Season 9, the shortest season in the history of the Asia Trail Master Championship that ran from December 2023 to September 2024 will have an explosive conclusion this Saturday at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia. The start list of the 78km long Championship race is full of regional trail elites, even to the extent that nobody can say for sure who will be the successors of John Ray Onifa, Rashila Tamang and Team Philippines as ATM Champions. In fact, we are happy to see that both Onifa (Philippines) and Tamang (Nepal) will be defending their titles so the likelihood of someone scoring a second ATM Championship victory are higher than ever - with also 2022 Champion Arnie Macaneras and 2018’s Alessandro Sherpa in the race along Mount Kinabalu on Saturday.

Borneo TMBT Ultra is one of Southeast Asia’s true trail classics and we are indeed delighted that the Borneo Ultras team led by Mr Claus Pedersen and Ms Aileen Yong decided to host this year’s ATM Final in cooperation with Sabah Tourism. TMBT hardly needs an introduction, it’s the 12th edition of an event where beauty and challenge go hand in hand. The runners in the ATM Final, who all qualified by scoring points in races on the ATM calendar throughout the season and finishing in the top five of their country’s points ranking, will embark on a modified and partially unique course of 78km with a separate 5am starting time. One hour later, at sunrise, there will be the flag off of the standard open public 110km and 50km races.

Trail fans can follow the race via the livestreams and video updates on Asia Trail Master’s Facebook and YouTube channels, with updates on Instagram as well. Moreover, a live GPS tracking platform allows anyone to follow one’s favourite runner in real time along the course.

John Ray Onifa is for several people still the top favourite to retain his title, but the Filipino star has been less dominant than he was last year. It is unlikely he will distance his closest rivals again by more than hour, as he did at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Indonesia last December. Still, Onifa is no stranger to TMBT - having won the 50km race here last year. He also returned from Europe two weeks ago with some frustration for not having achieved the results he had wanted. A competitive athlete whose pride got hurt can be double as dangerous. The fact that his compatriot Arnie Macaneras is also in the race on Saturday will motivate him even more. After all, Onifa and Macaneras both like to be considered the ‘number 1’ in their own country. In trail running, the top guys seldom compete against each other and, regardless of the others, Onifa vs Macaneras is a fantastic race-within-the-race that will keep Filipino trail fans on the edge of their seats this Saturday.

As long as they do not hurt each other so that someone else benefits to steal the bigger prize. Jeff Campbell managed to outpace Onifa in Singapore last June in his comeback race after a long injury break. Milton Amat is the home favourite in Sabah, having won TMBT 100 already twice in 2019 and 2022. In both races he managed to keep Hisashi Kitamura behind, the fast Japanese runner who has been chasing the ATM Championship title and a race win at TMBT for five years now. The ‘Karate Kit’ claims he is now in the best shape ever and has specifically trained on the last 10km of the course, the relentless uphill section where he got overtaken by Milton Amat the first time. Alessandro Sherpa is a pure Championship competitor and has been preparing himself in Bali and Chiang Mai since late July. After the title in 2018, 3rd place in 2022 and 2nd last year, the Italian hopes he will be the first runner to be crowned ATM Champion twice. Another expat, Kristian Joergensen from Denmark residing in Philippines, came third last year and is keen to improve on that result - having been successful in Malaysian races before. Joergensen had a wisdom tooth removed last week, so he may start with a handicap. The list of victory and podium candidates goes very deep, but one ‘dark horse’ is certainly worth mentioning still: Nepal’s Arjun Rai Kulung. The long ultra specialist will be making his debut in Malaysia and its heat and humidity levels, having qualified by doing both Nepalese ATM points races back in April. We know Arjun is strong and resilient. Does he have the fast pace to follow the others over 78km in the climate of Borneo? For sure, he is the biggest question mark of all the contenders in the men’s race.

