After a thrilling race at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, Hong Kong’s Jeff Campbell and Nepal’s Priya Rai crowned themselves as the new Asia Trail Master Champions. Both elite athletes came out on top of a star-studded field after over 80 km of racing on a treacherous course that saw various re-routes due to heavy rainfall preceeding the start. Campbell and Rai succeed John Ray Onifa and Rashila Tamang, winners of last year in the history of the ATM Championship, while Team Nepal claimed the ATM Team Championship ahead of Team Philippines and the home team Malaysia.

While Priya Rai turned out to be utterly dominant in the women’s competition, leaving Vanja Cnops and defending champion Rashila Tamang no chance, Canadian-born Jeff Campbell had to dig deeper than ever before to salvage an advantage he ran together halfway into the race. First 2022 Champion Arnie Macaneras, and then eternal competitor Hisashi KItamura, appeared hot on his tail in the final 10km , which is notoriously almost entirely uphill to the finish line.

After some early skirmishes following the 5:15 am race start , mostly featuring John Ray Onifa and four of the Nepalese runners, the men’s Final had a first decisive moment around aid station 4 (km 30). Nepalese runners Arjun Rai Kulung and Lokendra Rai missed a marker and went off course by a long way, effectively eliminating themselves from contention. Milan Rai, also still very young, paid better attention and arrived at the aid station in the lead with… Arnie Macaneras, closely followed by home hero Milton Amat, for whom the race seemed to be going perfectly. Jeff Campbell was just a minute behind, but Onifa came in later and visibly struggling with stomach cramps. Kristian Joergensen was next, not looking too happy either. Both Onifa and Joergensen would later throw in the towel at AS 6. Kitamura arrived 13 minutes after Campbell.

A long descent on a re-routed section, all on tarmac, proved ideal for Jeff Campbell to try a move. Gutsy, because we were not even halfway into the race yet. He opened up a substantial gap using his inherent road running speed and by aid station 6 even looked like he could cruise home with nobody really looking to chase him very hard. Not even Milton Amat, who by then showed signs of fatigue and was not in the best shape we had seen him in before when he won TMBT 100 in 2019 and 2022.

The last 28km loop was known to had the sting in the tail. Plenty of runners in the past have cursed the final 10km section over the years, known from the traditional 109km race course. That includes Hisashi Kitamura, who saw race wins go up in smoke there and who had never been able to make a fist anymore, having already burnt all his matches previously. Enter race strategy and race tactics, and the beauty of race pacing.

As a first-timer at TMBT, Jeff Campbell experienced what Kitamura and so many others had gone through before. His pace slowed, his legs began to hurt and the 15-minute gap was melting before the sun, which in fact managed to peak through the cloud cover as well on occasion. Arnie Macaneras had timed his last attack to perfection and came closer and closer as they started going uphill for the last 10km, as can be revisited via the GPS dot track asia platform. Campbell became aware of the threat, as he saw Macaneras arriving at the last water station just as he was leaving it again. However, what nobody had really noticed up until then was that Japan’s Hisashi Kitamura was also suddenly coming on strongly!

With 5km left to go, Campbell looked cooked, but so was Macaneras. Major cramps all of a sudden ended his challenge and attempt to secure the ATM Championship for the second time in his career. 'Arnie would settle for third, because Kitamura stormed by desperate to still catch Campbell in the dying moments of the race. In the end, Jeff Campbell managed to hold on to a slender advantage of just over two minutes to clinch his first ever ATM title, after scoring 9 race victories in our series already since early 2018. A wonderful achievement by someone who used to be the King of Short Distance, but has now fully grown into a long distance racer as well. Hisashi KItamura was nevertheless a happy second. His strategy nearly paid off, the question can be asked whether he left it a little too late.

The performance of the young Priya Rai should also be underlined as it was her first race of more than 50km. Winner of both Nepalese points races in April, she grabbed the bull by the horns nonetheless and immediately applied pressure on co-favourites Vanja Cnops and Rashila Tamang. Contrary to Jeff Campbell in the men, Priya did not slow down at all in the last uphill. A fantastic performance by another young talent of whom we have definitely not yet seen the last. Singapore’s Vanja Cnops again settled for second on the the podium, while Rashila Tamang took a solid third - being plagued by some leg discomfort. Rashila required her fighting spririt at the end to keep Vietnam’s Loi Leung at bay. South Korea’s Hee Joo Jang was a surprisingly strong fifth, finishing just over two minutes behind Loi Leung at the finish.

Photo by Priya

Outgoing champion John Ray Onifa and behind him co-favourite Kristian Joergensen both called it a day at AS 6 (km 55)

Season 9, the shortest season in the history of the Asia Trail Master Championship that ran from December 2023 to September 2024 will have an explosive conclusion this Saturday at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia. The start list of the 78km long Championship race is full of regional trail elites, even to the extent that nobody can say for sure who will be the successors of John Ray Onifa, Rashila Tamang and Team Philippines as ATM Champions. In fact, we are happy to see that both Onifa (Philippines) and Tamang (Nepal) will be defending their titles so the likelihood of someone scoring a second ATM Championship victory are higher than ever - with also 2022 Champion Arnie Macaneras and 2018’s Alessandro Sherpa in the race along Mount Kinabalu on Saturday.

Borneo TMBT Ultra is one of Southeast Asia’s true trail classics and we are indeed delighted that the Borneo Ultras team led by Mr Claus Pedersen and Ms Aileen Yong decided to host this year’s ATM Final in cooperation with Sabah Tourism. TMBT hardly needs an introduction, it’s the 12th edition of an event where beauty and challenge go hand in hand. The runners in the ATM Final, who all qualified by scoring points in races on the ATM calendar throughout the season and finishing in the top five of their country’s points ranking, will embark on a modified and partially unique course of 78km with a separate 5am starting time. One hour later, at sunrise, there will be the flag off of the standard open public 110km and 50km races.

