We are happy to announce that the Santa Cruz Trail Ultra event in Davao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. The event, with Grandmaster and double ATM Finalist Sean Aying as Race Director, is scheduled for 28/29 September and comes in celebration of the 140th Araw Nang, the legal formation of the Santa Cruz Municipality.

The trail event offers three race categories: 60km, 25km and 10km. Expect a tough course taking you through the central mountains of Santa Cruz, but avoiding the summit and boulderface of Mount Apo. The highlight of the 60km course will take you to the rugged terrains of the 8 peaks in the foothills of Mt. Apo, namely Mounts Loay, Baryara, Tagaytay Ridge, Tinako, Dinor, 796, Fortune and Tagaytay Peak. Mount Tinako is the highest point of the course at more than 1,300 m above sea level. Total elevation gain is estimated at 4500 hm, 2500 hm for the 25k and even 1000 hm for the 10k, so do no expect an easy walk in the park. The mountains section of the 60k course is part of the “trailblazer” program of the Sta Cruz Tourism. Whilst challenging, the races are open to all levels of runners whether you are a beginner in trail, a trail running avid-fan, an enthusiast or a hardcore. The cut-off time for the 60km is 18 hours.

The event has a strong emphasis on showcasing the area as a sports tourism destination, and also wishes to encourage participants to appreciate and respect the environment they’re running through. This can include initiatives like minimizing waste, promoting responsible trail etiquette, and supporting local conservation efforts.

Santa Cruz is quite a familiar location on our ATM calendar. Located just about half an hour outside Davao City, it is among the easier trail venues to get to. Alongside Davao’s, Santa Cruz also has a large trail community of its own.

Registration for the event is open. You can access and see al details via the official webpages, and stay up-to-date via the event’s facebook page.

The latest ATM Candidate Race in Philippines was last Sunday’s Mt Karilongan Trail Marathon, organised by Vertical To Sky in Davao. Local runners competed with each other in three distance categories of which the 42km marathon was the main event. The men’s race resulted in a strong podium with youngster and relative newbie Eldy Bulod again taking victory in an ATM Candidate Race. Bulod also won SC 70 a few months ago. At Karilongan, he finished with an advantage of 35 minutes over Grandmaster and double ATM Finalist Sean Aying, and 42 minutes over 2022 ATM Finalist Angelito Vertudazo. Another well-known name and ATM race winner, Rexell Aguirre, had to settle for 6th place.

In the women’s race, it was Jahen Bonhoc taking top honours ahead of Dolly Joy Alonzo.

Mount Karilongan Trail Marathon was a “Plant & Run” charity race , wherein runners had to briefly stop and plant a new tree at aid station 1, in support of the reforestation program of the EGIP Foundation. Mount Karilongan is a relatively small mountain at 1102m above sea level, featuring duran fruits, but especially the 1083 steps to ‘God’s Hand’. Proceeds of the event went to the materials and equipment of Indigenous Obu-Manuvu Forest Guards and for the smart development of their still young eco-tourism project in Mt. Karilongan. The Obu Manuvu are looking to promote environmental awareness and create an additional source of needed income, so they can bring their ancestral traditions back to practice. The area is also included in the recently opened Koontayan ‘to Obu Manuvu Eco Adventure Park.

1. Eldy Bulod - 6:06:46

2. Sean John Aying - 6:41:48

3. Angelito Vertudazo - 6:48:48

4. Randy Pascua - 8:19:00

5. Earl Nasual - 8:36:02

6. Rexel Aguirre - 8:37:16

7. Michal Canubas - 10:31:11

8. Jay Ofonda - 11:32:36

9. Jahen Bonhoc (female) - 10:57:17

10. Dolly Joy Alonzo (female) - 12:05:07

11. Francis Ian Gilayo - 12:05:08

12. Richard Sastrellas - 12:42:21

13. Melvin Mig Clamor - 13:24:07

14. Mario Raymund Yap - 13:57:00

Sean Aying congratulates Rexell Aguirre

The 3rd Bukit Lawang Orang Utan Trail in North Sumatra once again proved the depth of young trail running talent on the large Indonesian island. A clean sweep on the men’s 50k podium for local runners with Erwin Simanjuntak scoring his second consecutive race win in Bukit Lawang and even in a more impressive style than a year ago. In the women’s 50k it was wonderful to see our popular 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia returning to victory lane after six years and this for the 11th time in her ATM trail journey - a new female record.

