Vietnam Mountain Marathon launches autumn ATM campaign

This weekend's Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa finally launches the second part of the Asia Trail Master championship season. The 4th edition sees a record number of 1600 registered runners spread out over five distances, of which three are valid for ATM points. New this year is the 100km race distance, and it has attracted not a bad number of athletes, including number 18 in our current Asia Trail Master championship, Ali Ajis Rasil from Brunei. The 100k is the hardest single day footrace in Vietnam and climbs up to an altitude of 1779m above sea level. After the start at the Topas Ecolodge, 100k participants will go on a new loop of 30k, before joining the traditional 70km loop. Along the route will be plenty of ricefields, plantations and villages of ethnic minority peoples. On the horizon looms Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam. The weather is always a factor in this race as well.

A tough but very rewarding event that has put Vietnam firmly on the trail running map. It is fantastic to see how many local and Vietnamese people in general have decided to take part in VMM this year and spend a glorious weekend in the Sapa mountain region. Very much an event for everyone, all finishers on the 100 and 70k races will also score 1 point for their individual Grandmaster Quest.

Ali Ajis Rasil has a great opportunity to propel himself back in the top 10 of the ATM championship ranking for the second time this season. Coming from another country that only very recently has embraced the sport of trail running, the Bruneian has had solid finishes at Ijen Trailrunning in Indonesia and the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in his home country so far this season. Hong Kong's Jocelyn Cheung (27th, 425 ATM points) and Vietnam's own Thanh Vu (37th, 400 ATM points) are two women who could jump forward in the female championship ranking this weekend as both are registered for the 70km race.

Stay tuned for updates on the races in Sapa via our social media channels on the weekend.

CURRENT ASIA TRAIL MASTER POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP RANKING

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

PreviewKris Van de Velde22 September 2016vietnamComment

2017 Asia Trail Master series' points championship rules

While the second part of the 2016 Asia Trail Master season still has to commence next week in Vietnam, we have been looking further preparing next year's series over summer. In the past few weeks we have already been presenting a number of confirmed races on our calendar for next year, and now we would like to focus briefly on the 2017 Asia Trail Master points championship. The basic principles remain the same, but a few amendments will nevertheless be introduced as our series keeps developing.

The 2017 points system

The points allocation for the 2017 'championship' will differ slightly from the system used now in 2016. The most important change is that as of next year the best five points results of each runner will count for the final Asia Trail Master championship ranking at the end of the year, and no longer just the best three. A second significant amendment to our points regulation follows popular demand from runners: certain B and C races of a big event with a high degree of difficulty, for example a 100 km race when there is also a 100 miles race, or the Rinjani 60k with a huge elevation gain in itself, will be better rewarded with performance points. This means that the winners of the 100 miles and 100 km races of one and the same event (e.g. Malaysia Eco 100) will both score 400 performance points. However, every finisher of a 100 miles will get an additional 25 bonus points to still have a distinction between the two distances. Finally, and this also as a result of popular demand, in 2017 it will no longer be required for a race to have 42 km in length when the elevation gain exceeds 2000 metres, By opening this door, the Asia Trail Master series will become even more diverse and offer opportunities for all types of trail runners to do well.

From the beginning, the Asia Trail Master points system has been designed to be easily understood on purpose. No algorithms or complicated mathematical formulas, runners should at all times be able to calculate what their approximate points reward will be while they are still racing. We invite you to read the nitty gritty and check the points distribution tables in the dedicated web section, but in a nutshell just remember that everybody scores two types of points:

Finisher points: each runner who finishes a race scores finisher points
Performance points: based on a runner's official result in a race

Also next year a select number of events will receive the SuperTrail label. SuperTrails offer 50 bonus points for finishers on the two longest race distances of the event, which implies they are important for fast and ambitious runners who aim for the championship or a high final ranking in general. The first SuperTrail in 2017 will be Unseen Koh Chang in Thailand on 17/18 February. Then there is still the Abroad Bonus: runners who score points in 3 Asia Trail Master races get a 50-point bonus if 1 of the 3 races took place outside the runner’s country of residence at the time of the race. Our series is not just about competition, it is also about mixing and socialising with each other across country borders.

