Season 11 of the ATM Championship continues this weekend in the Philippines with the Philippine Mountain Trail Festival in Nueva Vizcaya, Luzon. Organised by Intrepid Spirit, PMTF includes the legendary Hardcore 100 Miles (H1) and H60K, the successor of the Mt Ugo Marathon. These two race distance categories offer points for the ATM Championship ranking. Interestingly, nearly all who has name and fame in the country is going for the big one: H1.

It’s the 100 Miles race that nearly every trail runner in the Philippines hopes to finish once. Last year, Rhys Pawid and Shally Yuson claimed victory, both of them are not on the start list this year. Arguably the runners to beat this year are no less solid, though. Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo have both just won Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75 a few weeks ago and have set their sights on H1 for this year, too. Cabalo has been a female benchmark for a few years already in Southeast Asia, and Kik Suello has stepped up to that level in recent months, operating perhaps a bit in the shadow of Onifa, Macaneras and Mirar but he’s only just right behind them now, even beating the likes of Kristian Joergensen three times in a row already. Suello is not the only Mindanao runner who has become increasingly competitive. Jomarc Ferrer is another one with high hopes for this weekend. Already a multiple race winner in ATM races this season, Ferrer could join Suello on that highest level plateau. Others to watch out for in the context of potential podium finishers are in-form Jordan Bugnay, Yoyong Sacayle, good old Koi Grey, Henry Joe Cottilon and Sean Aying.

Angelie Cabalo may have too much sheer pace for the other women in the race, but when the going gets tough she may need to keep an eye out for Singapore-based Mia Revilla, who just won BUTM 100 in Malaysia a few weeks ago, long ultra specialist Ann-Jilian Pulanco and -why not- KIm Flores. The latter is a youngster who has been winning a number of races this season, but H1 is definitely a step up in terms of technical course and distance. But running pace, that she certainly has.

H60K is the other ATM Championship qualifier, as per tradition: one long ultra and one medium distance. On paper the 60k race may be more open than H1. In the women’s race, LJ Benitez and Clarissa Yeung start as favourites.

ATM will be reporting live from PMTF all weekend, connectivity-permitting. This event does take place in a remote area.

We are delighted to announce that Fishtail 100 Ultra in Pokhara, Nepal, has joined the ATM Championship cand Grandmaster Quest calendar on the weekend of 16/17 May. The event is organised by the experienced Himalayan Trail Running company and already had several editions over the years. Fishtail 100 features a 100km and 50km that serve as ATM Championship Qualifiers, with the 100km of course also offering a Grandmaster point for finishers. It’s the third Nepalese event after Manjushree Trail Race and Jumla Rara Ultra. This year’s edition aims to place the spotlight on the event with a view to next year.

The 100km starts in Ghachowk and ends in Dhampus in Pokhara. As the race in Jumla, Fishtail reaches very high altitudes during the race, going well over 3500m above sea level. It’s a mountain trail, often technical, so the 100km here cannot be your first 100k race. Total elevation for the 100km is approx 7600 hm.

The 50km may be among the toughest of the entire ATM season. Elevation gain is estimated at over 5000 hm!

Both the 100k and 50k races start on Saturday morning at 5:30 am and 5:40 am respectively.

The organising team can assist with any queries on how to get to Pokhara and on accommodation requirements. All details can be found on their website page and facebook page linked below.

No Point Trail Ultra this season, but the event organising team is happy to announce a new event near Malaybalay in Bukidnon: Kibalabag Trail Ultra i set for the weekend of 16/17 May and has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. On the menu are four distance categories, of which the 50km attracts most attention.

The course is serious with 3800 metres of elevation gain to be conquered in those 50km. Participants have to be back in the finish by 17:00 in the afternoon, following a midnight start. There won’t be much of a warm-up as the the trail goes up almost immediately after the start. Given the technicality, pay attention to the mandatory gear list for this 50km race, also pasted below.

