With Mantra 116 last week we entered the second half of Season VIII (8) in the Asia Trail Master Championship, so let’s take a quick look at the situation in the country rankings with a view to the great ATM Final event in Indonesia on 2/3 December: Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. Runners need to qualify for that final race by ending the season within the Top 5 of their country, and finish at least 2 ATM races. Former ATM champions can get a wild card as long as they meet that latter requirement.
On top of the standings overall, we find Malaysia’s Amir Zaki and Philippines’ Roan Biguasen. Both have been busy in the first semester and already put three and four points results in the bank, respectively. For Biguasen, it means she has already arrived at the consolidation phase: only a runner’s best four race results are taken into account. She has 1690 points, courtesy of three second-places (V Trail 85, Orang Utan Trail 50 and Trail of Man 55) and one seventh place (Sierra Madre Trail). Her goal is now to turn that 7th place into a 6th place or better in her next race. Biguasen already tried to do so at Mantra 116 last weekend, but instead suffered a DNF. Always smiling, Biguasen, who lives in Kuala Lumpur and joined Team Ole Athletic, is still very much a newcomer in trail and distance running. Mantra was her first attempt at a high altitude and technical mountain trail. Getting a spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Championship Final is not the easiest task given the sheer quantity of great trail runners in the country, but Biguasen already seems quite safe with her current points total. Her compatriot Irish Glorioso is on the same path with already 1540 points collected in four races this season. Glorioso won the season opener in Laos - V Trail 85 - , but has not been near the podium since. Ample improvement possibilities still in the second semester, and let’s not forget Glorioso was an ATM Finalist last year finishing seventh on Mt Apo! They are the only female runners with four results already in the pocket.
In third place we find Indonesia’s Shindy Patricia: one of the stars of the current season from a purely competitive point of view. Shindy has been around since the beginning of ATM in 2015, was third in the Championship in 2016 and fourth in 2017. She took a bit of a break from our series in 2019 to focus on another project, but returned remarkably last year already with fourth place in the ATM Final and the fastest summit attack on Mt Apo in that race (i.e. faster than dominant race winner Hau Ha!). That level of new-found competitiveness has still been increasing ever since, as Shindy showed by winning Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 100 in Vietnam and Mantra 116 in her home region of Malang in East Java, both times placing among the top 5 male runners.. She now has five ATM race wins on her record. Rumours have it Shindy started working with a new coach, focusing less on quantity and more on quality of performances. It clearly pays off so far! With a maximum of 1000 points in just two races, she should already be quite safe for Team Indonesia qualification. Especially as she has another two ATM races on her programme in the coming months. And here’s an interesting detail: Shindy Patricia knows the ATM Final’s mountain very well: she won a domestic race on Gunung Lawu last year!
T8 Indonesia’s Shindy will not be the only ‘home’ runner at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra with dreams of winning the ATM title, or at least score a genuine podium. At Mantra, not only did former ATM champion Arief Wismoyono show he is still Indonesia’s mountain ultra runner-to-beat, but on the medium distance we saw some of the country’s young trail stars finally compete against some regional competition - and with great success. Risqi Kurniawan hails from Central Java, Magelang - gateway to Borobudur -, and knows Lawu very well, too. He collected his first ever 500 ATM points last week and is signed up for next week’s Dieng Trail Run 50, too. Hilman Maulana and Akmad Nizar, Sobiri Haerudin, Erwin Simanjuntak and Andre Sinaga - the two Sumatra boys who took a great 1-2 in Orang Utan Trail - are all great new faces to follow in the coming months. It may even be tougher than expected to get into the men’s top 5 by the end of November and secure a spot in Team Indonesia, especially as famous Bali-expat Thimo Kilberth has been carefully preparing his race programme to maximise his performances and get onto the team as he did last year. Thinking ahead, Thimo can be a strategic team captain for the others. On the female side, 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia is one race finish away from getting a wild card after finishing Lantau 70 in March. SIti Nuraini, Fitta Emike Sari, Yustina Wardhani, Nia Swastika, Yuni Noor Hayati and Sianti Candra had great runs in Mantra. Let’s see who of them can all make it to the Team by year’s end.
