Only minor changes to ATM 2023 points regulations
We are delighted that the 2022 season VII took place without major hiccups in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic. A few events still could not take place, and may in fact never return. It was a difficult year for many organisers, also under ATM, but it all concluded with two new wonderful champions, Arnie Macaneras (Philippines) and Hau Ha (Vietnam), with Team Malaysia scoring the inaugural team championship win.
We changed the ATM Championship regulations for the 2022 season and have a winner-takes-all race with qualified runners in national country teams, which turned out to be a big success on the basis of feedback received from all parties: runners, organisers, fans and sponsors. In 2023 we will continue down this chosen path.
So, in 2023, runners will again score the usual points in designated races at each event on our ATM calendar. The best performing runners will be invited to join their national country team for the Asia Trail Master Championship Final in December 2023. Per country maximum five male and five female runners will get the honour.
The key points
The way in which runners score ATM Championship points does not change, except that just the top 25 men and top 25 finishers in an official ATM points race collect 100 ‘finisher’ points, plus x number of ‘performance’ points according to the usual points table). In essence, male and female race winners go home with 500 points in their bags. Second place gets 450, third place 425 and so on until rank 25.
In trail running events there’s typically several race distance categories. Normally, the longest race is the one to focus on as the A-race for the ATM Championship. However, this is not always the case! It can be that there are two A-races at the same event. Therefore, always check our race overview to find out which race offers how many Championship points.
One stubborn misconception is still that you must do long ultras to become ATM champion. Not true: you can select medium distance races of 40 to 70k and get just as many points as for a long ultra of 100k or more. The best example of this is Veronika Vadovicova, who became ATM champion in 2019 although her longest race was “only” 84 km. Runners choose the race distance that fits their qualities best. The ATM Final race aims to compromise between medium and long ultra, with a race distance of approx 75 km.
In 2023, again due to the ongoing pandemic, we will work with a “four-best-count” system. Only a runner’s best four race results will count for his or her points total before the ATM Championship Final in December. In other words: even if you run 10 ATM races in 2023, only your best 4 results will be retained in the points ranking.
The bonus points system remains unchanged. The Abroad Bonus (50 points for finishing at least 1 race outside of one’s resident country) and the 100 Miles+ Bonus (25 points) remain.
Penalty points. Organising the ATM Championship Final is a big effort and is projected to be in the interest of everyone in the Asian trail running scene. Runners who do not turn up despite being qualified to be part of their country’s national team will be penalised by a symbolic 100 points in the final ATM points ranking of 2023 (except proven illness/injury).
Joint finishers: An important distinction will be made as of the second quarter of each season, i.e. 1 April (now as of 1 April 2023): If runners cross the finish line together hand-in-hand, their ranking relative to each other at the last timing checkpoint before the race finish will be consulted to determine who scores the most performance points. If no distinction can be made, both runners will receive the points linked to the lowest of the two positions. E.g. joint winners will not get 500 points, but 450 points equivalent to 2nd place.
We also like camaraderie and people enjoying successes together, yet the ATM Championship is a sporting competition and we must avoid a situation whereby, late in the season, a joint finish of two or more championship contenders could be done deliberately for tactical reasons.
The ATM Championship Final
The 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship Final will be a winner-takes-the-title race as in 2022. The male and female finalists who cross the finish line first will be the new ATM Champions.
However, you do need to qualify to be able to take part in that last race, the ATM Final. In each country, maximum five male and five female runners who score most ATM points during the year will qualify and be invited to enter their country’s National Team for the Asia Trail Master Championship Final.
The Final is therefore projected to be a race with selected elites-only, who are members of National Teams. Maximum five male runners and five females. Apart from the Individual Championship there will also be a Team Championship. The latter will be based on the accumulated finish times of the best three male runners and best three female runners in each team (= 6 finishing times in total)
The number of runners per team is subject to there being an ATM points race in the country.
Minimum 1 ATM points race —> 5 male runners, 5 female runners
no ATM points race —> 4 male, 4 female
Runners who are ranked 6th to 8th in their country are the eligible reserves in case anyone in the top 5 cannot take part in the Final.
ATM Championship Final Event: The venue of the 2023 ATM Championship Final will be announced soon. The projected weekend date is 2/3 December 2023.
Expats working and residing in Asia: if the expat is an Asian passport holder, he will represent his native country and not his resident country. If the expat has a European or American passport, or any other non-Asian passport, he will be eligible to join Team Asia Expat. Exception: expats who have resided in one and the same Asian country for 8 years or more can join their resident country team.
Minimum requirement of 2 ATM race finishes: runners in the top 5 of their country ranking must have completed minimum 2 ATM races to be eligible to join the ATM Championship Final and represent their country.
Wild cards: former ATM Champions get a wild card to take part in the 2023 Final, provided they have scored points in minimum two ATM points races during 2023. Also, the team of the host country can at any times be represented by 5 male and 5 female runners, provided these have scored points in minimum two ATM points races during 2023.
Equal points: if two runners have the same points total in the country ranking, a distinction will first be made on the basis of highest ranking obtained in a race (e.g. a 3rd place race result is better than a 5th place race result). If that still does not divide them, the number of kilometres run in the relevant races will determine who receives the highest place in the country ranking.