The Asia Trail Master team is delighted to announce the entry of IZU TRAIL Journey, one of Japan's most popular trail running events, on our race calendar for 10 December. Taking place on the Izu peninsula, the 72 km scenic race from Matsuzaki to Shuzenji Sogo Kaikan is also marked as the Japan SuperTrail in the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship, which means every finisher will score 50 bonus points for his ranking. 

The stunning course of the Izu Trail Journey, often referred to as "ITJ", takes runners from the edge of the ocean up and across the mountains of the peninsula. The expansive vistas of the Pacific Ocean below and the HUGE views of the majestic snow-topped Mt. Fuji you'll encounter while running along the trail are awesome and will absolutely blow you away! 

The IZU TRAIL Journey starts at 6 a.m. and has a 14-hour cut-off time. The 72 km are indeed not easy: not fewer than 4400 metres of elevation gain need to be conquered before the finish in Izu City. Extremely popular in Japan, this race sells all its 1500 spots effortlessly. However, Race Director Tatsuo Chiba highly welcomes at least 100 international runners to his event this year. 

The main gateway is Tokyo, which is not too far away and connected to the peninsula by shinkansen fast train. Airport-wise, Haneda Airport is closer than Narita. 

More details will become available on our cover page - as usual - where there is also the link to the official event website . Race registration will open on 1 June. 

The 19th Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) 42km and 100km trail run and holiday takes part from 29 July  to 5 August 2017 in the untouched nature of Northern Mongolia. Experience the unique nomadic culture and run in one of the world’s most pristine mountain areas. MS2S is one of the oldest and classic trail races in Asia, and for the third consecutive year, runners can score points there for the Asia Trail Master Championship and, if they do the 100k, for their individual Grandmaster Quest. 

Official press release (with small edits re Asia Trail Master) 

The Mighty Lake Hovsgol and the untouched forests, lowlands and mountains of Hovsgol National Park are the setting for one of the most beautiful runs on the planet: Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S). It is more than a marathon and ultra-marathon race: Participants from all over the world spend one week in the untouched nature. They get in touch with the nomadic culture of the locals and learn about Mongolian traditions, beliefs, and way of life. All proceeds of the event are used to keep Hovsgol National Park pristine and clean as well as to support the culture of the local nomads via the “ecoLeap foundation”. “We want to keep this pristine mountain area as beautiful as it is now. That is why we fund a litter control project and its ongoing operation including hiring park rangers, providing eco-friendly garbage bags and raising awareness nation-wide through TV ads and education of local children and families”, explains race director Nicolas Musy.

Opening up new vistas

The MS2S is a unique opportunity for runners from all around the globe to discover spectacular views of the beautiful Mongolian landscapes from start to finish – be it on the lakeside single trail when the sun rises behind Lake Hovsgol, on the impressive mountain passes or in the marshy, remote forests. On their quest to complete this spectacular race, runners pass by wild horses and yaks, seas of wildflowers, the craggy mountains and windblown lowlands. MS2S opens up new perspectives.

The race is not only beautiful but also challenging: The accumulated elevation gain/loss in the marathon distance is more than 2.200 meters, in the 100km ultra run it is more than 3.300 meters. Still, everybody with a strong spirit and good training can complete the race. The cut-off time is 18 hours.

Reduced travel package prices are available until end of March. Register now on www.ms2s.org! 

Concise information is also available via our cover page. 

The 3rd edition of the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Pahang, Malaysia, is now confirmed for 4/5 August. The event will again feature a 100 km as the main race, but the 60k has been upgraded to 70k to make it a Grandmaster Quest distance as well. The caves and the big river crossing - famous since last year - are  again the main features of the trail courses. The Magnificent Merapoh Trail is an important event for the region. Participants will effectively boost the local eco tourism sector and save the caves and the surrounding rainforest from a planned big-scale cement production project. 

The Merapoh caves are iconic for the event, which last year drew significant international attention. Overall, the course is fairly flat and not-so technical, allowing beginning and intermediate trail runners a glimpse of what longer distance races are about. Runners flying into Kuala Lumpur airport can make use of the shuttle bus to the Merapoh race venue. Please see the logistical section of our cover page for details. 

Last year's races were won by Jason Robinson and Asia Trail Master champion Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid on the 100k, and Shan Lim Wen and Gretchen Felipe on the 60k. As of today, it is possible to register yourself for the event. Please note that slots for the 100k are limited to 200 runners and that there is a cut-off time of 20 hours, which does not allow for much lingering at refreshment stations. 

