Thailand’s Jay Jantaraboon was the impressive winner of a very wet and treacherous Korea 50k in Dongducheon, in the northern outskirts of Seoul, last Saturday. In control of his own pacing and navigation from the start, Jantaraboon was briefly challenged by the speed of Japan’s Koken Ogasawara, but when most contenders somehow went off course, Jay kept it all together and completed the course in 5h50. He actually made it look easy to score his 3rd ATM race win after UTKC 100 (2017) and UTCR 125 (2018).

Heavy rain in the middle of the night was a foreboding for a tricky race that started at 6am. Rainfall decreased for the first two hours, but then came back downpour-style. As runners got soaked, many also began to get cold. Due to the extreme conditions, many of the 650 official 50k runners also threw in the towel. However, many also picked up a DQ - mostly to their surprise. Especially faster runners fell victim to ambiguous marking signs, and said they ‘kept seeing and following markers’ even though they were already off course. Hence, they kept going forward without realising they were actually shortcutting. Alessandro Sherpa, not having his best day but still competing for podium, arrived visibly confused at the finish line. The same for Jose Luis Alvelais, Spiros Kechrimparis and Mongolian Amgalanjargal Davaajargal and a list of others. It was a particularly sad tale for Koken Ogasawara, who was leading the race just after CP 2, at km 23. He took a wrong turn and continued to run himself out of the race. Given that many participants ended up on the same “wrong” trails, it is fair to claim there was an issue. And yet, in the flash interview after the finish, race winner Jay Jantaraboon argued that the markings were fine. As the cliche in sports goes: ‘the winner is always right’.

Kim Jisu - not to be confused with Kim Jisub - was a legitimate number 2 in any case, 25 minutes behind winner Jay Jantaraboon. He proved strongest of a Korean trio that put pressure on Alessandro Sherpa early on. In third we find Minchul Ko, who ran a strong final sector to still pass Byeungwon Park and Dongkuk Jang. America’s David Duffy was sixth.

Hisashi Kitamura was never really into contention for the podium. Looking tired after a series of farewell parties and logistical arrangements in the context of his return to Tokyo after ten years in Kuala Lumpur, he started the race slow for his standards and arrived at checkpoint 1 only in 13th place. However, by CP 2, he looked more energetic and had moved up to 7th place. Unfortunately, his race then came to a bitter conclusion as he slipped and fell face first against a rock. Black-eyed and heavily bleeding from a cut, Kitamura was shaken and waited for assistance to bring him to hospital. He required six stitches and it was also discovered he had broken a bone in his wrist.. Kitamura had no race plans until Deep Japan Ultra at the end of June, but will need the recovery time in any case.

The women’s race was convincingly won by Joung Sel A, who led from the start. Kim Jinhee overtook a freezing Japan’s Moeko Yasugahira at CP 2, but then also ran the shortcut to CP 4. Another unfortunate DQ. Gwak Mihee inherited second place and Jang Hee Hoo completed the podium. Notably, both stayed ahead of Yasugahira and Boyoung Lee.

ATM Live Video Update CP2

ATM Live Video Update CP1

Kim Jisu ran a hard race battling with Byeungwon Park and Alessandro Sherpa for podium and finished second

Minchul Ko was a superb finisher, moving up the leaderboard towards the end to take third on the podium

A wet Saturday is forecast for the many runners taking part in South Korea’s trail classic Korea 50k, with temperatures probably staying below 15 degrees all day. That is probably not the worst news for Koken Ogasawara, the Japanese star from Sapporo who launches his 2023 ATM campaign and squares off against the likes of Alessandro Sherpa, Hisashi Kitamura and Jay Jantaraboon.

