After the test edition last year, the popular Gribanovka Ski Resort in Russia's Primorsky Krai is organising the first official Mount Falaza Trail Challenge on 16 October. A hilly race through a forested area over 60, 40 or 16km with maximum 2500 metres of elevation gain. It is the first ever Russian event in the Asia Trail Master series and also the most northern one. Prepare for a new exciting trail running and cultural experience!

Primorsky Krai, also known as Primorye, is a province in the far East of Russia, bordering China and North Korea, and having Vladivostok as its administrative centre. Primorsky means maritime and that is no coincidence as the province also borders the Sea of Japan to the east. Participants will enter the region via Vladivostok, which has international connections by air, sea and land. Worth visiting by itself, of course, runners and their partners can explore the city and stay overnight, before hopping onto the event bus at noon on Saturday. Gribanovka and its ski resort is a 175km or 2 hour bus ride away from Vladivostok. Runners will stay at the resort on Saturday night before the race on Sunday morning. All hotel and transport services can be booked when you sign up for the race. 

The race is centred around Mount Falaza (1279m), a mountain located at the southern end of the Sikhote-Alin range, which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is an area known for its large biodiversity.  In autumn, the forest shows itself in many colours.  The event hosts at the Gribanovka resort, a favourite skiing destination for regional people in winter, have substantial experience in organising adventure, MTB and ski races. 

You can read more details of the event via our event cover page. Registration for the race goes via our online form. 

Finishers of the 60km and 40km races will score 100 Asia Trail Master finisher points, plus performance points according to their race result. 

We are delighted to officially announce our latest new partnership for the 2016 Asia Trail Master series: Gone Running is the fitting name of our new retail partner. Founded by a trio of passionate athletes themselves, Gone Running is an online and physical store that breathes endurance running - be it trail or road ultras. 

Gone Running was established in 2014 to provide a better online shopping experience for trail and road runners in Asia. In 2015, they also opened their first physical store in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

It's about more than just good prices. We want to offer the best products (gear we use ourselves) as well as knowledgeable advice from top trail and road runners to make sure you get the kit and nutrition that is best for you.  It's for runners, by runners. On offer in our store are products of other Asia Trail Master series'  partners as well, such as RaidLight apparel and gear, Simple Hydration designer bottles and of course, Tailwind nutrition. 

We love our community and believe in giving back. We organise regular running and community events in Hong Kong and beyond, sponsor budding young runners, collect secondhard gear donations, and support some great running-based charities.

By supporting the Asia Trail Master series, Gone Running aspires to reach out to all trail runners on the continent. On a regular basis, runners will be able to score great deals and other benefits via the Gone Running store and social media channels. At selected events, special prizes will be awarded to podium runners to ensure everyone back home can see they have Gone Running! 

More details on our Gone Running partner page. Here you will be able to read everything about new or highlighted products, discount rates and much more. 

We are delighted to announce another fantastic new entry on the 2016 Asia Trail Master series' calendar: Ultra Tu Wenchuan is a 50 km mountain trail in Sichuan, Southwest China. The 2nd edition of the event is scheduled for Sunday, 15 May and is organised by Sichuan Trail, a company managed by people with extensive international running experience. Being not excessively long, the 50km race is ideal for runners who wish to get a taste of mountain trail running. 

The event is the second race in China where Asia Trail Master points can be scored this year, after Tsaigu Tangsi Plus on 16 April. As the gateway to the Tibetan Plateau, Wenchuan is quickly becoming a new hotspot for trail runners. UTWenchuan is not only a race, but also an opportunity to explore an area surrounded by 5000m high mountain peaks and several deep gorges. Runners have never trodden some of these trails before, so this race gives you the chance to explore a new horizon in trail running. And last but not least, this event’s date coincides with the famous Wenchuan cherry harvest. So don’t forget your race shoes and your appetite!