Traditional sunny and hot conditions for the race after the previous night’s heavy rainfall. The 50km started earlier than in previous editions at 4:30am, but followed the same pattern with a very runable 20km+ through plantations before the runners went steep up into the rainforest, where they disappeared on tough and often very technical trails. Erwin Simanjuntak, Lindra Mulfanis and Noel Pakpahan were jointly in the lead at that more or less halfway point, and Hong Kong-based Australian David Longo following closely behind. No Andre Sinaga this year, but Mulfanis and Pakpahan replaced him as solid challengers for Simanjuntak. Still, the latter confirmed his amazing talent by outgunning the other two and finishing in 5h47 - no fewer than 20 minutes faster than his own time last year! Lindra Mulfanis arrived in 6h21 as second - a fine result as well for a newbie. For reference, last year Chris Timms ran 6h18 in this race. Noel Pakpahan completed the top 3 shortly afterwards, and then it was David Longo and Slamed Riyadi.

Ruth Theresia on her part was leading the race more or less from start to finish. Her 11th ATM race victory came 5,5 years after her previous one at UT Nan in Thailand, where she secured her championship title at the time. Ruth focused on other objectives after that, and the covid crisis was not kind to her neither. Her comeback was marred by injuries, but this year she had already showed a return to competitive form at the 9 Dragons Hong Kong. By winning Orang Utan Trail she scored her wild card for this season’s ATM Final at Borneo TMBT in September, and she took the lead in the all-time female victory list. She now has 1 ATM race win more than Malaysia’s Tahira Najmunisaa, now mainly a duathlete, and four more than Australia’s Kim Matthews and Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova.

2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia had to wait 6 years to add an 11th race victory to her record

Lindra Mulfanis is a great young newcomer on the ATM scene with a second place

For David Longo, fourth was the highest achievable in Bukit Lawang

The third edition of Bukit Lawang’s Orang Utan Trail in North Sumatra this weekend is also Indonesia’s first ATM points race of the season. ‘BLOT’ is one of our series’ most exciting boutique events taking place in a remote but scenic river town catering for adventure, outdoor and - of course - orang utan enthusiasts. The race for ATM Championship points is the 50km, which is more or less a copy of last year’s with a runable first half through plantations followed by a technical second half through the jungle and into the orang utan’s natural habitat.

It’s an event that has always had a great vibe with a big marqee tent on the city square surrounded by local shops and restaurants and the wide range of sponsor booths. In order to minimise exposure to potential sun heat , the race start of the 50k has been moved forward this year to 4:30 am. Over the past two seasons, we have gotten to know several great trail talents from Sumatra, proving that there’s more to Indonesian trail running than just Java and Bali. Runners such as Erwin Simanjuntak and Andre Sinaga, last year’s excellent 1-2 in the men’s race ahead of established ATM protagonists such as Chris Timms, Jose Luis Alvelais and Thimo KIlberth was testimony to that fact. Unfortunately, it remains difficult for Sumatrans to take part in races elsewhere. Travel expense is often the main stumbleblock - even within Indonesia.

Andre Sinaga is confirmed as a participant again this weekend, at least on the start list. He will face David Longo, the Hong Kong-Australian from T8, in the battle for race victory in the men’s. Unless, as usual, there’s again new faces appearing on the scene. Risqi Kurniawan is unable to start due to injury sustained in another race two weeks ago. In the women’s 50k race, we will see 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia back in action for the second time this season. Finishing this weekend means she gets the wild card for the ATM Final at TMBT on 14 September. She is the logical favourite to win as well, although Bangkok-based American Tara Savage may keep her focused during the race.

Stay tuned for our coverage of the event this weekend on our usual channels. The 50k race is scheduled for Sunday morning.

Vanja Cnops truly enjoyed her race last year

Local Sumatrans Andre Sinaga and Erwin Simanjuntak stole the show in the men’s race last year

As in BUTM 100 early March, the Sabah runners Gustin Tiam and Rejlen James were fastest in the 100k long ultra of Silabur Cave Trail in Kampung Bedang, just under two hours drive east of Kuching near the Kalimantan border. After being ahead early on, good old Gustin tolerated the company of Hijazi Rija and Haziq Asyraf until the dying moments of the race. That’s 1000 ATM points in the bag out of two races, Gustin is on the way to qualification for Team Malaysia in the ATM Championship Final by the looks of it! The same goes for Rejlen James, who had to dig a little deeper to score the win last weekend, even though she also looked very composed and in control of proceedings. Still, Hong Kong’s Rachel Chan, ATM Finalist last year and 7th in the Siksorogo Lawu race, proved to be in great shape and was challenging James. Rachel loved the runable terrain in the hot weather and was even leading after the first third of the race. When the trails turned more technical and muddy, James felt more at ease and took command. Rachel did well to keep second place, ahead of Adelinah Lintanga, who at some point seemed to be closing in - as she did in BUTM in March, too. However, stomach cramps stopped Lintanga’s hunt. In fourth and not far behind was local hero Celeste Teo in what was a very spirited effort from her. Siriporn Leumathong overtook India’s Ashwini Bhat in the last 10k for fifth place.