Online registration:
https://event.howei.com/event/magnificent-merapoh-trail-2017

The first quarter of 2017 brought us no fewer than seven points races for the Asia Trail Master championship already. As a clear sign of the every increasing popularity and competitiveness, a number of trail runners have even completed up to three races of those! A great beginning is half the battle and earns you lots of media exposure. Of course, at the end of the year only the five best points results count for each runner. 

Defending female Asia Trail Master champion Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid is again on top of the standings following three race wins at Tahura Trail (Indonesia), UTKC (Thailand) and Beach Bunch Trail Challenge 50 (Brunei). The popular young Malaysian is unbeaten in 8 races on the Asia Trail Master circuit. Nevertheless, her second consecutive championship is not yet in the bag, as several up-and-coming talents seem ready to at least try and bridge the gap to Tahira in the next quarters of 2017. 

The men's ranking just saw Indonesia-based Belgian Gaspard Dessy hop ahead of Arief Wismoyono last Sunday. Dessy has been collecting places of honour in three races so far this season and looks ready to be genuine contender for this year's championship. So does 2015 champion Wismoyono, who seems refreshed and scored his 4th career ATM race victory in Yogyakarta's Coast To Coast Night Trail last month. 

TOP 15 MEN after 7 races

1. Gaspard Dessy (BEL) 1250
2. Arief Wismoyono (INA) 900
3. Yim Heng Fatt (MAS) 795
4. Yohanis Hiareij (INA) 730
4. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 730
6. Hendra Siswanto (INA) 640
7. Aris Sopiandi Muklis (INA) 620
8. Jeshryl De La Cruz Aranzaso (PHI) 600
9. Soonseng Ong (MAS) 550
9. Wataru IIno (JPN) 550
11.Mahdi Manshuri (INA) 540
12.Julian Baker (CAN) 520
12. Zack Reimer (CAN) 520
14.Abdoullah Mitiche (ALG) 500
14. Manolito Divina (PHI) 500
14. Wang Biao (CHN) 500
14. Sefli Ahar (BRU) 500
14. Arnold Lozano (PHI) 500

TOP 15 WOMEN after 7 races

1. Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (MAS) 1500
2. Cheryl Bihag (PHI) 1100
3. Ruth Theresia (INA) 1000
4. Lily Suryani (INA) 825
5. Patricia Ann Morota (PHI) 790
5. Mila Marlina (INA) 790
7. Kim Matthews (AUS) 520
8. Diorella De La Cruz (PHI) 500
8. Sandi Menchi Catlona (PHI) 500
8. Joanna Kruk (AUS) 500
8. Xiong Fang (CHN) 500
12.Siawhua Lim (MAS) 475
13.Montha Sontornwit (THA) 470
14.Divine McBride (USA) 450
14. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 450
14.Ninie Hauschild (INA) 450
14. Jessica Lintanga (MAS) 450
14. An Han (CHN) 450
 

TOTAL RANKING can be seen here via Race Timing Solutions. 

Gaspard Dessy and Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid

The event date for the 2017 edition for Ultra Tu Wenchuan has now been confirmed by the local authorities and it is going to be on 29 April, which allows for a long weekend trip to this majestic mountain area in Sichuan, Southwest China. The race itself will see significant modifications compared to last season, with the main event now a 60 km tough mountain run of approx. 5000 Hm of elevation gain! That implies the race is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest. 

"We happily present you an escalating course with the distance of 60km and 5000+ hm of climbing," says race director Ji Yang. "Apart from that challenging 60km race in individual or mixed duo team format, we also offer a shorter 30k (individual/mixed dual team), a 15k(individual) and a 5k LNT(Leave No Trace group for the family members and kids) group. So more diversity in choices this year! Note that the 60k is estimated to gain 4 ITRA points and 35k 2points as well."

Precise maps and profiles are available in due course. 

While the race day is on Saturday, the ceremony will be held on Sunday. "In addition, 'says Ji Yang, "we offer short sightseeing trip options for runners to delve into the Qiang culture of our Wenchuan area."

Wenchuan is of course the location of the big earthquake that devastated the area in 2008. A lot of work has been done in the region to reconstruct the villages and main town, showing the resilience of the people in this area close to Tibet. 

Last year the 50k race was won by Beijing's Bi Duanyang and Zhou Dongmei. You can read our extensive race report of that event here. All details of this year's upcoming edition will be posted on our cover page as they become available. 

We are happy to announce a new entry in the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship series on 9 April. The Sungai Menyala Forest Trail in Port Dickson, peninsular Malaysia, is brought to you by the experienced crew of Malatra Ventures led by race director Razif Yahya. It features a 50 km race for points in the ATM championship that will appeal to all levels of runners, and also has shorter distances of 25 km and 10 km, and even a kid dash, to allow for a weekend trip for the whole family. 

