After a DNF in Lam Dong Trail and a 5th place in Vietnam Trail Marathon, Filipino youngster Godwin Mirar has finally gotten his 2025 ATM Championship season really on track. Mirar won the tough Mount Kalatungan Ultra Trail 55km in his native Bukidnon region against an established field and with margin. He led the race nearly from start to finish, despite suffering also from blisters and a fall in the descent of Kalatungan, at 2880m one of the highest mountain peaks in the Philippines.

Almost 30 minutes later, Roberto Cain III finished second to kickstart his 2025 ATM campaign. Perhaps for Cain the 55km distance is a bit on the short side as he has recently been excelling in longer ultras. Kik Suello took third place, just one week after also finishing third in BUTM 100 in Malaysia! That’s a great start of his campaign to once again try to be part of Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final in October. Suello was 7th at TMBT last September - his best result to date. At Kalatungan, he was marginally ahead of Jevie Cagatin - winner last year of MTKU 85 and also an ATM Finalist in 2024.. Newcomer Johnkisler Lamigo came in an excellent fifth!

In the women’s 55km race, Angelie Cabalo confirmed her pre-race favourite status by taking a convincing win without too much pressure from the others, which was impressive when seeing the names of those. The number 3 of the 2023 ATM Championship Final missed out on last year's team qualification, but she launched her 2025 campaign in the best possible way, collecting 500 ATM points for her victory. It's Angelie's 4th career win in ATM.

A good hour behind her, Julie Mae Marquez scored her best performance in an ATM-promoted race with a superb second place. Last year’s race winner Julieann Morales took third on the podium this season. Shally Yuson settled for fourth place and in fifth, we had a nice performance by Belinda Ortiz.

MKTU also had a longer 85km distance, which this year was only relevant for the Grandmaster Quest. This category was won by 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras, who only needs to finish two ATM races to collect a wild card for this year’s Final. The women’s 85km saw a very popular win by local Kimberly Flores.

The next Filipino points race is scheduled for 5 April, one of the young ‘classics’ in the country, the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains near Manila.

Roberto Cain III : second best male behind Mirar

Eye-catching performance by Julie Mae Marquez: second in the women’s 55k behind Cabalo

After 3rd in BUTM last week, Kik Suello scored another 3rd at MKTU

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras ran the 85km (Grandmaster-point-only) and won it easily

Local hero Kimberly Flores was fastest woman on the 85km

This weekend’s second points race for the ATM Championship ranking is taking place tomorrow in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines. It’s the Mount Kalatungan Ultra and it’s also the first Filipino points race event in Season 10 of our series. The focus is on the 55km, while the 85km category is valid for the Grandmaster Quest-only. So, the same as in Laos’ V Trail today - the first event of this ATM doubleheader weekend. 

Mount Kalatungan is the second highest mountain in Mindanao after Mount Apo. Just like APo, also Kalatungan is not always open for outdoor enthusiasts, so the trail running event by the Amigleo brothers and the Ultra Runners Republic is a special treat. Both the 80km and 55km courses go to the summit of Kalatungan. 

Among the expected victory challengers are mainly local Filipino runners. In the men’s 55km, we can look forward to an interesting confrontation between Roberto Cain III and Godwin Mirar, with ATM 2024 Finalists Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and Jomarc Ferrer lurking in the shadows. Either one of these five can come out on top tomorrow. In fact, Jevie Cagatin is last year’s winner, ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Jomarc Ferrer on that day. Godwin Mirar looked like he was going to take victory in Vietnam Trail Marathon 70 two months ago, until the cold temperatures literally froze him. He will be keen to do better than fifth in Kalatungan to ensure qualification for this year’s ATM Final as part of Team Pilipinas, one of his key goals of the season. But that is also the case for Roberto Cain III, who has been winning several races in the Philippines including ATM Candidates and Grandmaster-only races. We are very keen to find out what Cain III can do when real championship points are up for grabs. Cagatin finished just outside the Top 10 in the 2024 ATM Championship Final last September, and this will be his first ATM rendez-vous since. For Kik Suello, much will depend on how much he has recovered from last week’s 100km in Malaysia, BUTM, where he finished third on the podium. 

Outsiders for a podium are Bernie Bauyot, Sean Aying and Bhert Orpiada, but we for sure will also get to know some new names. 153 starters are expected for the 55km. 

The women’s race is likely to see a competition between Shally Yuson and Julieann Morales for the victory. Shekinah Velaquez can also be a contender, as she has been developing her performances ever more since last year. 

The 85km race category has no Championship points on offer, but finishers will of course collect a Grandmaster point as it’s longer than 70km. Important for 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras, who will try to score his wild card this month with both Kalatungan 85 and Lantau 70 on his race schedule. As former ATM champion, he only needs to finish 2 ATM races during the season. 

ATM will be updating live from Bukidnon the whole Sunday from start to finish on our usual channels. 

