Rumours have been going around for a while, and now we are glad to confirm: Ultra Trail Unseen Koh Chang is the first SuperTrail in the 2017 Asia Trail Master series! On the weekend of 17/18 February trail runners from all over Asia will strike down on this magnificent island in the Gulf of Thailand for a variety of races, the longest of which are 100 km and 70 km. An idyllic location for a trail run, but better come prepared as 5400 hm and 2800 Hm of elevation gain are not nothing. Organised by Teelakow, this is a popular event in Thailand with many hundreds of participants. To make it accessible for the whole family, there are also shorter races of 35km and 13km

SuperTrail races provide finishers with 50 bonus points for the Asia Trail Master championship. As such, they are important events for those aiming to become champion at the end of the season. As our series keeps expanding with more events in more countries, in 2017 there will be 7 SuperTrails of which Ultra Trail Unseen Koh Chang is the first. The others will take place in China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. It is not excluded that an 8th SuperTrail will be added to the list still. There can only be 1 SuperTrail per country. 

Trat is the gateway to reach the island of Koh Chang. From Bangkok you can take a domestic flight, or you travel over land via Pattaya. To make all the traveling worthwhile, the event organisers are pleasantly lenient in their cut off times and give participants a genuine shot at completing the course. Runners who try the 100km will have 40 hours of time. The highest point is 737 metres, coming from sea level, which implies this is a hilly rollercoaster rather than a big mountain event. Stay tuned for many more details on this soon-to-be-classic trail event. 

Registration is already open for UT Koh Chang via the event organiser's website www.teelakow.com

In between our announcements regarding next year's Asia Trail Master race calendar, we of course keep focus on the upcoming competitions as well. Ultra Trail Mapawa, for instance, is the first points race on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on 30 October. This event has gained remarkable regional popularity over the past few years and is now happy to also gain international exposure. The event takes place in the Mapawa Nature Park near Cagayan de Oro City in the northwest of Mindanao. The longest - and only - race distance that qualifies for Asia Trail Master points is the 50km trail. The terrain is varied, with a good combination of technical and runnable sections. Mapawa is a popular travel destination in its own right. 

The event registration has an early bird phase until 15 September. After that it is regular pricing. Note that slots are quite limited for this race with 150 number bibs on offer for the 50k. 

To sign up please refer to this online site. 

After Thailand and Indonesia, the 2017 Asia Trail Master series will move to Luzon in the Philippines on 29 January. That's the day of the 2nd Rizal Mountain Run! The 50km race was a Candidate Race last February and received excellent feedback from runners. Pintong Bukawe in San Mateo, Rizal Province is not too far from Manila and RMR becomes the first points race in the country next year.

The race offers a mix of terrain, including hills like Mount Purro and Mount Parawagan, and you will be running along rivers like Wawa River. At times you will also need to cross rivers. Enough technical sections thus to please every genuine trail runner. Winners of the inaugural edition this year were Kristian Joergensen from Denmark in 6:14:47 for 50km, and Cheryl Bihag in 9:33:05. 

The event is organised by the Ahon team, all of whose members are highly experienced runners themselves.

Rizal Mountain Run 2017 will be open for registration soon. 

2017 Asia Trail Master series : Race Calendar

14/01/17 - Thailand - The Dirt Track

22/01/17 - Indonesia - Tahura Trail

29/01/17 - Philippines - Rizal Mountain Run

Kristian Joergenson won the RMR as our Candidate Race this year in February

Yesterday we announced The Dirt Track in Thailand as the first points race in the 2017 Asia Trail Master series on 14 January, and one weekend later the action already continues in Indonesia! On 22 January, approximately 2000 runners will join the 5th edition of Tahura Trail in Bandung. Tahura Trail is one of the most popular races in Indonesia, and also one of the most accessible to the general public. Contrary to the giant ultras like Rinjani, MesaStila and Bromo, Tahura Trail features a race of 42km (marathon) with limited elevation gain, a very pictoresque and runnable course that is perfect for the month of January. Good news also for fast local runners to score a high number of Asia Trail Master championship points.

This year the event was an official Candidate Race and won by local star Abdullah Mitiche in the men's in 4:02, indicating that the race may be runnable but certainly not flat all the way. Best woman was Cassidy Jones in 4:54. 

2017 will be the fifth edition of Tahura Trail, organised by Indonesia Bike Adventure, a company that also runs a few MTB races every year in the Bandung area. Bandung is a city approximately one hour from Jakarta by highway or train. 

All event details about next year's edition will be made public in due course, along with the race registration. Tahura Trail lays emphasis on environmental protection in Indonesia, which will be one of the key themes of the event. On race weekend there will also be an expo for sponsors and companies to showcase their products and/or business. 