In 2008, Wenchuan was struck by a devastating 8.0 earthquake. In this most deadly earthquake on earth since 1976, 87150 lives were lost, cities are destroyed. Now 8 years have passed and a new Wenchuan has risen up. The race in the mountains of Wenchuan, serves both as a memory of the past and the optimistic striving for the future of the city.

Fantastic high mountain backdrops all along the UT Wenchuan trail

The 2016 version of UT Wenchuan consists of 2 different categories for individual runners: 50km and 23km, with accumulated elevation gain of 3600m and 1650m. The 50km trail is the icon of UT Wenchuan, circling clockwise around the city of Wenchuan. It connects the high mountain passes, Minjiang gorge and ancient villages of Qiang people. It’s challenging, scenic and natural. Finishing this race distance will give you Asia Trail Master points. While the elevation gain is high for a 50km race, note that highest altitude you will reach is 2700 metres above sea level, meaning that the risk for altitude sickness is minimal. Nevertheless, it always helps to arrive at the destination a few days before the race. 

Trail conditions can be relatively rough at times. Local villagers instead of tourists create the majority of our trails, which then offers you a great chance to interact with and get a look into the life of the Qiang people. The 50K course consists of 55% single-track, 35% dirt road/double-track and 10% paved road.  Please check further details on our cover page or the local event website. 

The organisers already have advanced plans to develop the event in the next years, and are going out of their way to assist participants who are coming to join the race. Gateway to Wenchuan is the capital city of Sichuan, Chengdu, which is served by plenty of international airlines as well. From the airport, a new highway links Chengdu with Wenchuan in less than 2 hours. A special runners' bus will depart on Saturday morning the day before the race, and return after the race. Please check all logistics via our cover page. 

It is possible to sign up for UT Wenchuan via us at Asia Trail Master, or via the local event website. The registration fee is, of course, the same. 

The 2nd edition of the GlobalLimits' Wild Elephant Trail in Sri Lanka, a 6-day stage race over 220km was won by European runners. Great Britain's Nathan Montague was fastest in the men's, despite a late surge in the second part of the week by Spain's Xavi Marina. Another Spaniard, David Mora, completed the podium in third place. 

Christina Khinast from Austria was clearly the fastest woman in Sri Lanka. The battle for second was more tight, as Cambodia's Sophiethida Kong and Maria Rotger were quite evenly matched, although the Asian runner mainly had the edge. 

All finishers of the stage race score will enter this week's Asia Trail Master ranking with 100 finisher points and each with his or her own's performance points based on the result. The next GlobalLimits boutique stage race is the Last Secret in Bhutan, starting at the end of May. It is still possible to register for that event. 

Male:
1. Nathan Montague - Great Britain 19:10hrs
2. Xavi Marina - Spain 20:41hrs
3. David Mora - Spain 22:3ohrs
Female:
1. Christina Khinast - Austria 25:15hrs
2. Sophiethida Kong - Cambodia 28:12hrs
3. Maria Rotger - Spain 28:56hrs

In this week's edition of Talking Trail Running, we give the floor to not one, but three athletes. In focus is Malaysia's Running Project: from Merapoh to Mont Blanc. An initiative by experienced runner Razif Yahya with as core objective to coach and develop young and aspiring Malaysian athletes into ultra runners.  The ultimate dream is being ready for UTMB participation in a few years. Tahira Najmunisaa and Husnan Husin are the first protegees, and we had the opportunity to talk to them, and coordinator Razif Yahya, on the day before the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei. 

Video interview sections:

Razif Yahya 0:00
Tahira Najmunisaa 4:53
Husnan Husin 9:30

Running Project's home race is the Magnificent Merapoh Trail on 29-30 July

Malaysia's Running Project has already grown in size since the Brunei race ten days ago, as it was announced last week that Sabah's Jess Boubie is joining. 

Several events on our Asia Trail Master calendar are opening registration this month, but - more importantly - a number of others are closing! Please see below for which races you now need to decide quickly on whether to take part in them or not. Click on the image to enter the relevant registration page. The first one is a last-minute one: Korea 50k is closing tomorrow, 10 March! 

