The Asia Trail Master series is happy to announce a third points race in South Korea in the current 2016 season. From 14 to 16 October. runners will gather on Jeju Island for a three-day stage race of 100 km in total. Ultra Trail Jeju is an established event in Korea and is known as a great long weekend trip. The race has what it takes to hurt the legs, especially on day 1 with the ascent of Mount Halla in the centre of island, yet with a daily distance of around 34km is perfectly manageable for everybody. Beginning runners can also opt for a 1-day race on Saturday, the 15th over a distance of 18km.

Jeju is a volcanic island and therefore very fertile. Several environmental projects take place on Jeju, and some sites are also protected.  If you join the event, basic hotel accommodation and meals are provided via the race registration fee, so you really do not need to worry about much. The three stages also start in the morning, so you have the afternoon free for sightseeing and relaxing.

Ultra Trail Jeju offers 100 finisher points for those who complete the three stages, as well as performance points according to the standard points table. The winner thus scores 500 points for his 2016 championship total. In addition, runners who finish the three stages also collect 1 poiint for the Grandmaster Quest.

You can read more details via our cover page. Race registration goes conveniently via our registration portal, where you can use credit cards. The local Korean organiser on Jeju requires payment via wire transfer only.

At 4 a.m., sunrise in northwestern Mongolia, the 18th edition of Sunrise to Sunset has started in the Hovsgol National Park. This is one of the pioneering 100km trail races in Asia, which is even more remarkable when considering the very remote location. Runners who take part in the event require a mini holiday as getting there and away takes time. That is also why the race can be held on a Wednesday instead of on a weekend day. The participants are as always a very international mix combined with some of Mongolia's own top endurance athletes. The entire event goes to the benefit of the Hovsgol National Park, and the local communities in the vast area. We will update on the race proceedings as soon as we get news. 

It was to be expected that the new version of MRU, named Rinjani 100, would be the ultimate challenge for any trail runner, and so it proved to be except for one outstanding athlete: Jan Nilsen. The Norwegian living in Thailand had made this 100k race with 9100 metres of elevation gain one of his goals of the season, and he succeeded big time. And as icing on the cake: Nilsen was the ONLY finisher of the race within the 36 hour cut off time, completing the race in 26 hours and 35 minutes. And that just proves his dominance last weekend. Taking into account that 2015 Asia Trail Master champion and winner of last year's MRU 52k, Arief Wismoyono, threw in the towel just over half way the race, Jan Nilsen's victory in the Rinjani 100 has gone down as one of the greatest sporting achievements in the still short history of the Asia Trail Master series. This is how trail legends are made. 

It was not that people did not try. They were 52, the runners who took up the challenge last weekend. Other than Nilsen and Wismoyono, also reputed runners such as Yohanis Hiareij, Alan Maulana, Regis Cabaret, Ali Ajis Rasil, Hendra Hiswanto and Abdul Aziz Dermawan were present. Abdul Aziz Dermawan and Siswanto did actually complete the course, but two hours outside the time limit. Mila Marlina aimed to win the female race and get her Asia Trail Master season in a higher gear, but she fell and unfortunately suffered an injury. Other than the tough climb to the Rinjani summit, the course had several very technical parts. 

Jan Nilsen was also impressed by the race course: "The Rinjani 100 is a brutal race. Reaching Rinjani summit is so tough mentally and physically. The loose sand and the altitude/ elevation gain combined with the steepness is brutal and you don't really have anything left for the rest of the climbs. The organisation did a great job with clearing trails and the marking was good. However, the aid stations only had water and some fruit at a few places. I hear they ran quickly out of water at aid stations, but that was no problem for me as I was 1st all the time."

Even the 60km B-race proved to be a serious task. Only fifteen  runners completed the race within the cut off time. France's Vincent Chalias, no stranger to Indonesian trail racing, was fastest in a time of 16 hours and 30 minutes. His compatriot Laurent Tuffi came second 37 minutes later, and Singapore's Guo Zhengjin completed the podium in third place. Malaysian runners Fikry Md Nawi and Ahmad Shukri Rahman were the next other two men in fourth and fifth place. Indonesia's own Patricia Shindy was the only woman to reach the finish within time. She won the 60km as the only woman to finish in 19 hours and 44 minutes, 16 minutes ahead of the cut off. Earlier this season, Shindy also scored 4th place in Ijen Trailrunning, so she is now the best placed female Indonesian runner in the Asia Trail Master ranking! 

The 36km race was won by Spanish Indonesian Carlos Paz, third at Ijen Trailrunning in May, and by Vera Breuer from France. 

