Another highly anticipated event has opened the registration facilities for its next edition on 5 March 2017: the Cordillera Mountain Ultra! Considered by many as one of the absolute highlights of this year's Asia Trail Master series, CMU is a compact 50 km race in the Philippines featuring the ascent and descent of Mt Ugo via several alternative trails that are not often used. Importantly, the event is organised in support of local communities in the Cordillera mountain region north of regional centre Baguio. 

The event date has been moved forward from June to March, which used to be the time of the Cordillera Mountain Marathon, the predecessor of CMU. However, given the big success this year, organiser JP Alipio decided to otherwise stick with the same event formula and keep the 50 km distance as main race distance. We can again expect exciting true racing for the victory between some of the Philippines' and Asia's best runners. Local heroes Marcelino Sano Oy and Gretchen Felipe were the winners at CMU last June, and only a good month later both runners proved that that was not a coincidence as they took first (Gretchen) and second (Marcelino) in Malaysia's Magnificent Merapoh 60! 

Start and finish of the race is the small town Dalupirip in Benguet. Dominating the profile is of course Mount Ugo, which runners will climb to an altitude of 2150m above sea level. Afterwards, there is a long descent followed by a few kilometres of flat to return to Dalupirip. Total elevation gain is 2640 hm. A lot of the trails are in beautiful pine forest. The organisers like to see as many happy finishers as possible, so the 13 hour cut off time should be feasible for the big majority of participants. 

If you are a beginner or just a less ambitious runner, there is also a 21 k option available. If you wish to warm up the legs already on Saturday, you can go for the Vertical Kilometre, too.. Families are welcome: there is even a kid's race on the programme as well. 

You can now go to the Registration page of the Cordillera Conservation Trust website to sign up. While you are at it, please also take a look at the delicious local coffee for sale in the CCT online shop . For more info on the environmental tasks of the CCT, you can read more here. 

Teaser video Cordillera Mountain Ultra

CM 50 Ultra - Just 1 more week to go to the final SuperTrail race of the 2016 Asia Trail Master season in Clark, Philippines!

It is going to be a make-or-break race for several top ranked men if they still want to become this year's Asia Trail Master champion. Their task is clear: beat Jan Nilsen in the 50 miles race to Miyamit Falls and back. The pressure will be pretty much on home favourite and already a double winner of this race, Manolito Divina. But last year's ATM champion Arief Wismoyono has not surrendered yet and is coming to defend his title in style. And what about dark horse Xu Xiutao, a fantastic winner in Korea 50k and determined to become champion! They are only a few names of the strong male line-up for next week's big event.

In the women's CM 50 race, all eyes will be cast on local favourite Majo Liao, who can consolidate her second place in this year's championship behind Tahira Najmunisaa. Expect a lot of changes to occur in the rest of the top 10 still by the end of the season. As you can see below, it is very tight for third place in the women's ranking at the moment with Patricia Shindy from Indonesia currently holding it. 

Take a look at the current top 15 going into the Philippines' SuperTrail:

2016 Asia Trail Master Championship Ranking - Men:
*Best 3 points result count

1. Jan Nilsen (NOR) 1650
2. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1500
3. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 1450
4. Abdul Rahman Abu Hassan (MAS) 1275
5. Arief Wismoyono (INA) 860
6. Lee Jeong Ho (KOR) 825
6. Nohui Seong (KOR) 825
8. Ali Ajis Rasif (BRU) 810
9. Xu Xiutao (CHN) 800
10.Aldean Lim (PHI) 775
11. Hendra Wijaya (INA) 755
12. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 737
13. Husnan Husin (MAS) 716
14. Marcelino Sano Oy (PHI) 710
15. Alan Toh (MAS) 690

