We are happy to announce that Harkor Ultra Trail Balakayo Mountain in General Santos in the south of Mindanao in the Philippines has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. The event features a 75km main race distance with over 4000 metres of elevation gain, but is known to be quite runable. The event is organised by the Drunken Runners Team and Team Akbri and scheduled for 31 May/1 June.

Registration for the event is already open and can be accessed via the button below. There is a quota on the participation numbers, so if you are keen - better be quick.

The 75km has a cut-off time at the finish of 25 hours. Less ambitious runners can also opt for shorter distances, such as the 42km, 25km and 12km. 2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa tested the trails of Harkor and gave a thumbs up, saying the trails reminded him of those in France.

General Santos has an international airport, but Davao is another bet - if you don’t mind some bus travel from there.

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. 

This weekend we have a doubleheader on the Asia Trail Master circuit, which will kick off in the Philippines on Friday early morning with Pulag Ultra Trail. A Grandmaster-only event with potential to enter the Championship calendar as well in future. Mount Pulag is a fantastic mountain experience near Baguio in the Cordilleras. .

The event, managed by Intrepid Spirit from VJ 100 last December, is in fact an A to B race and has two Grandmaster distances on offer: 132 km and 65 km. The latter is short of 70km, but - as Mantra 65 in Indonesia - has more than 4500 hm making it eligible as a GM point race.

Pulag Ultra Trail 132km starts in Kabayan deep in the Cordillera Mountains and finishes in Baguio City. It is an exhilarating journey through the majestic landscapes that embrace Mount Pulag, Mount Awa, Mount Ugo and Mount Bidawan and the myriad of scenic landmarks that grace the path leading to Baguio City. Needless to say this is a pure mountain run you should come prepared for. It’s tough, but the untamed scenery will ease the pain Mount Pulag in particular is famous for its views from above the clouds. Official elevation gain for the 132km is 8827 hm and nearly 4600 hm for the 65km.Along the epic course you will also encounter enchanting villages and iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. As the website reads: “Their presence will ignite your spirit and fuel your determination, as you draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of history and culture that surrounds you.”

The event has attracted quite a large number of brave souls, because this is indeed a serious Grandmaster Quest challenge and the finisher point will be hard-earned. Some well-known runners are taking the start tomorrow, including ATM Finalists and Grandmasters Mary Joy Sumanda, Eduardo Fuentes and Henry Yang from Singapore. Also, Poy Brillantes, a lover of long and tough ultras, will go for the 130k. Jeong Taeyun from Korea and Zheng Limin from Shenzhen (China) are also on the start list.

ATM will be reporting from Pulag Ultra Trail from start to finish on ATM facebook , plus ATM YouTube and Instagram.

Mary Joy Sumanda, double ATM Finalist in 2023 and 2024, will be attempting the 130

Henry Yang, ATM Finalist in 2023, is also aiming for another Grandmaster star

Poy Brillantes is a big fan of ultra long challenges

Julie Mae Marquez is going for the 65km option, which also offers a GM point as the elevation gain exceeeds 4500 hm.

This weekend, runners on the Grandmaster Quest can also score a point at the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure in the Rizal mountains east of Manila in the Philippines. The tough 80km race crosses the summits of Mount Irid and Mount Tukduang Banoi, the two highest mountains in the Rizal area. The event is organised by The Pace Republic and directed by 4-star Grandmaster Rhea Batac.

Santa Ines alternates every year with the Bagtit Ultra event. Two years ago, the long distance race saw some great runs in both the male and female categories, but also showed the technicality of the course. Over 20 river crossings had to be negotiated by the participants. For this year’s edition the course has been amended here and there following runners’ feedback.

Maynard Encormal is back in Santa Ines this weekend. He finished third last time and could be the man-to-beat this year. Also Bhert Orpiada is in with a shot for victory. On the female side we have Grandmaster Cristine Montuya - winner of the other ATM promoted event in Rizal, Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, - Michella Aradanas, Metzy Alson and Krizia Bondad. There’s several other Grandmasters going for an extra point on their record: Jay Delgado, Jose Tindog, Ramsey Villanueva, Jux Castaneda and Ronald Natividad.

We are delighted to announce that the Philippine Mountain Trail Festival from 1-3 May will be the third Filipino points race event of Season 10 in the Asia Trail Master Championship. ‘PMTF’ is organised by Intrepid Spirit and consists of several branded races, of which H1 - Hardcore 100 Miles - and the Mount Ugo Marathon 47km are relevant for point seekers. Both are classic races in the country for well over a decade and are now under a new management headed by Robert Watson.