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 10 MARCH 

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 20 MARCH

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 31 MARCH

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 9 APRIL 

The 2016 Asia Trail Master series have started and this means the deadline for event organisers to join this year's series is coming closer. We therefore kindly remind and invite organisers to contact us at the latest by 15 April, or if already done so, to produce the required paperwork by that date. It is to the benefit of all parties, not in the least of the runners who need to plan their races, if all formalities were finalised well in advance of the event date. 

The event application form is linked here , and if you wish to read up more on the benefits of joining, and on the details of our points systems, please refer to our guidebook (in PDF). 

It is of course also possible to apply already for the 2017 Asia Trail Master series. The earlier the better, as remember we adopt a maximum number of races per country (currently five). 

Several additions to this year's race calendar, mainly for the second half of the year, are due to be announced in the next weeks, including some exciting new entries. Fast runners aiming for the 2016 Asia Trail Master title will have plenty of chances to score points in at least three races, and we are likewise bound to see several persistent ultra runners succeed in their Grandmaster Quest (6 races of +70km in 2 calendar years). 

We are also very happy to partner up with a number of important brands and companies in the Asian trail running community. These will also be presented in detail over the next few weeks, as we are heading towards the very busy mid-April to early June period. During the spring time we will get to know several runners of our community a bit better via our 'Talking Trail Running' series on this website. 

Don't forget to follow us on facebook or instagram to get the latest updates and flash news announcements. We have also opened a membership-only trail running forum on facebook, where you can discuss anything related to the Asia Trail Master series. You can applaud, question and criticise, but keep it decent at all times. Remember we all wish for the same: foster the development of trail running as a quality sport, and bring people from various backgrounds together! 

The third race weekend in a row in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series brings us to Sri Lanka, the most western event, in terms of location, on our calendar. It's the second edition of the GlobalLimits Wild Elephant Trail boutique event, a stage race over 6 days and 210 km in total. In the course of next week, we will find out who succeeds Stephan Venray and Veronique Messina as champions. 

The WIld Elephant Trail is one of the smaller races in the Asia Trail Master series in terms of participation numbers, as runners sign up for a week-long package. However, that doesn't mean it is a small race in terms of organisation or difficulty level! German organiser Stefan Betzelt has built a reputation for delivering quality experiences in all of his three races in Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Cambodia. The stage race starting tomorrow is the youngest in his portfolio, and according to many also his most adventurous. The adjective "wild" in the event name is no coincidence. 

The race will start 100km northwest of Colombo on Sunday, and end at the top of the world heritage site, Sigiriya Rock next week on Saturday. In parts, the course will be technical and demanding. The longest stage is on Wednesday when 57km are on the agenda. 

You can follow the action and results via our social media pages throughout the week, as well as via the event organiser's pages as well. 

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The 1st Rizal Mountain Run took place in Pintong Bukawe on Luzon in the Philippines and saw many happy faces at the end of a 50km, 30km or 15km mountainous race. Organised by the people behind the specialised gaiter & socks brand Ahon, the longest distance even witness a tremendous battle for victory between Kristian Joergensen and Koy Grey. The event was held as a 2017 Asia Trail Master Candidate Race.

Joergensen, from Denmark but living in the Philippines, and Grey, fourth in last year's CM 50, set the pace and were well ahead of  Juan Sofia in third place. At the end of a tough but beautiful trail run, Joergensen edged out Grey by just over two minutes, showing how closely matched they were. The winner's time was 6:14:47. 

In the women's race, Cheryl Bihag finished ahead of Diorella Cerujano and Alexandria Ahongon in a time of 9:33:05. Mark Sison (men) and Pen Nepomuceno (women) were quickest in the 30km race. 

Afterwards, participants had many great things to say about the Rizal Mountain Run. Not only about the organisation, but also about the beautiful course in what is essentially a spoilt trail running area with already many events. Hailed a successful first edition therefore, the organisers are keen to build on the maiden experience. The 2017 edition is planned for late January or mid-February. Stay tuned for more infos! 