Trail fans can follow the race via the livestreams and video updates on Asia Trail Master’s Facebook and YouTube channels, with updates on Instagram as well. Moreover, a live GPS tracking platform allows anyone to follow one’s favourite runner in real time along the course.

John Ray Onifa is for several people still the top favourite to retain his title, but the Filipino star has been less dominant than he was last year. It is unlikely he will distance his closest rivals again by more than hour, as he did at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Indonesia last December. Still, Onifa is no stranger to TMBT - having won the 50km race here last year. He also returned from Europe two weeks ago with some frustration for not having achieved the results he had wanted. A competitive athlete whose pride got hurt can be double as dangerous. The fact that his compatriot Arnie Macaneras is also in the race on Saturday will motivate him even more. After all, Onifa and Macaneras both like to be considered the ‘number 1’ in their own country. In trail running, the top guys seldom compete against each other and, regardless of the others, Onifa vs Macaneras is a fantastic race-within-the-race that will keep Filipino trail fans on the edge of their seats this Saturday.

As long as they do not hurt each other so that someone else benefits to steal the bigger prize. Jeff Campbell managed to outpace Onifa in Singapore last June in his comeback race after a long injury break. Milton Amat is the home favourite in Sabah, having won TMBT 100 already twice in 2019 and 2022. In both races he managed to keep Hisashi Kitamura behind, the fast Japanese runner who has been chasing the ATM Championship title and a race win at TMBT for five years now. The ‘Karate Kit’ claims he is now in the best shape ever and has specifically trained on the last 10km of the course, the relentless uphill section where he got overtaken by Milton Amat the first time. Alessandro Sherpa is a pure Championship competitor and has been preparing himself in Bali and Chiang Mai since late July. After the title in 2018, 3rd place in 2022 and 2nd last year, the Italian hopes he will be the first runner to be crowned ATM Champion twice. Another expat, Kristian Joergensen from Denmark residing in Philippines, came third last year and is keen to improve on that result - having been successful in Malaysian races before. Joergensen had a wisdom tooth removed last week, so he may start with a handicap. The list of victory and podium candidates goes very deep, but one ‘dark horse’ is certainly worth mentioning still: Nepal’s Arjun Rai Kulung. The long ultra specialist will be making his debut in Malaysia and its heat and humidity levels, having qualified by doing both Nepalese ATM points races back in April. We know Arjun is strong and resilient. Does he have the fast pace to follow the others over 78km in the climate of Borneo? For sure, he is the biggest question mark of all the contenders in the men’s race.

The women’s race is projected to be equally exciting to follow. Rashila Tamang and Vanja Cnops will continue their battle of last year’s Final in Indonesia. While Cnops has the advantage of having already won TMBT 50km twice, Tamang also has some Malaysian racing experience under her belt. The defending ATM Champion seems fully recovered from the injury that plagued her early in the season and has been able to focus fully on her running over the months. Can she keep Cnops behind again? The Singapore-based Belgian is an outstanding short distance trail runner, but once beyond 50km her pace always seems to decline. Always smiling, Cnops does have a fighter’s spirit and after so many race victories in ATM, the motivation seems there to make 2024 her year. When the invitations were sent out to all qualified athletes, Vanja Cnops was the first to confirm her participation. However, it’s not only going to be between Rashila and Vanja. For starters, just like Onifa and his teammates, there are other Nepalese girls who might just as well win on Saturday! Priya Rai won both 50k races in Nepal in April and has been racing internationally before. One caveat: Priya has never gone beyond 50k in racing trim. That’s not the case for Padam Kumari Sunwar, winner of MTR 100km. And Chhoki Sherpa never finishes far behind Rashila when they race together. Could Vietnam’s Loi Leung take centre stage? Flying perhaps under the radar, let’s not forget she won Lam Dong Trail last year ahead of none other than Angelie Cabalo, who finished 3rd in last year’s Final behind Tamang and Cnops. By the same token, Loi Leung was pushed down to second place in Cuc Phuong 42km this year by Japan’s Akane Nemoto, another runner who should not be underestimated at TMBT. Small detail: Loi Leung and Akane Nemoto share the same coach as Hau Ha. What can we expect from the Philippines’ ladies this weekend? Julieann Morales won three ATM races this season and is faster than she’s ever been. TMBT will be her first race abroad, however. Also from Mindanao, Shally Yuson has probably been the young woman who has visibly been getting ever more competitive race after race. Clearly motivated for a good result in her first ATM Final, Yuson can be in the mix for the top positions on a 78km distance. The same applies for Cristine Montuya, another newcomer. Mary Joy Sumanda and the “reborn” Irish Glorioso complete a competitive and robust Filipino women’s squad, which gives them cards to play in their pursuit of also retaining the ATM Team Championship title. Team Malaysia will do everything they can to prevent that, of course. The 2022 Team Champions were off the pace a year ago, but now field a similarly strong team as the Filipinos. Rejlen James and Shamiera Auther are probably the two runners who can aim for the individual race win, with Adelinah and Lolita Lintanga, and Lynda Marylyn backing them up. Rejlen has been almost unbeatable on home soil in Sabah since the end of covid, and a year ago she had the better of Indonesia’s ultrarunning icon Shindy Patricia in TMBT 100. If Rejlen can keep her head together during the race, many people will be surprised how fast and tough she can be. But what about youngster Shamiera Auther? One of Malaysia’s greatest trail talents of late, Shamiera has been - wisely - restricting herself to 50-60k and shorter races, winning or podiuming them, but has accepted the opportunity to compete for Team Malaysia on the longer distance of 78km. Many insiders will be very keen to find out how she fares. She has been excellent in not attracting any attention to herself over the past weeks….