H1 is already legendary in South East Asia as being the first 100 Miler in Philippines and, on top of that, one of a selected few established global races with an elevation gain of over 10,000 hm! This is untamed and wild territory in the Cordilleras, yet with a course that follows international standards to test your physical endurance and psychological perseverance. The race starts at the Kayapa Central School at 23:30 on Thursday, 1 May, has 12 aid stations and a cut off time of 44 hours.

There is also a Hardcore 50 Miles race category for those slightly less ambitious or just interested in collecting a Grandmaster point. The 50 Miles is 84 km long and also has well over 5000 metres of elevation gain. The 50 Miles starts on the 2nd of May at 14:00 in the afternoon, and has a cut off time of 22 hours.

Hardcore 100 and 50 Miles particpants must pay special attention to the entry requirements, race regulations including mandatory gears, as there will not be any excuses tolerated. All details can be found on the event page of the Intrepid website, which you can also link to via the button below.

Shorter but equally famous and historical in the Philippines is the Mount Ugo Marathon. This is the second race of the Philippine Mountain Trail Festival that provides points for the ATM Championship ranking. Mt Ugo Marathon is obviously centred around Mount Ugo, already well-known in the Asia Trail Master series, and has a race distance of 47km with nearly 3200 metres of elevation gain. The start is on Saturday morning at 5:30 am and runners have 12 hours of time to complete the course. The summit of Mount Ugo comes roughly halfway into the race. The start and finish venue is the same as for the Hardcore 100 & 50 Miles, the Kayapa Central School. Kayapa lies east of Baguio.

All specifics for the Mt Ugo Marathon can be consulted on the event website, linked below. Registration is open.

We are happy to announce Pulag Ultra Trail in Philippines as a new addition to the ATM Grandmaster Quest calendar on 21/22 February. The event, managed by Intrepid Spirit from VJ 100 last December, is a majestic A to B race and has two Grandmaster distances on offer: 132 km and 65 km. The latter is short of 70km, but - as Mantra 65 in Indonesia - has more than 4500 hm making it eligible as a GM point race.

Pulag Ultra Trail 132km starts in Kabayan and finishes in Baguio City. It is an exhilarating journey through the majestic landscapes that embrace Mount Pulag, Mount Awa, Mount Ugo and Mount Bidawan and the myriad of scenic landmarks that grace the path leading to Baguio City. Needless to say this is a pure mountain run you should come prepared for. It’s tough, but the untamed scenery will ease the pain Mount Pulag in particular is famous for its views from above the clouds. Official elevation gain for the 132km is 8827 hm and nearly 4600 hm for the 65km.Along the epic course you will also encounter enchanting villages and iconic landmarks that have stood the test of time. As the website reads: “Their presence will ignite your spirit and fuel your determination, as you draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of history and culture that surrounds you.”

PUT, the official abbreviation of Pulag Ultra Trail, is a late addition to the calendar , so you need to decide quickly if you wish to join the event. Less ambitious runners can also opt for a short 20km category.

The organiser has transportation services on offer, which you can consult via the QR code in the poster announcement below. Runners are also strongly encouraged to check out the event website to discover all details for the races, including the mandatory gear list.

We are happy to announce that the Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival in General Nakar, Luzon, Philippines is joining the Asia Trail Master Grandmaster calendar in 2025. The event, a Candidate Race last year, will be held on the weekend of 26/27 July and features a 100km race that will provide a Grandmaster point to all finishers. The Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival is already open for registration.

Beginning and less ambitious runners can also opt for one of the several shorter distance categories. There is also a kids race. And in fact, this event is a great introduction to trail running. PCMTF is known for its (very) runable terrain and as such as bit of an outcast on the Filipino trail calendar. Last year, we saw several of the country’s marathon and road running scene take part and get a first taste of trail running. As the official event’s tagline reads: “Where the mountains literally meet the sea and everything in between fall nothing short on beauty and charm – from its crystalline streams to placid rivers, from rolling hills to the lush greenery of the forests, tiny hamlets and the exceptional warmth of its people - all these on a one-of-a-kind ultra marathon that is the Pacific Coast Mountain Trail Festival” .

The 100k Grandmaster course is not pancake flat neither, though. There is still 2000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered during the day. The race starts at 4 am on Saturday morning and everyone is expected to be back after 27 hours, i.e. 7 am on Sunday morning.

General Nakar is also relatively uncomplicated to get to from Manila. You can ride a bus or van frm Legarda in Manila going to Infanta Quezon. The fare is approximately Php 350-450. Travel time is 4-5 hours depending on traffic and time of the day. General Nakar lies on the east coast of Luzon island.

Via the facebook page below you can find all details on the event, and you can register online via the button below as well.

