We are happy to announce that the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship Final will be held in Indonesia at the very popular Siksorogo Lawu Ultra event in Central Java on 2/3 December! Host area is Karanganyar near the cities of Solo (Surakarta) and Yogyakarta - two famous destinations for culture, art and outdoor enthusiasts. Last year, Siksorogo Lawu Ultra saw 3000 participants distributed over the various race distance categories and was universally hailed as a big success. The event is managed by some of Central Java’s most experienced trail runners including event director Rachmat Septiyanto, race director Furqoni Syabana and race manager Agus Wibisono.

The ATM Final will be held on the main 77 km race course including the ascent and descent of Gunung Lawu, of which the summit sits at 3265 meters above sea level. Total elevation gain is estimated at over 5000 hm, which is significant. However, the trails are quite runable and considered much less technical than last year’s Mount Apo in Philippines. Gunung Lawu is also the key section of the race with the summit coming around halfway. Start and finish is at the campground in Sekipan. Start time for the ATM Final is set at 5 am.

Gunung Lawu is a stratovolcano that is officially active, but has only had one reported and very modest activity as far back as 1885. It is a mountain with a lot of significance in Javanese history and culture, and basically divides Central Java from East Java.

As last year, runners need to qualify for the ATM Championship Final by scoring ATM points throughout the year. Per Asian country, maximum five male and five female runners - the highest point scorers - will receive the invitation to join the final race. A minimum of 2 ATM race finishes is required for everyone. Qualified runners will receive free entry, 3-night accommodation and airport shuttle service. The top 10 male and female will be honoured and awarded during the podium ceremony, as well as the best country team.

Previous ATM Champions can get a wild card no matter what, as long as they finished two ATM points races this year. Host country Indonesia has so far had two ATM Champions: Arief Wismoyono in 2015 and Ruth Theresia in 2018. A new generation of Indonesian trail athletes has come to the fore in domestic races, but so far they have not competed at the regional Asia level yet. Perhaps this year will be their breakthrough year?

Siksorogo Lawu Ultra is of course also open for everyone else. The mass participation 77km will follow the same course as the ATM Final but starts two hours later at 7 am. Less ambitious runners can also sign up for shorter distance categories, such as 50km, 30km, 15km and 7km. This means you can support and cheer for your country’s ATM Finalists and still do some running yourself also!

The reigning ATM Champions are Arnie Macaneras (Philippines) and Hau Ha (Vietnam). Both have proven already early this season to still be in fantastic shape. Hau Ha, in particular, has even stepped up to the global level with success already.

Below is the Siksorogo Lawu Ultra event website, which will soon be updated and open for regular race registration. All information and details about the ATM Championship Final will also be published as usual on the ATM Website on a dedicated webpage here.

ATM Final Qualification: Requirements

The 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship Final will be a winner-takes-the-title race as it was last year. The male and female finalists who cross the finish line first will be the new ATM Champions. The best team will be the new ATM Team Champion.

However, you do need to qualify to be able to take part in that last race, the ATM Final. In each country, maximum five male and five female runners who score most ATM points during the year will qualify and be invited to enter their country’s National Team for the Asia Trail Master Championship Final.

The Final is therefore projected to be a race with selected elites-only, who are members of National Teams. Maximum five male runners and five females. Apart from the Individual Championship there will also be a Team Championship. The latter will be based on the accumulated finish times of the best three male runners and best three female runners in each team (= 6 finishing times in total)

The number of runners per team is subject to there being an ATM points race in the country.

• Minimum 1 ATM points race —> 5 male runners, 5 female runners

• no ATM points race —> 4 male, 4 female

• Runners who are ranked 6th to 8th in their country are the eligible reserves in case anyone in the top 5 cannot take part in the Final.

Please note:

• Expats working and residing in Asia: if the expat is an Asian passport holder, he will represent his native country and not his resident country, unless he decides himself to represent his resident country. If the expat has a European or American passport, or any other non-Asian passport, he will be eligible to join Team Asia Expat. Exception: expats who have resided in one and the same Asian country for 8 years or more can join their resident country team.