While Team Pilipinas and Team Malaysia are the obvious teams to watch for the Team Championship, one should not ignore some of the others. On paper, Team Hong Kong and Team Nepal are strong, and so is Team Japan. Also Singapore and Brunei have complete teams with three men and three women, the minimum requirement for a team ranking.

The outgoing and defending ATM Champions this Saturday: John Ray Onifa and Rashila Tamang

The home favourite: Sabah's Milton Amat has won TMBT twice already

Alessandro Sherpa: Champion in 2018, third in 2022, 2nd in 2023. Highly motivated to be number 1 again

The Dark Horse: Nepal's Arjun Rai Kulung runs in ATM for the first time outside his home country

After 3rd and 2nd the past two seasons, can Vanja Cnops win the biggest prize this Saturday?

Rejlen James: after covid she has been almost unbeatable on home soil in Sabah

Julieann Morales: pretty outstanding on home soil this season, can she also do it abroad?

Nepal's Priya Rai is used to 50km races. Can she keep her high level on Saturday's 78km?

The race course of the 2024 Asia Trail Master Championship Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Sabah, Malaysia, has been finalised by the technical team of the event. The 78km long course will feature the usual highlights, such as Pineapple Ridge, plus a few unique and never before used trail sections. The start venue at Lingkubang and the finish venue at Perkasa Hotel in Kundasang are the same as for the 110km regular race, and the ATM Finalists will also pass by Kundasang already a first time for Aid Station 6, which is approx km 50.

As you can see on the map, runners go from the start in a mostly southern direction towards Kundasang, before entering a loop of 28km around Liposu (WS10) and Kibbas (WS11). From Kibbas it is basically uphill for 8km to the finish line, so contenders for the championship title still need a few matches to burn when they hit that final section! Remember local hero Milton Amat still passing Hisashi Kitamura for the win there in 2019!

Borneo is known to be potentially very hot and humid by nature. However, TMBT has always been more moderate in this context as the race course gradually goes upwards to above 1000m and even finishes at 1400m above sea level. The ATM Final also starts at 5am, one hour earlier than the open public race and therefore still in darkness.

Stay tuned in the coming few days for more updates on what promises to be a real nail biter this Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s race have several contenders for the victory and the title. Also the ATM Team Championship will likely see a tight battle between several country teams.

Season IX is approaching its big and exciting conclusion at the Championship Final hosted by Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia in just under a month’s time. Points have been scored since mid-December last year, and the qualifiers in each country have been identified. The five highest male and female scorers per country in our ‘best-of-four’ points system will team up to compete for the individual and team championship titles, provided they have completed minimum two races on our calendar during the past nine months. Indeed, this has also been the shortest competitive season since our inaugural championship in 2015. Popular demand made us move forward the date of our Championship Final towards Q3 rather than the end of the year.

It will be the third year in a row that the ATM Champions will be crowned following a 1-day shoot-out between the best performers of the season in our series. A format that has definitely boosted excitement and anticipation for trail running fans and Asia’s competitive-minded trail runners. For some, just being part of their country’s team in the ATM Final is the goal, but for the elites it is a real opportunity to focus, challenge and test themselves against runners hailing from the same region or continent. A chance to be in a proper race for podium, prizes and recognition before a potential step further up the ladder at the sport’s global level.

Regularity also matters in sport and any elite can have a bad day on the day of the Championship Final. Hence, we also like to highlight the runners who in the course of the past season have scored the highest points totals: the Points King and the Points Queen. This year, the honour goes to Malaysia’s Wilsen Singgin and Philippines’ Julieann Morales! Both athletes have totalled 1900 ATM points in four races, more than any other male or female runner.

Wilsen Singgin managed to score two ATM race wins and, interestingly, both in the 50km medium distance category. The Sabahan has been around since 2019 and built up a reputation as one of the strongest and most technically-skilled long ultra runners in Southeast Asia, but this season his focus has very much been on the 50km - with great success. Younger than Sabah’s stars Milton Amat, Gustin Tiam and Daved Simpat, Singgin looked a bit stuck last year but his increased running pace this year has boosted his performances again. To the extent, he might just as well pull off an upset at Borneo TMBT next month - particularly if it were to be a wet and technical race. In the final points standings, Singgin preceeds Filipino Jevie Cagatin, who scored 1800 points, and fellow Malaysian Mohd Sulhan with 1750.

Davao’s Julieann Morales was outstanding from December to March when she won Mount Apo Sky Race 100, Bagtit Ultra 100 and Mount Kalatungan Ultra 80 and all three in great style ahead of other qualifiers for the ATM Final. It gave her a safe margin to take a rest from the ATM circuit and see what the others are doing. However, as also Angelie Cabalo found out, three race results - even though all victories - are insufficient in Philippines with so many strong competitors and a ‘best-of four’ points system. Even though Morales was unable to win her fourth race - The Punisher - and could only take 4th place after arriving late at the start line, she still totals 25 points more in the overall ranking than second-placed Adelinah Lintanga from Malaysia, and 50 more than Rejlen James, also Malaysian. Julieann Morales is our Points Queen of Season IX. Let’s hope she can also make it to Borneo TMBT. Morales has never traveled abroad and is currently awaiting the delivery of her (first) international passport.

Forever competitive: Wilsen Singgin won in Simpur and KAR this year

Three victories in four ATM races: Julieann Morales had one heck of a season

Season IX of the Asia Trail Master Championship series is gradually approaching its conclusion. With less than two months to go until Borneo TMBT Ultra, this year’s Championship Final race, the various country rankings are becoming increasingly definite. Still, the remaining four points race events on the calendar will be important for many runners aiming to qualify for their country’s team in Malaysia on 14 September. Particularly in this season’s home country Malaysia - the team champions of 2022 - the 10-person roster is not yet decided. The same applies for reigning team champions Philippines, although a few runners there are already certain of their qualification.