Ogasawara is arguably unknown for many following the Asia Trall Master series, but if we mention he was second in last year’s Izu Trail Journey a loud bell may be ringing already. Apparently inspired by fellow-Sapporo runner Moeko Yasugahira, who won the women’s Seoul 50k last October on the way to 6th place in the ATM Championship Final on Mt Apo, Ogasawara has a few ATM points races lined up for this season. At Korea 50k, he may find a course and conditions that suit him very well, and it will be exciting to see how the battle with ATM regulars Sherpa and Kitamura unfolds. Sherpa started the new season in great style, winning Dalat Ultra Trail 85 and placing second behind Jeff Campbell in Lantau 70 after giving the Canadian a stern challenge. Already in Seoul for a week, Sherpa is motivated to give it his best again this Saturday. Hisashi Kitamura has already demonstrated his form this season as well, easily grabbing victory in Cuc Phuong 42km four weeks ago, and beating Milton Amat in BUTM 100 in March. However, ‘Karate Kit’ has just moved from Kuala Lumpur back to Tokyo with his family and we can imagine that is not the best physical and mental preparation for a highly competitive race. There’s certainly one other serious contender on the start list in Thailand’s Jay Jantaraboon. Around for many years, not running in ATM often, but when he does he wins (eg UTKC 100 in 2017, UTCR 120 in 2018). Wet conditions won’t hamper him too much normally, as Jay has always considered himself an adventure racer first, and a trail runner second.

At the time of writing we have not yet seen the start list, but there’s certainly one more contender for podium if the dice rolls in his favour: Jose Luis Alvelais. The Hong Kong-based Mexican was 3rd in his comeback race following injury at Cuc Phuong last month. There was a considerable time gap between him and Kitamura, but that was a fast and dry course. Korea 50k has 3300 metres of elevation gain, and when it’s really wet, there’s only so much speed anyone can develop. Korea’s leading trail runner since many years, Kim Jisub, won’t be running as he competed in Japan just a week ago. The same for Sim Jaeduk.

In the women’s race we have the previously mentioned Moeko Yasugahira on the start list. She was the winner of last year’s Seoul 50k race and on paper the one-to-beat as a result.

We will be reporting live from the race on our usual ATM channels starting at 5:30 am Korea time.

Koken Ogasawara was 2nd in last year’s Izu Trail Journey.

Alessandro Sherpa currently leads the 2023 ATM Championship points ranking

Jay Jantaraboon has been the benchmark in Thailand for many years. How does he fare around Seoul on Saturday?

Hisashi Kitamura is the most successful male runner in ATM with 7 race victories

Moeko Yasugahira was 6th in last year’s ATM Championship Final, and won Seoul 50k in October

The corona virus situation is creating havoc around the world and has now compelled the local governments of Dongducheon and Santa Cruz to enforce a postponement of all social and sporting activities. Korea 50K has been moved to 27/28 June and the Mount Apo Sky Race has been postponed to a date yet to be scheduled. Event organiser Doi Calbes today said in Davao that a new date will be announced in the course of next week following relevant meetings with authorities.

This means the first upcoming points race for the 2020 Asia Trail Master Championship is now The Monkeys Trail on Koh Samui in Thailand on 16/17 May.

We are happy to announce the return of Korea 50k to the Asia Trail Master Championship series in 2020 after a one-year-break. The event is still one of South Korea’s biggest trail events and a great run in the hilly forests nearby capital city Seoul on 25 and 26 April 2020. In the context of ATM, attention will flow to the traditional 55k classic race. Important to note is that the organiser now also offers a 100k category, but that category does NOT offer ATM championship points. Runners looking to score championship points should sign up for the classic 55k. On the other hand, runners aiming for the ATM Grandmaster Quest can score 1 point if they finish the new 100k category.

South Korea was missing on our ATM race calendar in 2019 despite several runners from the country regularly competing in races in our tour. It is great news that Ms Jey Jang, now solo organiser of Korea 50k, decided to rejoin our community to give Asian residents a stimulant to compete in her country and race, and to give Korean trail stars such as Kim Jisob, Sungsik Joh and Been Lee the opportunity to shine at home and under the ATM spotlight. Start and finish of the event is in Dongducheon, reachable via subway trains from Seoul City. There is accommodation nearby as well, but you could also just stay in the city - keeping the timetable and race starting times in mind, of course. Pay attention that contrary to before, the 55k race will be held on Saturday and not on Sunday.

This is not an easy 50k course with considerable elevation of 3300 hm via lots of ups and downs. The toughest sections come in the middle. The last 10km are easier except that one bump with just a few km to go. This is Korea in April, so temperatures should be very comfortable for running after a cool start.