2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

14/01/17 - Thailand - The Dirt Track

22/01/17 - Indonesia - Tahura Trail

While we are eagerly awaiting the Vietnam Mountain Marathon at the end of September to launch our long and exciting autumn season and the conclusion of this year's Asia Trail Master championship, let's already look ahead to 2017. The preparations for the 2017 Asia Trail Master series are in full swing, and in the next couple of weeks we will be revealing all the technical ins and outs of the series next year, as well as the new race entries and the classic trails on our calendar. 

First of all: the 2017 series will commence earlier than in the past two years. Already on 14 January, runners will compete for Asia Trail Master points on The Dirt Track in Thailand! An exciting new event entry featuring a race of 75 km in the beautiful Sangkhla Buri region in the west of the country, bordering Myanmar! Organised by the team that brings you the Ultra Trail Panoramic, Teelakow, the Dirt Track will appeal to trail enthusiasts who enjoy a runnable course. Total elevation gain is measured to be 1600 hm. An excellent race to begin the Asia Trail Master season with next year. Event details will be released in due course. 

Keen to find out what the second race in the 2017 Asia Trail Master series will be? Come back to this site and see tomorrow! 

2017 Asia Trail Master Calendar

January
14/01/17 - THAILAND - The Dirt Track
....

Isaac Yuen Wan Ho has been running in the Asia Trail Master spotlights since the first race of the year, and he is a well-deserving points ranking leader halfway through the season. A true Hong Konger, Yuen Wan Ho is a runner pur sang, with a marathon PB well below 3 hours. But he can also struggle his way up the hills, which makes him a strong all-rounder and competitive in every race he starts. Two weeks ago he was again in the mix in Malaysia, finishing strong to score second place in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail, equaling his performance of earlier in the season in Brunei's Beach Bunch Trail Challenge. While Philippines' trailrunning star Manolito Divina may have an additional gear in his legs, to finish first you need to finish first, and Yuen Wan Ho has put the pressure back on. Determined to also become an Asia Trail Grandmaster, he will not give up easily. Time to get to know a bit more about Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho.  

Q: Are you and born and raised Hong Konger?
YWH: Yes, I’m native Hong Konger.

Q: Was running something you have always done, or is it a recent hobby?
I have run for over ten years but I started running more seriously with racing since two years ago

Q: Are you member of a running club?
No, I usually train alone

Q: Do you have any sports idols, athletes you look up to?
I would think about Kobe Brian. He is a true fighter, and never gives up.

Q: When did you discover your talent as a runner?
I don’t consider myself a naturally talented runner. But I am hard working and always look for ways to improve myself.

Q: What does your training plan look like? Do you have a coach?
I run every day, sometimes twice a day. Though participating in many ultra-distance races, my routine training doesn’t have lots of long runs. I rather have some quality training for 1-2 hours.

Q: Do you pay attention to your food before a race? Are there any special products you take in preparation for your race?
Yes, I eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. I prefer having real food for the race.

Yuen Wan Ho recently finished second in the Merapoh Trail in Malaysia, reclaiming the lead in the 2016 Asia Trail Master points championship

Q: What is your best time on the road marathon?
My personal best time is 2:53.

Q: At the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge, you mentioned you like runnable courses more than mountainous courses. Do you feel trail running is sometimes too much hiking instead of running?
Trail Running has many elements. I started my ultra "career" with road running and speed work is an important part of my routine training. Of course,  solid power walking or hiking is critical when you come to some more technical courses.

Q: · You must have an incredible recovery system. Seven days after the gruelling UTHK 156 you already did another trail marathon in Brunei and came second there. 
Those two races have very different characteristics. There were many stairs in UTHK while Brunei was very runnable. I paid attention to active recovery after the UTHK race, proper post-race meals, enough sleeping, massage, etc. and I did not push myself too hard in the race.

Q: Do you know your hematocrit level (percentage of red blood cells in your blood)?
I have no idea

Q: Hong Kong is of course the centre of Asian trail running. How did you experience this sudden boom of events in the HK area?
I think it started with HK 100, the first sole hundred kilos ultra-distance race. Hong Kong has the advantage of the easy accessibility to country parks and variety of terrains. Many elite runners either station themselves in Hong Kong or come here for races, which also helps to improve the level of local athletes and events.

Q: If you were a race director in Hong Kong, what would you change? 
As you mentioned, Hong Kong is already the mecca of Asian trail running. I would like to see a concept of series races like the Ultra-Trail World Tour adopted in Hong Kong. Runner get most points in selected races and get awarded or ranked, like in the Asia Trail Master series.  

Q: What is your dream as a trail runner?
I want to be a race director at some point of time and introduce my favourite trails to people. 