Among those are the reigning men’s ATM Champion John Ray Onifa and his predecessor Arnie Macaneras. Both obtained their wild card as former champions by finishing two ATM points races this season. They won’t be the only past champions in Borneo TMBT. Also current female champion Rashila Tamang from Nepal will aim to defend her title, most likely supported by several other Nepalese runners. Team Nepal could become a challenger for Phillipines and Malaysia in the team championship, which is based on the performances of the best 3 men and best 3 women in a team. Also Team Singapore can spring a surprise this season.

2018 men’s champion Alessandro Sherpa has been coming close to winning a second ATM title with a 3rd place finish on Mt Apo in 2022, and a 2nd place on Gunung Lawu last year. Nobody has ever won an ATM Championship twice, and Sherpa - always strong when it really matters - is going to try again at TMBT, a race he has already done before. Vietnam’s Hau Ha - female champion in 2022 - has also secured her wild card, but her participation is very much dependent on what happens in Chamonix at the end of august. Another certain qualifier , and one of the top favourites in the men’s race , is Japan’s Hisashi Kitamura. After having firmly settled in Tokyo, the Karate Kit is back at his best, as he proved on Mt Daisetsu by finishing 15 minutes ahead of Hong Kong’s Jeff Campbell, who in turn managed to beat John Ray Onifa in Singapore a month ago. With home runner Milton Amat most likely earning his spot in the team this coming weekend at KAR, the stage is set for a very exciting ATM Final once again!

Qualified runners will be contacted by ATM very soon, starting with those certain of their spot after the KAR Ultra event this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, runners can check our dedicated ATM Web section on Borneo TMBT Ultra here.

The (draft) course of the 2024 ATM Championship Final goes from A to B

Alessandro Sherpa: 2018 ATM Champion

Arnie Macaneras: 2022 ATM Champion

John Ray Onifa: 2023 ATM Champion

Rashila Tamang: 2023 ATM Champion

Hau Ha: 2022 ATM Champion

Season IX is in full swing and with just under five months to go before the Championship Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra in Malaysia on 14 September, it’s time for a first more detailed look at the country rankings, which lead to qualification for the country teams in the final race. The competition has been hot in the Philippines already, as most of the domestic races have already been concluded and filipinos are also keen travellers. Important to note is that the reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa has already scored his wild card for this year’s final by completing the 9 Dragons 50k and Lantau 70. This means Team Pilipinas can have 11 runners, or maybe even 12, if also 2022 champion Arnie Macaneras gets his wild card in the coming months. Macaneras did 9 Dragons 50/50 in February, so one more ATM race finish is sufficient for him. In the battle for points, Maynard Encornal is currently leading the ranking after three solid races including a win at Bagtit Ultra 100. Florence ‘Enciong’ Alave is in second, but 1265 points in four races is probably not going to be enough. Remember this is a ‘best-of-four points system’, so many other competitive runners will be catching up soon. Several relative new names on the board add to the excitement in Philippines, while Sean Aying has again managed to be in the mix, too. On the women’s side, Christine Montuya and Shally Yuson already scored points in four races, and even a substantial amount! Montuya was the upset winner of Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in March, but it’s Julie Ann Morales who has been undefeated in all three of her ATM races this season. While Montuya and Yuson currently can take a breather, the battle for the five top positions promises to be big in the coming months. Moreover, The Punisher in Mindanao on 10 August will be the all-deciding last points race of the season before the ATM Final..

Contrary to the Philippines, trail action in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan - amongst others - is picking up now. Traditionally, also in Malaysia there is a tight contest between many runners to try and get inside the top five and into Team Malaysia. Especially as this year’s Final is in Sabah, Malaysia. No surprise therefore to see Milton Amat, Wilsen Singgin, Rejlen James already with points on the board. There’s plenty of other East Malaysian talent we are likely to hear much more about in the coming months: Shamiera Auther, Adelinah Lintanga, Yasbie Ismail, Maikol Oswald and good old Gustin Tiam. The next two Malaysian points races are coming soon with Silabur Cave Trail and Tioman 50, and of course UTSG 50 in Singapore is also close by.

In Vietnam, a very competitive men’s team is coming together after two races in the country already. Nguyen Si Hieu has marked this season’s Final dark red in his race calendar, and so no surprise he is leading the points ranking in Vietnam. Nguyen Tien Vo keeps improving and has just celebrated his first ATM victory at Cuc Phuong 100. Also Tu Do is a talent who has become a regular contender in races. On the female side, Loi Luong has put herself on the board and is one of those up & comers in Southeast Asia who could deliver a big surprise in September.

Nepal could be fielding a very strong team for the first time after two events took place in the country, giving local runners the opportunity to score the necessary points and race finishes. Reigning ATM Champion Rashila Tamang has secured her wild card by finishing Lantau 70 and Manjushree Trail 50. From an ATM perspective, she can focus on a full recovery from her thigh injury in order to be back at her best when defending her title at TMBT in September. Rashila could be joined by some other strong female runners, such as Priya Rai in the first place. Priya looked outstanding in both her 50k wins a few weeks ago. On the men’s side, Milan Kulung Rai and Lokendra Rai digested the combo MTR-Jumla Rara better than some of their better-known compatriots and are 1-2 in the points ranking. Also Hong Kong-based Dina Bagale and MTR 100 Miles winner Arjun Rai Kulung are currently qualified.