The event is hosted by the Barangay Kibalabag near Malaybalay City. It is characterized by densely forested and mountainous terrain, with a deep gorge carved by the Kibalabag River running lengthwise through the barangay.

You can stay up to date on the event via its facebook page linked below.

The competition at Penang Sky Race in Malaysia last weekend was expected to be open with a rather prestigious race win up for grabs for many competitive-minded runners. With ‘veteran’ Andy Lee and Singapore’s relative newcomer Zoe Tan Xinyi we had two runners who indeed took the opportunity with both hands.

Andy Lee has been around the scene for many years and it is great to see him on the top step of an ATM Qualifier race. He finished the race, again in very hot conditions, in 6h18. That was just four minutes ahead of the surprising and late-charging Anjeluis Palja in second place. In third on the podium we found Mustaffa Mohd Khairul Anuar. A trio of European passport holders took the next spots, with North Macedonian Antonio Karanfilofski, Spain’s Jorge Vilanova and Penang-resident and well-known Alex Tilley.

The women’s race saw the emergence of a new SIngaporean runner. Zoe Tan Xinyi turned out to be too strong for the rest of the field, of which new Grandmaster Avegail Depanay was second-fastest. Zoe Tan finished in 7h29, Depanay in 7h55. The third spot on the podium went to Canada’s Jennifer Lee.

The next Malaysian ATM Championship Qualifer is Trail des Gombak in Selangor, close to KL, in June.

Top 6:

1. Andy Lee (MAS) 6h18

2. Anjeluis Palja (MAS) 6h22

3. Mustaffa Mohd Khairul Anuar (MAS) 6h30

4. Antonio Karanfilofski (MKD) 6h42

5. Jorge Vilanova (ESP) 6h48

6. Alex Tilley (GBR) 6h48

Top 5 Women:

1. Zoe Tan Xinyi (SGP) 7h29

2. Avegail Depanay (PHI) 7h55

3. Jennifer Lee (CAN) 8h30

4. Cheng Yutong (SGP) 8h38

5. Krystal Khaw (MAS) 8h48

Season XI of the Asia Trail Master Championship continues this weekend with the Penang Sky Race in Malaysia. One of the absolute highlights of the season last year, we are again looking forward to a great battle on the steep and tough hills around Penang’s capital city Georgetown. Perhaps without the absolute top elites like Hau Ha and Priya Rai this time and without some of the country’s own stars like the Sabahans who just did BUTM, the event may instead put the spotlights on runners who seize the opportunity.

In the men’s 50km we look out for the performances of Wont Kudin from Sabah, Tuan Hafandi Tuan Ismail, Spain’s Jorge Vilanova, Jack Oh, Abdul Rahman and Singapore’s Dias Cao, but most arguably Alex Tilley will get top votes for a potential race win. Tilley is a Penang resident and ran the race also last year.

In the women’s race, let’s watch out for Canada’s Jennifer Lee, Philippines’ Avegail Depanay - who just became Grandmaster - and Golden Grandmaster Yvette Chong Mi Chin.

ATM will be reporting live from Penang Sky Race 50 as of 3 am on Saturday.

Lots of Filipino elite trail athletes in Danao last weekend for the Danao City International Ultra Trail event on Cebu island. The event is new on the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar this season as well, and lured none other than Cecille Wael to come and complete her 20th long ultra under ATM! Just a week after finishing third in Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, Wael focused on just finishing the tough 100km in Danao - an event where she finished second on the 50km two years ago. She is the second Filipino woman to score a 4th star and is thus now a Golden Grandmaster!

Female runners stole the show in Danao overall, as the 100km race up front saw an exciting battle between Elizabeth Dangadan and Nepal’s Nirmala Rai - double winner of MTR 100 Miles and making her first appearance in the Philippines. Dangadan set the pace from the beginning, but Rai never gave up and remained close for nearly the entire race. Only at the finish the gap had extended somewhat to 20 minutes. Dangadan won in 18h34, proving again what a tough course Danao 100 is. Angelie Cabalo, winner a week ago at Sierra Madre, took third on the podium. Third was the highest achievable last weekend, but still she finished ahead of Aggy Sabanal.

