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

Vietnam Mountain Marathon launches autumn ATM campaign