On the Japanese side, Tomohiro Mizukoshi and Akane Nemoto have already done well to get two solid results in the books. The same applies for Hong Kongers Luis Alvelais, Angie Yan - one of the revelations this season - , Naomi Fung and Kimmy Hong Kiu Leung. John Ellis is reportedly aiming for his wild card as 2019 champion, and Jeff Campbell is soon returning from a prolongued injury break to try and get himself qualified for the third year in a row. The Asia Expat team has seen 2018 champion and 2023 vice-champion Alessandro Sherpa already collecting his wild card, and also last year’s 3rd place Kristian Joergensen has clocked in two results already. As it goes, not all “expats” ranked are actually living in Asia, but in theory there’s a strong team in the making on both the male and female side.

To check the full ranking, please visit our dedicated webpage and the links to the male and female rankings.

We are very happy to announce that the 2024 Asia Trail Master Championship's ‘Season’s Final’ will be held in Malaysia at the classic and very popular Borneo TMBT Ultra event in Sabah! The event hardly needs an introduction. TMBT is the oldest trail event in Malaysia and one of the oldest in South East Asia overall. It has been a member of our Championship series for many seasons already and - in line with our calendar readjustment - is the perfect host for the conclusion of Season IX (9). Scheduled for Saturday, 14 September 2024, the ATM Championship Final race will take place on a special and dedicated course of approx 78km with qualified runners only. The event programme of course also features the traditional 100km, 50km, 30 km, 37 km Night Run, 12km and 7.5 km family run, and these are open for the general public.

It will be the second time the ATM Championship Final takes place in Malaysia. In 2019, the Malaysia Mountain Trail Festival (MMTF) in Taiping took the honours and did so in great style. John Ellis and Veronika Vadovicova crowned themselves as the last champions before the covid pandemic. Borneo TMBT Ultra is centred around Mount Kinabalu, a world heritage site with spectacular views to the mountain throughout the race course. Racepack collection is in Sabah’s capital Kota Kinabalu and the event is organised and managed by the well-established local team of Borneo Ultra Trails, led by Claus Pedersen and Aileen Yong.

The ATM Final will be held on a specifically designed course that brings together the best and most scenic parts of the traditional 100k and 50k courses, connected by some brand new trail sections. The (in)famous Pineapple Ridge is of course also included. The total race distance will - as usual - measure around 78km and the total elevation gain is estimated at over 4500 hm, which is significant. There are some technical jungle trail sections, but the majority of the trails are quite runable, so the main obstacle for many participants will likely be the heat and humidity of the region. The race will start in Lingkubang at 5 am, roughly one hour before sunrise. The finish line is at the Perkasa Hotel in Kundasang.

As in the past two years since covid, runners need to qualify for the ATM Championship Final by scoring ATM points throughout the season. Per Asian country, maximum five male and five female runners - the highest point scorers - will receive the invitation to join the final race. A minimum of 2 ATM race finishes is required for everyone.

The reigning ATM Champions are John Ray Onifa (Philippines) and Rashila Tamang (Nepal). Both have already qualified to defend their respective titles at TMBT. The defending team champion is Team Philippines. Host nation Malaysia last held the ATM Team title in 2022.

Below is the Borneo TMBT Ultra event website, where you can find all details on the event and also register for the open public races.. All specific information and details about the ATM Championship Final will also be published, as usual, on the ATM Website on our dedicated webpage here.

Of course, the event is also open for everyone else with several race categories on offer

A 3-time winner of his home race, including in his last 2 appearances in 2019 and 2022: Milton Amat. Can he become the 3rd Malaysian ATM Champion after Tahira Najmunisaa (2016) and Steven Ong (2017)?

Podium placers in last year’s ATM Final in Indonesia

Last year’s ATM Team Champions: Team Philippines!

Have a genuine Borneo experience at TMBT!

Always around during TMBT : Mount Kinabalu

Last year’s Team Malaysia.

[Updated]

After a beautiful race at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Tawanmangu, Central Java, Indonesia, Philippines’ John Ray Onifa and Nepal’s Rashila Tamang crowned themselves as the 2023 Asia Trail Master champions. While Onifa dominated the 77km long men’s race from start to finish in one of his most impressive trail displays ever, Tamang battled with Singapore-based Vanja Cnops throughout the race and, eventually, won thanks to her superior descending skills coming down from Mount Lawu (3250m). Team Philippines won the ATM Team Championship.

The qualified ATM finalist runners took off in all-by-all good weather conditions at sunrise in Tawangmangu, near Solo in Central Java, Indonesia. Torrential rainfall in the days leading up to the race had caused some to fear a slow mudfest instead of the relatively runable trail course on paper. Always a fast starter, John Ray Onifa was clearly not intimidated by all the other stars and race favourites. By the second aid station he already had a gap on rising local star Risqi Kurniawan, who had scored 3 ATM race wins within Indonesia but never really competed at this level previously. Kristian Joergensen and Alessandro Sherpa followed a bit further, and then came Jeff Campbell with Hisashi Kitamura, the latter fresh from a 1:12 half marathon in Japan two weeks prior. Fastest woman was Singapore-based Belgian Vanja Cnops, just like a year ago, but Nepal’s Rashila Tamang stayed surprisingly close and immediately showed she was going to be for real. Angelie Cabalo was third, followed by Shindy Patricia - the most experienced female favourite and title candidate after her best ATM campaign ever with three race wins and a second place (Shindy Patricia is the 2023 overall female points leader in our ranking this year).