A final remark on joint finishers. Sometimes you see people arriving at the finish of a race together. While we absolutely have nothing against this form of camaraderie, it could lead to confusion, and complaints, as to who deserves how many performance points. The joint finish can also be tactical gameplay, namely. In the case of a complaint, we reserve the right to consider the race positions of the concerned runners at the last checkpoint before the finish to determine the number of performance points each gets.

The Asia Trail Master ranking will be updated immediately after each race, and published on the ATMs website via http://m.racetimingsolutions.com/rankings , followed by a press release. The points are allocated according to the official race results as provided to us by the local race organiser.

This is not all. A number of new initiatives for 2017 are in the pipeline and will be announced in due course!

The Asia Trail Master series will bring you to picture perfect places also in 2017!

announcementKris Van de Velde18 September 2016Comment

2017 Preview - Run in Japan... twice

Japan's Echigo Country Trail in Oguni Forest Park near Nagaoka last June was one of the most eye catching races of the year so far for plenty of runners. The 52km race received full support from the local community, which resulted in a pleasant festive atmosphere all weekend. Participants from outside Japan also got a close look into the local culture and lifestyle of the people...and of course of the beautiful green and hilly landscape. The Echigo Country Trail contains quite a bit of road to connect between villages, but make no mistake as the 2000 metres of elevation gain make themselves felt for every runner. The single trails in the forests and hills are often very steep and even require ropes at times. This is a tough race. And it will be back as an Asia Trail Master points race next spring on 17/18 June!

The event takes places in the countryside of the Chubu region, but is well-connected via Shinkansen from Tokyo. However, from several places in Asia you can also fly directly to Niigata if you wish to skip Tokyo all together. It is possible to turn Echigo into a weekend trip.

Please check the race report of the 2016 Echigo Country Trail event.

The Echigo Country Trail will not be the only Japanese points race next spring, however. Another popular local event is joining our calendar on 28 May 2017: the Kushigata Wind Trail! Organised by the same crew as the Echigo, the Kushigata Wind Trail has Tainai City, also in Niigata, as event host and offers a relatively shot but very crispy trail race. It essentially takes runners on a mountain range and ridge with splendid views of the snowcapped Iide Mountains. More than 2000 metres of elevation gain need to be conquered on a total distance of approx 35 to 42 kilometer. Hiroaki Matsunaga, race director, is currently still exploring options and will confirm the full 2017 course in the next weeks. Also the Kushigata Wind Trail event will be much more than just the race. An opening ceremony with welcome party, as well as an onsen (hot spring) visit to a top location are all part of the experience for runners. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available, but enter the weekend in your running diaries already!

Preliminary 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

* more races will be added in due course

22/01/17 - Indonesia - Tahura Trail
29/01/17 - Philippines - Rizal Mountain Run
17-18/02/17 - Thailand - UT Unseen Koh Chang - SUPERTRAIL
25-26/02/17 - Brunei - Beach Bunch Trail Challenge
04-05/03/17 - Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Ultra
23/04/17 - South Korea - Korea 50k
24/04/17 - Nepal - Ultra-Trail Nepal - Run for Recovery
07/05/17 - Kazakhstan - Tengri Ultra Trail
13-14/05/17 - Malaysia - Eco 100 - SUPERTRAIL
20-21/05/17 - Indonesia - Ijen Trailrunning
28/05/17 - Japan - Kushigata Wind Trail
18/06/17 - Japan - Echigo Country Trail

Race director Hiroaki Matsunaga (in red) is the driving force of trail running in Niigata

announcementKris Van de Velde13 September 2016japanComment

2017 Preview - Ijen Trail running

Next in our 2017 Race Preview is Ijen Trailrunning, an event that deservedly got rave reviews for its second edition last May. The 70k race to the Blue Fire of Ijen volcano in East Java witnessed a grand sprint for victory between Arief Wismoyono and Yohanis Hiareij - almost unheard of in the trail world after a 70k race -, as well as a majestic run by Singapore-based Norwegian Ann-Mari Lillejord in the women's. But what made people like the event even more was the quality of the technical organisation and the well-balanced trail course with appropriate cut off time. The climb to the Ijen crater is the highlight, but there are plenty of runnable sections in this race.

