Indonesia’s top trail runners Risqi Kurniawan and Shindy Patricia collected their fifth and seventh ATM race victories, respectively, at the great Broder 50 event in East Java’s Bromo desert. Both elites finished clearly ahead of a solid field and underlined their ambitions for this season’s ATM Championship. Broder 50 consisted of two loops of 25km in the famous ‘desert’ around the Bromo volcano. A runable race that nevertheless got tough due the gale winds that struck runners in the second loop.

Risqi Kurniawan had an up-and-down year so far, plagued by injury, but very much looked in control again last Saturday. Competitors such as Akhmad Nizar, Muhammad Faris, Ma’Mun Khariri, Thimo Kilberth and Yuki Naotori all ran great races, but had to tolerate Kurniawan running away in the distance from early on. The battle for second place was exciting. Malaysia’s Faris was arguable most impressive in showing a fast running pace and keeping up with Khariri - winner of Mantra 116 and second in Bali 80 this year - and Nizar (ATM Finalist 2023 , finishing 8th at Siksorogo, and ‘eternal second’ behind Kurniawan. Towards the end, an injury-hampered Nizar still managed to score another second place, but Faris did complete the podium ahead of Khariri. Sponsored and coached by Team Ole Athletic, this was a great step-up in performance level for the Malaysian. Bali-based German Thimo Kilberth started his Season 10 campaign in style with fifth overall and first in the ‘veteran’ category. He stayed ahead of Japan’s Naotori.

Shindy Patricia was a late addition to the start list, showing up just one week after an unfortunate DNF in a mountain race in Sabah. Seemingly out for revenge on herself, she left the other women no chance. The East Javanese trail star took her seventh career win in ATM, after sitting out Season 9 to focus on road and marathon runs. Shindy is back with a bang! As with the men, the women’s race for second was interesting to follow. Malaysia-based Filipino Ritzy Amor , who joined the aforementioned Team Ole Athletic , looked set to grab the first runner-up spot, but was overtaken towards the end by the surprisingly quick Azarine Putri , also from East Java. In fourth, we had Indonesia’s Masrifah and Canada’s Isabelle Bedard. Pre-race favourite Lynda Marylyn DNFd after the first loop, running in fourth place, citing difficulties breathing after inhaling a lot of dust after the wind picked up strongly.

Broder 50 is a typically scenic Indonesian trail race organised by the Mantra team from Malang. However, as most other trail races in the country tend to be tough, technical to very technical, this one is runable, making for an interesting change.

This weekend we also have a new ATM Candidate Race in Mindanao in the Philippines. Bislig Ultra Trail is the first event in Surigao del Sur, which is located to the north of Davao, and features a 50km as main race category. The start list is long for a debut race, showing the enthusiasm of the local trail community.

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.” The 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.

Among the race favourites of the 50km is Jhong Mahinay, but we are looking forward to discovering quite a lot of new talent from Surigao and surroundings. The event is organised by AWRA, which in December also has another Candidate Race named New Corella Trail Ultra.

The early part of Season 10 in our Asia Trail Master Championship series continues in East Java, Indonesia, this weekend with a new entry on our calendar. The second edition of Broder 50 is the latest event produced and directed by the well-established Mantra 116 team and takes place in the legendary Bromo desert. As the event title suggests, Broder 50 has a 50km main race category - the one that matters for runners who wish to score points for the ATM Championship ranking, which leads to potential qualification for the Championship Final in September 2025. The race starts at 3am on Saturday morning.

The early part of Season 10 in our Asia Trail Master Championship series continues in East Java, Indonesia, this weekend with a new entry on our calendar. The second edition of Broder 50 is the latest event produced and directed by the well-established Mantra 116 team and takes place in the legendary Bromo desert. As the event title suggests, Broder 50 has a 50km main race category - the one that matters for runners who wish to score points for the ATM Championship ranking, which leads to potential qualification for the Championship Final in September 2025. The race starts at 3am on Saturday morning.