Malico Grand Ultra took place for the second time last weekend featuring a 75km race course with a Grandmaster point for all finishers on offer. Brought to you by Mark Caldez of Marcado Trail Quest and the Maharlika Series team of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the event took place in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio. The 75km is a challenging course with four distinct peaks to conquer, for a total elevation gain of over 4000 hm. Conditions matter, but runners also always learn and this year’s winners were significantly faster than last year. Jordan Bugnay was the rather surprising man on the top step of the podium, winning in 12h32 - well ahead of established ATM competitors Sean Aying and Maynard Encornal. For Sean Aying, finishing Malico meant scoring his 15th GM point , which now makes him a 3-star Grandmaster!

Strongest woman was Ann Jilian Pulanco, who managed to outpace Julieann Morales and Julie Mae Marquez in 16h21. Whenever Grandmaster Pulanco decides to compete and race, she is always a victory contender. In 2023 she also won Sierra Madre. At Malico a year ago, she was preceeded by Michella Aradanas, however. Julieann Morales was 10th in last season’s ATM Championship with three wins inside the Philippines during the season. The first ATM Championship points race of Season 10 is coming up on the first weekend of March in Bukidnon, the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra’s 55km race.

Angelie Cabalo and Miguelito Carranza delivered some fine performances in the tough VJ 100 Candidate Race in Baguio, Luzon, Philippines, last weekend. Cabalo won the 100k race and Carranza the 50k in Camp John Hay on a 10km loop course that contained about everything one can imagine in a trail running race, including 700 metres of elevation gain per loop. That made especially the 100k race a pure physical and mental challenge. The men’s 100km saw Thailand-based Russian Dmitry Rusin on the top step of the podium, after overtaking Jon Lacanlale on lap 3. In third place was Tribu Pakaras ace Florence Alave, who finished his last ultra of a very busy year.

Organised by Intrepid Spirit, VJ 100 was held in ideal running conditions, sunny but not really hot. The orga team paid great attention to detail and we are looking forward to some of their other trail events in 2025.

The second ATM Candidate Race organised by the AWRA Davao Team took place last Sunday in New Corella. The New Corella Trail Ultra (NCTU) had three distance categories on the programme, of which the 50km was the main event. Once again, we discovered a new emerging talent from Bukidnon , the landlocked province in northern Mindanao: Vincent Philip Sinanggote . The 24-year-old had the better of another promising talent in Eldy Bulod, whom we have already known since last season. In a tough race , made even more technical and complicated by the heavy rainfall hours before the race start, Sinanggote finished in a time of 7h11 , which was almost half an hour quicker than Bulod. In fact, Bulod had to hurry up in the end as Angelo Navarro concludes his race just 30 seconds after him.

Actually, Romar John Galingan came first into the finish arena, but he got disqualified for missing a checkpoint earlier in the race. Jong Mahinay, a pre-race favourite, DNFd at around the km 30 mark.

The women’s 50k Candidate Race was won by Guia Heistaire Angela, another talented runner on the rise in the Philippines. She finished quite a way ahead of Janet Arnego and Carmhelle Pilos, who completed the podium.

Ever since the then-19-year-old Godwin Mirar finished fourth in The Punisher 80km, hot on the heels of Hisashi Kitamura, Arnie Macaneras and John Ellis, a great future in trail running was promised to him. The smart youngster from Bukidnon has kept his head cool in the past years and focused primarily on developing his pure running ability first, rather than aiming for as many kilometres and as much elevation gain as possible. Flashes of his great talent came out again after covid, for example when he battled with John Ray Onifa and Kristian Joergensen at VMM 2023’s 50km race., and again with Onifa earlier this year on a 30k short distance in Cebu. His youth and relative inexperience as a high-level competitor still costs him sometimes, but Godwin Mirar made another big step forward in his development last weekend at the 7th Mount Apo Sky Race. He came and conquered his first ever 100km race (what a choice for a 100k debut as well!) in 15h21 , a solid 40 minutes ahead of Jevie Cagatin , ATM Finalist at Borneo TMBT last September and already second on Mt Apo last year (behind Paraiso). Cagatin is also the last winner of the Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra in March and the highest Filipino points scorer in ATM Season 9. Quite a performance by Mirar. Of course, this season’s edition was not a points race for the ATM Championship ranking, but still.

Rhod Axel Butac came third in the race and completed the podium in 19h10.

Fastest female runner was Rizalyn Lauron in 23h27, an hour and a half ahead of Jenny Grace Padillo. Cheryl Bihag completed the podium in third.

This year's Mt Apo Sky Race did not offer any points for the championship ranking, but gave all finishers a point for their Grandmaster Quest. That was the goal for Manila's Cheryl Bihag as well, and by finishing third in the race she even managed to underline her performance of becoming a 3-star Grandmaster! Cheryl has been active on the ATM circuit for many years and was one of the first female Grandmasters ever. Last weekend, she added a third star to her badge!