Registration is open and as this event is filling up fast do not hesitate too long. You can sign up online via this link.

More info can be obtained via our cover page on the ATM website or directly via the event website.

Korea’s biggest trail star: Kim Jisob. Will he compete for the 2020 Asia Trail Master Championship title?

Both the Korea 50K in Dongducheon and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Santa Cruz, Davao in Philippines were characterised by very hot weather giving even more difficulty to the runners on already challenging race courses. The Mount Apo Sky Race proved quite dramatic in particular, with only 20 finishers - 1 female - and the rest already cut-off after either 25k or 43k. If the race hadn’t been stopped by the race director at km 75 for security reasons, few would have made it to the finish. Last year’s winner of the then-70K Mt Apo Sky Race, Pablo Diago Gonzales, was therefore right in his pre-race warnings: this was going to be a shocker. 

The new route added three more peaks to the course and those proved to be extremely technical with virtually no running possible for the first 25K following the flag off at midnight. It took David Gianelli and a local road runner 5 hours and 20 minutes to complete those 25K. Gianelli, the Italian winner of the Indonesia SuperTrail last year, was the fastest man in the race also last weekend. As soon as they hit Mount Apo he was by himself in the lead and by km 75 he held an advantage of over 1 hour over the very strong Jag Lanante. The Thailand-based Filippino overtook Pablo Diago Gonzales just a few kilometres before the improvised finish line. Gianelli completed the 75K in 14 hours and 44 minutes,  and now being temporarily based in Philippines will also travel to Penang in 3 weeks for the Malaysia SuperTrail race, Penang Eco 100, where he will compete on the 100K. Pablo Diago is a busy bee this spring as well, as he is lined up for Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan and the same Penang Eco 100K. Local Mindanao runner Rexell Aguirre was 4th in Mount Apo, preceeding Joseph Gentoleo. 

Rizal Mountain Run winner Aggy Smith Sabanal was the only female finisher and scored her second ATM race victory of the season. Definitely in her element on the most technical of trails, Sabanal overtakes Majo Liao in the Asia Trail Master Championship with this new success by 65 points. Still very young for an ultra trail runner, it will be interesting to see her compete on the tough mountains of Mantra Summits Challenge in Malang, East Java, Indonesia this July. 

All other women, including Hong Kong’s Tanya Bennet, last year’s winner Manilyn Mamugay and Cheryl Bihag were all cut-off at km 43. 

Over in South Korea, there was local success as Kim Jisub took the victory ahead of Austria's Michael Kabicher and Japan's Hiragi Taichi. Jisub finished in 6:33, 14 minutes ahead of the European. The difference between numbers 1 and 2 in the women's was similar with France's Laetitia Pibis staying ahead of Yasuko Natsume of Japan, and her compatriot Sae Enaka completing the podium.

Rene Amigleo is a new Asia Trail Grandmaster

Aggy Smith Sabanal leads the ATM championship after her second victory of the season

Laetitia Pibis was the fastest woman in South Korea during the Korea 50k

Kim Jesub was the great home winner of Korea 50k

This weekend the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series continues with another doubleheader. Korea 50K in Northern Asia and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Southeast Asia. Both events meanwhile have established a tradition and will see the participation of a strong set of runners. 

Mount Apo is the highest mountain of the Philippines at an altitude of nearly 3000m, located near Davao on Mindanao Island. Race director Doi Calbes has further upgraded his A-race from last year’s 70K to a full 100K this weekend. This is a technical and challenging trail that appeals to experienced trail runners. It should be noted that last year’s winner and 2nd placer Pablo Diago Gonzales and Rexell Aguirre are both coming back. They will face the challenge of some other good runners such as David Gianelli, the Italian who impressively won the Indonesia SuperTrail last season. For Pablo Diago Gonzales, a top 2 result would place him in 2nd place of the ATM ranking behind leader Harry Jones. Also on the start list but a question mark is the other Singapore-based Italian Alessandro Sherpa. Still struggling with a foot injury, it is not sure he will be tackling Mount Apo. Thailand-based pinoy runners Joeffrey Camara and Jorge Lanante should be considered for a podium finish, as well as a number of local runners who can always create a surprise. 