Big congratulations to all finishers, and kudos to everyone who took up the challenge of Rinjani 100! 

Patricia Shindy - only woman to finish the 60 km race last weekend! 

Unfortunately outside the time limit, but well done to Abdul Aziz and Hendra Siwanto for completing the Rinjani 100 course

Race Director Razif Yahya flanks female champion Tahira Najmunisaa and Abdul Rahman

The 2nd edition of the Magnificent Merapoh Trail, new in the Asia Trail Master series this year, saw over 600 runners from 25 countries compete along the border of Malaysia's largest national park, Taman Negara, roughly 250km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. The event was organised to boost eco tourism and protect the natural environment and the ancient and impressive cave complexes of Merapoh from logging and destruction. On offer were trail race courses of 100, 60 or 30km with limited elevation gain (1400 hm for 100km), but enough technical sections to challenge each single participant. 

Those sections included running through three caves, as well as a river crossing of no fewer than 3 km in length, halfway in the race that started at 9 p.m. While race day was dry, heavy rainfall in the days preceeding the event had elevated the water level and this meant a somewhat less comfortable experience for runners shorter in height. The race direction team had a plan B prepared, but decided to go ahead with the original course including the river. It turned out to be a good call, as the river crossing was the topic of many "warrior stories" after the race!  No accidents happened. 

The Merapoh Trail is in general a fast course and that also resulted in a very competitive race with several people in contention for the win and the podium places till very late. Britain's Jason Robinson and American Jeremy Verstraete were the fastest starters and opened up a lead in the first 21km until Persik Cave. When Verstraete suffered from stomach problems, Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho - whose aim was primarily  to regain the points lead in the Asia Trail Master championship in this race -, Japan's Hideki Kikuchi, Australia's Wayne McMurtie as well as local top runners Alan Toh and Abdul Rahman caught up again. Positions kept alternating from checkpoint to checkpoint, but it gradually became clear that 49-year-old Robinson had the edge. Eventually, he accumulated a lead over the rest of more than 30 minutes and took the victory back in Merapoh town. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho had a strong last section and grabbed second place, and the ATM points lead, while the smiling Kikuchi came home a delighted third on the podium. Yuen Wan Ho, who now has 300 points more than Manolito Divina in the championship ranking, was a happy man: "A great race, but certainly not easy. Some parts were very technical! I was able to stay in control of myself and the elements throughout the race, and that gave me a second place today. I am happy, even though I realise it will be difficult to stay ahead of Manolito in the championship." Race winner Jason Robinson is a very experienced endurance athlete, doing IronMan triathlons and ultras on a regular basis. Robinson praised the race organisations, but was also impressed by the river crossing: "It all went well, but 3km may be a bit too long. Some people needed one full hour to cross that river, as you can hardly move forward. I also felt muscles in my body during that crossing I didn't even know I had," he added with a smile. 

Gretchen Felipe won her second ATM race in two months on the 60 km distance

As expected, the women's race was dominated by unbeaten Asia Trail Master points leader Tahira Najmunisaa. The 26-year-old mother of three dashed away right after the start and opened up such a big gap that she could walk most of the last 40k and still win comfortably. It was her fourth career ATM race victory, and she of course extended her advantage in the championship with 500 more points. Behind her, positions in the race changed all the time as well, just like in the men's. Indonesia's Ina Budiyarni ran second for quite some time early on, then the consistent-pacing Jessica Linghata from Sabah took over, but in the end it was Faherina Mohd Esa who managed to stay narrowly ahead of Hong Kong's Jocelyn Cheung for the two lower steps of the podium. Vietnam's Thanh Vuu came in fourth, proving that trail running in her country is also making steady progress.  Jessica Lintanga was next in fifth after getting lost in the final section. 

The 60km race was won in a new course record by local "short" distance specialist Lim Wen Shan in the men's, and Philippines' Gretchen Felipe in the women's. For both athletes it was the second victory this year. Malaysia' s Lim Wen Shan also won the 50k race during the Malaysia Eco 100 event, and Felipe of course won the Cordillera Mountain Ultra in her native region last month. 

 In the late afternoon the Master of Ceremony and the local crowd cheered and applauded for the final competitors trying to make the 20 hour cut off time, which was another exciting moment of the event.

Although held in a remote location with limited facilities, the Magnificent Merapoh Trail was pure propaganda for the still young sport of trail running. It proved once and for all that organisers do not need high mountains and many thousands of metres of elevation gain to create quality trail events. All protagonists thanked race director Razif Yahya and his team openly for the wonderful course and experience. Runners interested in more Malaysia action in the Asia Trail Master series should pencil in UT Sabah at the end of the year on 4/5 December. 