The women’s race is projected to be equally exciting to follow. Rashila Tamang and Vanja Cnops will continue their battle of last year’s Final in Indonesia. While Cnops has the advantage of having already won TMBT 50km twice, Tamang also has some Malaysian racing experience under her belt. The defending ATM Champion seems fully recovered from the injury that plagued her early in the season and has been able to focus fully on her running over the months. Can she keep Cnops behind again? The Singapore-based Belgian is an outstanding short distance trail runner, but once beyond 50km her pace always seems to decline. Always smiling, Cnops does have a fighter’s spirit and after so many race victories in ATM, the motivation seems there to make 2024 her year. When the invitations were sent out to all qualified athletes, Vanja Cnops was the first to confirm her participation. However, it’s not only going to be between Rashila and Vanja. For starters, just like Onifa and his teammates, there are other Nepalese girls who might just as well win on Saturday! Priya Rai won both 50k races in Nepal in April and has been racing internationally before. One caveat: Priya has never gone beyond 50k in racing trim. That’s not the case for Padam Kumari Sunwar, winner of MTR 100km. And Chhoki Sherpa never finishes far behind Rashila when they race together. Could Vietnam’s Loi Leung take centre stage? Flying perhaps under the radar, let’s not forget she won Lam Dong Trail last year ahead of none other than Angelie Cabalo, who finished 3rd in last year’s Final behind Tamang and Cnops. By the same token, Loi Leung was pushed down to second place in Cuc Phuong 42km this year by Japan’s Akane Nemoto, another runner who should not be underestimated at TMBT. Small detail: Loi Leung and Akane Nemoto share the same coach as Hau Ha. What can we expect from the Philippines’ ladies this weekend? Julieann Morales won three ATM races this season and is faster than she’s ever been. TMBT will be her first race abroad, however. Also from Mindanao, Shally Yuson has probably been the young woman who has visibly been getting ever more competitive race after race. Clearly motivated for a good result in her first ATM Final, Yuson can be in the mix for the top positions on a 78km distance. The same applies for Cristine Montuya, another newcomer. Mary Joy Sumanda and the “reborn” Irish Glorioso complete a competitive and robust Filipino women’s squad, which gives them cards to play in their pursuit of also retaining the ATM Team Championship title. Team Malaysia will do everything they can to prevent that, of course. The 2022 Team Champions were off the pace a year ago, but now field a similarly strong team as the Filipinos. Rejlen James and Shamiera Auther are probably the two runners who can aim for the individual race win, with Adelinah and Lolita Lintanga, and Lynda Marylyn backing them up. Rejlen has been almost unbeatable on home soil in Sabah since the end of covid, and a year ago she had the better of Indonesia’s ultrarunning icon Shindy Patricia in TMBT 100. If Rejlen can keep her head together during the race, many people will be surprised how fast and tough she can be. But what about youngster Shamiera Auther? One of Malaysia’s greatest trail talents of late, Shamiera has been - wisely - restricting herself to 50-60k and shorter races, winning or podiuming them, but has accepted the opportunity to compete for Team Malaysia on the longer distance of 78km. Many insiders will be very keen to find out how she fares. She has been excellent in not attracting any attention to herself over the past weeks….

While Team Pilipinas and Team Malaysia are the obvious teams to watch for the Team Championship, one should not ignore some of the others. On paper, Team Hong Kong and Team Nepal are strong, and so is Team Japan. Also Singapore and Brunei have complete teams with three men and three women, the minimum requirement for a team ranking.

The outgoing and defending ATM Champions this Saturday: John Ray Onifa and Rashila Tamang

The home favourite: Sabah's Milton Amat has won TMBT twice already

Alessandro Sherpa: Champion in 2018, third in 2022, 2nd in 2023. Highly motivated to be number 1 again

The Dark Horse: Nepal's Arjun Rai Kulung runs in ATM for the first time outside his home country

After 3rd and 2nd the past two seasons, can Vanja Cnops win the biggest prize this Saturday?

Rejlen James: after covid she has been almost unbeatable on home soil in Sabah

Julieann Morales: pretty outstanding on home soil this season, can she also do it abroad?

Nepal's Priya Rai is used to 50km races. Can she keep her high level on Saturday's 78km?

The race course of the 2024 Asia Trail Master Championship Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, has been finalised by the technical team of the event. The 78km long course will feature the usual highlights, such as Pineapple Ridge, plus a few unique and never before used trail sections. The start venue at Lingkubang and the finish venue at Perkasa Hotel in Kundasang are the same as for the 110km regular race, and the ATM Finalists will also pass by Kundasang already a first time for Aid Station 6, which is approx km 50.

