Over the years V Trail has built up a reputation of being one of the - if not THE - most brutal trail running events in Southeast Asia. But now in 2026 things promise to be quite different! The event in Vang Vieng, organised by Green Step, has undergone a true face lift in order to make the races more digestible and fun, in line with modern trends in trail running. All races will take place on Sunday, 15 March with the flagship race the 50km starting at 5 am, i.e. more or less at sunrise. That’s correct: no more 85km jungle torture. At least not in 2026.

The 50km is an Asia Trail Master Championship qualifier and is also redesigned compared to last year’s course, won by Jeff Campbell (male) and Anna Turrini (female). Whereas in 2025 our reigning champion Campbell still required almost 8 hours and 40 minutes, expectation is that the new layout is much faster and runable. Still, Vang Vieng remains surrounded by hilly rainforest and nearly 1900 metres of elevation gain needs to be conquered. The start and finish is at the Vang Vieng lower secondary school, very close to the river that flows through the town. The cut-off time has been set at 12 hours, i.e. 5 pm at the finish back at the school.

Less ambitious runners can also opt for a 30km, 18km and 10km. Vang Vieng is a popular travel destination in Laos and connected on the high speed railway network between country capital Vientiane and China’s Kunming in Yunnan. From Vientiane airport, it takes a good hour to reach Vang Vieng by highway. Busses are available. Stay tuned for latest updates on the events’s facebook page.

International runners can get registration and accommodation information via whatsapp number +856 20 9221 1556 . You can also send an email to info@asiatrailmaster.com , our team can redirect to the event organising team in Laos.

One month later than usual due to upcoming elections, the popular Manjushree Trail Race in and around Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu has been scheduled for the weekend of 17 to 19 April 2026. The event will again feature two categories offering Asia Trail Master championship points, the 100 Miles and the 50km. Runners focusing on the Grandmaster Quest can of course consider the 100km category along with the 100 Miles.

The longest distance of the event takes runners on the Kathmandu Valley Rim, which is named after the god Manjushree. As the official website says: ‘The race route takes runners along the famous Kathmandu valley rim ridge line and across the seven peaks that surround the valley. As part of this, the racecourse also crosses the two national park (Nagarjun and Shivapuri) that border the valley. Over 85% of the route is single track, where it sometimes takes hours before runners come across a little settlement. Even though you are technically still within the Kathmandu valley, you will feel like you are far away from urbanization many times during the race.’ Looking at the course map, you see one big natural loop that measures 175 kilometres (so it’s actually longer than 100 miles). The names of the seven peaks are Jamacho, Shivapuri, Nagarkot, Pulchowki, Champadevi, Basmandur and Chandragiri. It’s a clean oval loop, but with a total elevation gain of over 12000hm, this is a race runners need to be physically and mentally prepared for. The race starts at 8am on Friday morning and the cut-off time at the finish will be reached after 52 hours. The venue for start and finish is Single Tree.

The 50 km race will start from Badikhel, above Godavari, and join the trail of the 100 miles and 100km. Participants will go to the start venue by shuttle bus from Kathmandu city in the morning to take flag off at 8 am. The cut-off time is 14 hours. The course is challenging and technical for a 50km, even though it is essentially a daytime race. Last year, Priya Rai and Man Kumar took the victories in the women’s and men’s categories.

Registration is open and can be accessed via the official website linked below. Please note that upon successful registration, you will receive an email from the event crew with details on travel and accommodation packages, should you require these. In any case, it is possible to stay in Kathmandu City and head out to the race start/finish venue from there by taxi/motorbike.

We are happy to announce that Zamboanguita Mountain Ultra Trail has been added to the Grandmaster Quest calendar on the weekend of 9/10 May 206. Organised by Happy Feet Events and Rhodel Sarande, ZMUT - as the event is called in brief - takes place on Negros Oriental, one of the southern islands in the Philippines. Previously in ATM, the company also organised the Mount Talinis Mountain Marathon.