2016 Asia Trail Master Chamionship Ranking - Women:

1. Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (MAS) 1650
2. Majo Liao (PHI) 1450
3. Patricia Shindy (INA) 1110
4. Jassica Lintangga (MAS) 1015
5. Ruth Theresia (INA) 1000
6. Ina Budiyarni (INA) 990
7. Yuen Kit Shan (HKG) 950
8. Xiao Jing (CHN) 925
8. Sunghee Lee (KOR) 925
10.Faherina Mohd Esa (MAS) 850
11.Gyesook Lee (KOR) 825
11. Mila Marlina (INA) 825
13. Jocelyn Cheung (HKG) 800
14. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 760
15. Hyonshim Chong (KOR) 720

Grandmasters in 2016 - 1 star:
Aleksis Capili (PHI)
Jan Nilsen (NOR) 
Ina Budiyarni (INA)

Check out the full ranking via the Race Timing Solutions page, where you can also filter by nationality to find out the best trail masters in your country. 

Jan Nilsen leads the 2016 Asia Trail Master ranking after 3 big wins in Indonesia

Majo Liao is second in the women's ranking and can assure that position at CM50

The organisers of Korea 50K have opened the books for the 3rd edition of their event, scheduled for 23 April 2017. Given its host venue Dongducheon is right next to capital city Seoul, Korea 50K offers a great weekend getaway for the whole family. While the main race is a rather tough 59 kilometre rollercoaster that has a total elevation gain of 3500 hm, beginning runners can also opt for a short and quite flat 10 km run. 

Last year's female champion Fukada

The 59K race will take place throughout the Sunday and starts at 5 am with finish at 6.30 pm. The trail course has actually been made even a bit harder than this year's and now measures 3500 hm. That makes Korea 50K a relatively short race for good climbers. Last April, two international runners actually took the victory in the male and female categories. China's Xu Xiutao was a proud winner, in what for the young Beijinger was certainly a breakthrough moment. Yukari Fukuda from Japan was the fastest woman. 

As South Korean trail running has been developing quickly, we can expect the locals to be more than ready to score a win for the host country in 2017. 

You can now register for the Korea 50K via the local event website already. 

A concise overview of the key event details are available also here on our cover page. 

Altai Ultra Trail in deep Siberian Russia was one of the more remote and mysterious Asia Trail Master Candidate Races this year, and we are happy to announce that the event will be an official Asia Trail Master points race in 2017. Altai Ultra Trail is the first mountain trail ultramarathon in Siberia. Organised by the Mountain Trail Sports Club, the race takes place on the territory of the Belukha Nature Park and it is part of the World Heritage Site entitled Golden Mountains of Altai. The trail route does not cross any terrain touched by civilization. To get there requires a significant amount of travel time, but your efforts will be duly rewarded. The event has actually been moved forward to the first weekend of July. 

Altai Ultra Trail will consist of several different race categories and formats.  You can opt for a 160 km duo team race over 3 days or you can also run individually in races over 105 km, 55 km and 35 km.  The longer distances will lead uphill to the foot of Mt. Belukha (4509 m) - the highest point of Altai and all Siberia, the sacramental mountain for native Altai people. 

 The duo team race will be held on 29 June - 01 July:

• 1 day - 70km, 3500m elevation gain
• 2 day - 30km, 1800m elevation gain
• 3 day - 60km, 2000m elevation gain
• Total 160km, 7300m ascent

The overnight stops are obligatory and will occur in the tourist camp provided by the local organizers. Transport of equipment to this tourist camp (and backward) will be organized also.

The individual races will follow more or less the same trails as in this year's first edition.  For the Asia Trail Master championship point chasers, the 105 km individual race will be credited with maximum 400 performance points for the winner and act as the A-race, whereas the duo team race will have a maximum of 200 performance points and the 55 km 100 performance points for the fastest runners. Both the team race and the 105 k single race are also in the Grandmaster Quest. The 105 km race has a total elevation gain of 3700 hm. 

International runners should fly into Novosibirsk first. A major hub in Siberia, Novosibirsk may well be worth a day of sightseeing before embarking on a 12-hour drive to Tyungur village in the Ust-Koksinsky district in Altai. One shorter alternative is to transit to domestic airport Gorno Altaisk first, and then do a 7-8 hour drive. 

Registration for the event will open in January 2017. Stay tuned for further news, updates and prerequisites on the Altai Ultra Trail via this website cover page and our social media channels. 