Sungai Menyala is a pristine forest near the coastal town of Port Dickson, which is roughly only one hour away from Kuala Lumpur. The trail course is relatively flat and expected to be very runnable with few technical sections. This means it is a race that appeals for beginning trail runners, road runners keen on a taste of trail, and experienced trail runners who want to work on their speed. Arguably the main challenge for this race will be heat and humidty, as often in Malaysia, and each participant's hydration strategy will be significant to finish this race in style. The start will be given at 7:30 a.m., which  means no need for a very early wake-up call neither. 

The most interesting part the route will go though the tribal village (Kampung Orang Asli) near the forest, which allows for plenty of cultural sightseeing. 

Race registration is open now. You can find more details as they become available on our ATM cover page as well. 

We are proud to announce COMPRESSPORT® as the official compression partner of the Asia Trail Master series starting now in 2017.  In only eight years since 2008, the Swiss brand has become a household name in sports communities all over the world. COMPRESSPORT®'s tag line says it all: “it’s all about Passion”. Precisely why it is such a good match with Asia Trail Master.

"We are very pleased to announce the partnership with the Asia Trail Master series," says Vishnu Metharam, General Manager of COMPRESSPORT® Asia. "We also thank you for your confidence with COMPRESSPORT®. We are present at the best races in the world and ASIA is the continent with the greatest growth rate in terms of participants. We want to be there to help everyone race: wherever you race we support you !"
 
At COMPRESSPORT®, everything is about passion. Passion in training, Passion for extreme races, Passion to push the limits. Its Passion goes along with a deep respect for YOU, professional athletes that lead the way in performance, and age group athletes who are out there every day juggling between family & work commitments and their passion for sport. And of course, there’s the Passion for the quest to develop the perfect product…Always looking for more improvement, more preciseness, more exclusivity.
 
COMPRESSPORT®was launched and is still headquartered today in Switzerland, and has its main Asia-Pacific office in Singapore.  Coming from a medical research background and being specialists in sports compression, the brand has always combined the most advanced new technologies with latest trends. Innovation and surprise for the athletes is what made COMPRESSPORT® so valued and loved by professional and amateur athletes alike. The company staff make it their business to respond to the problems that athletes face on a daily basis. Whether to improve performance, enhance recovery or to help them travel in the best possible conditions. COMPRESSPORT® contributes to  the overall well-being of athletes in everyday life. All products use fabrics and yarns that meet the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100: Independent controls on harmful textile substances to make sure the products do not pose any health risk.
 
Trail runners on the Asia Trail Master circuit will now get fully exposed to the benefits of compression apparel by COMPRESSPORT® . In particular, runners who are aiming for the Grandmaster Quest.
 
The Grandmaster Quest, geared by COMPRESSPORT®
 
To become an Asia Trail Grandmaster, runners need to accomplish six races of minimum 70 km or 4500 hm within 24 months. A remarkable achievement that will be fully acknowledged and celebrated by COMPRESSPORT®. All current and new Grandmasters will receive a COMPRESSPORT® trail gear set consisting of up to fifteen items. That is not all: Grandmasters will be the protagonist of an official COMPRESSPORT® professional photo shoot! A reward for your Passion of trail running.

In addition, the top ten of the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship will be receiving COMPRESSPORT® prizes, as wel as the 2017 National Trail Masters and podium placers at Asia Trail Master points races. Runners will be able to get to know COMPRESSPORT®'s wide range of products at several events during the Asia Trail Master season as well. 

Find out all details about COMPRESSPORT® via their comprehensive website. In due course, custom-made Asia Trail Master compression products will also be made available for purchase. 

We are happy to announce another addition to the race calendar of the 2017 Asia Trail Master championship series. China Ultra 100 Pu'Er in China's Southwestern Yunnan Province joins on 18/19 February with its second edition of the event that features 100 and 50 km race distance options. Elevation gain for the 100km is around 4800 hm. 

Stay tuned in the next week for more details. 

We are delighted to present ULTRON as a new official partner of Kuai Sports Promotions, founder and managing company of the Asia Trail Master series. ULTRON is a leading homegrown sportswear and lifestyle brand in Malaysia for general sports activities such as running, cycling, yoga, zumba, football and fitness. 

Officially launched in 2015, ULTRON made an impact in the Malaysian sports scene securing strategic collaborations with more than 100 sporting events to date. ULTRON also endorses a number of world-class athletes including SEA Games medalists and renowned Yoga practitioners. 