The main race distance in which trail runners can score a Grandmaster point is the 70km category. It is a tough 70km with an estimated elevation gain of over 4000 hm. To note also is the maximum number of participants for the race, i.e. 300. The start is scheduled for 3 o'clock in the afternoon and runners have 24 hours of time to complete the course. Host of the event is the town of Zamboanguita and along the course runners will enjoy great scenery: waterfalls, lakes, dams and grassland ridges. Mount Talinis will also appear in view.

To reach Zamboanguita, you need to fly to Negros Oriental’s main airport city Dumaguete City, which is connected to Manila, Cebu, Davao etc.

Registration for the event will open very soon. You can stay tuned via its facebook page.

We are happy to announce that the 5th edition of Pahang Eco in peninsular Malaysia joins the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar on the long weekend of 21 to 23 August 2026. Known as one of the toughest trail races in the country, Pahang Eco has gained a lot of prestige over the past four years. The event was an ATM Candidate back in 2023 as well.

Organised by Elpis Event Management, the race’s event blurb describes a journey that will take you across breathtaking landscapes, from pristine white sandy beaches and shady coastal pines to rugged cliffs and scenic trails through Bukit Pelindung Bukit Tokki and historical Bukit Galing. Along the way, you’ll experience the coastal charm of Pantai Pelindung, Pantai Beserah, and Pantai Batu Hitam. The start and finish venue is Teluk Cempedak. Trail runners should expect a good blend of tarmac, beach, and forest trails, featuring challenging hill sections designed to test your endurance and determination. Be sure to include hill training in your preparation so you can take on the climbs with confidence and maintain your strength throughout the race.

Also due to the typical Malaysian humidity and heat, Pahang Eco tends to have a high DNF rate on the longer distance, so proper preparation is indeed a must. Less ambitious runners can also go for the 50km, 23km or 12km - but note these obviously do not offer a GM point. Make sure you also check the mandatory gear list.

Pahang Eco takes place on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, in Kuantan. The town has plenty of accommodation options and is well-connected by highway to Kuala Lumpur.

Registration and all details can be found via the button below. You can also stay up to date via the event’s facebook and instagram pages.

The 2026 edition of BTR Ultra in Bali, Indonesia, has been scheduled for the weekend of 15-17 May and features again 100km and 60km distance categories offering points for the ATM Championship ranking. Being longer than 70km, the 100km of course also offers a Grandmaster Quest point for finishers. BTR Ultra is centred around the iconic Batur volcano in Kintamani and has quickly become one of the most popular destinations on the ATM calendar. Bali raises images of sun, beach and holidays, but make no mistake: this is a tough trail race!

The 100km actually measures 106km and has over 7200 metres of elevation gain. Runners start at 6 pm on Friday evening and has 34 hours of time to complete the course. The 60km has 3800 metres of elevation gain, starts at 4 am on Saturday and you have 19 hours to reach the finish line. Start and finish is located at the Batur lake.

Last year, the two main categories were won by non-Indonesian runners, Roberto Cain III (Philippines) and Man Yee Cheung (Hong Kong) took the men’s and women’s 100km. race, respectively. On the medium distance, it was Lodewijk Vriens (Netherlands/Hong Kong) and Vanja Cnops (Belgium/Singapore) who claimed the top step on the podium.

Registration is open and will go quickly. Click on the button below to reach the BTR website and information on how to register.

For those new to trail running and Bali, Kintamani lies towards the northeast of the island and is at least 2 hours driving from the airport (subject to traffic). Tourism hotspot Ubud is closer and an option to stay, but you will need organised transport (taxi, grab., motorbike) to reach Batur from there.