You can find videos and more images on our instagram and facebook channels! 

The Dancing Ghost Cave

Early leaders: Jason Robinson (103) and Jeremy Verstraete (19)

Singapore's Henry Yang was one of many to suffer from stomach problems during the race

The 2nd Magnificent Merapoh Trail on the outskirts of the famous Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia starts on Friday night. The sold-out event, organised by the people of Running Project and to the benefit of the preservation of the Merapoh Cave complex, has a mouth-watering course for the speedies among the trail runners. An elevation gain of 1200 metres over 100 km is the lowest in the entire 2016 Asia Trail Master series and contrasts heavily with the 9100 altitude metres that participants will have to conquer on the Rinjani volcano in Indonesia also this weekend. Primarily, fast runners will be in action in Malaysia and mountain goats in Indonesia, but both are as pure a trail running event can be!

The Magnificent Merapoh Trail offers three race distances of 100km, 60km and 30km, and can be proud of its list of participants. Home favourite and current leader in the female Asia Trail Master championship ranking Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid returns to action this weekend on, of course, the 100 km race distance. Tahira has already collected race wins in the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei and Malaysia Eco 100 miles this season, and a new victory would make her very hard to beat in this year's championship, indeed. She will face some stern competition in Merapoh, though. Her compatriot and winner of the 100km race in Eco 100, Adelinah Lintanga, cannot be underestimated. Tan Seow Ping will be there as well, the number three of last year's Asia Trail Master championship. Furthermore, Indonesia's Ina Budiyarni decided that Merapoh Trail suits her characteristics and ambitions better than Rinjani 100 and will toe the starting line. Budiyarni, fourth in the 2015 championship and a multiple race winner in her own country. There are also a few runners with loads of international trail running experience: Teresa Aranalde (Mexico) and Cheryl j. Bihag (Philippines), for example. And in the context of the 2016 ATM series' championship, we should also keep an eye out for Gretchen Felipe, the young woman from the Philippines who won the Cordillera Mountain Ultra last June and who is competing on the 60km race distance this weekend. 

It will not all be about the women. The men's race will be just as exciting and will see Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho trying to regain the lead in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship ranking! Yuen Wan Ho, fourth in UTHK and second in Brunei earlier this year, can overtake Manolito Divina if he finishes inside the top 70 on Saturday, as he just needs 150 points (100 finisher points, 51 performance points for rank 70). As he showed in Brunei, Yuen Wan Ho is actually a very fast runner, so he may as well go for the race win or at least the podium. However, also for him, there are other strong contenders. Henry Yang from Singapore, or Allan Toh from Malaysia for sure will give him a run for his money. There's a solid team of Japanese athletes as well, and let's not forget Abdul Rahman, who was third in Malaysia Eco 100 miles, after all. 

As in the female 60km race, the recently crowned winner of the men's Cordillera Mountain Ultra, Marcelino Sano-Oy, will be the one to watch. Sano-Oy is actually making his first ever trip abroad, and is gradually building up trail running experience. 

While the elevation gain is limited, the Magnificent Merapoh Trail does have technical sections, and combined with the traditional heat and humidity should not be considered an easy trail run. Let's not forget that the DNF rate of Malaysia Eco 100 in Penang was much higher than anybody expected, and so it was in the much shorter Brunei race last February. During Merapoh, runners will need to cross a few water streams, but also run through some caves, obviously a very special item of this event. 

We will be reporting live from the event on our social media channels, and this starting at 21:30 on Friday night. 

Protagonists guaranteed this weekend: Tahira Najmunisaa and her husband Abdul Rahman 

Marcelino Sano-Oy: winner of the Cordillera Mountain Ultra 50 last month: hot favourite for the 60km race in Malaysia this weekend as he begins his international running career

Singapore is not really synonymous with trail running, even though there are quite a few events in the city state every year, and some very strong runners live there, too. Henry Yang is one of them. A keen ultra runner since five years who has continued to build up his strengths over time to become a podium candidate in every regional race he starts. In the Asia Trail Master series, Henry entered people's consciousness last May during the Malaysia Eco 100 miles race in Penang.  He was running towards a fantastic second place when disaster struck. This weekend, Henry returns to our series as he aims for a high placing in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail. An excellent opportunity to get to know him, and life as a trail runner in Singapore, a bit better. Henry Yang is Talking Trail Running.