Please check out the trailer below of the 2016 edition. 

While BTS Ultra 100 in Indonesia lived up to its reputation as one of the hardest trail runs in Asia, HK 168 raised its profile once again as one of Hong Kong's traditional events. Both races saw fantastic winners: Jan Nilsen was dominant on the volcanoes, as expected, and Isaac Yuen Wan Ho relied on his amazing stamina to collect a first proper race victory after several podium finishes in the Asia Trail Master series. As such, both Nilsen and Yuen Wan Ho increase the pressure on Philippines' Manolito Divina to win this year's ATM points championship. It will be a great man-to-man battle soon in Clark, location of CM 50 Ultra and the last SuperTrail race of the year with bonus points on offer! 

The women's races in Indonesia and Hong Kong had it in them as well. BTS 100k had a superb line-up at the start, including Ina Budiyarni, who aimed to complete her Grandmaster Quest and become the first female Grandmaster ever. After a fall in the early part of the race that injured her hip, it cost Ina blood, sweat and tears but she crossed the finish line just inside the official cut off time. While she won the Grandmaster honorary title, a podium finish was not possible given her injury. Therefore, the battle for the race victory was between Shindy Patricia, Ruth Theresia and Mila Mirlani. It was tight at the end, but Ruth Theresia nicked it by less than ten minutes ahead of Shindy Patricia.

 At HK 168, pre-race favourite Yuen Kit Shan, double winner of UTHK, surprisingly did not feature at the top of the leader board at any time during the race. It was Yi Hua Wu who was the outstanding athlete on the weekend, finishing over 3 hours ahead of Habiba Benahmed and Xiao Jing. Yuen Kit Shan did finish the race in fourth place. 

The second major ultra race on the Asia Trail Master scene this weekend takes place in the New Territories in Hong Kong. HK 168 has become one of the traditional events in Asia's trail running centre and the increase in race registrations reflect the growing relevance of the event, which has joined the Asia Trail Master series and points championship for the first time this year.  Many international participants and some key ATM-ranked athletes are competing here, too. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho, third in the current points ranking behind Jan Nilsen and Manolito Divina, will be trying to improve on his best-three points total and as such edge closer to the Pinoy runner ahead of him. In fact, Yuen Wan Ho can win HK 168 all together. 

HK 168 is actually a bit longer this year and starts at Shin Mun Reservoir. In total, more than 8000 metres of elevation gain need to be conquered, which is of course a significant amount. Also the 93km and 66km races are no walks in the park. 

In the women's race we will see Yuen Kit Shan, winner of UTHK earlier this year, compete in her second race of the year. Another victory, not unlikely, can boost her way up the women's ranking. In theory, she is the only runner who can still catch up in points with Tahira Najmunisaa, provided she wins HK 168 and CM 50. This weekend, Yuen Kit Shan will compete against other regulars in the Hong Kong/China area like Xiao Jing. 

You can follow the action at Hk 168 live this weekend via the Race Timings Solutions portal - partner of Asia Trail Master. Also on our social media pages, our representatives will keep you updated. 

Live Results HK 168

Race Timing Solutions

Yuen Kit Shan is aiming for her second victory of the season this weekend

The 4th edition of the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra in East Java, Indonesia, is on this weekend and the focus will pretty much be on two athletes: Asia Trail Master championship points leader Jan Nilsen is the big race favourite and, moreover, can become the second male Asia Trail Master Grandmaster, while Jakarta's Ina Budiyarni looks set to become the first female Asia Trail Grandmaster. The event probably has the most awesome backdrop of all in the series, but as those places go, tend to be vulnerable to the natural elements as well. The organisers were happy enough to announce that the original 170 and 100 routes to the Bromo volcano rim will be open, when a threatening weather forecast for the weekend dampened the euphoria. As at MesaStila Peaks Challenge last month, the participants will most likely have to cope with torrential rain showers, wind, and cold temperatures on the summits. Bad weather has been affecting many trail races of late, let's hope that BTS Ultra will be spared the worst.