Q: What is your favourite race?
Many. Currently I still focus on races in my hometown in Hong Kong. Vibram HK 100 is a grand stage for international elite runners. Yet, the North Face Hong Kong 100 brings you to the best scenery of the city. Races in South East Asia are still developing but the hospitality there is brilliant.  

Q: What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series?
Asia Trail Master not only focuses on bigger races but also incorporates relatively low profile races which is a good idea. It helps to promote the overall standard of trail running in the region and also bring runners to some secret places.

Q: You are again in the lead in our 2016 points ranking. However, some other good runners will catch up for sure. What is your plan to defend your first spot?
I feel some runners are in a better position than me. I completed three races and I am satisfied with my results so far (4th, 2nd and 2nd, kvdv) . Now I need to try and improve on some of those results to increase my total points tally a bit more.  It would be a good achievement if eventually I could stay in the top 3 in Asia Trail Master Championship by the end of the year.

Q: Would you like trail running to become an Olympic sport in the future?
Considering the rising popularity, I think Trail Running has the quality to become an Olympic Sport. It gives runners an ultimate target and promotes the sport to a community level.

Thank you very much for this Q&A, and good luck on your Grandmaster Quest and in defending your first spot in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship!

As trail runners from all over the world are gearing up for UTMB in Chamonix at the end of this month, a few significant announcements with regard to the Asia Trail Master points races in the second half of this year. 

First and foremost, good news for all runners on the Grandmaster Quest. The Indonesia SuperTrail, MesaStila Peaks Challenge, will offer two race distances that qualify for 1 point. On top of the 100km, it has been decided -also following a few appeals from runners- that also the 65 is worthy enough of a point given the high number of elevation gain that needs to be conquered to finish that race. If you still want to sign up for MesaStila, by the way, you need to sign up by the end of this month, or take your chances in our upcoming social media contest for a free race entry. Race day is 8/9 October subject to chosen distance. 

Staying in Indonesia, the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra is now confirmed to take place between 4 and 6 November. Race registrations via local organiser Fonesport have also just been opened. The event features the meanwhile traditional tough race distances of 170, 100 and 70, all of which also qualify for 1 point in the Grandmaster Quest. Beginning runners can also aim for a few shorter distances, without Asia Trail Master points to be won. As with Rinjani 100, this one has a tight cut off time, so come prepared! More details on BTS 2016 in the course of next week.

A few other events are closing the official registration by the end of this month. The first upcoming points race, Vietnam Mountain Marathon, is among them. Be careful, as the event is nearly fully booked, too. VMM this year offers 100km as longest race distance, on top of the usual 70 and 42, plus a few shorter races without Asia Trail Master points to be scored. 

Next is Ultra Trail Mount Jiri in Korea on 1/2 October. Also this challenging race in the Jirisan National Park is closing the books by 31 August. Two solo races available over 100km and 50km, both with respectable elevation gain.

In October we have 2 more races on the calendar , for which you can sign up easily via our registration platform. Mount Falaza Ultra Trail is one of our "grassroots" races taking place in the Far East of Russia, in Primorye. That's a nature area known for skiing in winter and approx 2h by bus northeast of Vladivostok. Mount Falaza is the highlight, not super high in terms of altitude, but surrounded by dense Siberian forest... in autumn colours. A race for those looking for a new trail experience. The race organiser has loads of experience setting up adventure challenges and MTB races, and is a strong multisport athlete himself. Race date for the 60km trail: 16 October.

We have a new stage race as well coming up. The 3-day Ultra Trail Jeju takes places from 14 to 16 October on the fascinating Jeju Island south of South Korea. In total 100km need to be absorbed over three race days, of which the ascent of Mount Halla on day 1 stands out as a highlight. This is an event for beginning trail runners who like to up their game. Nevertheless, it is a prestigious race to win for established trail champions as well! 

Opening the registration book next week is Ultra Trail Mapawa, the first of our two races on Mindanao island in the Philippines this autumn. Mapawa is a popular race and this year has a 50k distance as the main event. Stay tuned for more on this one in the next days.

Finally, following plenty of queries from runners, we regret to announce that it has been decided that Annapurna 100 in Nepal  will be removed from our race calendar for reasons of communication. Fans of Nepal can look forward to a new entry in our calendar next spring. More on that in the course of the coming week. 

UTMJ - Run on and around a holy mountain Korea

The 2nd edition of The Punisher, scheduled for 12 December, is now open for registration. The event takes place on Babak Samal Island opposite the city of Davao in the Philippines and offers three race distances, of which the 82km and the 50km provide points for the Asia Trail Master championship ranking. Indeed, the 82km also qualifies for 1 point for each runner's Grandmaster Quest. 