Very high temperatures characterised the first day of the 100k race, before rainshowers gave the 126 participating runners a welcome relief on Saturday evening and night. The downside was, of course, that the trails also became much muddier and therefore more slippery. Experienced trail runners suddenly also had to cope with unexpected blisters.

Temperatures were a lot cooler on Sunday morning for the 50k and the shorter distances. Jeffery Budin, returning from a competition break, felt great and immediately set the pace with his teammate Mohd Sulhan. The duo would create a big gap towards the rest with Singapore-based Richard Hall Jr in third place. Budin’s pace was too high for Sulhan, and so he scored his 2nd ATM race victory after UTOP 100 in 2022. What a good rest can do with some runners!

The women’s 50k was exciting to follow with a number of runners genuinely contesting the win and the podium places. Singapore’s Dening Lo went ahead with youngster Shamiera Auther, until the latter had a slip that caused a small gap between them. Deeper into the race, just when Dening Lo had thought she had the victory in the bag, Auther reappeared. Still, the Singaporean proved too quick and took her first ATM race win. Behind Auther, there was a nice battle between Lolita Lintanga and Kona Liau, but at the end it was Singapore’s Joy Sim who had the last laugh and the fastest dash to the finish. Sim was delighted with her first ATM race podium, the just as young Lolita Lintanga had to settle for her second fourth place in a row.

Gustin Tiam collected his 2nd ATM race win of the season!

Rejlen James and Borneo : it seems an unbeatable combination the past two seasons

Rachel Chan gave Rejlen James a run for her money, and can be satisfied with a strong second place

Unexpectedly impressive: Jeffery Budin takes his 2nd ATM race win after a 6-months break from competition

Singapore’s Dening Lo took her first race win in the ATM Championship series

Joy Sim was a delighted third on the 50k podium!

The second Malaysian ATM points race event of the season takes place in Sarawak, Borneo, this weekend and this for the first time in our series’ history. Silabur Ultra Trail , aka Cave Trail, takes place at Kampung Batu Bedang, approx 1,5 hours drive from Kuching and near the border with Indonesia’s Kalimantan. On the programme are both a 100k long ultra and a 50k medium distance race featuring a number of caves that Sarawak is known for in adventurous travel communities. For once, the list of participants for the 100k is longer and in both the male and female categories we see the top duo of BUTM 100 in early March. Gustin Tiam, Mohd Sulhan, Rejlen James and Adelinah Lintanga will again face off this weekend with start at 10am on Saturday. There’s less elevation gain compared to BUTM, and with several other podium and victory candidates this could turn into an exciting and tight competition.

It’s only been a couple of years that Sarawak is claiming its stake on the Malaysian trail running map. Contrary to its northern neighbours Sabah and even Brunei, events and runners were few and far between. Sally Yap, ‘Alpha’ Siet Fah Lim, Celeste Teo and others have changed that, encouraging event promoters and organisers to build proper trail events, too. Alpha Sports is among those with several events in its portfolio. Silabur was a a Candidate Race last year, and in this season’s “Borneo Year” has been offered a spot on the ATM Championship calendar. The caves around Batu Bedang have attracted quite an internation field with several runners from, a.o. Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong and even India.

Good ol’ Gustin Tiam and up-and-comer Mohd Sulhan may be the men’s favourites on the 100km, but there’s quite a few others who can challenge for a podium result - or more. Wont Kudin, for instance, has already banked a great 4th place in BUTM this season. Phua Cho Ka and Kenneth Mun Keat Yow are two others. In the women’s 100km, it’s all eyes on Rejlen James and the once again in-form Adelinah Lintanga. But Celeste Teo may be very motivated on home soil. Mailin Salungin is another strong and experienced trail runner, who recently won the BDUTM Candidate Race in Brunei. Rachel Pui Hung Chan from Hong Kong was 7th in last year’s ATM Final and 3rd in MMTF 100, ahead of Celeste Teo and Rejlen James - the latter having had an off-day, admittedly. India’s Ashwini Ganapathi from Bengaluru is known as a long ultra specialist, having been part of her country’s team in the Asia-Pacific 24h championships (she ran 181 km!). She was also the only female finisher in the Everest Extreme Ultra in 2022. It will be interesting to see how she fares against Rejlen James and co on the trails in Sarawak.