Henry Yang's favourite running music

Q: Henry Yang, are you a born & raised Singaporean?
HY: Yes, I am born and raised in Singapore

Q: Was running part of your upbringing as a child and teenager
HY: No, but I was given the freedom to enjoy outdoor activities at a young age of 6 years old

Q: How do you become a trail runner in a city state like Singapore?
After completing a number of ultra distance road marathons, I felt the need to progress to something more challenging and I tried out trail running in 2011.   Trail running offers me new challenges I craved for, the distance and elevation gain, technical downhill running, etc.

Q: Is there a big Singaporean trail community? 
It’s a small trail community but it is growing fast

Q: Other than yourself, who are the trail " stars "  in Singapore? 
I would say Singapore runners like Jeri Chua, Chris Yeo, Ong Kai Wei.  They have extensive race experience and have some really impressive results to back them up

Q: Did you or do you other sports as well?
Soccer, cycling and swimming]

Q: What is your best time on the road marathon?
For the 42km road marathon, my personal best is 3hrs 30mins. In the Penang Ultra road marathon in 2015, I did the 100km in 12hrs 01min. 

Q: Do you feel the so-called " runner's high " ? 
Yes of course.  This “runner’s high” is like the feeling of an orgasm. The body and mind are both highly stimulated and seem to elevate a person's senses

Q: What kind of trail races do you prefer? The more runnable courses, such as Merapoh, or the high mountain races?
I like both because they offer different challenges and rewards.  Low grounds you get to cross streams and pass through interesting landscapes, while at high ground you can get to see magnificent views

Q: How do you prepare for mountainous trails in Singapore?
In Singapore, we have limited places to train. There’s a small hill known as Bukit Timah Hill in Singapore standing at 163m above sea level, i do hill repeats there.  Sometimes I also do stairs climbing repeats at a 40 store apartment block.   Most of the time about a month before my races, I will head over to Malaysia to train at places like Penang Hill, Maxwell Hill, Gunung Nuang,

Q: Next weekend you are one of the favourites for the Magnificent Merapoh Trail.  How do you see your chances personally? 
The race director has invited the champions of other Asia Trail Master races and I foresee a tough challenge ahead. I have done some quality training leading to this race and hope to secure a top 3 position!

Q: Last May, you were on the verge of a second place finish in the Malaysia Eco 100 miles, but then something happened to you. Can you describe what caused you to drop out of the race? 
I was descending Tokun Hill in heavy rain. Many trees had fallen down blocking the path and I had to take some detours.  I was trying to get past 2 big rocks at knee level when I slipped and hit my left knee onto a rough rock surface.  I lost a lot of blood and had to use my jacket and tie it tightly around my open wound to stop the bleeding, and tried to get to the next checkpoint to seek medical attention.    After cleaning up and bandage my wound at the checkpoint, I continued on but 3km later I felt a sharp pain at my left knee area.  I tried to walk a bit and even rest a while, but the sharp pain remained. As the following week (about 5 days later) was my maiden 100 miles race – H1 Hardcore in Philippines, I decided to DNF rather then risk further injury. 

Q: What did you think of Manolito Divina's victory in the 100 miles. How long were you able to keep up with him? 
Manolito fully deserved his victory in the ECO 100 miles races.  His timings at the check points were amazing, he managed to clear the tough elevations in the 2nd half of the course at a constant pace, a strong display from him!  Before I got injured, Manolito was about 2 hours ahead of me.  I was confident I could have given him a good fight in the last 40 km of the race, though. 
 
Q: Do you have any sports heroes? If yes, who and what is so special about him / her?
I was inspired by the feat of Marshall Ulrich.  He ran the Badwater route in the US unsupported in the toughest conditions.  Kilian Jornet is also one of my idols, the races he won and the running projects he accomplished are an inspiration for me

Q: Do you often travel to other countries to take part in trail running events? How do you select the races? 
Yes I do.  My selection of races is based on the distance, elevation gain/loss as well as the overall event organisation.   