This is also one of the toughest races of the season alongside Rinjani 100, and we all remember what happened there: only Jan Nilsen made it to the finish within the cut-off time. Nilsen has been outstanding all year in the toughest mountain races, and it is hard to see who can beat him now in normal circumstances. Then again, Muhammad Dzaki, second at MesaStila, is in prime shape and can put up a challenge to the Thailand-based Norwegian. Nilsen himself is keen for victory here, after he had to pull out of the race last year with blisters while running in the lead together with Ullas Narayana, who will not defend his title this weekend. In terms of Asia Trail Master championship points, Nilsen can maximise his points total for the final ranking in which the best three results of the year count. It would give added pressure to his rivals in the championship, such as Manolito Divina, Xu Xiutao, Yuen Wan Ho and Arief Wismoyono to name the most obvious challengers. Bandung runner Arief Wismoyono, who secured his 2015 Asia Trail Master champions with a gutsy run at Bromo last season, will not take the start on Friday afternoon. Wismoyono will be back in action at CM 50 Ultra, the Philippines' SuperTrail, on 27 November. While Nilsen and Dzaki are the main contenders for victory and the podium on the 170 km, the dark horse may well be Yohanes Hiareij. Second at Ijen Trailrunning behind Wismoyono, Hiareij DNFd at MesaStila and may be motivated to produce a strong performance at BTS. 

On the 100 km race distance, Rhenaldi Firdaus may be the one to watch. Firdaus won the MesaStila 4 Peaks last month, the 65k race over there. 

Jan Nilsen (in white) was running with eventual winner Ullas Narayana for a long time last year

As no women will take part in the grueling 170 km race, the 100 km distance has become the main event, or the A-distance. This implies that there will be a full bag of 400 ATM performance points on offer for the winner, instead of the usual 200 for a B-distance. We can look forward to a great competition, as most of Indonesia's leading ladies of trail running are present. Ruth Theresia was second in last month's MesaStila and may set the pace. But what about Patricia Shindy, only woman to finish the Rinjani 60 last July? Mila Mirlani is there as well, who can always rely on her experience in the long ultras. From Malaysia we have Faherina Mohd Esa, a solid second place finisher at the Magnificent Merapoh Trail 100 in July. And last but not least, Ina Budiyarni, who at MesaStila led most of the 65 k race to eventually finish second and for whom BTS is her favourite trail race. Budiyarni started her trail running career here three years ago, and it would be quite fitting if she indeed manages to complete her Grandmaster Quest in the race where it all began. Who knows, maybe a podium finish as icing on the cake?

The Grandmaster Quest results in a lifetime achievement award and entry into the Asia Trail Master Hall of Fame. To obtain the honorary Grandmaster title, runners must complete six races of minimum 70 km or 4500 Hm, within 24 months. Aleksis Capili was the first trail runner who managed this feat at the Malaysia Eco 100 last May, and this weekend Jan Nilsen and Ina Budiyarni can reach the level of six completed races. Both of them began their campaign at Borneo TMBT in August 2015, fifteen months ago. As evidence of the difficulty of the Grandmaster Quest, Nilsen (BTS 2015, Malaysia Eco 100) and Budiyarni (Merapoh 100) both suffered setbacks along the way with DNFs in races that could have given them additional points. Ultra running remains a serious challenge to everyone: to finish first, you need to finish first. 

Stay tuned this weekend via our social media channels to find out what is happening at the 2016 Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra! 

If Ina Budiyarni finishes the 100km race she is the first female Asia Trail Grandmaster

Jan's Five Grandmaster Quest Steps so far:

• 08/2015 - Borneo TMBT (Malaysia) - 100 km
• 11/2015 - CM 50 Ultra (Philippines) - 82 km
• 02/2016 - UTHK (Hong Kong) - 156 km
• 07/2016 - Rinjani 100 (Indonesia) - 100 km
• 10/2016 - MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 100 km

Ina's Five Grandmaster Quest Steps so far:

• 08/2015 - Borneo TMBT (Malaysia) - 100 km
• 10/2015 - MesaStila 4 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 65 km
• 11/2015 - Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra (Indonesia) - 100 km
• 05/2016 - Ijen Trailrunning (Indonesia) - 70 km
• 10/2016 - MesaStila 4 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 65 km

To learn more about the Asia Trail Grandmaster Quest, please refer to our dedicated webpage. 