The 50 km race in Danao saw the appearance of reigning and two-time ATM Champion Priya Rai, the younger sister of Nirmala. Priya is in the midst of university graduation and despite carrying an injury she won the race in 6h44.

The men’s 100km had a fantastic start list including ATM Champion John Ray Onifa, Arnie Macaneras and Godwin Mirar. With also Larry Apolinario, Joebert Elmaguin and former Danao 100 winner Andy Toniaco in the mix, fans were excited to see a tremendous battle between them for victory. Macaneras set the pace early, but would eventually slow down and DNF. Reportedly, Macaneras is between race goals at the moment and therefore not at his peak level. Onifa, Mirar, Elmaguin and Apolinario ran together like brothers. Mirar, however, would also retire from the race towards the end. While many fans were hoping to see a nice sprint between the remaining three stars for the win, they came in side by side. Andy Toniaco was fourth quite a bit later, and Jensen Pasaforte fifth.

Elizabeth Dangadan won the women’s 100k ahead of Nepal’s Nirmala Rai

No royal sprint for victory: Onifa, Appolinario and Elmaguin come in together

The 5th edition of the Manjushree Trail Race around Kathmandu in Nepal witnessed an amazing fourth consecutive victory for Arjun Rai Kulung in the men’s 100 miles race. Ang Furba Sherpa was the strongest female on the famous Kathmandu Valley Rim, her first win. The 50km - the second ATM Qualfiier race at the event - saw fantastic runs by Gopal Tamang to win in the men’s, and by Sunsari Rokaya in the women’s.

Arjun seemed always in control of the race, running together with Milan Kulung Rai for most of the long and tough race. Milan made a great effort, but in the end had to let Arjun get away towards the end. The now four-time race winner did miss his own course record, albeit only just. Milan finished just half an hour later in second. The podium was completed by another regular 100 miler, Bijay Rana Magar.

The women’s 100 miler saw Anita Rai taking the fastest start in the absence of Nirmala Rai, who won the pas two editions of MTR. Perhaps too keen, Anita twisted her ankle badly after just a few hours resulting in a very painful day. Still, she managed to finish and even on the podium in third place still. For the victory it was between Netherlands’ Anne Mai Baan and Ang Furba Sherpa, another local runner with strong results already in the past. Just like in the men’s race, the gap between the leading duo would only be some 40 minutes at the end. Ang Furba Sherpa turned out to be strongest and claimed her first win under ATM.

The 50km of MTR is always a real competition classic with so many young, talented Nepalis facing off against each other - trying to leave a mark on the scene. Last year’s race winner Man Kumar was the one to beat, but already soon he found himself behind Gopal Tamang and the surprising Hom Lal Shrestha. Lokendra Rai was in fourth early on, but gradually lost terrain and would finish outside the top six. Dhira Bahadur Budha ran more or less the same pace as a year ago, but instead of third ended fourth in the finish this year. Gopal Tamang won it in a faster time than Man Kumar last year, with Hom Lal Shresta just two minutes behind in second. A remarkable improvement by Shrestha compared to a year ago, nearly 1,5 hours faster! Man Kumar settled for third on the podium.

The women’s race saw Sunsari Rokaya run away from everyone else. It was her first appearance in an ATM Qualifier and a highly impressive one. Teenage sensation Kalpana Budha ran second most of the race, but suffered from bad muscle cramps later on dropped behind Rayja Laxmi Rawal. The latter had a more comfortable race compared to last year and will be pleased with second, although her finish time was 9 minutes slower than a year ago. Rokaya won in 7h53, 55 minutes ahead of the rest. Stunning, and yet Priya Rai was 7 minutes faster last year. Most of the races it is unfair to compare finisher times between years, but for MTR 50 it’s nevertheless interesting as many runners keep returning to the race and the course basically hasn’t changed.