Manilyn Mamugay was the women's race winner last year and she also will defend her title. Shindy Patricia from Indonesia was scheduled to be a main competitor, but a passport visa application took a longer time than envisaged and Shindy is unfortunately unable to travel this weekend. Hong Kong's Tanya Bennet and Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag are podium candidates. 

In Dongducheon, near Seoul, in South Korea the country’s biggest trail race is entering its 4th edition on Saturday. Forest hills characterise this tough 58K that will see Takashi Doi from Japan face local top runners such as Sim Jaeduk. 

We will be reporting live from both events on Saturday, as usual subject to connectivity. 

Pablo Diago Gonzales (1) and Rexell Aguirre (2) return to Mt Apo this weekend

The prime trail race in South Korea is again open for registration. In 2018, Korea 50K takes place on the usual weekend in April with the race day on Sunday, 22 April. The venue and race course has remained largely the same, although the official distance is currently reduced by 1k to 58K. This is a hilly race in the forests around DDC, a suburb of capital capity Seoul, to which it is connected by subway. 

The registration is open and it is suggested not to wait too long, as in its third year of Asia Trail Master, it has become one of the more popular races on the tour given its convenient location. 

Registration Link:

http://en.korea50k.com/03/

The biggest trail race in South Korea was a textbook example of the growth of the sport in that country, yet international runners took the top step on the podium in the main race of 59 km. South African star Ryan Sandes pulled out at the last moment with a hip injury that he sustained in training, and so the trail was open for Japan's top runner Ruy Ueda to deliver an outstanding performance. Ueda completed the hilly and tough course in a blistering 5:41:12. He was in a league of his own finishing nearly 40 minutes ahead of number two. In fact, two more Japanese runners completed the podium with Takeshi Doi overtaking Tomonori Onitsuka in the final stages to claim second place. Shimjae Dok, second last year, had to settle for fourth place. He was 41 minutes off the podium, which indicates just how quick the Japanese ran. Second Korean was Jisoo Kim. Al Telias from Philippines was one of the pre-race favourites, but he did not start. 

The overall level of the women's race also went up a notch as last year's winner Yukari Hoshino had to see Marie McNaughton from New Zealand run away from her after an intense dual between the two. For a long time they were separated by not more than ten minutes, until McNaughton pulled away in the late stages to win by approx 25 minutes still. Sunghee Lee was the best of the local runners in third place - just like 12 months ago. Lee is last year's winner of UT Jeju in October and the female Korean Trail Master, finishing 8th in the 2016 ATM Championship. She had to fight for her podium place last Sunday, as her compatriot Jeong Sun Park was just over five minutes behind. Park, of course, is the winner of last year's ill-fated Ultra Trail Mount Jiri, ran in very wet conditions. 

Importantly, Cheryl Bihag from Philippines finished the Korea 59k race as well, collecting another 188 points in already her fifth points finish of the ATM season! As such, she totals 1638 points and takes over the lead in the current Asia Trail Master points championship from Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (1500 pts in 3 races). A well-deserved top spot for one of the most popular runners on the Asian circuit. For Cheryl, it will now be about consolidation and increasing her points tally further by doing better than the 188 points of Korea 50k, which by coincidence happens to be her smallest points haul of the season. As per ATM championship regulations, only a runner's best five results are taken into account for the ranking. This year, Cheryl has done Rizal Mountain Run 50, Beach Bunch Trail Challenge 100, Cordillera Mountain Ultra 50, Sungai Menyala Forest Trail 50 and thus Korea 59K. 