Egon Trails, the outdoor company based in Surabaya and main organiser of Ijen Trailrunning, has announced that in 2017 a new 100k will be introduced to the event alongside the existing races over 70km, 42km, and 21km. Other than Ijen, the new longest distance will also feature another climb. Race venue is set to remain Bondowoso, with Surabaya as main international gateway on Java, but Bali as an attractive alternative. As with many trail races in breathtaking venues, getting there and away does require some time but at least you have 9 months left to plan.

Asia Trail Master championship points will be scored on the 100, 70 and 42k distances, and the 100 and 70 also qualify for the Grandmaster Quest.

Stay tuned in the next weeks as more technical details of the 100k become available.

Please check the race report of the 2016 event.

Preliminary 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

* more races will be added in due course

announcementKris Van de Velde9 September 2016indonesia, ijenComment

2017 Preview - Eco 100 the Malaysia SuperTrail

Confirmed again as Malaysia's SuperTrail, the 3rd edition of Malaysia Eco 100 is on the agenda for 13/14/15 May 2017. The event in Penang will be further fine-tuned here and there, but essentially builds on the groundwork laid out in the first two successful editions. That means runners will be provided with three well-tested options of 100 miles, 100km or 50km to score points for the Asia Trail Master championship ranking. Less ambitious runners can also go for 30 km during the long weekend.

Elevation gain is not the biggest issue in Malaysia Eco 100. The longest race has 4000 hm, but most of it is concentrated in the second half of the course, which means athletes need to preserve energy during the long runnable sections of the first part. People on the 100k only have 500 hm less to conquer, and the 50k is actually with 3000 Hm the opposite of the 100 miles: namely a race for climbing goats. The heat and humidity play a big role in this race, and were the main cause for the considerable DNF rate on the two longest distances in 2016. In 2017, participants in the 100 km and 50 km races will certainly benefit from an extended cut off time of 30 hours and 20 hours respectively. The ultra runners on the 100 miles are expected to be back within 40 hours.

Malaysia Eco 100 being a SuperTrail, there are 50 ATM bonus points for all finishers on the 100 miles and 100 km races. Those who complete the 100 miles even get the new 100 Mile Bonus of 25 ATM points on top of that!

It goes without saying that both 100 miles and 100 km are also valid for 1 point in the Grandmaster Quest.

In 2016 Manolito Divina from the Philippines delivered a fantastic performance by finishing the 100 miles in 29 hours 47'08 ", and Aleksis Capili crowned himself as the first ever Asia Trail Grandmaster. Read more about it here.

Registration for next year's event is already open via the event website with early bird rates till 30 November.

Preliminary 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

* more races will be added in due course

14/01/17 - Thailand - The Dirt Track
22/01/17 - Indonesia - Tahura Trail
29/01/17 - Philippines - Rizal Mountain Run
17-18/02/17 - Thailand - UT Unseen Koh Chang - SUPERTRAIL
25-26/02/17 - Brunei - Beach Bunch Trail Challenge
04-05/03/17 - Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Ultra
23/04/17 - South Korea - Korea 50k
24/04/17 - Nepal - Ultra-Trail Nepal - Run for Recovery
07/05/17 - Kazakhstan - Tengri Ultra Trail
13-14/05/17 - Malaysia - Eco 100 - SUPERTRAIL

announcementKris Van de Velde7 September 2016MalaysiaComment

2017 Preview - 3rd Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan

The 3rd edition of the cult race Tengri Ultra Trail near Almaty in Kazakhstan is scheduled for 7 May 2017 and will again be a points race in the Asia Trail Master series. With 70km as main distance, the race is also on the agenda for runners who are on the Grandmaster Quest. Less ambitious runners can again aim for 35k or 15k as well. Tengri Ultra Trail is a true outdoor event, with compulsory camping alongside the Ili River given the remoteness of the area approximately 110km from Almaty, the economic centre of Kazakhstan and main international gateway. The venue, Tamgaly Tas, is actually on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its ancient cave paintings.