The 50k for men seems wide open and we are bound to discover some new names this weekend. On the female side, the Lintanga sisters Jessica and Lolita could both eye the highest prize. Both are in good form, as shown already at BUTM with a fourth and fifth place respectively. Singapore’s Dening Lo was a surprising third in Bali Ultra last year and may be their main competitor for the win, along with Kona Liau - second in BUTM 50k and so ahead of the Lintangas in that race. Joy Sim, originally from Sarawak, is still a rather young trail talent who could pull a surprise, too.

ATM will be reporting live from the Silabur event all day on Saturday (100km) and Sunday (50km) on the usual channels.

Adelinah Lintanga has returned to her best level, as shown with a great second place in BUTM 100 in March

Gustin Tiam finally won his ATM race at BUTM 100 in March

Mohd Sulhan is an upcoming trail talent who already was a great 2nd at BUTM 100.

Celeste Teo is from Sarawak and always a podium candidate on the long ultras

We are very happy to announce that the 10th anniversary edition (!) of the Datu Salumay Invitational Trail Run in Mindanao, Philippines, is a new ATM Candidate Race scheduled for the weekend of 9/10 November. ‘DASAL’ ,as the event is commonly known, has grown from what was essentially a local interclub competition to a fully fledged running event that every year attracts hundreds of athletes to Datu Salumay, the venue approximately 80km away from Davao City. The longest race category is 85km, but there’s also 42km, 21km and 12km for less ambitious runners.

In recent months there have been quite a few Candidate Races in this part of Asia, but DASAL is one that already has a decade-long history in itself. The participants of the different categories race through the trails of Datu Salumay, passing by waterfalls, streams, rivers, trees, grasslands, and steep hill ascents and descents. It starts and finishes at the Datu Salumay Elementary School grounds, which is just adjacent to the Syre National Highway. This is a major highway with public transportation available. Participants on the 85km should prepare well, as there’s about 5000 metres of elevation gain in this course. The start is at 2 pm in the afternoon, meaning nearly everyone will also need to run through the night, which at least has the benefit of being cooler. The cut off time is 25 hours.

You can stay up to date via the event facebook page linked below. Registration can also be done easily online via RaceTech.ph .

Last year, Julie Ann Morales was a race winner at DASAL

Vertical To Sky has announced a new event on its roster near Davao City and should in theory please lovers of the more runable trails. Mount Karilongan Trail Marathon is a “Plant & Run” charity race on Sunday, 12 May at Barangay Hall Carmen and is labeled as an ATM Candidate Race. The inaugural edition offers three race categories: 42km trail marathon, 21k trail half marathon and a 10k trail run.

Mount Karilongan is a relatively small mountain at 1102m above sea level, featuring duran fruits, but especially the 1083 steps to ‘God’s Hand’.

The Mt Karilongan Trail Marathon goes in Partnership of EGIP Foundation Inc., the Obu-Manuvu Tribe in Carmen, LGU Barangay Carmen Davao City and Vertical To Sky (V2S) Sports Management. Proceeds of this event will go to the materials and equipment of our Indigenous Obu-Manuvu Forest Guards and for the smart development of their still young eco-tourism project in Mt. Karilongan. The Obu Manuvu are looking to promote environmental awareness and create an additional source of needed income, so they can bring their ancestral traditions back to practice. The area is also included in the recently opened Koontayan ‘to Obu Manuvu Eco Adventure Park.

The trail route covers pavements, stair climbing, single track, dirt roads, river crossing, jungle trail, technical and runnable terrain. It covers 5 minor mountains to climb especially for 42km distance with only 2,000+ meters of elevation gain, which is still a number to reckon with. The start for the 42k is scheduled on Sunday at 4am.

You can find all details of the new event on the website of Vertical To Sky and stay up-to-date via its Facebook page, both linked below.

The 3rd edition of Bali Ultra Trail is set for 3 August and will once again return to Gunung Batur in both the 80km and 50km ATM points race categories. The exciting and popular event is now open for registration. Bali Ultra will be one of the last three events where runners can score points for qualification into the ATM Championship Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra on 14 September.