The next Nepali ATM Championship Qualifier is Jumla Rara Ultra 50km in the far West of Nepal on 9 May.

100 Miles - Top 6 Male

1. Arjun Rai Kulung 26:37:49

2. Milan Kulung Rai 27:05:18

3. Bijay Rana Magar 28:25:17

4. Shaktiram Roka 28:28:14

5. Pancharam Budha 32:06:30

6. Yoshihisa Yasuda 33:52:10

   
   100 Miles - Female Top 5

   1. Ang Furba Sherpa 33:13:06

   2. Anne Mai Baan 33:51:41

   3. Anita Rai 38:18:23

   4. Sally Moulds 39:49:25

   5. Stine Heiselberg 42:45:36

   50km - Top 6 Men

   1. Gopal Tamang 6:30:17

   2. Hom Lal Shrestha 6:32:21

   3. Man Kumar 6:57:23

   4. Dhira Bahadur Budha 7:03:19

   5. Som Bahadur Rawat 7:25:51

   6. Chandra Rawat 7:38:43

   50km - Top 6 Women

   1. Sunsari Rokaya 7:53:46

   2. Rayja Laxmi Rawal 8:49:10

   3. Kalpana Budha 8:58:09

   4. Puspa Serma 9:09:28

   5. Vanja Cnops 9:31:32

   6. Nga Sze Wong 9:32:18

One month later than usual, but it is very much on: The Manjushree Trail Race 2026 in Kathmandu sports a large and very international start list across the distance categories of the event, of which the 100 Miles and the 50km are the traditional qualifiers for the ATM Championship points ranking. Many of Nepal’s top elite runners will aim to score their points, but indeed may face some solid opposition. On the 100 Miles, Arjun Rai Kulung is the favourite to take the crown for the fourth consecutive year, while on the 50km we have rising star Man Kumar going for his second consecutive win at MTR. The women’s 50km features Singapore-based Belgian Vanja Cnops versus the exciting new Nepali star on the horizon Kalpana Budha.

The Manjushree Trail Race 100 Miles is one of those few natural 100 milers. Going all around the city’s ‘valley rim’, it’s a fantastic course full of meaning. Obviously, it’s also a very tough one. Arjun Rai Kulung has been unbeatable the past years. Let’s see if previous podium placers Milan Rai and Sher Tharu can stay closer to him this weekend. Also Bijaya Rana Magar, Ranjit Rai and Indian runners Pritam Rai and Soumyadip Mondal may fancy their chances for a top result.

The women’s 100 Miles is without Nirmala Rai, elder sister of Priya, as the duo will be running in Philippines this weekend at the ATM Grandmaster Quest event Danao City Ultra Trail. That leaves a great opportunity for Anita Rai and Ang Furba Sherpa to take the glory. However, Japan’s Yasuyo Hotta and Denmark’s Stine Heiselberg may also say a word about that.

The 50km has a huge field and we might as well get to discover some new raw talent. But Man Kumar must be the top favourite. Winner last year and winner of the 9 Dragons 50 miles race two months ago. Man Kumar can already put one leg into Team Nepal for the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam later this year. He will be up against fast Jumla runners Dhira Bahadur Budha and Chandra Rawat on Saturday, as well as Lokendra Rai, Homlal Sheshtra and many others.

The women’s 50km sees Vanja Cnops as the one to beat. In-form and a big fan of Nepal trail running, Vanja has spent most of April in the country. However, the now 18-year-old sensation Kalpana Budha won’t give up easily, having finished second behind Priya Rai a year ago. It will be interesting to see if the teenager continues to develop as a competitive athlete.

The 5th anniversary edition of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in Rodriguez, Rizal in Philippines saw brilliant race wins by Kik Suello and Angelie Cabalo. Two Filipino elites who were of course not unexpected, but the way in which they claimed victory was nevertheless impressive. For Kik Suello it was the second time he beat Kristian Joergensen for victory after Point Trail Ultra last year and a definite statement he has arrived at the very top of competitive trail running in his country.