As you can see on the map, runners go from the start in a mostly southern direction towards Kundasang, before entering a loop of 28km around Liposu (WS10) and Kibbas (WS11). From Kibbas it is basically uphill for 8km to the finish line, so contenders for the championship title still need a few matches to burn when they hit that final section! Remember local hero Milton Amat still passing Hisashi Kitamura for the win there in 2019!

Borneo is known to be potentially very hot and humid by nature. However, TMBT has always been more moderate in this context as the race course gradually goes upwards to above 1000m and even finishes at 1400m above sea level. The ATM Final also starts at 5am, one hour earlier than the open public race and therefore still in darkness.

Stay tuned in the coming few days for more updates on what promises to be a real nail biter this Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s race have several contenders for the victory and the title. Also the ATM Team Championship will likely see a tight battle between several country teams.

We are happy to announce that VJ 100 Ultra Trail Challenge in Baguio City is a new ATM Candidate on Luzon in the Philippines. Organised by the experienced team Intrepid Spirit, VJ 100 aims to highlight the beauty and the challenge of trail running in the Cordillera region. This is a logistics-friendly, and supporters-friendly event at the end of the year, scheduled at the Camp John Hay in Baguio City itself for the weekend of 14-15 December.

VJ 100 is just one event in the extensive portfolio of Intrepid Sprit, Inc. Also e.g. Pulag 100 and the Philippines Mountain Trail Festival are organised by this team led by Robert Watson, a long-time resident and organiser in the country. VJ 100 is essentially an endurance run on a 10km loop that can be done once, twice, five times or -indeed- ten times for a 100k. The course is very solid: there’s 700m of elevation gain in just 10km, and you will be running on soft trails and rolling hills through countless ascents and descents. If you are a beginning trail runner, the 10k - maybe even the 20k - is a perfect start to your (mountain) trail journey. If you are experienced and aim for the 50k or the 100k, you better do not take this race too lightly. No matter what choice you make, you will encounter various different trail conditions and be challenged while enjoying the beauty of the pine forests and the Cordillera mountains.

The cut off time for the 100k is set at 32 hours for both men and women. A distinction is made for the 50km and the shorter distances, e.g. 15h15 for men on the 50km, while women can allow themselves 45 minutes longer (16h).

As the event takes place in the city, suitable accommodation is plentiful and there is no official event hotel. To reach Baguio, you could fly to Clark (CRK), which is a 2,5 hours bus drive from Baguio. Alternatively, just fly into Manila, which will then take you 4,5-5 hours to reach the event destination.

Registration and details on specifics, such as mandatory gear, can be found on the official website, which you can link to below. VJ100 also has a Facebook page that you can follow for quick updates.

A successful Candidate a year ago, SC 70 in Santa Cruz, Davao in Philippines has now been rewarded with a spot on the new ATM Grandmaster Calendar for Season 10. The event organised by Team Jegol Runners will be held on 23/24 November and ‘70’ in the event name stands for the 70km long Grandmaster point distance.

SC70 will be the first Grandmaster-only event on our ATM calendar, following the announcement made last week (read it again here: http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/news/2024/8/30/grandmaster-quest)

Santa Cruz, just a half hour drive south of Davao City in Mindanao, has become a real trail running hub since the corona crisis and even more visibly so since the 2022 ATM Championship Final, the Mount Apo Sky Race. That event is how things started in Santa Cruz, which is now not only the main gateway for hikers to the highest mountain in the Philippines, but also the venue for several trail running events during the year.

The 70k ultramarathon trail has an elevation gain of about 4000hm, and will feature scenic and iconic places in Santa Cruz, namely, Mt. Loay, Mt. Dinor, Tacub Laya Falls, Pilan River, Sinoron, Lipantod, Camotes Ridge, and Mt. 796. The course profile is actually quite distinct and interesting from a competitive point of view. Mount Dinor is the cornerstone and highest peak in the first half, Mount Loay in the second half. Runners should also be aware that after the final descent of Loay, there’s still a 10km flattish section to the finish back in Santa Cruz. That could hurt for some, while be a tactical all-in section for others. The precise 2024 course map will be made available soon.

Last year, SC70 was the event were we got introduced to youngsters Shally Yuson and Eldy Bulod, two competitive runners whom we have gotten to know very well since then! Shally has just completed her Grandmaster Quest and is part of Team Pilipinas at the upcoming ATM Championship Final. Eldy Bulod was the joint-winner of The Punisher, together with Kik Suello, just a month ago. Bulod stated we will see more of him in Season 10.