At the foot of Gunung Lawu, the highlight of the course with a long ascent and descent and its peak at 3250m above sea level, Onifa had already built up a gap of 20 minutes over his first two chasers. Looking powerful and totally lucid, Onifa already then seemed to have wrapped things up - as long as he stayed concentrated. Risqi Kurniawan on the other hand appeared to be struggling. Just before the gate to the mountain climb, he got caught by Sherpa and was even immediately under pressure by the Italian’s pace. Sherpa was having a good day - as always on the days when it really matters. Between AS 2 and AS 3 he even dropped Kristian Joergensen by a few minutes - which later even turned out to be decisive for their dual. Jeff Campbell was a bit in no man’s land by himself in fifth place, not far behind the other chasers but any hopes of still catching Onifa were fading quickly. The same applied for Kitamura, who later admitted that on a high mountain course like Siksorogo Lawu Ultra - fifth was the best result possible. The Karate Kit had to work for that, nevertheless, as Yoyong Sacayle from Philippines stayed within a minute for nearly the whole day. From a competitive viewpoint, Sacayle’s running pace was arguably the surprise of the men’s race. Known as a very skilled technical trail runner, he has found some good speed in his legs now, too, which looks very promising for 2024.

In the women’s race, Vanja only managed to open up a gap of about five minutes to Rashila Tamang as they began the Lawu ascent. Quite a long way behind them, Angelie Cabalo, Shindy Patricia, Rachel Chan and Akane Nemoto were close to each other. Siti Nuraini was further back, but on Lawu used her mountain trail abilities to bridge the gap with the aforementioned.

During the Lawu summit attack, the men’s order remained unchanged. Except that we were suddenly missing Risqi Kurniawan. Later it turned out he had made a U-turn shortly after beginning the main climb. Kudoes to the 26-year-old Indonesian for trying to keep up with Onifa and then Sherpa. It was brave to try, certainly without meaningful international racing experience. Meanwhile on the summit, Onifa had extended his lead even slightly more. Sherpa held onto second place and kept Joergensen in check by a few minutes. Vanja Cnops reached the top as first female, but as soon as they started the descent was caught and passed by Rashila Tamang. The Nepalese runner used all of her mountain trail experience to full effect to descend like a hawk and applied serious pressure on the more prudent Vanja Cnops - who still combines trail racing with road racing all year round. As they reached AS 5 following the Lawu descent, Rashila had built a lead of twelve minutes! The big question then: can Vanja switch her engine back on in the more flattish and runable remaining 25km of the race? Behind the top duo, Shindy Patricia battled her way passed Angelie Cabalo.

In the early afternoon, most participants had to cope with one or two heavy rain showers. The water affected especially those still on the Lawu trail, which became slippery and treacherous in parts. Up front, Onifa just kept powering on and in the end ran to the finish completely unbothered by anyone or anything. His finish time of 9h45 even exceeded his own expectation of 10 hours. For the second consecutive year, the men’s Asia Trail Master Championship title goes to a Filipino runner after Arnie Macaneras last year (Macaneras pulled out of this year's race a week previously citing a lack of training). 32-year-old John Ray Onifa had been dominant in our series since July with six race wins and no losses prior to Siksorogo. He has won the championship shoot-out, but also finishes the 2023 season with first place on the overall ATM points ranking.

Alessandro Sherpa secured second place by keeping a charging Kristian Joergensen behind until the finish. A fine performance by the 2018 ATM Champion, who last year scored third in the Mt Apo Final. With three ATM Championship podiums, Sherpa is the most successful runner in our series ever. Staying ahead of Joergensen and Jeff Campbell - on sheer pace - certainly raised a few eyebrows and further boosts his legacy as a competitive trail runner in Asia - where he is now staying just a few months per year. Kitamura secured his anticipated fifth place, just ahead of Malaysia’s Wilsen Singgin - who once again came to the foreground in the second part of the race. Singgin managed to grab sixth just ahead of Yoyong Sacacle. Another Indonesian, Akhmad Nizar, did well with 8th ahead of Yuta Matsuyama and Alex Tilley, who rounded up the men’s top ten after Malaysia’s Amierul Amin suffered from nasty cramps in the final kilometers.

Vanja Cnops pushed as much as she still could and did come closer, but in the end not close enough. Rashila Tamang is the first Nepalese ATM Champion. A wonderful success and proof of all the good things we had seen and heard of her during the season. While not exactly a newbie with already six years of experience, also for Rashila it has not been easy to get the required travel documents for racing internationally. Her visa for Indonesia only arrived three days before the race and just in time to catch the flight from Kathmandu. Let’s see if her ATM Championship title inspires many more Nepalese runners to raise their game and compete for international podiums against fellow-Asian athletes. In any case, we may have a points race in Nepal next April: the Jumla Rara Ultra was a solid Candidate Race this season…

Always smiling, Vanja Cnops expressed her happiness with second place, one place better than in the Final a year ago. While everyone at the finish line was expecting Shindy Patricia to take third place, it was instead Angelie Cabalo who appeared and crossed the line. The Filipino had shown great mental resilience by chasing and then overtaking Shindy again in the final five kilometres. A few minutes later, the experienced Indonesian admitted that Cabalo just had too much running pace in her still. Fourth place for Shindy, just like last year. ATM points leader 2023 is her price of comfort. Siti Nuraini scored fifth place with a great second half of the race. Akane Nemoto, struggling in the rainy descent, had to settle for sixth in her ATM debut season. Hong Kong’s Rachel Chan, second in MMTF 100 four weeks prior, took seventh place. The top ten was completed by Tamae Harada (fine result!), Yustina Wardhani (third Indonesian in the top ten!) and Mary Joy Sumanda, who stayed ahead of her compatriot Cecille Wael in another unexpected performance boost.