Suello started with confidence in the 75km tough race and soon put the other contenders under pressure. Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second in 2025, did what he could to keep pace, but Suello just proved too fast. The gap would grow to over 35 minutes. Suello’s winning time was 9h03. Behind the duo, Bryan Mundiguing had a great performance that would result in third place at the finish. That was even ahead of Jordan Bugnay and Taichi Yui, two in-form runners. Japanese Yui has already won two races under ATM this season. John Solano came next in sixth place, followed by the female race winner Angelie Cabalo in 12h43. Jeremy Ritcey from Lantau 70 in Hong Kong and France’s Benjamin Nicolas were next. 

Angelie Cabalo showed again she is the benchmark in her country with a superb performance, leaving co-race favourite LJ Benitez no chance for victory. Cabalo ran smart, as well, taking a conservative start before catching Benitez and continuing solo to the finish. Last year’s race winner Cecille Wael followed in third place, a confidence booster again for the established silver Grandmaster, often plagued by digestive issues in ultra races. Wael ran a great second half of the race, moving up the leaderboard. Maria Isabel Reyes was a solid fourth place, followed by a duo of Akane Nemoto and Clarisse Yeung. Jericha de la Paz was next. 

The next ATM Championship qualifier in the Philippines is the PMTF event, which includes the legendary H1 race and the H60K race. 

TOP 5 RESULTS

Male

1 Kik Suello

2 Kristian Jorgensen

3 Bryan Mundiguing

4 Jordan Bugnay

5 Taichi Yui

Female

1 Angelie Cabalo

2 Lj Benitez

3 Cecile Wael

4 Ma. Isabel Reyes

5 Clarisse Yeung & Akane Nemoto

Another strong run by Kristian Joergensen, but Kik Suello again had the better of him

A strong finish gave Ces Wael another podium spot in the race she won last year

Even for Sabahan standards, the 10th anniversary edition of Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon was extremely hot. However, it did not stop many runners from producing remarkable performances around Kiulu, roughly one hour away from Kota Kinabalu. On the 55k local hero Wilsen Singgin and Japan’s Chisato Kario proved their pre-race favourite status was legit, while on the 105k another Japanese runner - Hiroyuki Matsuda - and Singapore-based Filipino Mia Revilla took top honours.

Blue sky most of the day and no rainfall whatsoever was a big contrast with last year’s edition of BUTM. Trails were dry and therefore favoured those with high running pace. Hiroyuki Matsuda, based in Indonesia, felt like a fish in the water, apparently. Immediately taking the bull by the horns, he quickly took the lead of the 105km runners and was even mingling with the front pack of the 55k participants, who all started together at sunrise (over 650 in total). Matsuda already collected 750 ATM Championship points this season, courtesy of two solid fifth places in Tahura Trail and 9 Dragons, but for him to immediately put pressure on the likes of local hero Milton Amat, Willy Wilson, Andrew Farmers and Bernardo Linus was quite surprising. Initial fears that he would blow up beyond halfway turned out to be unjustified: nobody ever saw him again and he finished in a strong time of 14h23. Milton Amat placed his foot wrong just before halfway distance, resulting in a torn shoe and a bleeding foot. Wisely, he decided not to continue for another 50k and DNFd. An unfortunate experience for Milton, who often struggles to get enough races in to qualify for the ATM Championship Final. Luckily for him, there’s still several qualifier races in Malaysia in the next months. In the end, it was Bernardo Linus - also from Sabah - who grabbed a strong second place - his best ever race result in a long ultra. Linus has worked hard to reach this level of performance on a 100k distance and he was obviously delighted. Willy Wilson also continued to develop as a regular podium contender with third place, just a few minutes later.