MEN TOP 5

1. Ruy Ueda (JPN) 5:41:12
2. Takeshi Doi (JPN) 6:20:54
3. Tomonori Onitsuka (JPN) 6:30:39
4. Shimjae Dok (KOR) 7:11:39
5. Jisoo Kim (KOR) 7:33:55

WOMEN TOP 5:

1. Marie McNaughton (NZL) 7:42:32
2. Yukari Hoshino (JPN) 8:07:18
3. Sunghee Lee (KOR) 8:59:39
4. Jeong-Sun Park (KOR) 9:05:05
5. Bo Yong Jang (KOR) 9:22:23

Korea is no longer a rookie country when it comes to trail running and the proof is this weekend's Korea 50k event in Dongducheon in the outskirts of capital city of Seoul. The 3rd edition again breaks participation records with 1117 officially registered runners! Not all of them are of course going for the hilly 59 k, yet even the main race will see just over 500 starters. And it is not only the quantity that strikes observers, also the quality. Many of northern Asia's established trail runners are present, and they will be facing one of the world's most reputed trail runners in the person of Ryan Sandes of South Africa. It goes without saying he is also the race favourite, but there's plenty of dark horses this weekend.

Korea 50k is thus actually closer to 60k and offers a hilly course mainly inside forests and has no less than 3500 metres of elevation gain. That's tough, and especially something that could be in favour of explosive runner types rather than ultra endurance types. The terrain could therefore be Sandes' biggest rival. At 35, the South African is not the oldest, but neither the youngest anymore. Japan's Ruy Ueda, for instance, is a fan of Korea 50K's topography and has an aggressive running style. Ueda will be an important challenger for Sandes. So will be Ueda's compatriot Tetsuya Osugi - if he recovers in time from illness that struck him this week -, along with Takeshi Doi and Tomonori Onitsuka. The Land of the Rising Sun certainly is well-represented in Korea this year! 

Ruy Ueda and Ryan Sandes: the two leading favourites for Sunday's 59K race

Ruy Ueda

On a start list of 500 there are bound to be other fast runners few people know about, but one name is certainly not unknown: Alison Tellias from the Philippines, third in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra last month, is another podium candidate to say the least. Still, there's another Filippino runner who will be very much in the spotlight this weekend: Cheryl Bihag will be taking part in her fifth ATM points race of the season already, and is set to overtake Tahira Najmunisaa in the 2017 Championship points ranking! Currently ranked second with just 50 points less than the Malaysian - who has done three races so far - Bihag will be the first runner to score points in five races, which means that as of the next race she can begin to try and eliminate her worst points result (11th in Cordillera Mountain Ultra, i.e. 300 points). Always smiling and in a good mood, Bihag has traveled across Asia in recent months and her consistent results in races will now give her a truly well-deserved place in the spotlight for some time. 

In all fairness, winning Korea 50K will be an uphill task for Bihag this weekend. For the race victory, local runners such as Sunghee Lee and Gyesook Lee seem to be a good bet. But also in the women's race, Japanese runners will join the debate for sure. 

As always, you can follow the action of Korea 50K live via our social media channels. The race is set to commence at 5 a.m. local time. 

We move on to April in our 2017 Asia Trail Master preview for the next confirmed entry. Korea 50k, arguably the country's flagship event, will have its third edition on - normally - 23 April 2017. The precise date could shift by one week and will be cast in stone in the next few weeks. Korea 50k is actually a 59km long race that takes place in Dongducheon, in the outskirts of capital city Seoul, to which it is well-connected via public transport. The Seoul subway reaches DDC, as the town is commonly called, which has the added advantage that the race can easily be included in a big family weekend city trip! Organised by the experienced RunXRun group, the event offers a solid course with 3100 metres of elevation gain that should not be underestimated. You will run large sections up and down hills in prime forest. 

All event details will be updated for 2017 in due course. In the mean time, what's stopping you to pencil in a nice city & running trip to Seoul! 

2016 Race Report Korea 50k 

2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

14/01/17 - Thailand - The Dirt Track
22/01/17 - Indonesia - Tahura Trail
29/01/17 - Philippines - Rizal Mountain Run
17-18/02/17 - Thailand - UT Unseen Koh Chang - SUPERTRAIL
25-26/02/17 - Brunei - Beach Bunch Trail Challenge
04-05/03/17 - Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Ultra
23/04/17 - South Korea - Korea 50k

The 2016 men's podium with China's Xu Xiutao in the middle

The 2016 women's podium had a Japanese winner, Yukari Fukuda

He was the pre-race favourite, and he delivered in style. Xu Xiutao is becoming a force to be reckoned with in Asia' s trail running scene, as the runner from Beijing scored an impressive victory in yesterdays Korea 50k event. It was the fifth race in this year's Asia Trail Master series and already the second one for Xu Xiutao,  after he came home second in UTHK 100 last February. His Korean points haul - 500 - lifts him to second place in the current ATMs championship ranking behind Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho. 