A blue sky might be a rare sight this weekend during the race .. 

The brutal course of the 170 km BTS 

It was certainly quite a surprise for many when Jonathan Pido arrived first in the finishing strait at Ultra Trail Mapawa. The local runner from Mindanao Island was nearly half an hour ahead of two more local athletes. And then, only then, came pre-race favourite and Asia Trail Master championship contender Manolito Divina. Fourth place was not good enough for Divina to join Jan Nilsen at the top of the points ranking. The gap is 100 points. This means that the pressure in next month's Clark-Myamit Falls Ultra race, with SuperTrail bonus points on offer, is entirely on the Pinoy star. Moreover, the reason for Manolito Divina's troublesome Mapawa race is worrying: a sprained ankle sustained in the early part of the technical 50k race. Hopefully for him, his ankle will recover quickly and he will be back at his best in just a few weeks from now.

While Divina suffered from his ankle, the three Mindanao runners in front of him deserve all credit for their performances. Jonathan Pido was a class on his own as he crossed the line in 7:01:55, almost half an hour ahead of Richgie Dola, and Leo Colonia in third place! Amazingly, Dola finished the race with only 1 shoe, having torn the other one at km 30. All three runners are solid road marathon runners. Behind Divina in a strong fifth place was Thumbie Remigio, who himself returned from a prolonged period of inactivity due to a foot injury.  

It was fantastic to see Majo Liao winning the women's 50k in 9:19:08, only three weeks after the brutal MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge in Indonesia. A great show of character that rewards Liao with second place in the Asia Trail Master points ranking. Second in the race last Sunday was Maria Luisa Prado, and third Retchelle Nave. 

UT Mapawa received praise from the runners for the beautiful course, which, however was more technical than anticipated by most. Lots of steep climbs and descents. There was no mobile connectivity at the race venue, which made live reporting virtually impossible. It did increase tye sense of adventure for the participants, on the other hand. CM 50 Ultra on the other Philippines' island of Luzon next month is guaranteed to become a thriller for the ATM championship. Several scenarios are open with plenty of top runners in the ranking scheduled to run. Manolito Divina is a double winner of that race, but it is Jan Nilsen who is in the hot seat. 

With special thanks to Christine Ferrera and Simple Hydration. 

Tough day for Manolito Divina at Mapawa means CM 50 on 27 November will be vital

The Philippines' running ace Manolito Divina returns to the Asia Trail Master scene this weekend at the Ultra Trail Mapawa race on Mindanao Island. A 50km race with about 2400 metres of elevation gain that should suit him well to regain the top spot in the Asia Trail Master ranking. Divina would equal the points achieved by Jan Nilsen (1600), but in the latest direct confrontation between the two in an ATM points race (Malaysia Eco 100) the Pinoy star won and Nilsen DNF'd. Still, nothing will be decided for the championship this weekend as the two will clash again next month at CM 50 Ultra, and will even face stern opposition from other Asian top runners in that race as well. This weekend, what counts for Divina in the Mapawa race is to win and get the maximum available points (500). 

UT Mapawa is a popular event that has been on the Mindanao trail programme for a few years, but it is the first time the organisers are opening up the event to a wider and more international audience. In fact, the 50 km trail route is new this year and therefore references to the previous editions are not very significant. The race takes place in a Nature Park, about half an hour's drive outside the local city hub of Cagayan de Oro in the northwest of Mindanao. The course is quite technical with lots of single trails, and there's four official mountain climbs and five water streams on the itinerary. It does take some time to travel to Cagayan from outside the Philippines, but it will be a rewarding experience. 

An impression of the Mapawa Nature Park 

Manolito Divina should not expect a training run, however, as there are more strong trail runners on the list of starters. Aldean Lim was third in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, for example, and Thumbie Remigio returns after some time off due to injury. Never count him out!