• Minimum requirement of 2 ATM race finishes: runners in the top 5 of their country ranking must have completed minimum 2 ATM races to be eligible to join the ATM Championship Final and represent their country.

• Wild cards: former ATM Champions get a wild card to take part in the 2023 Final, provided they have scored points in minimum two ATM points races during 2023. Also, the team of the host country can at any times be represented by 5 male and 5 female runners, provided these have scored points in minimum two ATM points races during 2023.

• Equal points: if two runners have the same points total in the country ranking, a distinction will first be made on the basis of highest ranking obtained in a race (e.g. a 3rd place race result is better than a 5th place race result). If that still does not divide them, the number of kilometres run in the relevant races will determine who receives the highest place in the country ranking.

 

The 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship is in full swing now and with 8 points races into the record books, it is time for a first update of the ATM ranking per country. As last year, the ATM points ranking determines who gets qualified for the ATM Championship final race on 2/3 December (announcement this coming Monday morning!)

In most countries, runners have scored points in just one race so far, of course. In others, like Indonesia and Thailand, rankings will begin to fill up when the first points race in those countries has taken place. Remember UTKC in Koh Chang was cancelled. The below overview also does not include all countries. The full overview can be checked via the RTS webpage here. There’s a filter button per country.

Please note that anyone can contact us for making corrections to names or even nationalities. Unfortunately, the result lists we receive from race organisers are not always according to international standards.

We are happy to announce that Mount Daisetsu Trail Journey in Hokkaido, Japan, is entering the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship series as the third Japanese points race on our calendar. This classic event at the former Kita Taisetsu Ski resort in Engaru-cho will already have its 12th edition on Sunday, 23 July and is looking forward to seeing increasingly more international visitors to the island. The main race category is 60km and the one to target for ATM Championship points. Less ambitious participants can also opt for the 40km or 15km, and parents could also check out a kids race.

Given that the traditional ATM June event Echigo Country Trail in Niigata cannot set up a long distance race this year following the floods of last autumn, Mt Daisetsu Trail Journey is a logical replacement and opportunity for Japanese trail runners to score ATM points within their own country, too. It will be the first time ATM features an event on the northern island of Hokkaido, of which Sapporo is the best-known city and also host of the 2021 Olympic Marathon. The race venue of Mt Daisetsu is nearer to Asahikawa City, however, more into the centre of the island. Runners can take a pre-arranged shuttle service from Asahikawa station to the actual race place, the former ski resort of Kita Taisetsu in Engaru-cho (contact ATM or the event organiser to fix your seat on the shuttle bus).

In fact, this year the the longest trail 'Daisetsuzan Trail Journey' located on the north side of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, Hokkaido's roof, will be held on a new course. It is the only trail race in Hokkaido where you can run through the ridgeline of the North Daisetsuzan Mountains. The ridgeline over 1700m in Hokkaido is equivalent to the natural environment of 3000m in Honshu, making it an extremely challenging natural environment. Please note that should the weather deteriorate on race day, it can become a very harsh environment and the course may be changed for the safety of the runners. However, normally, you can enjoy magnificent views, encounters with alpine plants, and animals such as naki-usagi (Japanese hares). The 60km has 3100 metres of elevation gain, indicating that this is a challenge race. The flag-off is set at 4 am and cut-off at the finish is 18:00 p (= 14 hours). There is also a maximum number of participants set at 400.

Registration goes via Sports Entry as usual. People who have difficulty finding their way on the Japanese website can also get in touch with info@asiatrailmaster.com to sign up for this event. Registration fee is 12,000 JPY, roughly USD 90,- for the 60 km category. Please see the buttons below to access the official event website and the registration platform.

‘Trail Be With You’ is the tagline of the latest ATM Tee by Olé Athletic in Malaysia, now available on its e-store and at selected upcoming ATM events. ‘Trail Be With You’ is our sincere wish to all runners competing in races across Asia and the globe.