The men's 50k podium

After 2 races in Hong Kong and Brunei, Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (Hong Kong) and Yuen Kit Shan (Hong Kong) are leading the men's and women's ranking respectively.

Yuen Wan Ho finished fourth in UTHK - Hong Kong's SuperTrail - , and second one week later in the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge. He has accumulated 900 points by doing so. Raymond Ching - winner of UTHK 156 - is second with 550 points, followed by Brunei race winner Sefli Ahar(BRU), Manolito Divina (PHI) and Jan Nilsen (NOR) with 500 points.

In the women's Yuen Kit Shan collected the maximum of 550 points at UTHK, and that performance puts her 50 points ahead of Brunei winnerTahira Najmunisaa (Malaysia) and Tseng Wei Lin from Taiwan.

Asia Trail Master Ranking - Men

Asia Trail Master Ranking - Women

Check out our points system in our special web section 

42k winner and local hero Sefli Ahar

Local running star Sefli Ahar and up-and-coming female star Tahira Najmunisaa from Malaysia were the big winners of the first ever trail marathon in Brunei on the island of Borneo last Sunday. The Beach Bunch Trail Challenge, new in the Asia Trail Master series this year, saw approx. 330 enthusiastic runners take the start on Tungku Beach for 42k or 21k. The marathon distance only offered 630 metres of elevation gain, but turned out to be much harder than anyone had expected.  

The so-called Shahbandar rainforest section, from roughly km 5 to 15 was a steep rollercoaster with 14 short but steep hillclimbs that drained runners' legs before they had to cope with loose beach sand in the second half of the marathon.  The choice of running shoe plays a role in this race. While trail shoes gave a grip advantage in the forest, road shoes were gliding better in the loose sand and didn't get sucked in as much. 

Combined with a 30 degree tropical heat, the DNF quote on the 42k was around 50%, so anything unlike the "easy extended training run" some people had in mind! Race winner Sefli Ahar won the Hong Kong Half Marathon a few ears ago, amongst other international victories, and made his debut on the trail scene. While the 42-year-old Bruneian enjoyed the experience, he also admitted to have underestimated the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge. His finishing time of 3:53:23 is over 1 hour and 10 minutes slower than his personal best on the road marathon. Yet he was nearly 40 minutes ahead of Hong Kong's Isaac Wan Ho Yuen in second place, and over an hour of his compatriot Alexander Chung in third. 

Isaac Wan Ho Yuen came second, only a week after finishing 4th in UTHK! He is the new Asia Trail Master points leader

Isaac Wan Ho Yuen delivered a remarkable performance, only a week after finishing fourth in the 156k Ultra Trail Hong Kong! His top placings in the first two races of the 2016 Asia Trail Master series earned him already 900 points for the championship ranking, which he is now leading.  "It was a good race, although it was very hot for a Hong Kong runner," said Wan Ho Yuen afterwards. "I like it that there were so many runnable sections in this race. I prefer that over continuous mountain climbing. To defend my Asia Trail Master ranking, I may consider to run the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia in July. Another race with not too excessive elevation gain." 

Isaac Wan Ho Yuen will be one to watch out for this year, and so is the female champion of the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge, Tahira Najmunisaa. In an interview the day before the race, the young mother of three said the Asia Trail Master championship is a goal for her this year. Part of the Running Project Team in Malaysia, Tahira Najmunisaa is not a new face, in fact, as she already won the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra 100k last November. In Brunei, she was unbeatable and even finished the marathon in 4th place overall! A solid second place, half an hour behind, went to Singapore-based Japanese runner Itsuko Tanaka. The podium was completed by New Zealand's Moana O'Sullivan. 