Team Philippines took over the ATM Team Championship title from Malaysia. While the Indonesian women scored a fantastic team result, two of the men in their team DNFd, which eliminated their chances. Thailand had a decent overall performance but without a stand-out performer in the top ten it was always going to be hard to win the team competition. Defending champions Malaysia knew beforehand it was going to be difficult this year as some of the country’s key runners were missing from the roster for a variety of reasons. On top, Amir Zaki had returned sick from a business trip to Europe and Rejlen James - a serious podium candidate for the women’s race - unfortunately had her day of the month on race day. Team Pilipinas was the favourite, and they delivered in great style with Onifa, of course, but also Cabalo, Sacayle, Versola and Sumanda as ‘over achievers’, compensating somewhat for Sean Aying and Cecille Wael, who both had a tough time on Lawu. Great team work!

ATM Championship SLU 77km - Men:

1. John Ray Onifa (PHI) - New Asia Trail Master Champion

2. Alessandro Sherpa (ITA/Asia Expat)

3. Kristian Joergensen (DEN/Asia Expat)

4. Jeff Campbell (CAN/Hong Kong)

5. Hisashi Kitamura (JPN)

6. Wilsen Singgin (MAS)

7. Yoyong Sacayle (PHI)

8. Akhmad Nizar (INA)

9. Yuta Matsuyama (JPN)

10. Alex Tilley (GBR/Asia Expat)

ATM Championship SLU 77km - Women:

1. Rashila Tamang (NPL)

2. Vanja Cnops (BEL/SIN)

3. Angelie Cabalo (PHI)

4. Shindy Patricia (INA)

5. Siti Nuraini (INA)

6. Akane Nemoto (JPN)

7. Rachel Chan (HKG)

8. Tamae Harada (JPN)

9. Yustina Wardhani (INA)

10. Mary Joy Sumanda (PHI)

ATM TEAM Champions : PHILIPPINES

• John Ray Onifa

• Yoyong Sacayle

• Avelino Versola III

• Sean Aying

• Angelie Cabalo

• Mary Joy Sumanda

• Cecille Wael

• Irish Glorioso

• Roan Biguasen

This Saturday, teams of qualified runners will compete for the 2023 Asia Trail Master Male, Female and Team Championship titles at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia . A 77 km race with over 5000 hm, including the magnificent ascent and descent of Gunung Lawu. The race starts at sunrise 5am local time and by sunset we should know the new Asia Trail Master champions, successors to Arnie Macaneras and Hau Ha. Plenty of candidates for the victory again - the form of the day may also be crucial!

Stay tuned for news, updates and of course the live action on Saturday all day via our usual channels. Livestreams from the runner presentation on Friday afternoon, race start and finish plus intermediate flash updates can be watched via ATM Facebook. ATM YouTube and ATM X channels (previously called twitter). Regular photo updates will go on ATM Instagram and ATM Facebook.

Now on ATM YouTube, and ATM facebook, an Interview with the 2022 female Asia Trail Master Champion Hau Ha, conducted in her hometown Sapa in the Northwest of Vietnam, a few weeks after her amazing performance on the global stage in Chamonix. Hau logically won't be defending her ATM title this coming weekend at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra as her focus is now entirely on being competitive in the world's biggest races. Here's a look back on her inspiring running journey, which had its seeds already in childhood, but they only came to fruition in 2020 - just three years ago. She talks about how she started competing, the difficulties that came with it, the challenging race on Mount Apo last season and of course her successful European adventure this summer. Hau Ha, mother of a six-year-old son, also dedicates her running successes to all single mums.

Hau Ha is speaking in her native language Vietnamese, subtitles in English are provided.

Following Ha Hau Runner 's story, we also talked to her mentor and coach Guim Valls, who provides an extra layer of insight, including his interesting views on how to best prepare for competition.

By now everyone knows this year’s Asia Trail Master Championship will be concluded in Indonesia, with the deciding race being Siksorogo Lawu Ultra in Central Java on 2/3 December. But do you know the event also has many open race categories - that is, besides the ATM Final race? So, why not join and support your national country team members for their big appointment, and then run yourself, too? You can choose between 15km, 30km, 50km and - indeed - the 77km. The latter is on exactly the same course as the ATM Final, but starts two hours later.

Siksorogo Lawu Ultra is one of the most popular trail events in Indonesia, especially as Tahura Trail in Bandung has still not returned post-covid. Highly applauded for technical event organisation and overall event atmosphere, Siksorogo will be a wonderful trail party and an exciting end of our season VIII. Gunung Lawu is one of those many Indonesian 3000m+ mountain summits and the central point of the race. But there’s a lot of sightseeing options in the area as well. The event is held in Karanganyar, near Solo (a.k.a. Surakarta) and Yogyakarta, cities with a lot of Javanese history. Solo is famous as a stronghold and center of Javanese culture and tradition. It features two royal houses in one single city: the Kraton of Solo and the Mangkunegaran, a principality. Descendants of these two royal houses are still considered leaders today. A quick google search will provide you with loads of links to attractions and tourism options in the area, including visits to the old royal palace, batik and antique markets, historical temples and waterfalls. If you have more time on your hands during your visit to the Siksorogo event, you could even consider a trip to nearby Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world and widely considered as one of the seven world wonders. A great and relaxing opportunity perhaps for the day after the race on Sunday, on the way back to Yogyakarta, where most runners will fly in and out of.

Regular registration for the open races will begin in August via the website below. The second button links to a write-up of hikers’ experiences climbing up Gunung Lawu, which may serve as some background information, and stimulation as well!

 

With Mantra 116 last week we entered the second half of Season VIII (8) in the Asia Trail Master Championship, so let’s take a quick look at the situation in the country rankings with a view to the great ATM Final event in Indonesia on 2/3 December: Siksorogo Lawu Ultra. Runners need to qualify for that final race by ending the season within the Top 5 of their country, and finish at least 2 ATM races. Former ATM champions can get a wild card as long as they meet that latter requirement.