Amir Zaki leads the overall ranking today, and obviously therefore also is in pole position for qualification into Team Malaysia. Something he accomplished also last year. Zaki was known as a short to medium distance runner, but following fatherhood has tried himself out on the long ultras. Winning Borneo Miler in June, and running very intelligently, proved he can also perform in that! His fourth place in Koboi earlier in May, right behind 50k specialist Mohamad Affindi was already a sign Zaki, from Team Crampfix Malaysia, has made a competitive step forward over the winter. Perhaps not yet fully recovered from the Borneo Miler, Zaki had to settle for fifth in Mantra 65 last weekend, but it’s clear he will be one of the spearheads of Team Malaysia in December. He has 1300 points out of three races so far. In his footsteps follows Amierul Amin from Team Ole Athletic, another new youngster making a name for himself in the first semester of 2023. Amin collected 1140 points in three races so far. These two have been going so well, they are gradually applying some pressure on other Malaysian top runners. Milton Amat won Koboi and took 500 points there, but is currently “only” 8th in the ranking with that single result. Obviously, plenty of races left in the second part of the season, including his home race Borneo TMBT in September. The same applies for a.o. Wilsen Singgin. However, just like in Philippines, there’s a lot of runners doing their utmost best to get in the top five, so nothing seems for granted. That applies to the women’s Malaysian team as well. Norlela Ismail - Team La Sportiva Malaysia - tops the ranking so far with 730 points from two solid results in Koboi and Mantra. Nur Amaani Razilan collected 640 points and ranks second so far. Nur Amaani also won Janda Baik Ultra, a Candidate Race, and looks like a strong candidate to enter Team Malaysia for the first time. Vice-ATM Champion Sally Yap got 450 points from her second place in Koboi and currently sits in 6th. Based on her performance on Mount Apo last year, Sally Yap is logically one of the top favourites for the ATM Championship title this year. But to win, you first need to qualify, of course. Sabah’s Rejlen James - who has reportedly moved to Team Sportlicious - is the comeback story of the season so far. James won Borneo Miler and also BUTM 100 - against Sally Yap - even though the latter this year was not a points race. Rejlen James was a race winner on Bromo in 2017 but then disappeared from the scene to give birth. In her footsteps follows a Sabahan youngster from Team Kolumpa, the team managed by the legendary Lintanga sisters. Lynda Marylyn looked good in the Borneo MIler. Let’s see how she fares on shorter distances in the coming months. Also qualified for now is Celeste Teo, and she is a crafty experienced trail runner who might as well focus on securing that spot.
We already put the spotlight on the women’s Team Pilipinas in this article, let’s mention a few words about the men’s . Davao’s Sean Aying is in pole position for qualification at the moment with 1085 points from three races. Aying, a fresh Grandmaster, was already a finalist last year. Just like for Team Malaysia, however, anything can happen in the next few months. Yoyong Sacayle has looked very competitive in two races this year, followed by Maynard Encormal. Reigning ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras scored a 3rd place in Lantau 70, and is just 1 race finish away from securing his wild card. Macaneras, from Team T8, is keen to defend his title in December. Will Elmer Retolado - winner in Santa Ines - recover from his injury in time to boost his points total and earn his spot in Team Pilipinas? What about John Ray Onifa and Larry Apolinario? The men’s pinoy team could potentially appear the strongest of all. On the female side, Elizabeth Dangadan, Angelie Cabalo and Cecille Wael have all already collected a result in Santa Ines. But with busy bees like Biguasen, Glorioso and dark horse Ann Jilian Pulanco, team places won’t come cheap.
Hau Ha was the first ever Vietnamese ATM Champion last year with an overwhelming season culminating in a difficult, and yet ultra dominating victory in the Mt Apo Sky Race. Logically, Hau Ha has been eyeing the world stage for 2023 and also the Vietnamese marathon record on road. It is a question mark whether she will have energy left to defend her ATM title in December. Hau Ha already took an ATM win this season in Dalat and is on the start list of her home race VMM, so a wild card should be no issue. Team Vietnam was the third strongest team in the 2022 Championship, so in any case there’s life besides Hau Ha. Rank 2 to 8 in the women’s is currently only separated by 75 points, so literally everything is still up for grabs. Thi Lan Huong Vu and Huong Nguyen Thi are leading the pack today. Looking at the men’s, Nguyen Si Hieu, Chris Devoize (Frenchman living in Vietnam for over 8 years) and Nguyen Tien Vo are setting the tune with two strong results so far. Nguyen Si Hieu was unable to make it to the Final for professional reasons last year, but can more than make that up at Siksorogo. A very smart performer, Nguyen Si Hieu also has Indonesian experience - having won Mantra 116 last year together with his compatriot Quang Tran. The latter has been the man-to-beat in Vietnam for years, and reportedly has his eyes set on doing better in the ATM Final this year than sixth last year. Without 100 km in the legs from a week before, Quang Tran - a great painter in his free time - can indeed be the outside favourite for the ATM Championship title at Siksorogo. Few people will talk about him, but when he is ready, physically and mentally - watch out!