The colourful and original design pattern is unique in trail and makes runners stand-out amongst their fellow community members. This is a limited edition, so be quick to order your Tee on the Olé Athletic e-store that you can link to via the button below. The Tee is also scheduled to be available for purchase at The Borneo Miler event in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in two weeks from now.

Olé Athletic was established in 2019 as an athleisure wear brand that is dedicated to delivering the best combination of quality and design to runners and athletes everywhere.

With the tagline, BELIEVE.ACHIEVE, they aim to inspire athletes to achieve their target and goals.

From the well-established team that brought you GOAT Run in Indonesia comes a new event in Central Java: Dieng Trail Run - Run Above The Clouds. An event with a 50km points race for the Asia Trail Master Championship ranking scheduled for Sunday, 23 July. Dieng Trail Run takes the place on our annual calendar of Ijen Trail, which unfortunately can still not be held this season. As such, Indonesian runners still have four major opportunities to score points and get qualified for Team Indonesia in the ATM Final on 2/3 December, which will be held in Indonesia as well (stay tuned for details later this week!)

The race route of DTR will take participants across the unique natural and cultural beauty of the Dieng plateau. The 50k category will go through 5 (five) drinking post points and check points, the third is at the top of Mount Bismo. The difference between the ultra route and the others is that participants will go through 4 peaks, Mt Prau, Seroja Peak, Mt Pakuwaja peak, and Mt Bismo peak. Especially for 50k, qualification will apply to participants who register. The condition is that you have finished a trail run of at least 20k. This is intended so that the 50k participants are more prepared physically and mentally.

DTR is not just a trail running competition, but a joint campaign to build awareness of the threat of climate change, especially around Dieng. The event is part of the annual agenda of the Wonosobo Tourism and Culture Office, Central Java. In this 2nd edition in 2023, the big theme of DTR is sustainability:

ONE HEALTH, RUN FOR YOUR HEALTH AND THE PLANET

Where the health of runners is closely related to the health of planet Earth. The threat of damage to the Earth is also a real threat to human health.

The race in a nutshell:

• Race Day: Sunday, 23 July

• Distance: 50km

• Elevation gain : 3.850 m

• Flag off : 00.00 (midnight)

• Start/Finish : Taman Syailendra

• COT : 18 hours (i.e. 6 pm)

• AS & CP :

• 1. Puncak Gn. Prau

• 2. Puncak Gn. Pakuwaja

• 3. Puncak Gn. Bismo

Last year, the 50km race was won by Taofik Hidayat and Siti Nuraini.

 

Sabah’s Milton Amat won the Koboi Malaya Trail Classic 50 km in Jerantut, Pahang, last Sunday with a superb time of 3 hours 56 minutes. . Just like Hisashi Kitamura and Jeff Campbell earlier this season, it's Milton's 7th ATM race victory ever and he further underlines he is now also his country’s benchmark over the medium trail distance.

Initially, Amat had to cope with the surprisingly fast Jia Xian Tai from Johor. The newcomer on the ATM scene eventually had to let Amat go but still held on to second place, 19 minutes behind. But Jia Xian Tai did stay ahead of 2018 race winner Mohammed Affindi. Affindi was solid as usual, but a bit frustrated as he was one of several competitive runners who had issues with the markings. Amir Zaki finished fourth right on the tail of Affindi. Amierul Amin Shamsul Kamal was a great fifth very closely behind. Next came Dzul Izwan Sire Ee, Aqmal Adzmi, Wilsen Singgin - not his best race, clearly - Abdul Rasyid Mohd Salemuddin and Etienne Sapin.