Rizan Latif, organiser of the race and President of the Beach Bunch environmental NGO to keep Brunei's beaches clean from waste pollution (a necessary work), was a happy man after the event. Encouraged by the positive feedback on his event, he is already looking forward to 2017. "The race will be back and again in February. Maybe we even add a third ultra distance to the event! But in any case, the most important remains raising awareness in Brunei of the need to keep the beaches clean. Plastic waste pollution is a big and persistent problem."

Well-organised, participants agreed the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is a great and special addition to the Asian trail calendar!

Top 10 result: Men:
1. Sefli Ahar (Brunei) 3:53:23
2. Isaac Wan Ho Yuen (Hong Kong) 4:32:55
3. Alexander Chung (Brunei) 4:57:56
4. Guillermo Rocco (Argentina) 5:27:03
5. Razif Yahya (Malaysia) 6:10:55
6. Hj Muhammad Yazid Hj Musa (Brunei) 6:14:41
7. Chiew Lie Chieng (Brunei) 6:15:03
8. Hung Zheng On (Brunei) 6:16:37
9. Abang Jamadi Rosli (Malaysia) 6:25:36
10.Mohd Akram Mohd Akbal (Brunei) 6:31:45

Top 6 result: women
1. Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (Malaysia) 5:22:18
2. Itsuko Tanaka (Japan) 5:50:59
3. Moana O'Sullivan (New Zealand) 7:05:06
4. Katherine Mitchell (Great Britain) 7:13:10
5. Melissa Woo (Brunei) 7:30:58
6. Wan Chy On (Brunei) 7:50:34

Isaac Wan Ho Yuen added 450 (100 finisher points + 350 performance points) to his tally after UTHK, and now leads the men's Asia Trail Master ranking with 900 points after 2 races. Tahira Najmunisaa enters in a joint second place with 500 points, behind Yuen Kit Shan, who won the Hong Kong SuperTrail last week (550 points

One week after UTHK, the second race of the 2016 Asia Trail Master series is already on the programme this Sunday with Brunei's first official trail marathon at Tungku Beach. The Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is a long-awaited event in the smallest but richest part of Borneo Island, and has environmental awareness as its key theme.

Beach Bunch is an NGO that aims to keep Brunei's beaches clean from pollution and has been very active on that front for a few years. The half marathon organised last year was a first test to see how local citizens respond to the idea of an endurance run on trails, and the result was: very positively! This weekend's race had sold out its available 300 slots already in December, which prompted the organiser, Rizan Latif -himself a trail runner- , to consider the possibility of 30 more slots. These also went out the door in no time. 

The Beach Bunch Trail Challenge is arguably not the hardest in terms of terrain, but the tropical heat (31 degrees and sunshine are forecast) will put each runner to a firm test. An army of volunteers will ensure that everyone stays hydrated at several checkpoints. Start and finish are on Tungku Beach, but the race does go inland into rainforest area with in total 630m of elevation gain. Fast runners with perhaps fewer technical skills have a chance at glory in this race, but will need to preserve adequate energy for the final 18km again run on potentially shoesucking beach sand. The locals will be cheering for Sefli, a very experienced road marathon runner with 2:41 as P.B. , and In the women's race for Melissa Woo, the 2015 Brunei Trail Master. From an Asia Trail Master championship perspective, last weekend's 4th placed UTHK 156k finisher Isaac Yuen Wan Ho is amazingly also racing in Brunei. A mere finish will already give him enough points to gain the lead in the Asia Trail Master standings ahead of his Hong Kong compatriot Raymond Ching! In the women's Malaysia's Tahira Najmunisaa is expected to open her points account in style on Sunday, and who knows with a race victory. It would not be her first: Tahira won Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra 100 in Indonesia last November. 

In any case, the event and all its participants will not go unnoticed. Media and government support is substantial, and already now there are more ideas circulating for the development of the sport in the country.

You can follow all the action this weekend via our facebook, instagram and twitter feeds. Stay tuned to Brunei's debut on the trail running scene!

Earlier today a press conference was held for the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge.

It is not only sand and beach during this race