In the women’s 105km, Adelinah Lintanga finally wanted to add a BUTM victory to her record. Contrary to in many other races, she pressed the speed button from the get-go and reached the first checkpoint after 12km in the leading position. Mia Revilla - originally from Davao but already living in Singapore for 12 years - was a few minutes behind. On the way to the next CP, Revilla caught up with Lintanga and pressed forward. The latter initially resisted, but by km 70 started to struggle with stomach cramps that eventually even led her to an uncharacteristic DNF. Revilla seemed to have the win in the bag, but also for her it was tough going in the end. She finished in 21h05, 49 minutes ahead of a strong Joyce Yong Hie Jing, and Harlin Richard in third, not so much ahead of Silver Grandmaster Ellen Yin Kwan Cheng from Hong Kong.

Using his vast experience accumulated the last eight years, Wilsen Singgin joined a number of other contenders early on and then pushed the throttle on the most critical uphill section halfway into the race. Nobody had an answer, but a few were certainly not giving up easily. Sheron Sariman was only a few minutes behind at the 42km mark, and he was quickly followed by Unai Garmendia - on holiday in Malaysia coming from the Basque Country in Northwestern Spain. In the descent to the checkpoint, Garmendia suffered quite a tumble, but he escaped unhurt. Christantine Mattan and David Roipin were also not too far back. 2023 Borneo Miler winner Amir Zaki, on his comeback to the racing scene, did very well and would eventually finish 8th. In the last 13km, Singgin extended his advantage to the rest and reached the finish in a good time of 6h20. Unai Garmendia came in 18 minutes later and Sheron Sariman third in 6h51.

Japan’s Chisato Kario is quickly making a name for herself in Southeast Asia. Winner of the Mount Ugo Marathon in Philippines last year (ahead of Angelie Cabalo) and of UTSG in Singapore, Kario finished 5th in the Season 10 Championship Final at the 9 Dragons. But last Saturday, she looked much more at ease with the trails in Sabah than in Hong Kong. Running together with some of the top guys, she was unthreatened for victory and finished seventh overall in 7h55. Behind her, it was quite a toss up between several proven competitors and new name Ryehana Rajap, also Sabahan. While Halimatun Sa’adiah - returning to ATM after a long break - , former BUTM winner Shamiera Auther and Lolita Lintanga were expected to take the first runner-up positions behind Kario, it was instead Rajap who emerged second in the finish in 9h13. Sa’adiah completed the podium in third, ahead of Lintanga and Auther.

The next Malaysian ATM Championship qualifier is Penang Sky Race 50km on 25 April. Grandmaster Quest chasers can focus on Merapoh Trail, returning to the ATM calendar, one week later.

Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon, better known as BUTM, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend in Kiulu, Sabah, Malaysia. Formerly referred to as the ‘little sister’ of TMBT, BUTM has developed into an early season classic of its own right that plenty of trail runners want to add to their finisher collection. Taking place later than usual this season, BUTM has the typical Sabah ingredients: hot and humid weather during a tough, but fantastic run through hilly rainforests and river valleys with a great vibe of local hospitality and support.

Both the 105km and 55km races are again qualifiers for the Asia Trail Master Championship points ranking. The 105 will also give registered finishers a point for their Grandmaster Quest.

The start list sees the usual stars of the Sabahan trail scene, with in the men’s categories Milton Amat aiming for another win on the 100km and Wilsen Singgin on the 50km. Milton starts as the one-to-beat and it will be interesting to see if anyone else can rise to the occasion this season and get closer to the local star. Other contenders such as Jainuddin Sainuddin, Muhammad Hijazi Rija, Willy Wilson and Bernardo Linus can in any case aim for an attractive podium finish. In the women’s 100km, Adelinah Lintanga could eye another victory under ATM. She may need to watch out for SIngapore-based Filipino Mia Revilla and Hong Kong’s Silver Grandmaster Ellen Cheng.