Rashila Tamang from Kathmandu, Nepal, was the great winner of the women's race in 5h08! Wonderful debut on the ATM circuit for the runner from Team T8 Nepal, promising a lot for later in the season and this year's Championship. In second place we found Sarawakian Sally Yap, confirming she can also perform on runable courses. Sally, the vice-ATM champion from last season, completed Koboi Malaya in 5h27. Early race leader Chhiok Sherpa, also from T8 Nepal, came third after missing a marking late in the race. Both Nepalese runners showed their running talent, but are likely to be even more in their element in the mountains. In fourth we have an excellent result by Norlela Ismail from Team La Sportiva Malaysia. Norlela was an ATM Finalist last year. Canada's Isabelle Bedard arrived in 5th place, but was later relegated as she also fell victim to the seemingly inadequate marking. Fifth place was inherited by mountain runner Izzah Hazirah.

The race in Jerantut, Pahang, lived up to its promise as being a 'speed trail'. After the start was delayed due to heavy rainfall, runners got going in quasi ideal circumstances and the finishing time of Milton Amat says it all.

This Sunday we have the first of five Malaysian points races in the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship and it’s also -on paper- the fastest one. Koboi Malaya Trail Classic by Malatra Events is a 50km as good as flat forest trall in Jerantut, Pahang, roughly three hours north of Kuala Lumpur. A race in the spirit of Sungai Menyala Forest Trail in 2018 and 2019 that caters for runners with a good pace in the legs, including road runners who want to give trail a try. 

We are in Southeast Asia so rainfall may always turn things upside down, and increase the technicality of the course. The event was held once before in 2018 under a different name and saw Mohamed Affindi as male winner. No surprise that Affindi features again on the start list for Sunday, opening his 2023 ATM campaign exactly one year after his superb victory in Bali over 30km. Affindi is always at his most competitive in the short to medium distance, and he will start logically as one of the favourites in the men’s race. However, a certain Milton Amat is coming over from Sabah to give him a run for his money. Amat has always been a longer distance guy, but proved last year in a number of 50k races that he has become a faster runner during the corona crisis years. For Amat, the vice-ATM champion finishing just five minutes behind Arnie Macaneras in the Final on Mt Apo last December, it is also the first race of 2023 in ATM. Amir Zaki, Wilsen Singgin, Jeffery Budin and Aqmal Adzmi are also expected to be podium contenders this weekend. 

In the women’s 50km race we have vice-ATM champion Sally Yap on the start list as one of the top favourites. Sally Yap was an exciting newcomer on the scene in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how she further develops as a runner this season. We all know Sally is strong on long and technical ultras, in Koboi we will find out how she fares on runable trails. She is likely to be tested by two even younger Nepalese runners: Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa (no relation to Alessando Sherpa). Both have been recruited by T8 for their new T8 Nepal Team and have ambition for this year’s Asia Trail Master Championship. Coming from Kathmandu, Koboi will be their first appearance on the ATM scene. Other podium contenders are Izzah Hazirah and Halimatun Sa’adiah. 

Malaysia is one the countries where the competition to enter the national country team for the ATM Championship Final is tough, as many want to get in. Koboi is the first opportunity to collect points, followed in three weeks by The Borneo Miler in Sabah. Penang Eco, Borneo TMBT Ultra and MMTF are the other three events with points for the ATM Championship. Last year, Team Malaysia won the ATM Team Championship at the Final in the Philippines. 

We will be reporting live from the Felda Residence in Jerantut on our usual ATM channels starting Saturday afternoon. 

Mohamed Affindi starts his 2023 ATM campaign in a race he won back in 2018

Sally Yap emerged on the scene with a bang last year, finishing with a 2nd place in the ATM Final

