The 4th edition of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra is up next in the Asia Trail Master Championship series this weekend. It is the second Filipino points race of Season 10, and it’s one of the most honest and simple races on the calendar: 75km, take it or leave it. Since its conception by the Maharlika organisational team, the event in the Rizal mountains east of Manila has been widely applauded as a highlight for trail runners in Luzon and the whole country, and it has seen some of Asia’s top performers taking part. The 2025 edition has a few modifications, from a midnight start to some significant course changes. Sierra Madre Trail Ultra also celebrates the 154th anniversary of the host town Rodriguez.

The new route consists of both technical and wide trails, river crossings and bouldering with minimal road sections. It’s trail running pur sang and the daytime heat needs to be factored in as well. Total elevation gain is estimated at a bulky 4200 hm. Sierra Madre is a race that takes mandatory gear seriously, so runners need to make sure they carry all that is deemed necessary.

Two years ago it was current ATM Champion Jeff Campbell who set the trails on fire, last year it was Kristian Joergensen. The latter, of course a resident in the Philippines, will return this Saturday, despite having run Lantau 70 in Hong Kong last weekend. Joergensen came sixth, after finishing fifth in Vietnam Ultra Marathon just a month ago as well. A third solid result would probably put him already in the safety zone for Team Asia Expat in this year’s ATM Championship Final at Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam in October. Given his heavy race load over the past month, a new victory in Sierra Madre may not come as easy, however. A group of young, talented Filipinos may be smelling blood. Joergensen has been a benchmark in the Philippines for years, so most certainly the likes of Kik Suello, Roberto Cain III, Jomarc Ferrer, John Ivan Zonio, Randolf Gonzales and Maynard Encormal will be dreaming of more than a podium this weekend. It will make for some interesting racing, also tactically. For the Filipino contenders, any ATM points race is important, given a lot of them want to be in Team Pilipinas at the ATM Final later in the year. Godwin Mirar and Kik Suello are currently 1-2 in the ranking, followed by Gonzales. Former ATM Champions Onifa and Macaneras have already secured their wild card for the Final, so the question is which five other guys will join them in the team.

75 kilometers is of course also a Grandmaster distance, and it’s great to see quite a lot of Grandmasters on the start list on their journey towards the next level and star. Runners such as 3-stars Dward Fuentes and Sean Aying, Ben Chiok, Munintaran Sundram, Mario Yap and Bhert Orpiada.

Traditionally, the women’s race at Sierra Madre has always been very exciting to follow as well with rather surprising race winners even. Ann Jilian Pulanco took her maiden ATM race victory here two years ago, and last year Cristine Montuya surprised everyone with her strong finish to take her first ever ATM race win. Both Pulanco and Montuya are absent this time, but the start list still shows several competitors who can dream of success. The two runners with most wins and podiums on their records are Malaysia’s Rejlen James and Manila-resident Cecille Wael. As outstanding Borneo star Rejlen James has been on home soil, things have never really worked out for her so far when abroad. Can she turn that corner this weekend? Cecille Wael knows the trails by heart and came second behind Montuya last year. Recently, Wael’s been suffering from inconsistent training opportunities and nutritional problems while racing. Last month she ran the 9 Dragons 50/50 basically on just water. Her road running times this year have been solid, though, and she has the potential to give James a run for her money. Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez are two other contenders, but both just returned from Lantau 70 in Hong Kong. Marquez in particular has had a particulary busy few months - also reaching Grandmaster status. Morales, already a Grandmaster and a three-time race winner in Season 9, cannot be underestimated, however, as one has the feeling she has not been emptying her tank over the past couple of races. The dark horse of the women’s race may very well be Shekinah Velasquez. Given Sierra Madre has a history of surprise female winners, this may very well just become her breakthough-weekend. Let’s also not discount the chances of Ellen Cheng from Hong Kong. A bit underwhelming perhaps at Lantau 70 last week, but she did win the V Trail 85km in Laos on a very technical course just a month ago.

You can follow the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra live on our ATM Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels all day on Saturday.

sierra madre facebook page