The first Filipino event on our Season 10 Championship calendar is Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra in Bukidnon, Mindanao, with race start in Pangantucan on Sunday, 2 March 2025. A successful points race already in 2024, runners will again have the opportunity to conquer the country’s fifth highest peak at an altitude of 2860m above sea level. An important distinction should be mentioned between the 85km and the 55km race categories. It’s the 55km that offers points for the ATM Championship ranking. The 85km is for those seeking to score a point on their Grandmaster Quest. .

The event is organised by the Ultra Runners Republic, including the Grandmaster brothers Rene and Ramie Amigleo. Bukidnon is the region roughly between Davao and Cagayan de Oro, from where lots of new trail running talent has emerged in the past few years. The Amigleo brothers have done a lot for the sport there.

Mount Kalatungan is a stratovolcano, albeit with no historical eruptions, and a serious altitude of 2860m making it just a bit smaller than Mount Apo near Davao. Both the 55km and 85km will go to the summit. The mountain features in the first half of the race, which means runners need to save energy for afterwards.

Host venue is Pangantucan and its municipal gymnasium. Runners from outside Mindandao should best look at Cagayan de Oro as the main gateway to the event, well-connected with Cebu and Manila. To go Bukidnon from Davao is also feasible, it just takes a bit longer.

Last March, Jevie Cagatin scored his first ever ATM race win at Kalantungan with the approval of Yoyong Sacayle. Both came into the finish together, but Sacayle argued it was Cagatin who deserved to be called race winner. Kik Suello completed the podium. All three laid a foundation there to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Championship Final later in September at Borneo TMBT. The women’s race saw Julieann Morales take victory ahead of local Mary Joy Sumanda and Ann Jilian Pulanco. Morales in those months seemed unbeatable on mountain trails in her home country.

Registration is open via Racetech and it is advised to follow the event’s facebook page for latest updates and key details. Questions on logistics and registration payment can also be addressed to the orga team of Ultra Runners Republic.

The 55km is the race for ATM Championship points

The 85km is the race for those seeking a Grandmaster point

Last year’s female top 3 podium with Julieann Morales as winner, flanked by Mary Joy Sumanda and Ann Jilian Pulanco

Last year’s men’s top 3 podium with Jevie Cagatin as winner ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Kik Suello

At Mount Kalatungan Ultra in Bukidnon, Philippines, Julie Ann Morales already grabbed her third victory of the current ATM season in the event’s 85km race! The Davao mountain ultra specialist took control on the long ascent of one of her country’s highest mountains and hung unto the lead despite the challenge of ultra long distance specialist Ann Jilian Pulanco. Morales finished before sunset. She now totals 1500 ATM Championship points, which could already be enough to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final. Morales was part of the team in 2022, but not last year as she competed in just two events. Since the end of the covid crisis, the 32-year-old has collected five race wins in our series.

Pulanco managed to keep second place till the finish. Great performance by last year’s winner in Sierra Madre! She was 23 minutes behind Morales. In third place on the podium was local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda, ATM Finalist last season and just like the race winner a new face that has emerged in the Philippines’ competitive field over the last two years. That also counts for Shally Yuson, who fnished in fourth place ahead of Chloe Base and Irish Glorioso.

The men’s 85km race saw two runners crossing the finish line together: Jevie Cagatin and Yoyong Sacayle. Cagatin had set the pace early on with Kik Suello and Anthony Paladin. The latter would fade away, but Cagatin and Suello climbed well. Two names that will not ring a bell with ATM followers. Suello is a newcomer to the scene, Cagatin first appeared on Mount Apo last December, where he scored second place on the podium. While Suello lost ground in the second half of the race to take third place, Cagatin pressed ahead but was nevertheless joined by local favourite and ATM Finalist, 7th last season, Yoyong Sacayle. The duo stayed together till the end, but instead of a sprint they came in hand-in-hand. Moments later, Sacayle suggested that Cagatin is the deserved race winner with him in second. Cagatin, Sacayle and Suello were remarkably far ahead of the others in what was a strong field. Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal did not have the best of races and finished in 7th place. Florence ‘Enciong’ Alave was 12th. Mount Apo race winner Isaiah Paraiso found Kalatungan also tougher than expected. He came in fourth , but almost two hours behind the lead duo. Jomarc Ferrer and Marvin Buizon did well in five and six, with Sean Aying in 8th.

The busy Filipino season continues in a fortnight with Sierra Madre Trail in the Rizal mountains east of Manila.

The men’s top 3 at Mt Kalatungan Ultra with Jevie Catagin declared as official winner

Julie Ann Morales keeps winning: this was number 3 of the current ATM season!

The Filipino ATM season continues this weekend in Bukidnon in Mindanao with the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra. A successful Candidate Race in 2020 just before the covid pandemic brought everything to a halt. Four years went by, and the team around Grandmasters Ramie and Rene Amigleo from the Ultra Runners Republic are delighted they can finally put the event back on. For non-Filipinos, Mount Kalatungan is a stratovolcano, albeit with no historical eruptions, and a serious altitude of 2860m making it just a bit smaller than Mount Apo near Davao. The ATM points race is 85km long with the ascent of Kalatungan located in the first third of the race. Runners better save some energy for after the big climb, in other words.