The race route has again been redesigned after it was not permitted to climb Batur a year ago. Those political issues have now been solved, and the famous volcano and the crater rim are again featured in both the 50 miles (80km) and 50km courses. The other climb, Mount Abang, has not been recovered, however. The new route is essentially an out-and-back from Kintamani across Batur to the northern beach shore. Total elevation gain for the 80km is estimated at 4400hm and for the 50km at 2700hm. Start and finish is still at the Geopark Museum in Kintamani. There’s plenty of boutique-style accommodation and a few bigger hotel resorts in Kintamani. Alternatively, major tourism hub Ubud is not that far away neither and one could take a motorbike or taxi from there, too. The start is more or less at sunrise, 6am local time, so Bali Ultra Trail is a daytime race for the most part. Runners should be aware and prepare accordingly, as Bali obviously gets hot during the day. Running during the day of course means you will enjoy the the great scenery to the maximum.

Registration is open via the official website below.

Shindy Patricia won the 100km women’s race last season

Popular Nami Ishihara was 2nd just under two minutes behind Katrin Herzog last year on the 50km. Ishihara is already on the points table again this season with her 10th place in Izu Trail Journey

Akmad Nizar and Sobari Herdiana: always protagonists in Indonesian trail races

This Saturday we have a new ATM Candidate Race in Ifugao, famous for its lush rice terraces, in the northern part of the cordilleras in the Philippines. The Amuyao Mountain Ultra offers a 50 Miles and a 50K as main race categories.

The 50 miles race is serious business with 6700 metres of elevation gain. Ifugao is still part of the Cordillera mountain region. The highest peak in the province is Mount Amuyao at an altitude of 2702m above sea level, and it’s the mountain that lends its name to the event.

Candidate Races are often a great occasion to get to know new names in the competitive trail scene, and Amuyao 50 looks like it may offer exactly that. There’s not that many races in this part of the Philippines so, as we saw two weeks ago in Jumla Rara Ultra in Nepal, we may be up for a few surprises. On the start list of the 50 miles (85km) race we at least also have two very familiar names: Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag and Romando Cumahling.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking beauty and intricate agricultural engineering. The route typically winds through the terraces and the surrounding mountainous landscapes, offering participants a unique and challenging running experience. The event not only promotes physical fitness and sportsmanship but also serves as a platform to showcase the natural and cultural wonders of the region.

Stay tuned for news and updates of the Amuyao 50 event via our ATM facebook and Instagram pages.

Season IX is in full swing and with just under five months to go before the Championship Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia on 14 September, it’s time for a first more detailed look at the country rankings, which lead to qualification for the country teams in the final race. The competition has been hot in the Philippines already, as most of the domestic races have already been concluded and filipinos are also keen travellers. Important to note is that the reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa has already scored his wild card for this year’s final by completing the 9 Dragons 50k and Lantau 70. This means Team Pilipinas can have 11 runners, or maybe even 12, if also 2022 champion Arnie Macaneras gets his wild card in the coming months. Macaneras did 9 Dragons 50/50 in February, so one more ATM race finish is sufficient for him. In the battle for points, Maynard Encornal is currently leading the ranking after three solid races including a win at Bagtit Ultra 100. Florence ‘Enciong’ Alave is in second, but 1265 points in four races is probably not going to be enough. Remember this is a ‘best-of-four points system’, so many other competitive runners will be catching up soon. Several relative new names on the board add to the excitement in Philippines, while Sean Aying has again managed to be in the mix, too. On the women’s side, Christine Montuya and Shally Yuson already scored points in four races, and even a substantial amount! Montuya was the upset winner of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in March, but it’s Julie Ann Morales who has been undefeated in all three of her ATM races this season. While Montuya and Yuson currently can take a breather, the battle for the five top positions promises to be big in the coming months. Moreover, The Punisher in Mindanao on 10 August will be the all-deciding last points race of the season before the ATM Final..

Contrary to the Philippines, trail action in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan - amongst others - is picking up now. Traditionally, also in Malaysia there is a tight contest between many runners to try and get inside the top five and into Team Malaysia. Especially as this year’s Final is in Sabah, Malaysia. No surprise therefore to see Milton Amat, Wilsen Singgin, Rejlen James already with points on the board. There’s plenty of other East Malaysian talent we are likely to hear much more about in the coming months: Shamiera Auther, Adelinah Lintanga, Yasbie Ismail, Maikol Oswald and good old Gustin Tiam. The next two Malaysian points races are coming soon with Silabur Cave Trail and Tioman 50, and of course UTSG 50 in Singapore is also close by.