Milton Amat and Wilsen Singgin: 2nd and 4th in last year’s ATM Final

Jeff Campbell grabbed his 7th ATM race victory - joining Hisashi Kitamura again as male record holder - in a very hot and humid edition of Sierra Madre Trail 75, one month before he runs the World Championship race for his team Canada. Initially joined by home favourite Elmer Retolado, winner at Santa Ines earlier this season, Campbell shifted to a higher gear after a small stumble in a river and quickly produced a gap of 30 minutes on the rest by km 20. Retolado was already fading away, suffering from a knee injury sustained just two weeks ago. It was the young John Ivan Zonio, cousin of Jeffery and making his ATM debut, who very quickly emerged as the main challenger for second place. Zonio even managed to keep more or less an even pace with Campbell in the middle part of the race. Even though it was only 8 am, temperatures had already risen above 30 degrees and dehydration was beginning to plague plenty of runners. Another newcomer, Ariehmar Bardoquillo, ran himself into the mix for a podium finish, along with Maynard Encornal. Retolado continued to lose terrain and would eventually DNF, struck by heat and dehydration along with his knee problems. A race to forget for the young and talented Retolado, who will hopefully take time to allow his knee to heal properly. Despite being safely in the lead, Campbell suddenly remembered the course record set by Larry Apolinario last year and upped his pace again. He would take the course record by a handful of minutes, but probably regretted going for it as - clearly overheating - he was desperate for ice as he crossed the finish line without any celebrations. An hour later, a visibly fatigued Campbell stated it had been his “hottest race ever”.

John Ivan Zonio held on to a great 2nd place, ahead of Maynard Encormal, who really got going in the second part of the race. It’s Encornal’s second third place podium finish of the season. In fourth place came Ariehmar Bardoquillo, Anthony Calixterio was fifth and Singapore's Deric Lau sixth.

The women’s race developed into a tight battle between Manila’s Ann Jilian Pulanco and Penang-based American Danielle Perry. Pulanco is known as an ultra endurance specialist, but has recently changed her training regime to also include more speed work. It paid off. She took the lead quite early into the race, but Perry would always stay close. Halfway, the American caught up with Pulanco and even dropped her to lead the race for nearly 10 km. However, Pulanco did not drop her guard and fought back bravely. In the end, she even won - her first ATM race victory - by over 50 minutes as Perry had no energy left to stick with her. On the basis of her performance in Sierra Madre, we should expect Pulanco to feature up front in next month’s Borneo Miler as well. Points leader Irish Glorioso never found herself in podium contention, but revealed that she has been slowing down her training after her blitz-start of this season. Her main goals come towards the end of the year. Instead, it was great to see Melanie Hingpit back on the podium in third place. A former winner of the Mt Apo Sky Race, Hingpit was ten minutes faster than Mary Joy Sumanda and Sarawak’s Siet Fah Lim - winner of Borneo TMBT 100 last year, but seemingly less in her element in the Rizal mountains.

The Sierra Madre Trail Ultra turned out to be a great newcomer in our ATM Championship series, with start/finish in Sitio Wawa, the heart of Manila’s trail community. All weekend, a pleasant party atmosphere was never away, and foreign participants had a great time mixing with all the enthusiastic local runners and people. The heat during this edition proved a little too much for some, but as the cliché goes “you can never book the weather”.

The next Filipino points race is MUSPO Ultra 100 on 22/23 July.

John Ivan Zonio made an impressive ATM debut with 2nd place ahead of some experienced top guys

Maynad Encornal battled hard to get the podium, and he did. His 2nd third place after Santa Ines in February

This Saturday we already have the second of five Filipino points races in the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship and again we go to the vast mountain range of Rizal to the east of capital city Manila. This time we are heading to Rodriguez for the 75km long Sierra Madre Trail Ultra. The start list has a bunch of strong ultra trail runners but the spotlights will be mainly on home favourite Elmer Retolado - winner of Santa Ines Adenture early Febraury -, and Jeff Campbell - winner of Lantau 70 in Hong Kong six weeks ago.

The Maharlika Trail group organised this event as an ATM Candidate for the first time last year with a rather unique - but great- format: only 1 race category. It’s 75km or nothing. Certainly a big ask for a lot of people, but in this way the event does get a very respectable start list and an exciting competition to look forward to, which in turn stirs up interest in the event. Sierra Madre Trail Ultra is no walk in the park, with estimated elevation gain of 4200 hm and basically 12 hill peaks to overcome, the last one about 3 km before the finish line in Sitio Wawa.