ULTRON's tagline 'Change The Game'- signifies the revolution it has created in the Malaysian sports scene by introducing locally designed and produced superior quality products at an affordable price whilst raising the awareness of a healthier lifestyle for a fitter nation. 

ULTRON's General Manager Mark Chua explains: "ULTRON and Asia Trail Master share the same belief that Asia accounts for the fastest growing economy in the world in the sporting and fitness sector. As both brands share the root of an Asian identity, it is the common vision of both Asia Trail Master and ULTRON to bring the best of Asia in innovation and sports product quality to make an impact on the global stage."

To date, ULTRON is mainly known in running circles for its lightweight shirts and shorts favoured by road runners. Their apparel not only feels comfortable while running, but also in every day life. Best known is its quality sporting top made from it’s Micro-dry fabric - that weighs from as low as 125g/m2 - one of the most lightweight in the market. It’s Ultra light weight, yet knitted in a unique weaving structure that prevents the material from becoming transparent-looking, while retaining ultra-softness and all the various functionalities of fast-dry, breath-ability, stretch-ability, anti-UV and chafing-resistant, making it a cut above the rest. To further enhance the product durability, ULTRON also innovated on the manufacturing aspects. 

"ULTRON made its name in the Malaysia running scene primarily among road circuit event because road circuit events have been largest market segment especially among amateur runners," says Chua.  "Moving into its 3rd year now ULTRON is riding on its established brand-following to take it a step further and grow its presence both among the elite runners segment, as well as the regional Asia market. In 2017 ULTRON is increasing its exposure in Trail, Ultra, Triathlon and Duathlon events to 30% of the total events partnership from 15% in the year 2016. Other than Asia Trail Master, ULTRON is also proud to be the Official Apparel Partner for many other renowned international events in the region including XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship 2017 and Powerman Asia Duathlon Championships 2017."

Another major expansion for ULTRON in 2017 is the Ultron Women label that will introduces a wider range of women collection specially designed for the Yoga, Zumba and Women Fitness segment.  Applying the same Micro-dry technology to women sportswear, ULTRON aims to #ChangeTheGame in a much broader scale and sporting segments within the ASEAN region in the coming year. 

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, you can visit the home store of ULTRON in KL Nu Sentral Mall. And of course, you can also visit the brand's official website. 

The working crews of Kuai Sports Promotions and Asia Trail Master will be dressed by ULTRON in the coming season. We are grateful for this new collaboration and look forward to a long partnership. 

The first SuperTrail race of the new season in 2017 takes place on 17/18 February on Koh Chang Island in Thailand. UTKC is a popular event featuring four race distances, of which the 100 and 70 km are of course of greatest relevance for the Asia Trail Master championship, and the Grandmaster Quest. 

The registration phase is coming to an end as the curtain falls on 2016. 

Take your chance in these final hours of the year, and sign up for an unforgettable run in wonderful surroundings.

Take a lot at our cover page for the key details of UTKC, where you can also find the link to the registration module. 

Fantastic news just before the end of the year: the popular Coast To Coast Night Trail Ultra in Yogyakarta is joining the 2017 Asia Trail Master series as an official points race on 11/12 February! The third edition of Coast To Coast, organised by Trail Runners Yogyakarta, is expanding with a 70 km distance that will be the second Indonesian race for runners to score points for the Asia Trail Master championship next season. In addition, the 70 km also qualifies as a distance for the Grandmaster Quest, of course. The event takes place at Pantai Depok with start and finish on the beach. The race starts on Saturday night at 10 p.m. and has a cut off time of 15 hours. The race organisation and direction is in the hands of experienced runners Dzaki Wardana and Roostian Gamanada. Please note that the event also offers 50 km and 25 km race distances, but only the 70 km is valid for the Asia Trail Master championship. 

As can be seen from the race profile below, this is a predominantly runable course. Yet, there is an elevation gain of 2380 metres to overcome, so one will require some extra power in the legs to complete the distance. 

After the start at  Depok Beach, participants will run to the hills and forest around. Towards the end one will also run through the Parangkusumo Desert. Along the route runners will pass by several tourist places, such as also the Parangtritis beach and the Japan cave. Every runner who finishes the race within the cut-off time will get a Finisher T-shirt and a Finisher Medal.  In addition, there will also be a traditional lunch on the beach. Transport to the race venue and accommodation during the event is also very easy. International runners or local runners from other places in Indonesia just need to fly or rail into Yogyakarta, itself a major tourist draw - not in the least because of nearby Borobudur. 

Registration is open on the event website. You can also stay up to date via our own cover page on this website.