Q: Do you have a specific objective in trail running, or you just wish to run for fun? 
Yes I have a specific objective as well as having an informal factor.   Firstly, I want to gain more 100 miles race experience as my stepping stone towards the big races such as Hardrock 100, UTMB and maybe the PTC (Pacific Crest Trail)

Q: What was your best trail running experience so far? 
I would say the H1 Hardcore 100 miles in Philippines.  You get the combination of a tough course, 100 miles mountain trail with challenging elevation of almost 11 000m gain, as well as the beautiful mountain views and mossy forest

Q: Trail running in Asia has developed very fast in the last few years, how did you experience that in your country?
 More local runners are aware of trail running and there have been more trail races being organized, such as MSIG50, TNF100, MR25 Ultra.  I look forward to more development of trail running in Singapore

Q: In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the sport of trail running in the near future? What is it you would not like to happen?
I would not like to see trail running becoming commercialised.  For road marathon, you can already see this is happening and it is losing its identity.   I hope to see more sponsors supporting trail running but allow the respective Race Directors the administrative freedom and not be tied down to the sponsors' requirements

Q: Would it help if trail running became an olympic sport? 
In my personal view, this would be great and really raise the profile and status of trail running.  At the moment, I feel that trail running is under-rated and overlooked

Q: What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series? Wouldn't the Grandmaster Quest (6 races of +70km in 2 calendar years) be a nice additional challenge for a runner such as yourself? 
The Asia Trail Master Series is a good platform for trail runners and I am very supportive of it.  The Grandmaster Quest is in my bucket list of things to accomplish!

Q: Have you planned any other ATM races already for later this year?
In fact I am considering the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra 170 in Indonesia, as well as the CM 50 Ultra in Philippines in November

Q: Which race in Singapore would be a nice addition to the Asia Trail Master series?
 In my personal view, there are no races which are worthy of being part of the Asia Trail Master Series, part of the reason being the lack of elevation in our pancake flat Singapore

Q: Do you have any tips for race organisers? Things every organiser should pay special attention to?
There is no need for a fancy set-up of a race site, checkpoints and finisher medals or T-shirts.  On the other hand, important are the race markings, the design of the race course and elevation profile,  and a GPX file should be made available to all runners

Good luck to Henry Yang in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail this weekend! 

We are looking forward to a big double header this weekend with Rinjani 100 in Indonesia and Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia. Behind the scenes of the Asia Trail Master series, we have been working hard during the summer lull on next year's race calendar and overall framework. We promise you won't be disappointed :-)! Several events are already confirmed for next year and weekend dates are filling up nicely. The 2017 Asia Trail Master series will begin earlier than ever....in Thailand on 14/15 January! 

The initial race calendar for the first semester of the new year will be formally announced on 15 August. 

Any race organiser who wishes to join the 2017 Asia Trail Master series and enjoy the benefits of membership is kindly invited to approach us. As a first step, we kindly request to fill in this application form for us to get a better idea of your event. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via info@asiatrailmaster.com . You can also take a look at our PDF Guidebook (the 2017 version to be released soon). 

More news about the 2017 series, new partners, prizes, updated regulations and points tables will be officially announced in August. 

2017 event application form

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Next week we have two big races coming up in the Asia Trail Master series: Rinjani 100 in Indonesia and Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia. Two races in, of course, different countries and with diverse characteristics, after the Rinjani 100 team had to move forward its event date compared to previous years. The agony of choice for Asia's trail runners. Seemingly undecided a few months ago, Thailand-based Norwegian Jan Nilsen signed up for both races. Eventually, he has decided to aim for the grueling volcano run in Indonesia as that is the terrain where he excels the most. High numbers of elevation gain is what drives Jan Nilsen. Since last year, he has become a popular appearance in the Asia Trail Master series with several strong runs and shows of sheer determination when his fragile feet let him down. Nilsen is a contender to become a Grandmaster soon, and also in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship he is a favourite to end the year in a very high position. Last year, he was 8th, but could have ended way on top where it not for the DNF at Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra. Let's get to know Jan Nilsen a bit better, as he prepares to challenge Arief Wismoyono next week in the Rinjani 100. 

Q: Jan Nilsen, you are a Norwegian living in Thailand. What brought you to Asia initially? 

JN: I first went to Asia on holiday trips, liked the weather, people, food and nature. After a long period of bad weather in Norway I decided to move permanently.

Was running part of your upbringing as a child and teenager?

Not really, I started playing football with the local team around age 11, and I liked to walk and run with the family dog on the local trails.

Which part of Norway are you from?

I am from a large island near Bergen in the western part of Norway which is constantly battered by strong winds and cold rain.

Over the past two years, you have become a well-known and highly respected face on the Asia Trail circuit. What is it that attracts you to this sport? 

I love the nature, the sea and the mountains. Running trail races takes me to many beautiful places I would never get to see otherwise.

When and why did you decide to take part in trail running competitions?

Another Norwegian, Helge, who I was working with asked me to join him for an adventure race near where we lived in Thailand, a few months later he again asked me if we should do TNF 50 km in Thailand, so that became my first trail race and first ultra.