Sitio Wawa and the Coco Mountain Resort function as the event venue with the race start scheduled for Saturday early morning at 2 am. That implies the first few hours will be run in darkness.

Elmer Retolado was second a year ago after a tight battle with Larry Apolinario. Other than being at home in the Rizal, he therefore also has actual course knowledge. Whether that will be enough to keep Jeff Campbell behind remains to be seen. Just six weeks ago Campbell proved that going flat out for 70km is no longer a mental barrier for him. What may be on the other hand is the hot and humid conditions that runners will be exposed to, and trail technicalities one hardly has to deal with in Hong Kong. It’s been a pretty wet ATM season so far, but the forecast for this Saturday shows only a little chance for a rainshower. What could also play in Retolado’s favour is the fact that Campbell will be going to the World Championships for his home country Canada in a month’s time. For Campbell being selected for his country is an achievement. Will he go ‘all in’ at Sierra Madre should the going get rough? There is a bonus attached to a potential victory, however. It would be Campbell’s 7th ATM race victory, and so he would once again share the male all-time victory record with Hisashi Kitamura.

On paper these two stand out as the op favourites, but there’s a lot more local and international trail talent on the start list to push Campbell and Retolado forward. Singapore’s Deric Lau, for example, has developed into an excellent podium contender in almost any ATM race. Also Maynard Encornal, third in Santa Ines, will be in the mix. John Zonio, Poy Brillantes, Sean Aying, Angelito Vertudazo, and Japan’s Taito Yasukochi are other runners who are likely to feature at the top of the leaderboard.

The women’s race seems to be all open without any clear favourite. ATM overall female ranking leader Irish Glorioso will start her third race of the season already, and might just grab her second win after V Trail in Laos in February. That would already put her in a strong position to again take one of five spots in Team Philippines for the ATM Championship Final on 2 December. Ann Jilian Pulanco, known from running mega ultras, was fourth a year ago and might have the speed and experience to challenge Glorioso. Japan’s Tamae Harada is certainly a podium contender as well, and Emily Raga. Or maybe it will someone completely different..

ATM will be broadcasting live from the start at 2 am local time, and keep you up-to-date with multimedia updates throughout the race on Saturday.

Jeff Campbell will be looking to score his 7th ATM race victory at Sierra Madre

Maynard Encornal had a solid podium finish at Santa Ines in February

Deric Lau will be one of the podium contestants for sure

Irish Glorioso tops the women’s ATM ranking and this Saturday she’ll already do her 3rd race of the season

Melanie Hingpit also features on the start list this weekend

Following last week’s announcement about the unfortunate cancellation of Mt Hamiguitan Trail, we are happy to announce that MUSPO Bukidnon Ultra 100 will be a great replacement on 22/23 July. The Filipino event is well-known in ATM, as it was already part of the Championship series last year. Given that the event is also taking place in Mindanao, it was logical to use its reserve status and promote it to the 2023 ATM Championship calendar. Please note that only the 100km race will offer points for the Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest.

MUSPO 100 is normally quite a runable ultra, but unexpected heavy rainfall turned the trails into a tricky mudfest last year. Larry Apolinario and Aggy Sabanal were the winners, but the event was overshadowed by Sherlyn Fugaban’s disasterous stumble at night, in which she sustained an open leg fracture. Fugaban, who had just become the number one female trail runner in her country, is still in recovery today.

This year’s 100km course will be modified quite a bit to also include a new hillclimb that leads to a ‘sea of clouds’. Total elevation gain is estimated at 4000hm. The preliminary (!) GPX can be checked below. The event takes place in Valencia, Bukidnon, which is roughly located between Mindanao’s best-known cities Davao and Cagayan de Oro. You can fly to either airport and continue by bus from there. The event is supported by the local authorities to boost tourism in Bukidnon.

Registration is opening this week.

Rewatch Tale of the Trail - MUSPO 2022

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