It was the second edition of Korea 50k, an event marked by a boom in registrations with plenty of international athletes making the trip to the outkirts of Seoul. It was a warm day under a bright blue sky, but the runners had a tough one as the 59km race covered well over 3000 metres of elevation gain, an increase that not everybody felt was necessary, which is similar to comments received in last week's 50 miles race in Linhai, China. Perhaps something for race organisers to reflect upon. Yesterday there were plenty of DNFs as a result. Luckily, the technical organisation by the local RunXRun team was excellent, and runners could enjoy a beer and a tasty local snack after the finish in the sports stadium of Dongducheon. 

Simjae Duk was a bit disappointed with 2nd place this year. 

It was chilly at 4:30 a.m. for the start of the race, but the runners were soon warmed up as outside the stadium was already the first steep climb up. The strongest group of runners immediately opened up a gap. Local stars Simjae Duk, last year's winner, and Nohui Seong had to accept the company of China's Xu Xiutao, who kept the pressure on them. Close behind was Hong Kong-based Frenchman Clement Dumont, whose consistent pace would earn him a third spot on the podium as Seong faded in the last ten kilometers. The victory was contested between Simjae Duk and Xu Xiutao, and eventually the youngest had the edge and even pulled away still by 8 minutes in the final section. Xu Xiutao crossed the finish line in 7:11:02 with the Chinese flag around him. Another Hong Kong-based European, Paul Ridley from Great Britain, completed the top five and of all the top guys looked like he could still do another lap. 

Podium of the men's 59km race

In the women's race, Japan's Yukari Fukuda repeated  her victory from last year in 8:19:50. She was over an hour ahead of second and third place runners Janet Ng (Hong Kong) and Sung Hee Lee (Korea), who swapped places in the final climb of the race. 

The next race in the Asia Trail Master series takes place on 8 May in Tamgaly Tas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Kazakhstan. 

Podium of the women's 59 km race. 

The next points-scoring race in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series takes place in a new destination, namely South Korea. Not far from capital city, Seoul, Sunday's Korea 50k event in Dongducheon (DDC) proves the growth of trail running in yet another country with hundreds of runners registered for the race. The event will be a significant spectacle with plenty of media and international charity partner Operation Smile present as well. There is a high number of international runners, so it will certainly be an interesting race. 

Race organiser Jesse Yoo has been in trail running before most people even knew it existed. The first edition of Korea 50k last year was a success, and it encouraged him and his team to take things to the next level and increase international engagement. Other than a race for the national championship, Korea 50k is also the first ever Korean race in the Asia Trail Master series. It won't be the only one, with UT Mount Jiri and a third race in the pipeline for later in autumn this year.

The event is easily accessible from Seoul by subway, and there's plenty of hotel choices available in DDC as well. The race course is tough with 3100m of elevation gain to be conquered, but the length is reasonable with 59 km in total. A compact challenge in other words. 

All finishers on the 59km race will score 100 finisher points for the Asia Trail Master championship, and added to that are of course each runner's performance points on the basis of his ranking in the result list. 

Important in this event is the support any runner can  give to the cause of charity partner Operation Smile. The US-headquartered cause is omnipresent in Asia as well, and treats less privileged children to life-changing surgeries for cleft lip and palate conditions. Each participant in Korea 50k can help to make a big difference in life quality for these young children, and we as promoters of the event and managers of the Asia Trail Master series encourage everyone to take this into consideration when collecting your race number bib on Saturday.  Please see more information about how you can assist below and by going to the OS Korean website. 

 This weekend we will be reporting live from the scene, starting on Saturday afternoon with the press conference, and then of course before, during and after the race via our social media channels. 

Xu Xiatou starts as one the race favourites in Korea after his strong showing in UTHK 100.