100km

Penang Sky Race is one of Malaysia’s qualifiers for the Asia Trail Master Championship and rapidly becoming a classic race on the calendar. The 2026 edition retains its end-of-April spot, with the event marked on 25/26 April. Co-organised by MMTF Consultant, Penang Sky Race not only saw a fantastic competition in 2025 in both the men’s and women’s categories, but also proved once more that you don’t always need a 100km to feel completely squeezed out like an orange. Penang is beautiful, but also hot and very humid.

As the event name suggests, Penang Sky Race is also part of the global Skyrunner series and in particular the 30km race, which almost has the same elevation gain as the 50km (approx 2300 hm vs 2700 hm). Please note that runners seeking points for the ATM Championship ranking need to focus on the 50km.

The 50km Sky Ultraks race category has start and finish at the Youth Park in Georgetown, main city in Penang. As such, this is a convenient event logistically with also an international airport to the south of Georgetown. Following the 3 am start, the course will take runners on ondulating terrain with Penang Hill as a highlight. The highest point of the course is Western Hill at 833m above sea level. Hills can be very rugged and technical, and then there’s the heat and humidity. But once you finished, the beach is also not far away and Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site do definitely worth your time to wander about. The Pearl of Orient State of Penang is also famous for its tantalizing local street food (specifically Peranakan cuisine) and for being one of the top tourist destinations in Malaysia. It is a place where cultural tradition and modernity blend seamlessly into one.

Last year, Godwin Mirar took his first major international win ahead of Wilsen Singgin, while Hau Ha managed to keep Priya Rai behind her.

Registration for the 50km is easy via the button below that links to the Checkpointspot website.

With regret we have to inform everyone of the confirmation that the return of Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths in Vietnam has been postponed from early April to the end of December 2026. The postponement is the result of a major survey conducted by the event organiser, Race Jungle. According to the statement linked below via facebook, the main consideration is the difficulty of the race at the end of the trail running season in Vietnam (which mirrors the Hong Kong season). Moreover, end of year is perceived to be a better and more beautiful fime to enjoy the Cuc Phuong primary forest.

A major implication for the Season 11 ATM Championship is that Cuc Phuong hereby also moves from Season 11 to Season 12. At present there’s therefore one less qualifier event for Vietnamese runners to score points in their attempt to qualify for the ATM Championship Final, which will take place in Vietnam - at Mu Cang Chai on 3 October. Previously this season, also Lam Dong Trail in Dalat got cancelled following the terrible weather in the region over the past months. The next ATM Championship qualifiers are Vietnam Trail Marathon next month and Brah Yang Trail Summit in March. Prenn Trail Summit, also coming up in January, offers Grandmaster points. We aim and hope another Vietnamese event can still be included on the Season 11 calendar.

Minamiaso Caldera Trail was the first ATM Candidate taking place on Kyushu, the southwesternmost island of Japan. Organised by the Local Gain group out of Kumamoto, Minamiaso has a winter and a summer edition, so participants can visit and enjoy the magnificent scenery along the trails in two completely different set-ups. The Winter Minamiaso took place in dry and good running conditions, albeit without snow this time. As such, it was a relatively fast race at the front, despite the significant elevation gain of 2500 hm for the 50km distance.

Tomohiro Machida proved to be quickest on the day in 5h53, winning the men’s race by some three-and-a-half minutes over Yohei Kawahara. The third spot on the podium was taken by Yuichiro Hayashi. Fastest female runner was Kyona Nonaka in 7h33, five minutes ahead of Seika Higashi. Sayo Matsuda claimed third place.

Minamiaso is one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas. You reach the area via Kumamoto, one of Kyushu’s main cities - the biggest is nearby Fukuoka. Kumamoto has an airport with even some international connections such as Hong Kong, and otherwise Fukuoka has more. Both cities are worth a visit, too.

The Summer Minamiaso is scheduled for early July 2026 and is expected to be officially announced in the course of January.

The last points race of 2025 saw two pre-race favourites live up to the expectations and take their second ATM race win of Season 11. Jomarc Ferrer and Kimberly Flores both ran a smart New Corella Trail Ultra race and underlined their growing reputation as young and upcoming trail talents in the Philippines.