The Punisher, organised by Vertical 2 Sky, is the perfect end-of-year event as runners can relax afterwards in the beach resorts of Babak Samal and of Davao. The race course has been designed to show participants the most scenic spots of the island, and is quite runnable as well with 2200 hm for the 82 km main race. There are technical bits as well, including proper hill climbing, river crossing and cliffs. Combined with the Filippino climate, The Punisher needs to be taken seriously if you are not used to trail running. Participants have a cut off time of 20 hours for the 82 km, which is quite reasonable, but yet does not allow for a pic nic. 

You can find out more practical details of the event via our cover page. 

International registration using credit card is easy via our registration platform. 

None other than Jan Nilsen has checked the course. (here with RD Doi Calbes)

After the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia and Rinjani 100 in Indonesia, the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship has seen substantial changes at the top. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho is back on number 1 in the men's after finishing his third race this season. For the sympathetic Hong Konger, the rest of the year will be tactical and trying to improve his third best result, i.e. 350 points (incidently, Isaac scored 350 points in all his races). He also gets the Abroad Bonus, 50 extra points, for having raced at least once outside his country of residence. 

Manolito Devina drops to second place, and now sees Jan Nilsen right behind him. 

In the women's ranking, Tahira Najmunisaa has extended her points lead thanks to her victory in the Merapoh Trail last weekend. It will be hard for anyone to still steal the championship away from her, yet mathematically it is still possible. Philippines' Gretchen Felipe has moved up to second place after her second race win in two months. Adelinah Lintanga from Malaysia has moved up to third place, having accumulated good results in both Malaysia races so far this season. 

Official results of this week's Mongolia Sunrise 2 Sunset are still pending; ATM points will be assigned next week

 MEN TOP 15

1. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 1400 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1050 points
3. Jan Nilsen (NOR) 1000 points
4. Xu Xiutao (CHN) 800 points
5. Abdul Rahman (MAS) 775 points
6. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 737 points
7. Marcelino Sano Oy (PHI) 710 points
8. Alan Toh (MAS) 690 points
9. Philip Kian Yong Yeo (MAS) 680 points
10. Matthew Kennedy (GBR) 641 points
11. Zhong Guan (CHN) 640 points
12. Vincent Chalias (FRA) 635 points
13. Yong Yunseok (KOR) 600 points
14. Carlos Paz (ESP) 561 points
15. Raymond Cheung (HKG) 550 points
15. Zhaohong Hua (CHN) 550 points

TOP 15 WOMEN

1. Tahira Najmunisaa (MAS) 1600 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 760 points
3. Adelinah Lintanga (MAS) 690 points
4. Patricia Shindy (INA) 660 points
5. Jassica Lintanga (MAS) 650 points
6. Ma Yanxing (CHN) 550 points
6. Yuen Kit Shan (HKG) 550 points
8. Akmaral Meirman (KAZ) 500 points
8. Ann Mari Lillejord (NOR) 500 points
8. Zhou Dongmei (CHN) 500 points
8. Qu Lijie (CHN) 500 points
8. Yukako Takashima (JPN) 500 points
8. Yukari Fukuda (JPN) 500 points
8. Tseng Wei Lin (TPE) 500 points
8. Xiao Jing (CHN) 500 points

The next points race is the Vietnam Mountain Marathon end of September.

Note: please contact info@asiatrailmaster.com if your name appears twice in the rankings, or in case of any other observation. As event organisers use different systems, double hits can occur when importing. 

After two race victories, Gretchen Felipe (PHI) has moved up to second place in the Asia Trail Master championship, behind Tahira Najmunisaa

The Altai Ultra Trail in Siberian Russia certainly ranks among the more remote trail races in Asia, yet over 200 domestic runners made the trip to race 100 km, 50 km or 30 km in the mountainous border region between Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Altai Ultra Trail was a Candidate Race for the 2017 Asia Trail Master series.  

Despite rather chilly and cloudy weather, the event went very well. Race director Pavel Rozanov: "The 1st edition of Altai Ultra Trail exceeded our own expectations, it was great! Most runners told us afterwards they will return next year, which is the best feedback we could have imagined."

Mikhail Kozyr from Novosibirsk proved to be the outstanding athlete on the longest distance, as he completed the 100 km in 15:46:41, nearly two hours faster than his nearest competitors Viktor Krasnousov and Renat Zharmulhambetov. Best woman was Sofia Beitzel in 19:58:54, ahead of Tatiana Maslova and Nadezhda Bondareva. We are looking forward to see all these runners also compete for points in the Asia Trail Master championship soon. 

On the event website of Altai Ultra Trail, you can find several photo sets and videos of this year's event. 

Eastern Russia is also represented in this year's Asia Trail Master series via the Mount Falaza Ultra Trail in Primorye, close to Vladivistok,  on 16 October. The race there goes through pristine autumn forest and the climb of Mt Falaza. Read more about the Mt Falaza Trail Challenge here. 

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.