What is your best time on the road marathon?

I have never done a road marathon and will never do. I and my feet hate running on road.

Do you feel the so-called " runner's high " ?  

Yes many times, the feeling of a nice trail run with beautiful scenery away from traffic and other noise gives me a feeling that only can be described as runners high.

There are rumours that last year you prepared for Bromo Tengger Semeru by running circles on a large container ship. Tell us, is that true?  

Not true. I have been working for more then 10 years on different ships in the oil business and my only trainings on ships have been on the treadmill.

It seems that the longer and higher a race goes, the better for you. Still, you have had issues with injuries, such as blisters, as well. What have you learnt in this context?  

I have learned theat my best running asset probably is my stubborn head. The blister problem came from sand and dust getting into my shoes, so I have now started using gaiters and hope that problem is solved.

How do you prepare for these tough ultras. Any special training recipe? 

Nothing special, I just try to get a good long workout at least every second day. I do most of my training on the bike as there are not much trails where I now stay in the Northeast of Thailand. Most coaches will probably call all my training junk miles, lol.

In recent months you have been bumping into Manolito Divina several times. In your view, what is so special about Divina? 

First of all he is a very nice person, and a very good runner. He is already the trail running idol in Phillipines.

How did it feel to defeat him in TNF Philippines? 

It always feels good to win! Manolito had a fall and injured his ankle in that race, just as I had my problems in the Eco race in Malaysia. Ultras almost never go as planned, small problems and injuries become bigger the longer a race goes.

Next weekend you are up against Arief Wismoyono, the 2015 Asia Trail Master champion, in Rinjani 100. How do you see your chances against him? 

I hope to give him a good fight. I have done well in races with a lot of elevation gain lately, I hope for good course markings and am begging for the gps file of the trail, so without any injuries I can do ok.

The Rinjani climb is feared by many. Which word or term would describe Rinjani best according to you? 

I hope awesome will be the best word. The pictures I have seen are really awesome.

You are currently 11th in the ATM championship ranking, but a strong result in Rinjani can push you into the top 3. What other ATM races are you planning for this season?  I would love to do Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra again with its stunning scenery, and I have already signed up for the CM 50 Ultra, and maybe I pick one more race.

Last month you took part in the test run of the new Ultra Trail Panoramic in Thailand. Tell us about what runners can expect there in December?

The Northwestern part of Thailand means endless mountains with many nice trails. It is a trail runner's heaven and I hope there will be more ultra races in that area. We ran the middle 50km of the planned 100 miles race. It is a mixture of remote and small single trails combined with wider dirt trails.  

Do you have any sports heroes? If yes, who and what is so special about him / her?

I really dont have any sport heroes, but I admire people like Killian Jornet, Francois D'Haene and  Wardian. Especially Wardian, who is doing a crazy amount of races. Completely different from so-called experts' advice.

You often travel to other countries to take part in trail running events. How do you select the races?  

I am looking for races with a lot of elevation gain and on real trails. Sadly many races have too much road and concrete covered paths.

Do you have a specific objective in trail running, or you just wish to run for fun? 

I just run for fun

What was your best trail running experience so far? 

The Bromo Tengger Semeru 100 miler last year was stunning even though I DNFd at 140 km while still in the lead with Ullas Narayana, the winner. Blisters... 

Trail running in Asia has developed very fast in the last few years, how did you experience that in Thailand?   

There is a lot more in the media about trail running. A few trail running teams are  starting up with more sponsors showing interest. Trail races are sold out and the races are getting better organized.

In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the sport of trail running in the near future? What is it you would not like to happen? 

More and more trails get covered in concrete and some authorities put restrictions on when and how many participants can take part in races, like in Hong Kong.

Would it help if trail running became an olympic sport? 

Yes that will give trail running more publicity and become more attractive to sponsors.

What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series? Wouldn't the Grandmaster Quest (6 races of +70km in 2 calendar years) be a nice additional challenge for a runner such as yourself? 

I really like the Asia Trail Master series. I find races on the calendar that I would not hear about otherwise, and it is a good mix of races in many countries. The Grandmaster Quest is a nice challenge and I hope I can make that this year.

Do you have any tips for race organisers? Things every organiser should pay special attention to?

