 finish of the season is well-earned. He also moves up to sixth place in the ATM Championship with four points races completed in 2017. 

The 3rd edition of the Magnificent Merapoh Trail saw a record number of almost 900 runners. Running Project, the organising team of the event, has announced already that 1000 will be the upper limit next year, and that the race course will change considerably for 2018. We are all looking forward already! 

We now enter a period of welcome rest in the Asia Trail Master Championship series. The next points races will be the Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa, which will be preceeded by the Bandung Ultra and a possible other event as 2018 Candidate Races. 

Sefli Ahar scored his first trail race victory outside of his native Brunei. Here with his son. 

The female 100K podium with Tahira, Adelinah and Shindy

It is only the third edition, but the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Pahang, Malaysia, is quickly establishing itself as a true trail classic in these humid summer months in Asia. The event is drawing a lot of attention because of the several cave sections, which makes it rather unique, and can also again showcase a strong international field of participants. The main 100k course is largely the same as last year, including the long river crossing, but new is that the course will be run in reverse this year. Last year's 60k has been upgraded to 70k, which also makes it a Grandmaster Quest distance. Within the context of the Asia Trail Master Championship series, there are plenty of top ranked runners in Malaysia this weekend. Especially in the women's: the entire top 7 of the current championship ranking is here! Only Kim Matthews (4) is missing, the Australian is aiming for another victory at the Vietnam Mountain Marathon next month. 

A significant late entry is defending champion Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid. Two weeks after cruising to victory in the Plataran X Trail in Bali, the popular Malaysian feels ready for the 100k distance again after a rather difficult first semester this year, in which she nonetheless has remained unbeaten on the Asia Trail Master circuit. If we include the Bali Candidate Race, Tahira can score her 10th race victory this Saturday. No man has done better. However, it won't come on a silver platter. Tahira is facing Indonesia's Ruth Theresia, the current points leader in the 2017 Championship and who has a quick pace on flattish trails as well. The Bandung Explorer leading lady has recently also become the second female Grandmaster after her compatriot Ina Budiyarni last November. Ruth is on a roll this year with four ATM race victories including last week's extremely tough Mantra Summits Challenge in East Java. However, two weeks ago in Bali, stomach cramps forced the busy bee to retire from the race eventually won by Tahira as well, perhaps showing some signs of vulnerability after running so many races in the last months. In any case, the Merapoh Trail will be important for both of them this weekend. Should both finish the ATM season with equal points, the advantage goes to the winner of the last direct dual. 

There's a few other strong podium candidates in the women's race. Runners who on a given day could even interfere with the plans of Tahira and Ruth. Among them is definitely Shindy Patricia, also from Indonesia, Mt Apo Sky Race winner Manilyn Mamugay from Mindanao in Philippines and Sabah's Adelinah Lintanga. In the runable Ijen Trail 100, Shindy Patricia was leading nearly the whole race until Ruth caught up in the very last kilometre and beat her in the sprint. Shindy likes it technical as well, so her third place considerably behind Tahira in Bali should not necessarily be a true measure of her current form. Manilyn Mamugay has two ATM race victories on her record (Mt Apo 2017, The Punisher 50 miles 2016), and is running for the first time outside her home region. Modest in her ambitions, apparently, yet last year her country woman Gretchen Felipe also came to conquer Merapoh. Malaysia has a third iron in the fire with Faherina Mohd Esa, who was second in this race last year and tenth in the overall ATM Championship. Finally, it should be noted that current ATM #2 Lily Suryani is within striking distance of Ruth Theresia's points lead should things go wrong for the latter. Suryani is 275 points adrift and will be running her fifth ATM race this season already, having collected podium places at Penang Eco 100 miles and Beach Bunch Trail 100 in the process! Philippines's Cheryl Bihag is having her sixth ATM start of the year even, her eyes now very much set on the Grandmaster Quest.

In theory, Yim Heng Fatt can take over the men's championship lead this weekend from Steven Soonseng Ong. But only if he wins the race. Yim has had a strong season with good placings all over Asia. As with Ruth Theresia, though, how much of Mantra will still be in the legs this Saturday? Someone who has been focusing on training in the past weeks with the sole objective of winning the Merapoh Trail is Isaac Yuen Wan Ho. There's virtually no racing in his native Hong Kong these weeks, and the number five in the current points standings is keen to return to Merapoh after finishing a superb second last year. Yuen Wan Ho was recently lauded as "most improved runner" in Hong Kong, and arguably it was at Merapoh 2016 where he managed to make that last step to winners' level. If he sets the same blistering pace as he did in Penang last May, it will be interesting to see who can follow him. One guy most likely will: Sefli Ahar from Brunei. The policeman wants to set the record straight after the unfortunate DNF at Penang Eco. Sefli is a road runner, who after two consecutive victories at the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge decided to give trail and the Asia Trail Master Championship a shot. His inexperience cost him dearly in the Penang race, but this weekend he is unlikely to repeat the same mistake. Yet, it is trail, and the 100k ran mostly in the dark hours. Come sunrise, anything could have happened. 

As usual, we will be reporting live from Merapoh, signal permitting. The coverage will start on Friday afternoon.