In Vietnam, a very competitive men’s team is coming together after two races in the country already. Nguyen Si Hieu has marked this season’s Final dark red in his race calendar, and so no surprise he is leading the points ranking in Vietnam. Nguyen Tien Vo keeps improving and has just celebrated his first ATM victory at Cuc Phuong 100. Also Tu Do is a talent who has become a regular contender in races. On the female side, Loi Luong has put herself on the board and is one of those up & comers in Southeast Asia who could deliver a big surprise in September.

Nepal could be fielding a very strong team for the first time after two events took place in the country, giving local runners the opportunity to score the necessary points and race finishes. Reigning ATM Champion Rashila Tamang has secured her wild card by finishing Lantau 70 and Manjushree Trail 50. From an ATM perspective, she can focus on a full recovery from her thigh injury in order to be back at her best when defending her title at TMBT in September. Rashila could be joined by some other strong female runners, such as Priya Rai in the first place. Priya looked outstanding in both her 50k wins a few weeks ago. On the men’s side, Milan Kulung Rai and Lokendra Rai digested the combo MTR-Jumla Rara better than some of their better-known compatriots and are 1-2 in the points ranking. Also Hong Kong-based Dina Bagale and MTR 100 Miles winner Arjun Rai Kulung are currently qualified.

On the Japanese side, Tomohiro Mizukoshi and Akane Nemoto have already done well to get two solid results in the books. The same applies for Hong Kongers Luis Alvelais, Angie Yan - one of the revelations this season - , Naomi Fung and Kimmy Hong Kiu Leung. John Ellis is reportedly aiming for his wild card as 2019 champion, and Jeff Campbell is soon returning from a prolongued injury break to try and get himself qualified for the third year in a row. The Asia Expat team has seen 2018 champion and 2023 vice-champion Alessandro Sherpa already collecting his wild card, and also last year’s 3rd place Kristian Joergensen has clocked in two results already. As it goes, not all “expats” ranked are actually living in Asia, but in theory there’s a strong team in the making on both the male and female side.

To check the full ranking, please visit our dedicated webpage and the links to the male and female rankings.

The Lam Dong Trail in Dalat, Vietnam, is rapidly becoming one our series’ most popular events towards the end of the year. Held on 9 November, the race through lush pine forests, across several hills and coffee plantations is a textbook example of trail running in its purest form. The event centre and finish line is at the picturesque Valley of Love, located just outside Dalat City, one of the country’s main tourism hubs and known for its mild highland climate.

As the official press release reads, Lam Dong, nestled in the southern reaches of Vietnam's Central Highlands, is a province adorned with majestic mountainous landscapes. It's a convergence of rugged hills and winding trails, offering a picturesque tapestry of natural beauty.

Taking advantage of its terrain and favorable weather in November, Lam Dong becomes the rallying point for thousands of trail running enthusiasts eager to conquer its lofty peaks. Following two successful editions, this year's race promises significant changes and commitments aimed at fostering community health and supporting volunteer efforts to showcase Lam Dong's cultural heritage and natural splendor.

Race-wise, the event programme has five different categories, as described below. As always, ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest point seekers need to focus on the 75 km race.

• + Health & Wellness Commitment (5km): Designed for the whole family, the 5km trail will be a fun and bonding experience, helping children and adults alike to discover the beauty of Lam Dong together.

• + Nature Restoration Commitment (15km): Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the plateau landscape and winding trails that traverse forests, valleys, and majestic pine-covered hills.

• + Local Culture Preservation Commitment (25km): Setting a common goal for conservation and value enhancement, the natural beauty of Lam Dong through volunteer activities is a special highlight of this event.

• + Personal Limits Breakthrough Commitment (45km): With the goal of building a trail-loving community to share, cheer on, and nurture passion in this discipline.

• + Emotional Connection Commitment (75km): With special challenges awaiting elites, athletes, or newcomers seeking intense sensations on the running trail.

The event has seen some of Vietnam’s greatest trail runners already at the start line. In 2022, Hau Ha and Quang Tran won the female and male races, respectively. Last season, it was Loi Luong and Nhon Trong.

You can find all details and registration facilities on the official website linked below.

Nhon Trong won last year’s men’s LDT 70

Loi Luong was the surprising winner of last year’s female LDT 70

A typical view in Dalat : trails in the pine forest