Race director Timur Artyukin is happy with how the 2016 edition went and is keeping the race courses for next year more or less as they are. That means a good mix of flat parts with hills, grassland and canyons. Should it rain in the days before, you may also get your feet wet in a few narrow river crossings. Otherwise this is a trail race that can be negotiated by beginning runners as well. Still the only ultra distance trail in the country, TUT gets a lot of local media exposure and is welcoming international participation. The 2017 registrations will open already soon.

Please see this year's cover page for more information.

Preliminary 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

* more races will be added in due course

announcementKris Van de Velde6 September 2016kazakhstan, tengri, 2016Comment

2017 Preview - Ultra Trail Nepal: Run For Recovery!

We are happy to announce the next event in our 2017 Asia Trail Master preview, and it is a new entry as well: Ultra-Trail Nepal joins our series on 24 April 2017! This memorial race will take place the day before the anniversary of the 2015 Earthquake that caused so much devastation and loss of life in Nepal and in the Batase region close to Kathmandu. The Ultra-Trail Nepal's slogan is clear: Run for Recovery. All profits raised from the event will go back into the community to assist with the Earthquake Rebuilding effort.

The event is the result of the friendship between local (and international) running star Samir Tamang and Som Tamang, who hails from Batase Village. Technically it is organised by Batase Trails and Take on Nepal — the Nepal and Australian arms of Som's organisation. Som has great experience in organising major events, from trail runs in Nepal to large fundraising events and community events in Australia, where he lives most of the year in Cairns.

Ultra-Trail Nepal takes place in the Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal where the devastation caused by the Earthquake on 25 April 2015 is still very raw. The villagers are still living in challenging conditions and many are grieving the loss of family members. Ultra-Trail Nepal aims to provide much needed support to the people of this district and to provide them with opportunities to move forward.

Money raised will be used for:

Building drinking water facilities along the trails.
Maintaining roads and trails for villagers to be able to access facilities.
Supporting village Schools along the trails of which you will be running.
Supporting local runners to achieve their dreams of racing nationally and internationally
Rebuilding homes for villagers who are most vulnerable as a result of loss from the Earthquake.

The race is confirmed for 55 km but is projected to become 70 km in length, which in the context of the Asia Trail Master series means it will qualify also for 1 point in the Grandmaster Quest. It will begin in Kathmandu at an altitude of 1400m on the outskirts of Shivapuri National Park and will enter through the Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve. The route climbs to 2500m, then it heads down the ridge through a forest of oaks and rhododendron to Chisopani. Continuing downhill to Patybanjyang, where you will experience some great views of the Himalayas. The lowest point of the race will be 830m above sea level. From Patybanjyang you will follow the main Helambu trekking route to Thankuni, from there you will follow the trail to Batase Village (at 1800m altitude).

The surrounding scenery on this ultra trail run is breathtaking, and you will look across a vast valley and see rice fields, villages and people going about their daily lives in rural Nepal.You will be running through villages that have been devastated by the Earthquake. With help from Friends of Himalayan Children, the organisers are working hard to rebuild the lives of the people in this district. Your participation in this event will be of enormous benefit to the villagers of Nepal.

If you cannot attend the race but would still like to support our projects through making a donation, please visit “Friends of Himalayan Children”.

More technical details will be made available in the course of October and the online registration is projected to open in January 2017. But you can start planning your trip to Kathmandu already, and read more background on the organiser's official website.