It is highly recommended to follow the event’s Facebook page, as is common in Philippines, to receive the latest updates and links to the registration portal.

Last year’s winners of SC70 have since then become well-known: Eldy Bulod and Shally Yuson!

Roberto Cain III and Shekinah Velasquez were the great winners of Marilog Ultra 70 in Davao, Philippines, last weekend, one of several events that obtained the ATM Candidate Race label this season. Marilog was blessed with the participation of several Filipino top runners, and their feedback of the 70km long race, over ondulating terrain was generally very positive. Team Brad, including female star and triple-race-winner this ATM season Julieann Morales, is gradually becoming a reference in Mindanao.

Roberto Cain III was also a recent winner at MUSPO 100 in Bukidnon, a race that was not part of the ATM Championship but nevertheless has built a solid reputation with Larry Apolinario and John Ray Onifa as previous race winners over there. To win last Sunday, Cain had to stay ahead of ATM Finalist Jevie Cagatin and recent co-Punisher winner Eldy Bulod. Even when Cagatin said that he did not push 100% with a view to the upcoming ATM Championship Final race at Borneo TMBT, it remains a remarkable performance by Cain III. Yet another upcoming talent from Mindanao!

In the women’s race, Shekinah Velasquez had the upper hand almost from the beginning. Geia Hestra came second.

Season 10 is approaching with Dieng Trail Run in Central Java, Indonesia, on 21/22 September as our opener this year! Every new season we reevaluate both our competition regulations for the ATM Championship and the Grandmaster Quest. In the context of the ever more popular Grandmaster Quest - the individual non-competitive challenge whereby runners need to finish six ultras on our ATM calendar within a period of two years - there are two rather significant updates that will go into force as of Season 10.

Firstly, due to the growing enthusiasm of the Grandmaster Quest across Asia, we will be publishing a separate Grandmaster Quest event calendar that will have a number of events not featured on our Championship calendar. That means there will be 70+km races where you can score a GM point, but no Championship points. The first one of those “Grandmaster-only” events will be SC 70 in Santra Cruz, Davao, Philippines on 23/24 November.

Secondly, as the number of events with GM points on offer is expected to grow, it has been argued that an amendment to the regulations is required in order not to make obtaining the Grandmaster status too easily. Instead of asking runners to complete more than six races within a period of two years to become a Grandmaster 1 star, we will request runners to do one of their six ultras abroad or in any case outside of their resident country. In other words, if you live in Malaysia, you will need to complete one of your six ultras in another country to receive the Grandmaster title. As such, we also remain true to one of the core pillars of the Asia Trail Master series, which is ‘fostering a pan-Asian trail community and bring people from various distinct countries, cultures and backgrounds together’.

These changes will thus go into effect as of Dieng Trail Run on 21 September.

Runners who wish to embark on their Grandmaster Quest are still kindly invited to sign up via the google form here, so it is easier for us to keep track. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhJmjAgjEV44_CPEpDBwHa0o2XdrUGkhPioL9VhoZYQ4mw3A/viewform

Please note that we will also be updating the ATM Hall of Fame to include all new Grandmasters of the past season. Stay tuned for more and exciting updates regarding this!

Let’s conclude this announcement by putting the spotlights on our three four-star Grandmasters to date: Masafumi Yamamoto, Hisashi Kitamura and since July also the first female : Rhea Batac! They are the only runners so far to have completed 20 ultras on the ATM calendar. Some of you have asked the question “will you add a 5th star?” . Our answer remains “no , we won’t”. We believe 20 ultra finishes and 4 stars is a great number, and all good things end some time ;-).

However, we will introduce a new non-competitive challenge for trail runners in due course..

Masafumi Yamamoto, 4-star Grandmaster

Rhea Batac, 4-star Grandmaster

Hisashi Kitamura, 4-star Grandmaster

We are happy to announce that Bislig Ultra Trail in the Caraga region of Mindanao in the Philippines has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its edition on 13 October. Taking place at Brgy. Burboanan in Bislig City, Surigao Del Sur, the event offers three race distance categories of which the 50km is the longest. It is the first time an event receives our label in this region, which has plenty of tourism potential. Bislig City is located just north of the Davao region.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. Whether you are tackling the 50km, 25km, or 15km category, you are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.”

Highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

While the 50km is obviously designed for experienced trail and distance runners, also the 25km and 15km have exciting sections for beginning trail runners to enjoy to the maximum. Total elevation gain is 1600 hm for the 50, 900hm for the 25 and 600hm for the 15km. There will be separate race starting times at 3:30am, 4:30am and 5:30am with the longer distances going first. Cut-off times are 16 hours,8 hours and 5 hours respectively.

Registration for Bislig Ultra can be done easily via the button below that connects with a Google form. For more details and news about the event, it is recommended to follow the facebook page.

Our brand new 4-star Grandmaster, Rhea Batac - first female and Filipino runner to score the 4th star - will be at the starting line as well.

Undoubtedly one of the most challenging and most popular events on our ATM Championship calendar made a brilliant return this season after five long years. The 9 Dragons in Hong Kong now looks confidently ahead to its 5th edition, which has been set for Valentine Day’s weekend 14-16 February 2025. The trademark 50/50 category and the 50km category will again be the points races for the ATM Championship ranking, while the 50/50 and the 50 Miles (87km) category can also give finishers a point for their Grandmaster Quest. Registration is open via the official event website, linked below, and interested runners are encouraged not to wait until the last moment as the 50/50, in particular, has a fixed quota and is expected to sell out in advance.

Taking place in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the 9 Dragons is one of those relatively few events in Southeast Asia that places a big emphasis on competitive performance, while at the same time showing heaps of respect towards every single finisher on Sunday afternoon. The marquee event, the 50/50, is essentially a stage race and merely turning up on Sunday morning at the start of the 50km long second stage is arguably tougher than the elevation gain to be conquered during the runs. Some runners disintegrate during the 50km, others just seem to come alive. It makes for unpredictable situations and surprising changes of fortune at the front of the race, ultimately what sports fans enjoy to see.

Kristian Joergensen in the men’s and Angie Yan in the women’s came out on top this season, after fierce battles with a.o. Lodewijk Vriens, Oleksii Melnyk, Solomon Wettstein and Arnie Macaneras, and Xie Wenfei and Wong Ki Chun. Both came from behind to secure victory on Sunday.

While the 50/50 captures the limelight at The 9 Dragons, the single 50km race also has a reputation as being one of the most competitive and toughest-to-win of the season. ATM Champion John Ray Onifa was outstanding this year, and local talent Naomi Fung managed to just keep Philippines’ Angelie Cabalo behind.

Thinking back on the 2024 edition, we can hardly wait for next February!

Season IX is approaching its big and exciting conclusion at the Championship Final hosted by Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia in just under a month’s time. Points have been scored since mid-December last year, and the qualifiers in each country have been identified. The five highest male and female scorers per country in our ‘best-of-four’ points system will team up to compete for the individual and team championship titles, provided they have completed minimum two races on our calendar during the past nine months. Indeed, this has also been the shortest competitive season since our inaugural championship in 2015. Popular demand made us move forward the date of our Championship Final towards Q3 rather than the end of the year.

It will be the third year in a row that the ATM Champions will be crowned following a 1-day shoot-out between the best performers of the season in our series. A format that has definitely boosted excitement and anticipation for trail running fans and Asia’s competitive-minded trail runners. For some, just being part of their country’s team in the ATM Final is the goal, but for the elites it is a real opportunity to focus, challenge and test themselves against runners hailing from the same region or continent. A chance to be in a proper race for podium, prizes and recognition before a potential step further up the ladder at the sport’s global level.

Regularity also matters in sport and any elite can have a bad day on the day of the Championship Final. Hence, we also like to highlight the runners who in the course of the past season have scored the highest points totals: the Points King and the Points Queen. This year, the honour goes to Malaysia’s Wilsen Singgin and Philippines’ Julieann Morales! Both athletes have totalled 1900 ATM points in four races, more than any other male or female runner.

Wilsen Singgin managed to score two ATM race wins and, interestingly, both in the 50km medium distance category. The Sabahan has been around since 2019 and built up a reputation as one of the strongest and most technically-skilled long ultra runners in Southeast Asia, but this season his focus has very much been on the 50km - with great success. Younger than Sabah’s stars Milton Amat, Gustin Tiam and Daved Simpat, Singgin looked a bit stuck last year but his increased running pace this year has boosted his performances again. To the extent, he might just as well pull off an upset at Borneo TMBT next month - particularly if it were to be a wet and technical race. In the final points standings, Singgin preceeds Filipino Jevie Cagatin, who scored 1800 points, and fellow Malaysian Mohd Sulhan with 1750.