More than 400 participants on the 50km, so we may get to know some new names, but Wilsen SInggin may also be seen as the big favourite on this distance. His main rival for victory may be Amir Zaki, making his return to the ATM scene after a two-year-break. Ahmad Tanjong and Gustin Tiam can also be in the mix for podium at least. The women’s 50km has one of the top finishers of the recent ATM Championship Final and part of the winning national team: Chisato Kario from Japan. Already a race winner in PMTF and UTSG last season, Chisato Kario is a 50km specialist used to the climatic conditions of Southeast Asia. Her main opponents are likely to be Lolita Lintanga and former BUTM 50 winner Shamiera Auther. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Japanese runner.

ATM will be reporting live from Kiulu and BUTM on the usual channels, with livestream subject to connectivity.

Milton Amat is going for the 100 this weekend

Season 10 Finalist Chisato Kario is arguably the one to beat on the 50

Wilsen Singgin aims to score another ATM race win on the 50 this weekend

Former BUTM race winner Shamiera Auther

This weekend we have the 5th edition already of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the 75km ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest qualifier in the Rizal Mountains close to Manila, which has really developed into a new event classic. Organised by the Maharlika Team, SMTU is just good old-fashioned trail running powered by passion and with only 1 race distance on the programme : 75km. Hence, there’s always a good competition between well-known trail aces, who all like to add a win at SMTU on their career records. For others, newbies and short distance runners, SMTU may be the target, the goal for which they trained all year. It’s 75 km and it’s the only finisher t-shirt of the event.

Kristian Joergensen, winner in 2024 and second behind the surprising Randolf Gonzales in 2025, returns for the third year in a row. He is quite at home in the Rizal mountains, of course, and the usual hot weather tends to not affect his performance as much as cold weather. While not in peak form at the 9 Dragons ATM Final five weeks ago, Joergensen remains the one to beat at SMTU. There’s quite a list of other victory contenders, however. Starting with Kik Suello, who beat Joergensen in a dual at Point Trail last year and also finished ahead of him at 9 Dragons. The runner from Zamboanga City has kept on improving year after year and has matured into a proper victory contender whenever he starts a race, which - intelligently - is not that often. Also Jomarc Ferrer has worked himself to the top of the favourites’ lists. Finishing 10th in the ATM Final was no coincidence. This ATM season he has already collected two race wins and he also tops the overall points ranking. Other Filipinos worth keeping an eye on at SMTU are ‘locals’ Maynard Encormal, John Zonio, Anthony Calixterio and Jordan Bugnay - recently third on the podium in V Trail in Laos. But there’s great international talent on the start list, too. Benjamin Nicolas from France, for example, has quite a strong record of performances and is no stranger to racing in Philippines and Asia in general. With Joergensen as a ‘guide’, Nicolas might just as well score his first victory in an ATM qualifier. Japan’s Taichi Yui may also say a few words, though. Already a winner twice this season in the Laos races Luang Prabang and V Trail, Yui showed great running pace but the competitive level will be up a notch this weekend. Also in the field, Hong Kong’s Jeremy Ritcey. On his day still a serious podium contender and not afraid of the heat either.

The women’s race also again has a considerable list of victory contenders including last year’s winner Cecille Wael. When she is in race mode and her stomach doesn’t bother her, Wael might just as well claim the top step of the podium again in what can be called her ‘home race’. But others have shown more competitive consistency in recent months, including Bukidnon’s Shally Yuson and Japan’s Akane Nemoto - both top 10 at the recent ATM Final. Especially Yuson will be very keen to add the prestigious SMTU to her ever growing list of race wins. Akane Nemoto used to live in Vietnam and has won races in Malaysia, so the heat should also not be an issue for the Japanese runner, now back in Tokyo. Former SMTU race winner Ann Jilian Pulanco also features on the start list. For her, it will mostly be a comeback after a prolonged injury break. Another Filipino, but residing in Singapore, who can cause a surprise this weekend is LJ Benitez. She nearly won UTSG 50 last year, and might find the more technical course of SMTU more to her liking.

ATM will report live from Rodriguez and Sierra Madre Trail Ultra as of 1:45 am local time on Saturday.