Preliminary 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

* more races will be added in due course

announcementKris Van de Velde2 September 2016nepalComment

2017 Preview - Korea 50k in outskirts of Seoul

We move on to April in our 2017 Asia Trail Master preview for the next confirmed entry. Korea 50k, arguably the country's flagship event, will have its third edition on - normally - 23 April 2017. The precise date could shift by one week and will be cast in stone in the next few weeks. Korea 50k is actually a 59km long race that takes place in Dongducheon, in the outskirts of capital city Seoul, to which it is well-connected via public transport. The Seoul subway reaches DDC, as the town is commonly called, which has the added advantage that the race can easily be included in a big family weekend city trip! Organised by the experienced RunXRun group, the event offers a solid course with 3100 metres of elevation gain that should not be underestimated. You will run large sections up and down hills in prime forest.

All event details will be updated for 2017 in due course. In the mean time, what's stopping you to pencil in a nice city & running trip to Seoul!

2016 Race Report Korea 50k

2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

The 2016 men's podium with China's Xu Xiutao in the middle

The 2016 women's podium had a Japanese winner, Yukari Fukuda

announcementKris Van de Velde31 August 2016korea, korea50, 2017Comment

2017 Preview - Cordillera Mountain Ultra a new hit

Our 2017 early preview continues with an event that received amazing feedback this year: the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, organised by the environmental NGO Cordillera Conservation Trust in Benguet, Philippines. Because of the event's success, the programme remains virtually unchanged except the date: the Cordillera Mountain Ultra will take place three months earlier and this on 4 and 5 March 2017. The 50k race with 2640 Hm remains the main show of the event, and anybody who witnessed this year's battle for victory between Marcelino Sano Oy and Al Tellias will remember how exciting relatively short trail races can be. CMU is not that easy, however, and even top athletes need to stay focused at all times. Just ask local female hero Majo Liao, who twisted her ankle in the early stages of this year's race. It paved the way for Gretchen Felipe to take the women's win, and a ticket for the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia, which she then won as well! CMU 2016 was a classic with lots of stories, and there is no reason why 2017 won't be the same!

The 50km Cordillera Mountain Ultra trail is about Mt. Ugo in Benguet. Topping out at 2150m it features long ridge lines covered in Pine forests as well as superb views of the West Philippine sea, the entire Agno River Valley as well as the Cagayan Valley of Nueva Vizcaya. Host town of the event is Dalupirip, and the best international gateway to the event is Clark International Airport.

Race registration will open on 1 November.

Link to Event review 2016

2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

announcementKris Van de Velde29 August 2016philippines, cmu, 2017Comment

2017 Preview - Brunei's Beach Bunch Trail Challenge goes Ultra

The fifth race in the 2017 Asia Trail Master series sees us return to Brunei for the 2nd Beach Bunch Trail Challenge on 25/26 February 2017. One of the organisational highlights of the first half of this year, the BBTC plans to expand on the success of the inaugural edition and introduce a genuine challenge next season: a 100 km ultra distance!

Event organiser Rizan Latif, himself a fervent runner, has discovered many new trail options and is confident the 100k will be great. The elevation gain will be approx 2400 hm. Less ambitious runners can opt for the 50 km and 1200 hm. The event venue will be changed from the beach to a nearby public theme park, which allows for long-time use that is of course necessary for an ultra race.

The Brunei trail running community has boomed this year thanks to a great extent by the BBTC event. While initially considered by many to be an "easy run", the race proved it had a big sting when 50% of the starters DNFd. The short but steep hill climbs and running on beach sand in the heat of day made the event live up to its 'challenge' moniker. It will be no different in 2017, and participants better come prepared. Accompanying family or friends will not be bored neither, as Brunei has plenty of sights and activities to enjoy during the weekend.

Precise event details and the opening of registration will commence in due course.

Report on the 2016 Beach Bunch Trail Challenge

2017 Asia Trail Master calendar

Sefli Ahar won the men's 42k BBTC this year

Yuen Wan Ho came second this season, part of the reason he is now leading the current ATM ranking

announcementKris Van de Velde25 August 2016Comment

Ultra Trail Koh Chang first SuperTrail in 2017

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

announcementKris Van de Velde23 August 2016Comment

Ultra Trail Mapawa opens the books!

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.

announcementKris Van de Velde22 August 2016Comment