Davao’s Julieann Morales was outstanding from December to March when she won Mount Apo Sky Race 100, Bagtit Ultra 100 and Mount Kalatungan Ultra 80 and all three in great style ahead of other qualifiers for the ATM Final. It gave her a safe margin to take a rest from the ATM circuit and see what the others are doing. However, as also Angelie Cabalo found out, three race results - even though all victories - are insufficient in Philippines with so many strong competitors and a ‘best-of four’ points system. Even though Morales was unable to win her fourth race - The Punisher - and could only take 4th place after arriving late at the start line, she still totals 25 points more in the overall ranking than second-placed Adelinah Lintanga from Malaysia, and 50 more than Rejlen James, also Malaysian. Julieann Morales is our Points Queen of Season IX. Let’s hope she can also make it to Borneo TMBT. Morales has never traveled abroad and is currently awaiting the delivery of her (first) international passport.

Forever competitive: Wilsen Singgin won in Simpur and KAR this year

Three victories in four ATM races: Julieann Morales had one heck of a season

The 10th anniversary edition of The Punisher on Samal island, just off the coast of Davao City in Mindanao, Philippines, had a fantastic competitive field as the last points race of Season 9 in our ATM Championship. Several runners required points or had to defend their ranking against others to ensure qualification for the Championship Final in Malaysia next month. As was to be expected, there was both joy and drama at the finish of the 50 miles or 80km race!

Starting with the women, Angelie Cabalo proved once more that she is arguably the fastest trail runner in her country at present. Sadly enough for her, even a second back-to-back victory after Bali Ultra 80 a week ago did not give her a top five spot in the Filipino ATM ranking. Cabalo only competed in three races this season, and in a country with so many competitive runners that proved to be insufficient, despite two wins and one second place. The ranking is based on a ‘best-of-four’ system and her compatriots all ran at least four races this season. Cabalo will have to wait and see if any of the five qualifiers cannot make the trip to Borneo TMBT. These five are Julieann Morales, Shally Yuson, Cristine Montuya, the surprising Irish Glorioso and Mary Joy Sumanda. Also Ann Jilian Pulanco dropped out of the top five, finishing “only” 9th last weekend. That was right behind Sumanda, who had been running strongly in second place most of the day but then was shown the wrong direction by a marshal. A classic, which shows again that one should not blindly follow marshals as many are just volunteers with no knowledge of the actual route -even if they should have. Sumanda was convinced she failed to qualify for team Pilipinas as a consequence, but alas her trip to KAR Ultra and the 50-point abroad bonus she got for that saved her. Irish Glorioso has had a remarkable boost in competitive form over the past 2-3 months and that results in her third consecutive qualification for Team Pilipinas. That in itself is unique for her country. Glorioso was one of three protagonist women who missed the start at 3am by half an hour. The other two were Morales and Manilyn Mamugay. The latter threw in the towel around halfway, Morales still managed to get fourth, just ahead of Glorioso. Ahead of them was the duo of Shally Yuson and Cristine Montoya, finishing together without pushing too hard - Cabalo was too far ahead anyway. Cabalo in fact finished fourth overall alongside Jomarc Ferrer.

Jomarc Ferrer turned out to be one of the great positive surprises of the day, in fact. Keeping up as well as he could with the trio of Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and Eldy Bulod, Ferrer had an outside chance of sneaking into the men’s ranking top five, and thus Team Pilipinas, and he took it. Of course, he did not have it in his own hands, but he did what he have to and as it turned out, Maynard Encornal had a complete off-day finishing just 18th. With Florence Alave not running as he cannot make it to TMBT anyway for family reasons, Ferrer entered the top five and is in the team! That came also at the expense of Sean Aying. The Grandmaster ran a great Punisher race himself, finishing in sixth, but his other results of the season were not always of the same level. Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and also the very young Mt Apo winner Isaiah Paraiso overtook Aying on points last weekend. Paraiso coming in fifth, Cagatin third and Suello a joint winner with Eldy Bulod. The duo dropped Cagatin in the final 9km and decided not to sprint for victory. Bulod plays no role in the championship “play-off” , as the Punisher was just his second ATM points race of the season. Note, however, that the young and upcoming Bulod stated he will aim for it next year. He also admitted that Suello was arguably the faster of them, in line with what insiders said during the race. Suello is a dark horse for TMBT. So is Cagatin, who finishes the season as number 1 in the Filipino points ranking.