In the women's a lot of attention will go to the performance of Majo Liao, only three weeks after the grueling 100k of the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge in Indonesia. Majo was one of only three women to complete that race run in very difficult conditions. Now back on more familiar territory, she starts the Mapawa 50 as the favourite. A victory on Sunday would push her up to second place in the Asia Trail Master championship, behind Tahira Najmunisaa. 

All the participants on the 50k will not only be rewarded with the standard finisher points and performance points for the ATM championship ranking, but will also receive a gift from our sponsor Simple Hydration! 

Majo Liao returns to the trails only three weeks after the devastating MesaStila Peaks Challenge

Manolito Divina on a mission to regain the points lead in the Asia Trail Master ranking

The 2017 edition of the Echigo Country Trail in Oguni Forest Park, near Nagaoka in Niigata, Japan, takes place on the weekend of 17 and 18 June. This colourful race counts 53 kilometers and a substantial 2500 metres of elevation gain that are often quite steep as well. The entire event receives the kind support of the local communities in this countryside area of Japan that international runners otherwise seldom get to experience. The local online registration has already opened and there is also the possibility for international runners to register using PayPal. 

Registration via Japanese site (PayPal payment) 

You can check our Tale of the Trail on our cover page, and you can watch the below video to get an idea of what this colourful Japanese race is all about. There's a substantial part of road in the 53 km as well, but the experienced organiser Hiroaki Matsunaga has announced his intention to reduce the stretches of tarmac and use as much trail and offroad as possible to connect between villages. As such, the total race distance and course map may still be altered somewhat come next spring. 

The heavy rainfall in many parts of Asia, specifically northern Asia, over the past weeks is causing problems for plenty of trail running organisations. Unfortunately, we have been informed that UT X, short for Ultra Trail XinXian in Henan Province, China, is also affected. The event - scheduled in November - cannot take place for safety reasons. Please see below's statement from the local race director on behalf of the Organisation Committee of UT X. 

On behalf of the organizer of UTX, we are very apologetic to make today's  statement that due to severe geological developments of landslides and mud flows caused by  recent heavy rainfall in the Xinxian area, we are obliged to postpone our race, UTX,  from its originally scheduled date, 12/13 November 2016, to 4/5 April 2017. It is a very difficult decision for us to make, but we need to ensure the safety of the trail course and all the runners and working crew. We are sorry for the change of race date, and we will be responsible to take care of reimbursements of registration fees, or forward your race entry automatically to the new date 4/5 April 2017. 

We humbly apologise for the inconvenience caused by the change of date, and please note we have deepest appreciation for your support.
--- Race Director of UTX

Please note that UT X keeps its spot on the Asia Trail Master race calendar, and has thus been added on 4/5 April 2017. 

More info on the event via our cover page. 

The 2nd race on the 2017 Asia Trail Master calendar is the Rizal Mountain Run in the Philippines, and the registrations open this Monday, 17 October. RMR, as the abbreviated name goes, is a tough 50k, not too far from Manila, that moves up from Candidate Race this year to a genuine points race in the Asia Trail Master championship. 

Organised by the team of Ahon, the local brand known for its gaiters and trail socks, the race received great feedback from runners last February. The competition in itself was a thriller with Danish-born Kristian Joergensen and Koi Grey going head-to-head for victory. The women's race was won by the experienced international trail runner Cheryl Bihag. 

Rizal Mountain Run 50k will offer the standard points total of 500 for the race winners (100 finisher points, 400 performance points for the winners). Remember that in 2017, each runner's best five points results will count for the final classification at the end of the year, as opposed to the best three this year. 

Please see below more details on the Rizal Mountain Run, a video trailer as well as the link to the registration portal. 

ATM cover page on Rizal Mountain Run

http://www.asiatrailmaster.com/#/rizal/

Event website & registration

http://rizalmountainrun.com/

This year Kristian Joergensen defeated Koi Grey in a fantastic man-to-man dual