After a neck-and-neck battle with Ulyses Esteva, Jomarc finally took the lead at around km50. Successfully navigating the more technical sections in the latter part of the race, he emerged victorious with a finishing time of 8:18 hours. Esteva did well to score second just 13 minutes later, with Prince Gabucay a great third place as well. Another top favourite, the experienced Yoyong Sacayle, managed to score useful ATM points for fifth place, but was still preceeded by Marlonette Esquierdo - yet another new name.

With this win, Jomarc again confirmed his current form and already looks like a near-certainty for Team Pilipinas in the Season 11 ATM Championship Final. Three weeks ago, he also emerged victorious in the 42 km of the Mount Apo Sky Race. Ferrer is also. qualified for the Season 10 Final. With his current form he might be a contender for minimum top 10.

Also Kimberly Flores scored her second win of the still young season, and in fact it is her third ATM race win in just four months. In August, she was also fastest female in the Punisher. After Shally Yuson’s and Shekinah Velasquez’ DNS, Flores was the clear woman to beat in New Corella. As such, she ran to another rather comfortable victory. Finishing in 11h50, she preceeded Luzon’s Krizia Bondad and Jenny Grace Padillo.

The next Filipino qualifier event for the ATM Championship Final of Season 11, which will end on 3 October 2026 with Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam, will be held near Manila with the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in April.

The final ATM points race event of 2025 is upon us this weekend and it’s a new one: New Corella Trail Ultra (NCTU). Taking place in New Corella, located in Davao del Norte, Mindanao, the third edition of the event features a 70km race that serves as a qualifier for the ATM Championship points ranking and, as it’s 70km, for the Grandmaster Quest. The event is organised by AWRA Davao featuring 2-star Grandmaster Alran Cifra, and was a Candidate Race last year.

That edition had a 50km as longest distance and was won by Vincent Philip Sinanggote . The 24-year-old had the better of another promising talent in Eldy Bulod in a tough race , made even more technical and complicated by the heavy rainfall hours before the race start. Sinanggote finished in a time of 7h11. Fastest woman a year ago was Guia Heistaire Angela, who will provide us with a lot of insight this weekend during our live broadcast from the event on Saturday afternoon and evening. The main race starts at 10 pm, implying a night race for the quicker amongst the many participants.

Participants will traverse diverse terrain, from rolling hills and dense forests to river crossings and rugged mountain trails. Amongst the highlights are Bundok Cave, a remarkable 200-foot-long cave that runners will traverse, and the Panas and Casilak Waterfalls. In addition, there is Balaang Bukid, a prominent landmark with significant local cultural and spiritual relevance.

Among the men’s race favourites for the 70km are the trio of Jomarc Ferrer, Yoyong Sacayle and Marjones Abugan. All well-known competitors in ATM and in very good shape as Ferrer and Sacayle have shown already in recent weeks. Other known podium contenders are Sean Aying, Adam Jovane and Marvin Buizon. The two latter runners, plus Ferrer and Sacayle are already on the points board of Season 11 after Mount Apo Sky Race last month.

The women’s race may see an interesting competition as well featuring Shally Yuson, who has become the benchmark in Mindanao, and the young up-and-coming Kimberly Flores, winner of The Punisher and Mount Apo 42km in the past few months. Shekinah Velasques, ATM Finalist just like Yuson, is another challenger for the victory, and there’s other known contenders such as Dolly Alonzo and Jennifer Commandante.

You can follow the action at NCTU live on our ATM Channels with focus on facebook and youtube. The 70km race starts at 22:00 local time.