Also Jeremy Ritcey (8th, Hong Kong) and Risa Kamiya (6th, Japan) ensured their qualification for their teams in the ATM Championship Final next month.

Angelie Cabalo was again outstanding, just a week after Bali 80

Shally Yuson and Cristine Montuya arrived second and third

No fourth victory for Julian Morales, but a fine run to fourth place nevertheless

A bit of a sensation at last weekend’s Akha Trail in the far north of Thailand, on the border with Myanmar. Bangkok-based Tara Savage managed to win the tough and technical race overall and by quite a margin over Amorn Kimnguan. The American ran away from her female and male competitors already before halfway into the 80km race and increased the gap to more than one hour at the finish line. She won in 14h19'26", with Amorn Kimnguan as the men's winner in 15h28'33". Both are also the expected category winners this weekend, but it not in this order 🙂

It is Tara Savage's second ATM race victory of the season, too. Back in April she won the gruelling Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 100 in Vietnam. Earlier, she was also 5th in VTM - also in Vietnam. She will be great asset in Team Asia Expat next month at the ATM Finals.

On the female podium with her yesterday was Patchara Buagun in second, who is also qualified for Team Thailand in the Finals.

The men's winner Kimnguan, his first ever ATM race victory, is also qualified like last year. He was joined on the Akha 80 race podium by Santi Phongsraphang - qualified for the finals - and Malaysia's Kenneth Mun Keat Yow. The latter trying his best to win and get a spot in Team Malaysia. He jumps ahead of Wont Kudin in the ranking with a total of 1135 points compared to Wont's 1115. But Haziq Asyraf is just out of reach with 1190. Nevertheless, Kenneth is first reserve and perhaps more importantly - he is now a 3-star Grandmaster! Akha 80 was his 15th ATM ultra he has completed. A separate announcement is coming soon.

Munintaran Sundram, also Malaysian, scored fourth place yesterday. A great achievement for the 2-star Grandmaster as well. He was followed by Somchai Chaosakorn.

The 2nd edition of Akha Trail in the far north of Thailand, on the border with Myanmar, sees an international field of runners for the 80km points race, the last one of the season together with Punisher in the Philippines. Akha Trail was a remarkable entry in last year’s championship and saw a fantastic winner in John Ray Onifa. This season’s start list is arguably more modest from a competitive point of view, but offers the chance for several runners to score useful points for their country’s championship. ranking and their individual Grandmaster Quest. Kenneth Mun Keat Yow, in fact, is going for his 3rd Grandmaster star this weekend, and should the Malaysian manage to win or finish in the top three in the race and collect the equivalent number of points and the 50-point ‘abroad bonus’, he’d also jump ahead of Wont Kudin into the Malaysian Top 6. That implies he is first reserve in case someone ranked ahead of him decides not to join Team Malaysia in TMBT. . That’s not an easy task, but we have seen plenty of times already that when trail runners have a goal in sight, they suddenly run twice as quick as usual.

The men’s 80km race in any case appears wide open. Brunei’s Ismail Firdaus is another podium contender who aims to qualify for his country at the ATM Championship Final next month. And so are a couple of Thai runners, such as Amorn Kimnguan, Santi Phongsraphang and Somchai Chaosakorn.

Celebrated 4-star Grandmaster Masafumi Yamamoto is also in the race, just two weeks after KAR ULtra 110, and could likewise cement his position in the top 5 of Japan’s ATM ranking.

The women’s 80km sees Bangkok-based American Tara Savage as a favourite to win, alongside Patchara Buagun. Savage has been in great form this season and might be a considerable top ten candidate for next month’s women final, in which she will compete for Team Asia Expat

The 3rd Grandmaster star for Kenneth Mun Keat Yow is awaiting , and so could be Team Malaysia

Tara Savage is arguably the woman-to-beat on the 80km women’s race this weekend