A few of Indonesia’s usual top performers feature on the start list. First and foremost Risqi Kurniawan, who has been basically undefeated on the medium trail distance in his home country for quite a while now. Injury plagued him a few months ago, but in July the T8 runner still managed to take another victory at Mantra 65k. Broder 50 is normally a runable trail and this could place a few other competitors within striking distance. Akhmad Nizar is never that far behind Risqi and maybe on a good day he can put up a challenge in Bromo. In Indonesia there’s always runners who appear from nowhere on the top of the race leaderboard, so maybe we get to know some new faces as well. Bali-based Thimo Kilberth is in any case also a lover of runable trails where he can use his inherent running speed to get close to the podium. Malaysia’s Ole Athletic runner Muhammad Faris Azhari will also be a contender for the top 3 in the men’s race.

From the same team but coming from Sabah is Lynda Marylyn, Championship Finalist at Borneo TMBT last month. On paper, she has a great opportunity to score her first ATM race victory at Broder 50. Lynda, nicknamed ‘Butet’, is an upcoming young talent in Malaysia who has become increasingly competitive in the course of the past year. Other contenders are expected to be local Indonesian runners and Canada’s Isabelle Bedard.

ATM will be reporting live from Broder 50 on our usual channels.

The 50km course

The famous Bromo desert

Risqi Kurniawan

Lynda 'Butet' Marylyn

The latest brainchild of David Lloyd and his team at Topas Travel is called Vietnam Ultra Marathon and joins the Asia Trail Master Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendar on 8 March 2025. The second edition of this event in Mai Chau, roughly three hours southwest of Hanoi, features a 75km category that is the one to focus on. VUM therefore joins VTM, Vietnam Trail Marathon in Moc Chau, in January on our current 2025 event calendar.

The events organised by Topas, spearheaded by VMM in Sapa, are among the most popular in Southeast Asia every year and we are indeed delighted that we will again have two of them with races for ATM points. Runners who took part in the first edition of VUM last March gave rave reviews of stunning landscapes on beautiful trails between remote villages. As the website describes, the route climbs up to the fabled land of Hang Kia, where Hmong communities live not far from the border with Laos. For many years, this area was completely off the tourist map. Now you can run here and discover another side of Mai Chau.

From a competition point of view, the 75km race profile shows the toughest sections with most elevation will be tackled in the first half. Pure mountain and technically skilled trail runners may need to use these, before the speedsters can get their running pace to work in the second half.

Registration is open already and can be done via the official website of VUM linked below. As usual, there’s travel packages on offer that take the hassle out of everything. Transport from Hanoi departs from the Turtle Lake Brewing company, same as for the other events organised by Topas.

Aguila Wanderers Recreational Adventure, in short AWRA, is organising the 2nd edition of the New Corella Trail Ultra in Brgy. Carcor New Corella, Davao del Norte in Philippines on 8 December 2024. The event features three categories of 50km, 30km and 15km and has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label. New Corella is known for its beautiful but challenging trails not too far north of Davao City.

Participants will traverse diverse terrain, from rolling hills and dense forests to river crossings and rugged mountain trails. The course has a number of distinct highlights. Bundok Cave is a remarkable 200-foot-long cave that runners will traverse. The Panas Waterfalls and the Casilak Waterfalls are two breathaking natural falls. Then there is Balaang Bukid, a prominent landmark with significant local cultural and spiritual relevance. Furthermore, runners will also pass by neighbouring municipalities that will show the beauty of Nabunturen and Mawab.

One of the race's highlights is the passage through the famous Bundok Cave, a stunning 200-foot-long natural formation, as well as scenic spots like the breathtaking Panas Falls. The race route also extends to neighboring municipalities, showcasing the natural beauty of Nabunturan and Mawab. Beyond the competition, the NCTR50 promotes environmental awareness, supports the local tourism industry of Davao del Norte, and highlights the rich culture of New Corella.

NCTR 50 will have its flag off at 3am on Sunday, 8 December with the shorter distances respectively one hour and two laters later. The cut-off time for the 50km is set at 16 hours. The course is not flat, but elevation gain is relatively modest at 1900 hm for the 50km. The event has an official hotel , which is the Kojo Hotel in Tagum.

Registration is easy via a Google form linked below. You can also stay up-to-date via the AWRA facebook page. Please note that on 12 October, the AWRA Team is organising another ATM Candidate, Bislig Trail Ultra in Surigao del Sur, further north.

We are happy to announce that Trail des Gombak in Selangor, north of Kuala Lumpur, is a new Malaysian points race on our Season 10 ATM Championship and Grandmaster Quest calendar. Organised by the Projek Hijo team, the fourth edition of the event will be held on 21/22 June 2025 following a successful run as an ATM Candidate a few months ago. On the schedule are both a 100km and a 50km for Championship points.