Jomarc Ferrer

Yoyong Sacayle

Marjones Abugan

Shally Yuson

Kim Flores

Shekinah Velasquez

We are happy to announce a new ATM Candidate Race in peninsular Malaysia, taking place in Selangor not too far from KLIA Airport on the weekend of 4/5 September 2026. The 2nd edition of Tunggul Melati Trail builds on the experience of its debut event and offers trail runners now also a long ultra course of 80km with nearly 3500 metres of elevation gain. Organised by Pasak Adv Empire, ‘TMT” as Tunggul Melati Trail is known in short, has great ambitions going forward.

The race village is based in Jenderam Hilir, where there will also be a sports tourism expo, cultural activities , local vendors and runner services. The long-term objective is to establish Jenderam Hilir and its surrounding attractions as a premier national and international hub for trail running, sports tourism and eco-recreation.

In brief, Tunggul Melati Trail seeks to:

• Position itself as one of Malaysia’s leading trail running races with regional and internation participation

• Promote Selangor as a key destination for nature-based and adventure tourism

• Create long-term economic opportunities for local businesses, homestays, vendors and tourism operators

• Foster healthy lifestyles through inclusive sports programmes and community-driven wellness initiatives

• Discover and develop new talents in trail running and endurance sports, especially among the youth

• Strengthen environmental awareness by encouraging responsible recreation and conservation of Bukit Tunggul, Bukit Melati and the surrounding green areas.

• Ultimately, the event aspires to become a signature annual attraction that contributes to tourism growth, supports local socio-economic development and builds a strong identity for the region through spots, nature and culture.

The event features several race distance categories of which the 80km is now the key attraction. Less ambitious runners can also opt for the 60km, 40km or 15km. Pay attention to the start time of the 80km: Saturday at 18:00h, meaning faster runners are looking at a nighttime race. The 60km starts at midnight, with the two shorter distance at 4:00 and 7:00 am respectively. Cut-off time for the 80km is 22 hours, 17 hours for the 60km and 12h and 6h for the 40km and 15km.

Registration goes easily via the well-known Checkpointspot site, linked below.

We are thrilled to announce a brand new extension to our Grandmaster Quest, the individual trail challenge for runners of all performance levels. This comes in response to popular demand by some of our Golden **** Grandmasters and even Silver *** and Bronze ** Grandmasters - who have been asking ATM for a new goal and new incentives to keep on participating in trail running events after completing the four levels of the Grandmaster Quest.

Months of contemplation and brainstorming have now resulted in two additional levels that will nudge Golden Grandmasters on the Trail to Immortality !

In a nutshell:

• For Golden 4-Star Grandmasters who wish to continue exploring the trails of Asia

• The gate leading to the Trail to Immortality opens on 1 January 2026

• No time limit to complete the Trail to Immortality .

• Two steps to reach Immortality

1. Become Legend

2. Become Immortal

• Become Legend by running Grandmaster distances at ATM promoted events in five different Asia/Pacific countries.

• Collect 500 points in as many races as you want. Each kilometre = 1 point (i.e. 100km = 100 points, 75km = 75 points).

  Note that running 5x 70km races is therefore not enough as only 350 points, and that you must be an official finisher in each race to score points

• Become Immortal by running Grandmaster distances at ATM promoted events in ten different Asian countries and collect 1000 points.

  Your points achieved to become Legend remain active and valid (i.e. no points reset).

• Bonus Points for elevation gain: for every 25000 hm accumulated : 25 bonus points

• You must be an official finisher of the race to score your points

• Each event, and each country, only coints once during the Trail to Immortality. However, you can choose an event you did already during your Grandmaster Quest

Runners who become Legend and Immortal will receive exclusive achievement tokens as trophy. The Trail to Immortality has been designed also keeping the four core objectives of Asia Trail Master in mind. We hope that this new addition to the Grandmaster Quest will inspire trail runners to keep going!

The Trail to Immortality opens for runners who have collected these four Grandmaster caps

It’s been well over two years since Masafumi Yamamoto grabbed his 4th star.

After scoring gold, Philippines’ Rhea Batac has been taking a break from trails