ATM Ranking: Sherpa and Glorioso lead into Q2
The first quarter (Q1) of the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship season is already behind us. Traditionally the more quiet quarter, as there’s not too many points race events in the first months of the year, but still some runners have already put in more than one ATM result. Some of them have also been catching the headlines, too. Alessandro Sherpa is very much back at the top of his game with a convincing race victory in Dalat Ultra Trail and second place behind Jeff Campbell in Hong Kong at Lantau 70. With 950 ATM Championship points collected he is leading the men’s points ranking. As a former ATM Champion - in 2018 - Sherpa has also already qualified himself for this year’s ATM Final (former champions only are required to score two race finishes during the season to earn a spot in the ATM Final). Reigning ATM Champions Arnie Macaneras and Hau Ha, conquerors of Mount Apo last December, also already put a result in the bank in March. Hau Ha was unbeatable as usual in Dalat, while Macaneras took third place in Lantau.
Nguyen Si Hieu, Yoyong Sacayle, Alexander Tilley and Nguyen Tien Vo also scored two great results already, putting them in the top 5 of the standings. Last week in Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths, Nguyen Si Hieu finally took another ATM win after VMM 70 in 2018. In between the clever Vietnamese runner had been collecting podium after podium, including third in Dalat early March. Yoyong Sacayle proved that he can also run podium outside of Philippines at the same Cuc Phuong 100k. Other ATM protagonists such as Hisashi Kitamura and Jeff Campbell have also already opened their 2023 season with a race victory.
In the women’s ranking, Manila’s Irish Glorioso had a blitz start in February, running both V Trail and Santa Ines Mountain Adventure within two weekends. Glorioso won V Trail 85km in Laos, and despite not being recovered followed-it up with fifth in her home race. Behind her, it’s all the current race winners so far with Hau Ha, Christine Mitchell, Elizabeth Dangadan, Katrina Hamlin, Shindy Patricia and Lao runner Sou Soulivanhthong
The ATM Championship ranking will also again determine who gets qualified for his or her national country team for the ATM Final early December. Those five men and five women who score most ATM points during the year will be offered a spot.
April is a quiet month in ATM this year, as many countries observe the fasting month and/or Easter. The next points race is Korea 50k on 29 April, followed by Sierra Madre Trail 75 near Manila and Koboi Malaya Classic 50, the first Malaysian points race of the 2023 season.
Men’s ATM Championship ranking
Alessandro Sherpa (ITA) 950 points (2) - Team Asia Expat
Nguyen Si Hieu (VIE) 925 points (2) - Team Vietnam
Yoyong Sacayle (PHI) 875 points (2) - Team Philippines
Alexander Tilley (GBR) 850 points (2) - Team Asia Expat
Nguyen Tien Vo (VIE) 740 points (2) - Team Vietnam
Elmer Retolado (PHI) 500 points (1) - Team Philippines
Jeff Campbell (CAN) 500 points (1) - Team Hong Kong
Hisashi Kitamura (JPN) 500 points (1) - Team Japan
Narin Kongsiri (THA) 500 points (1) - Team Thailand
Women’s ATM Championship ranking
Irish Glorioso (PHI) 875 points (2) - Team Philippines
Hau Ha (VIE) 500 points (1) - Team Vietnam
Shindy Patricia (INA) 500 points (1) - Team Indonesia
Elizabeth Dangadan (PHI) 500 points (1) - Team Philippines
Katrina Hamlin (GBR) 500 points (1) - Team Hong Kong
Sou Soulivanhthong (LAO) 500 points (1) - Team Laos
Christine Mitchell (GBR) 500 points (1) - Team Asia Expat