Gombak is the name of the district located just 80km north of KLIA, Malaysia’s international airport. The area has been a drawcard for tourists thanks to the proximity of the Batu Caves. The venue of Trail des Gombak is located just to the north of the caves at Dewan Sergabuna. From KL Sentral, busses take you to Gombak and Grab cars are omnipresent as well.

“Exploring Possibilities” is the tagline of the event. The route of the race consists of jungle trails, river creeks, waterfalls, asphalt, rolling hills, and much more that Gombak can offer.The 100km course has an estimated elevation gain of 3500 hm, making it one of the more runable races on paper. The 50km offers 1700 metres of elevation gain. Please note that while the 100km starts at 8am on Saturday morning, the 50km is essentially a Sunday race with start at 3 am.

Last June, victory on the 100km went to the Singapore duo of Malachy Kirwan and Philippe Daniel in the men’s ahead of Tuan Afandi, and Grandmaster Carly Balmforth in the women’s ahead of Norlela Ismail.

The Top 25 in the overall men’s and women’s result score points for the ATM Championship ranking that lead to potential qualification for the Final later in the season. Grandmaster Quest point seekers need to finish the 100km race.

Registration for the 2025 edition is already open. Please check the official website linked below and follow the event’s facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest news regarding Trail des Gombak.

 

The 60km main category of the Santa Cruz Trail Ultra, near Davao in the Philippines, saw yet another race win for Roberto Cain III, in recent months also already the strongest in MUSPO 100, for instance. Cain finished the ATM Candidate Race in 11h 16 minutes and was well ahead of second-placed Remlar Monang. Cain belongs to the new wave of competitive runners from Mindanao, and we are looking forward to seeing more of him in the ATM Championship during this new season.

Third place on the podium was for Angelo Navarro Sabijon. Antonio Anino and Jinky Garcia took fourth and fifth. First woman in the finish was Razzil Sumalinog. However, she arrived 12 minutes outside the time limit and is therefore not considered the race winner.

Santa Cruz Trail Ultra has a tough and technical 60km course with several peaks.

Roberto Cain III

Remlar Monang

Angelo Navarro Sabijon

Razzil Sumalinog crossed the finish line first, but was officially outside the time limit by 12 minutes

Brought to you by Mark Caldez of Marcado Trail Quest and the Maharlika Series team of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra, the second edition of Malico Grand Ultra in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio, offers a Grandmaster point to all finishers of the 75km race on 18/19 January. The event was a Candidate Race in 2024.

As of the new Season 10 and following popular demand, a number of events on our calendar will only offer Grandmaster finisher points and no ATM Championship points. Malico Grand Ultra is the third of these.

Stunning panoramic views of Villa Verde ridges and pine forests, Malico Grand Ultra offers a unique blend of history, challenge, and natural beauty. Run through trails that were once significant battlegrounds during World War II. Immerse in the tranquil surroundings of Cabalisian River and move across the Andalasi hanging bridge to witness the crystal-clear waters of Ambayaoan River. Meanwhile, do not forget to take in the breathtaking mountain views of Mt. Ugo and Mt. Pigingan. One of the main highlights in the 75k category is the exhilarating downhill adventure at Mt. Valdez, that will undoubtedly challenge your skills and endurance. In fact, the 2024 edition showed this is a tough 75km that should not be underestimated. Miguel Carranza won the men’s race in 15h39’ and he is by no means mediocre! Carraza even preceeded other established technical trail runners such as Bhert Orpiada and Sai Tonog II. The women’s race had a surprising winner in Michella Aradanas, who managed to outpace Ann Jilian Pulanco.

Another element participants in the 75km GM distance should prepare for is the cold weather. It is January and close to Baguio, you will need more than just a running tee at night!

Registration for the event is open. Please go to RaceTech PHI to sign up. Event details can be obtained via the official facebook page.