Team Japan: At this time last year, Hisashi Kitamura was winning everything and had already secured his place in his country’s team. A dip in performance and a bad bout of covid in the autumn jeopardised his chances on Mt Apo and he had to settle for fifth place and the honour of finishing the 2022 ATM season as the overall points leader. Kitamura collected an easy race win in Cuc Phuong 42k early April and has since moved back from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo. His move unfortunately coincided with a bad tumble in the very wet Korea 50k race, which ended with a broken wrist and a serious black eye. ‘Karate Kit’ has only recently resumed training, but his dedication to his ambition to win the ATM Championship remains in tact. Qualification for Team Japan should not be an issue for him. The question is who will join him in Team Japan? Tomohiro Mizukoshi is a near-certainty. The Roppongi runner actually tops the standings with 725 points from two races this season. Deep Japan Ultra last month propelled a number of ‘Japanese star runners’ into the leaderboard. Takashi Doi, Saturo Geya and Kazufumi Ose - just to name them - all could join Kitamura as potential podium placers, even champions, should they dedicate themselves to it. With another points race in Japan coming up next weekend in Hokkaido, we may get a clearer picture already. The same applies for the female team. Hiroko Suzuki leads with 525 points for winning Deep Japan Ultra. No runner has as yet finished two ATM races this season - remember, a minimum requirement.
Team Thailand - UTKC fell into the water in January, and so Thai runners have one race less in their home country to score ATM points. Chiang Mai’s Trail of Man in June delivered some very interesting results, however. Thosaeng Kunno won that race as young newbie to trail and eager to test himself against other strong runners from across the region. He is due to race again at the upcoming Akha Trail. Jay Jantaraboon won Korea 50k and currently sits in the top 5 of the Thai ranking with that. Traditionally, his focus is on the global stage, however, so it seems unlikely he will be part of Team Thailand in our ATM Final on 2/3 December. Narin Kongsiri and Amorn Kimnguan have been doing well, both collecting points in two races already and heading the board. On the female side, Morgan Nisachon was excellent in Trail of Man, her ATM debut. Let’s see if she can follow that up with more in the second semester. Qualification for Team Thailand is still very open today.
Team Hong Kong currently has two near-certainties already with Jeff Campbell (winner in Sierra Madre Trail and Lantau) and Gone Running Teammate Jose Luis Alvelais. Campbell is a potential ATM Champion for sure, and will be happy to know that Gunung Lawu is considered much less technical than Mount Apo. Who will support the Canada-born Campbell at Siksorogo is still open. The same for the women’s Hong Kong Team, as no runner has so far delivered two results this season.
Team South Korea is interesting to follow this year, as they might have another potential ATM champion in the ranks. Kim Jisub has been the benchmark over there for ages, especially on the medium distance. Kim Jisub has reportedly taken an interest in the ATM title and will start his qualification campaign next week at Mt Daisetsu Trail in Hokkaido. With also Ulju Trail 5 Peaks still on the menu end of October, that’s two potential strong race results already - could be enough for Team Korea. Mind you, if he can stimulate some of the other Korean ‘stars’, both male and female, we have a team that can surprise everyone in December.
Qualification for some of the, let’s say, smaller countries is still very much open. Team Australia may have a strong men’s squad, including Andrew Farmers and Washingto Firmeza. Team Singapore may see Deric Lau as a potential top 10 podium candidate. Trung Nguyen likewise. On the women’s side, Vincere Zeng, 8th in the Final last year, is keen to qualify again to keep Singapore in the spotlights, too. Team Brunei was still absent in 2022 following covid, but is looking good to have a decent representation in Indonesia in December. Team Nepal is likely to have one of the smallest teams in the ATM Final, but the two ladies most likely to qualify, Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa, are both candidates for the podium - and who knows more? They looked good on a flat 50k in Koboi in May, what if they have a high altitude mountain in front of them like Lawu?
We conclude this round-up with Team Asia Expat , as usual a very strong group of runners. Important to remember is that the expat team is not part of the ATM Team Championship, so all runners will only feature in the individual race result. Alex Tilley, based in Penang, has been one of the most active and successful male runners this season and already collected 1250 points. He should be safe already, and he loves mountains so he is a dangerman for the Final. And so is T8’s Alessandro Sherpa as well, of course. The 2018 ATM Champion, also third last year, made sure he got two strong results in the bank before returning to Italy for the summer. Sherpa will return to Asia at some point in Q3 , and is a competitor who knows how to prepare himself, also psychologically, for a big objective. Nobody has ever won the ATM Championship twice, Sherpa - alongside Macaneras - are arguably the most likely men to achieve that feat. Chris Timms, 9th in the Final last year, is a dark horse and is currently a third card Team Asia Expat can play during the 77km long race. On the female side, no protagonist has so far banked two results this season, and so things remain wide open. But we have seen some excellent performances by Katrina Hamlin, Christine Mitchell and last-but-not-least Vanja Cnops. Vanja was third on Mt Apo last year - taking the fight bravely to Hau Ha in the early stages, and putting the Vietnamese runner under pressure for the first time in her running life. Cnops paid the price herself afterwards, though, got a knock of the hammer on the climb and she also had to let Sally Yap pass for second place. As for runners like Campbell and Kitamura, Gunung Lawu will suit Vanja a lot more than Apo…. so who knows?
Check the full ATM 2023 rankings here