Bukidnon is the region roughly between Davao and Cagayan de Oro, from where lots of new trail running talent has emerged in the past few years. The Amigleo brothers did a lot for the sport there. Today, Yoyong Sacayle is arguably the best-known local top runner, Mary Joy Sumanda another up-and-comer. Both were ATM Finalists and top ten placers last year, and both will toe the start line in Pangantucan this weekend.

ATM Championship overall leader Julie Ann Morales will be aiming to make it three victories out of three races this season. Morales has been on a roll with wins on Mt Apo and last month at Bagtit Ultra. Another top performance would put her already in a very comfortable position to make Team Pilipinas for this year’s ATM Final. Her main competitors for the victory will be the aforementioned Mary Joy Sumanda, Ann Jilian Pulanco, Shally Yuson, Anne Maridol Rongavilla and Chloe Base. Keep an eye out for Sumanda, who on home soil could as well take her first ATM race win.

In the men’s race, Yoyong Sacayle will have to take care of Bagtit 100 winner Maynard Encormal, amongst others. Encormal looked solid three weeks ago, hopefully he has fully recovered from the effort. Sacayle ran the 9 Dragons 50/50, though, albeit rather anonimously. Perhaps that was calculated to be 100% for this weekend? On paper, Encormal and Sacayle look like the ones to beat, but there’s many other podium contenders in the race, such as Jonathan Pido, ATM Championship points leader Sean Aying, Florence Alave, Freddie Blanco, Henry Joe Cottilon and Ariehmar Bardoquillo.

ATM will be reporting from the Mt Kalatungan Ultra event on the usual channels.

Local Bukidnon runner Mary Joy Sumanda could go for her first ever ATM race win this weekend

Yoyong Sacayle: can he keep Maynard Encormal at bay ?

Maynard Encormal was a great winner at Bagtit 100 just three weeks ago

ATM Points Leader so far: Julie Ann Morales. Kalatungan is already her 3rd race this season

We are happy to add Mount Kalatungan in Philippines to the ATM Championship calendar for season IX on the weekend of 2/3 March 2024. The event was a popular Candidate Race in March 2020, just before the entire world went into lockdown. After four years, the event finally returns to the trail calendar and the longest race category, 85 km, offers points for the ATM Championship and the Grandmaster Quest.

Mt. Kalatungan, also known as Catatungan is a volcanic mountain located in Municipality of Pangantucan, Province of Bukidnon. It is a stratovolcano but with no known historical eruptions. It is the fifth highest mountain in the country with height of 2,287 meters above sea level. It is known as a technical mountain climb, so runners taking part in the 85km should have appropriate trail race experience already. The estimated elevation gain of 4,500 to 4,600 meters (to be finalise on GPX file) sums it up nicely: this is a tough course. The course of Mt Kalatungan Trail Ultra is a 95% trail for 85km combination of dirt roads, farm roads,single tracks (mostly going to the summit). The route will take place runners to tourists spots of Pangantucan like the Lake Napalit, Kidanggin Hot Spring, Blue Water (Kimereges) with amazing views of the mountain like Muleta Falls, BarRCamp Pangantucan, Mt. Kalatungan peak, hills, valleys, grasslands, plantations (sugarcane, corn. cassava banana & pineapple) and local villages along the way.

Less ambitious runners can also sign up for the 55km, 32km & 17Km. The host venue is the Pangantucan Municipal Gymnasium in Pangantuca, Bukidnon.

Please note that, as with Mount Apo, there is a fixed quota of people permitted to climb the mountain per day. Hence, register as soon as possible to avoid missing your spot on the 85km start list. Also take note of the fact that the race essentially takes place on Sunday, not on Saturday, which may influence your travel plan for the event.

You can find more details via the event’s facebook page linked below.

There’s three 2021 ATM Candidate Races in the Philippines in the first quarter of next season. Yesterday we highlighted the Philippine Mountain Marathon on Luzon, today we feature the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra on Mindanao. Scheduled for 1 March 2020, the event has a 80 km (50 miles) as main race.

Mt.Kalatungan is the 5th highest mountain (2880 Masl) in the Philippines which is located in the municipality of Pangantucan, Province of Bukidnon. Set up by a.o. ATM Grandmaster Rene Amigleo, this is another beautiful event in the region of northern Mindanao, which is becoming a hub for runners who like to train and race.

The race course of the Mt. Kalatungan Trail Ultra is a 98% trail, a combination of dirt roads, farm roads, single tracks( mostly going to the summit). Aside from the peak of mt. Kalatungan and Mt. Wiji, the route will take the runners to some of the tourists spots of Pangantucan like the Lake Napalit, Kidanggin Hot Spring, Bukal Blue Water(Kimereges) with the amazing views of the mountains, vallies, hills, grasslands, plantations and local villages along the way..The 80km is good for experienced trail runners only..

Please check all details via the event website

Distances/ Gunstarts/ Cut-offs

• 80km- March 1, 12:01 a.m- 25hrs

• 42km- March 1, 2:00 a.m- 16hrs

• 21km- March 1, 5:00 a.m- 8hrs

Registration period:

October 24, 2019 to January 20, 2020 at https://bit.ly/2MWIJGk