Winners of the 2024 Candidate Race

The scenic Dieng Trail Run in Central Java, Indonesia, opened season 10 of the ATM Championship and as expected saw a number of new faces enter into the spotlights. Yogyakarta-based Colombian Edixon Daniel was clearly the fastest runner on the 60km points race distance, winning comfortably in a time of 9h32. The 60km was held mainly at nighttime, which was probably a bit unfortunate given the majestic views one could enjoy in this part of Central Java. Daniel led almost from start to finish and saw Singapore-based Humberto Baeza take second place , and Asril Rozzaq third place on the podium. Baeza is reportedly a newbie in trail and is said to be one to watch in the coming months. Rozzag sprained his ankle early into the race, but managed to hold on. The trails were quite dry and hard-packed, making for a runable course.

The women’s 60k race saw Bali’s Endang Suryani Borupayung take victory ahead of West Sulawesi’s Fauziah and Christyo Widorukhi . Borupayong’s finishing time was just above 15h. Let’s not forget there were over 4000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered also.

The Mount Apo Sky Race has become a genuine classic over the years in the Asia Trail Master series and we are happy to announce that runners on the Grandmaster Quest can again highlight the event dark red in their agendas. The 7th edition of the event, which is basically a sea to summit race of 100km to the highest point of the Philippines and back, is scheduled for the weekend of 30 November/1 December 2024. Host venue is once again the beach resort Playa de Obuza in Santa Cruz, just 30 minutes’ drive outside of Davao City.

Organised by Vertical To Sky and one of Mindanao’s pioneering race directors in trail running, Doi Calbes, the Mount Apo Sky Race has built up a solid reputation for mountain trail lovers, looking for wild and even unspoilt trails. We were happy to have the event as the 2022 ATM Championship Final, won by Arnie Macaneras and Hau Ha, and continue its legacy in 2024. For one season, we skip the Championship label to give opportunity to another event, but Grandmaster-point seekers will find Mt Apo a very fulfilling race to have on your record. And of course, winning this 100k race still puts you in a very selected list of top runners.

Registration is open and as usual restricted to a fixed number to ensure the mountain area does not get overburdened. This is a protected nature area, after all. The link to the website and registration portal is below.

Last year, Isaiah Paraiso had his breakthrough moment winning the men’s race, while Julieann Morales established herself as the ‘Trail Queen’ of Davao by winning the women’s race.

Isaiah Paraiso was the fastest 100k runner on Mt Apo last year

Julieann Morales was the strongest woman on Apo last year

After a thrilling race at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, Hong Kong’s Jeff Campbell and Nepal’s Priya Rai crowned themselves as the new Asia Trail Master Champions. Both elite athletes came out on top of a star-studded field after over 80 km of racing on a treacherous course that saw various re-routes due to heavy rainfall preceeding the start. Campbell and Rai succeed John Ray Onifa and Rashila Tamang, winners of last year in the history of the ATM Championship, while Team Nepal claimed the ATM Team Championship ahead of Team Philippines and the home team Malaysia.

While Priya Rai turned out to be utterly dominant in the women’s competition, leaving Vanja Cnops and defending champion Rashila Tamang no chance, Canadian-born Jeff Campbell had to dig deeper than ever before to salvage an advantage he ran together halfway into the race. First 2022 Champion Arnie Macaneras, and then eternal competitor Hisashi KItamura, appeared hot on his tail in the final 10km , which is notoriously almost entirely uphill to the finish line.

After some early skirmishes following the 5:15 am race start , mostly featuring John Ray Onifa and four of the Nepalese runners, the men’s Final had a first decisive moment around aid station 4 (km 30). Nepalese runners Arjun Rai Kulung and Lokendra Rai missed a marker and went off course by a long way, effectively eliminating themselves from contention. Milan Rai, also still very young, paid better attention and arrived at the aid station in the lead with… Arnie Macaneras, closely followed by home hero Milton Amat, for whom the race seemed to be going perfectly. Jeff Campbell was just a minute behind, but Onifa came in later and visibly struggling with stomach cramps. Kristian Joergensen was next, not looking too happy either. Both Onifa and Joergensen would later throw in the towel at AS 6. Kitamura arrived 13 minutes after Campbell.

A long descent on a re-routed section, all on tarmac, proved ideal for Jeff Campbell to try a move. Gutsy, because we were not even halfway into the race yet. He opened up a substantial gap using his inherent road running speed and by aid station 6 even looked like he could cruise home with nobody really looking to chase him very hard. Not even Milton Amat, who by then showed signs of fatigue and was not in the best shape we had seen him in before when he won TMBT 100 in 2019 and 2022.