Provide a gps file of the trail on the event web site as early as possible. Use good experienced trail runners that have been around in many races in your race planning. Invite elite runners for test runs before new races. Did I mention gps file? Many of the races have bad markings, markings are removed and children play with markings. There is nothing more frustrating or dangerous then getting off course and lost in a race. If you want elite or international runners to join your race the markings and gps file have to be good. A reasonable mandatory equipment list. Some race organizers seem to copy the UTMB mandatory equipment list and it sometime feels like having to gear up for an Antarctic expedition instead of for a trail race in the tropics.

What is your favourite running music? 

I dont listen to music when running. The sounds of birds and other animals, rain fallling and water flowing are more beautiful than any music.

Ten days to go till the big trio of summer races in the 2016 Asia Trail Master series. And boy are they for real! Rinjani 100 on Lombok in Indonesia, is arguably the toughest race of all in our series with 9160m of elevation gain to be conquered in 36 hours. The Magnificent Merapoh Trail is a feast for pure runners, but heat and humidity in the rainforest will test their resilience to the maximum as well. And then there is one of Asia's great classics: the 18th edition of Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset. All three have one thing in common: 100 km races, which means they all qualify for the Asia Trail Grandmaster Quest! 

Who will be next to join Aleksis Capili as Asia Trail Grandmaster? And can Aleksis upgrade his shield to 2 stars? A number of runners are in any case aiming for it still this year, already having collected several points since last season. Plenty of qualifying races, too, in the next six months, so runners take your pick! 

Remaining qualifying races for the Grandmaster Quest in 2016:

• Magnificent Merapoh Trail (MAS) - 100km
• Rinjani 100 (INA) - 100km
• Mongolia Sunrise 2 Sunset (MGL) 100km
• Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VIE) 100km & 70 km
• Ultra Trail Mount Jiri (KOR) - 100km
• MesaStila Peaks Challenge (INA) - 100km
• Annapurna 100 (NPL) 110km
• Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra (INA) - 190km, 100km, 70km
• HK 168 (HKG) - 173 km, 93km
• UTX (CHN) - 100km
• CM 50 Ultra (PHI) 82km
• Ultra Trail Panoramic (THA) 165km, 100km
• The Punisher (PHI) 82km

To become a Grandmaster, you need to finish 6 races of 70 km or more in two calendar years. That will grant you the title of Grandmaster, and a shield featuring 1 star. As you then proceed to 10 races, with no time constraints, a second star will be added to your shield, and so on until 4 stars for 20 races. 

The second race in South Korea that qualifies for points in this year's Asia Trail Master series takes place on "holy" ground: Jirisan, or Mount Jiri, is one of the country's marquee mountains. The race, in its second edition, goes over the traditional ultra distances of 100km or 50km and seems suited for solid climbers. An elevation gain of nearly 6000 hm is substantial. The organisers had to wait quite some time for the necessary permits, but now the stage is set for another great event in Korea, where trail running is rapidly gaining popularity. The event takes place on 1/2 October and registration via the event website is already open.

Jirisan is of course the central part of the Jirisan National Park,  the oldest in Korea and one that places emphasis on biodiversity conservation. The highest peak is over 1900m above sea level.

The closest major airport to Jirisan is Busan, but the organisers are also arranging a bus service from Seoul station to the event, and in particular to the Kensington Resort, which functions as the event centre. Find out more logistical info here, or on the event website itself. It is important to book the bus from Seoul station and return in advance!

Event centre is the Kensington Resort where you can arrange comfortable accommodation for the race weekend. Important is to book through the event organisers, as described on our cover page. 

Yong Yunseok is the first Korean in the male ranking after one semester

Still more than two weeks to go until the next points races in the Asia Trail Master series with the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia, and the Rinjani 100 in Indonesia. While Manolito Devina and Tahira Najmunisaa are highlighted as leading the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship, let's also take a look at who is ahead on points country-by-country. 

Hong Kong

Men:
1. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (2) 900 points
2. Raymond Ching Yiu Cheung (8) 550
3. Allen Kwok Ng (21) 450

Women:
1. Yuen Kit Shan (2) 550 points
2. Janet Ng (14) 450
3. Pearl Sinn Bing Chau (23) 425

Korea

Men:
1. Yong Yunseok (7) 600 points
2. Deok Simjae (21) 450
3. Seong Nohui (40) 400

Women:

1. Lee Sunghee (23) 425 points
2. Ung Janboyo (32) 400
3. Jin Yimi (44) 375

China

Men:
1. Xu Xiutao (3) 800 points
2. Guan Zhong (6) 640 points
3. Hua Zhaohong (8) 550 points

Women:
1. Ma Yanxing (2) 550 points
2. Zhou Dongmei (4) 500
2. Qu Lijie (4) 500
2. Xiao Jing (4) 500

Japan

Men:
1. Toru Nakamura (11) 500 points
2. Jun Kaise (21) 450 points
3. Takashi Kubo (31) 425 points

Women:
1. Yukako Takashima (4) 500 points
1. Yukari Fukuda (4) 500 points
3. Itsuko Tanaka (14) 450 points
3. Yumikp Oishi (14) 450 points

Taiwan

Men:
1. Isaac Chang Lin Hsieh (626) 155 points
1. Kuo Chieh Cheng (626) 155 points
1. Cheng Shih Ying  (626) 155 points

Women:
1. Tseng Wei Lin (4) 500 points
2. Kuo Tzu Hsin (14) 450 points

Philippines

Men:
1. Manolito Divina (1) 1050 points
2. Aleksis Capili (4) 737 points
3. Marcelino Sano-Oy (11) 500 points

Women:
1. Gretchen Felipe (4) 500 points
2. Penny Nepomuceno (14) 450 points
3. Majo Liao (23) 425 points

Malaysia

Men:
1. Abdul Rahman (19) 475 points
2. Philipp Kian Yong Yeo (21) 450 points
3. Meng Piow Low (31) 425 points

Women:
1. Tahira Najmunisaa (1) 1050 points
2. Adelinah Lintanga (51) 350 points
3. Ann See Peng (79) 300 points

Brunei

Men:
1. Ali Ajis Rasil (10) 520 points
2. Sefli Ahar (11) 500 points
3. Alexander Chung (31) 425 points

Women:
1. Melissa Woo (44) 375 points
2. Wan Chyi On (51) 350 points

Singapore

Men:
1. Mitsuji Konoshita (54) 380 points
2. Hock Liang Tan (119) 300 points
3. Shi Wei Ng (232) 230 points

Women:
1. Hwee Khng (114) 230 points
2. Tiffany Ng (152) 171 points
3. Hwee Peng Koh (155) 165 points

Thailand

Men:
1. Wannachai Bangwiroonrag (119) 300 points
2. Perawat Silapa Ariya (282) 210 points
3. Chumpol Chaikanarakkul (478) 174 points

Women:
1. Boonthanit Suksodkeaw (14) 450 points
2. Oo Paib (138) 198 points
3. Suda Tantiveerasut (153) 170 points

Indonesia

Men:
1. Arief Wismoyono (11) 500 points
2. Yohanis Hiariej (21) 450 points
3. Carlos Paz (31) 425 points

Women:
1. Mila Marlina (32) 400 points
1. Patricia Shindy (32) 400 points
3. Ina Budiyarni (44) 375 points

Kazakhstan

Men:
1. Bakhtiyar Kasenov (21) 450 points
2. Dmitriy Pichugin (31) 425 points
3. Antoli Korepanov (40) 400 points

Women:
1. Akmaral Meirman (4) 500 points
2. Elizabet Teysh (14) 450 points
3. Yuliya Polyakova (112) 235 points

Pakistan

Men:
1. Dr Sartaj Alam (412) 186 points

India

Men:
1. Ashok Azhagarasan (181) 249 points

Bhutan

Men:
1. Hemant Rai (272) 215 points
2. Sangay Wangdi (335) 197 points

Cambodia

Women:
1. Sophitida Kong (51) 350 points

Akmaral Meirman is number 1 in Kazakhstan

In view of the upcoming race in peninsular Malaysia, the Magnificent Merapoh Trail, our official apparel partner RaidLight is recommending the following functional products at promotional prices for registered participants at the event. 

Focus is of course on lightweight and ultra breathable given the high temperature and humidity inherent to running in Malaysia. 

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This special trail running tank top now has a half-zip for better ventilation control and a collar. Featuring shoulders with reinforced silicone, which makes it ideal for wearing a backpack. 

Initially developed for the trail, this tank-top is suitable for all runners, and is ultra wearable thanks to its light weight and anti abrasion material - Eco-Polyester.

Available price: HKD 579 (USD 75)

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Lady performer

Designed with Eco - Polyester, it has silicone grips on the shoulders (giving non-slip shoulder grip for ruck/racing sacks) and a distinctly technical look!  It is lightweight (only 115grams) quick drying and resistant to abrasion, which makes it an ideal choice for all types of running.  

Available price: HKD 650 (USD 84)

You can order by sending an email to vimtech@netvigator.com  (cc info@asiatrailmaster.com) . You can collect the item(s) in the race office of the Merapoh Trail as of Friday early afternoon.