The last 28km loop was known to had the sting in the tail. Plenty of runners in the past have cursed the final 10km section over the years, known from the traditional 109km race course. That includes Hisashi Kitamura, who saw race wins go up in smoke there and who had never been able to make a fist anymore, having already burnt all his matches previously. Enter race strategy and race tactics, and the beauty of race pacing.

As a first-timer at TMBT, Jeff Campbell experienced what Kitamura and so many others had gone through before. His pace slowed, his legs began to hurt and the 15-minute gap was melting before the sun, which in fact managed to peak through the cloud cover as well on occasion. Arnie Macaneras had timed his last attack to perfection and came closer and closer as they started going uphill for the last 10km, as can be revisited via the GPS dot track asia platform. Campbell became aware of the threat, as he saw Macaneras arriving at the last water station just as he was leaving it again. However, what nobody had really noticed up until then was that Japan’s Hisashi Kitamura was also suddenly coming on strongly!

With 5km left to go, Campbell looked cooked, but so was Macaneras. Major cramps all of a sudden ended his challenge and attempt to secure the ATM Championship for the second time in his career. 'Arnie would settle for third, because Kitamura stormed by desperate to still catch Campbell in the dying moments of the race. In the end, Jeff Campbell managed to hold on to a slender advantage of just over two minutes to clinch his first ever ATM title, after scoring 9 race victories in our series already since early 2018. A wonderful achievement by someone who used to be the King of Short Distance, but has now fully grown into a long distance racer as well. Hisashi KItamura was nevertheless a happy second. His strategy nearly paid off, the question can be asked whether he left it a little too late.

The performance of the young Priya Rai should also be underlined as it was her first race of more than 50km. Winner of both Nepalese points races in April, she grabbed the bull by the horns nonetheless and immediately applied pressure on co-favourites Vanja Cnops and Rashila Tamang. Contrary to Jeff Campbell in the men, Priya did not slow down at all in the last uphill. A fantastic performance by another young talent of whom we have definitely not yet seen the last. Singapore’s Vanja Cnops again settled for second on the the podium, while Rashila Tamang took a solid third - being plagued by some leg discomfort. Rashila required her fighting spririt at the end to keep Vietnam’s Loi Leung at bay. South Korea’s Hee Joo Jang was a surprisingly strong fifth, finishing just over two minutes behind Loi Leung at the finish.

Photo by Priya

Outgoing champion John Ray Onifa and behind him co-favourite Kristian Joergensen both called it a day at AS 6 (km 55)

One week after the thrilling conclusion of our Championship’s ninth season at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia, we already shift our attention to Indonesia for the opening of the next season, Season 10. Dieng Trail Run in Central Java gets the honour this year of opening the new series , which will again lead to a ranking hierarchy that determines qualification for next year’s ATM Final. Season 10 is indeed expected to cover again a full year, contrary to the 9+ months shortened season that just ended.

No amendments to the points regulations for Season 10, the top 25 men and women in each valid race score points. At the end of the season, each runner’s best four results will be taken into account.

At Dieng this weekend, that race to focus on is the 60 km category. This is a challenging course, with the hardest part coming into the second half. No fewer than 4000m of elevation gain need to be conquered. Runners will be at high altitude and often above the clouds. ‘Dieng’ literally translates as ‘abode of the Gods’ and that says all you need to know about this collection of small ancient temples set in the remarkable volcanic landscape of the Dieng Plateau. The misty location, sulphurous springs and colored lakes truly make this a place of natural wonder and cultural significance. The event carries an important ecological message as well , and is establishing itself as one of Southeast Asia’s unique ‘boutique’ events.

The start list does not feature a lot of big names, which can also not be expected one week after the Championship Final. We are therefore bound to discover new names this weekend. Rachmat Septiyanto and Ma’Mun Khariri are two of Indonesia’s ultra trail stars, but both signed up for the 100km category, which only provides a Grandmaster point for finishers. Two star GM Rija Gubes from Malaysia and also Georgy Mimi Chu are also on the 100k start list. Let’s see if, in particular, Khariri wishes to change distance last-minute. For the Mantra 116 winner in July, it would be a great start of his points campaign.

ATM will be reporting from Dieng Trail Run throughout Saturday and Sunday on our usual channels.

Ma Mun Khariri is one of Indonesia’s emerging trail stars