On top of the standings overall, we find Malaysia’s Amir Zaki and Philippines’ Roan Biguasen. Both have been busy in the first semester and already put three and four points results in the bank, respectively. For Biguasen, it means she has already arrived at the consolidation phase: only a runner’s best four race results are taken into account. She has 1690 points, courtesy of three second-places (V Trail 85, Orang Utan Trail 50 and Trail of Man 55) and one seventh place (Sierra Madre Trail). Her goal is now to turn that 7th place into a 6th place or better in her next race. Biguasen already tried to do so at Mantra 116 last weekend, but instead suffered a DNF. Always smiling, Biguasen, who lives in Kuala Lumpur and joined Team Ole Athletic, is still very much a newcomer in trail and distance running. Mantra was her first attempt at a high altitude and technical mountain trail. Getting a spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Championship Final is not the easiest task given the sheer quantity of great trail runners in the country, but Biguasen already seems quite safe with her current points total. Her compatriot Irish Glorioso is on the same path with already 1540 points collected in four races this season. Glorioso won the season opener in Laos - V Trail 85 - , but has not been near the podium since. Ample improvement possibilities still in the second semester, and let’s not forget Glorioso was an ATM Finalist last year finishing seventh on Mt Apo! They are the only female runners with four results already in the pocket.

In third place we find Indonesia’s Shindy Patricia: one of the stars of the current season from a purely competitive point of view. Shindy has been around since the beginning of ATM in 2015, was third in the Championship in 2016 and fourth in 2017. She took a bit of a break from our series in 2019 to focus on another project, but returned remarkably last year already with fourth place in the ATM Final and the fastest summit attack on Mt Apo in that race (i.e. faster than dominant race winner Hau Ha!). That level of new-found competitiveness has still been increasing ever since, as Shindy showed by winning Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 100 in Vietnam and Mantra 116 in her home region of Malang in East Java, both times placing among the top 5 male runners.. She now has five ATM race wins on her record. Rumours have it Shindy started working with a new coach, focusing less on quantity and more on quality of performances. It clearly pays off so far! With a maximum of 1000 points in just two races, she should already be quite safe for Team Indonesia qualification. Especially as she has another two ATM races on her programme in the coming months. And here’s an interesting detail: Shindy Patricia knows the ATM Final’s mountain very well: she won a domestic race on Gunung Lawu last year!

T8 Indonesia’s Shindy will not be the only ‘home’ runner at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra with dreams of winning the ATM title, or at least score a genuine podium. At Mantra, not only did former ATM champion Arief Wismoyono show he is still Indonesia’s mountain ultra runner-to-beat, but on the medium distance we saw some of the country’s young trail stars finally compete against some regional competition - and with great success. Risqi Kurniawan hails from Central Java, Magelang - gateway to Borobudur -, and knows Lawu very well, too. He collected his first ever 500 ATM points last week and is signed up for next week’s Dieng Trail Run 50, too. Hilman Maulana and Akmad Nizar, Sobiri Haerudin, Erwin Simanjuntak and Andre Sinaga - the two Sumatra boys who took a great 1-2 in Orang Utan Trail - are all great new faces to follow in the coming months. It may even be tougher than expected to get into the men’s top 5 by the end of November and secure a spot in Team Indonesia, especially as famous Bali-expat Thimo Kilberth has been carefully preparing his race programme to maximise his performances and get onto the team as he did last year. Thinking ahead, Thimo can be a strategic team captain for the others. On the female side, 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia is one race finish away from getting a wild card after finishing Lantau 70 in March. SIti Nuraini, Fitta Emike Sari, Yustina Wardhani, Nia Swastika, Yuni Noor Hayati and Sianti Candra had great runs in Mantra. Let’s see who of them can all make it to the Team by year’s end.

Amir Zaki leads the overall ranking today, and obviously therefore also is in pole position for qualification into Team Malaysia. Something he accomplished also last year. Zaki was known as a short to medium distance runner, but following fatherhood has tried himself out on the long ultras. Winning Borneo Miler in June, and running very intelligently, proved he can also perform in that! His fourth place in Koboi earlier in May, right behind 50k specialist Mohamad Affindi was already a sign Zaki, from Team Crampfix Malaysia, has made a competitive step forward over the winter. Perhaps not yet fully recovered from the Borneo Miler, Zaki had to settle for fifth in Mantra 65 last weekend, but it’s clear he will be one of the spearheads of Team Malaysia in December. He has 1300 points out of three races so far. In his footsteps follows Amierul Amin from Team Ole Athletic, another new youngster making a name for himself in the first semester of 2023. Amin collected 1140 points in three races so far. These two have been going so well, they are gradually applying some pressure on other Malaysian top runners. Milton Amat won Koboi and took 500 points there, but is currently “only” 8th in the ranking with that single result. Obviously, plenty of races left in the second part of the season, including his home race Borneo TMBT in September. The same applies for a.o. Wilsen Singgin. However, just like in Philippines, there’s a lot of runners doing their utmost best to get in the top five, so nothing seems for granted. That applies to the women’s Malaysian team as well. Norlela Ismail - Team La Sportiva Malaysia - tops the ranking so far with 730 points from two solid results in Koboi and Mantra. Nur Amaani Razilan collected 640 points and ranks second so far. Nur Amaani also won Janda Baik Ultra, a Candidate Race, and looks like a strong candidate to enter Team Malaysia for the first time. Vice-ATM Champion Sally Yap got 450 points from her second place in Koboi and currently sits in 6th. Based on her performance on Mount Apo last year, Sally Yap is logically one of the top favourites for the ATM Championship title this year. But to win, you first need to qualify, of course. Sabah’s Rejlen James - who has reportedly moved to Team Sportlicious - is the comeback story of the season so far. James won Borneo Miler and also BUTM 100 - against Sally Yap - even though the latter this year was not a points race. Rejlen James was a race winner on Bromo in 2017 but then disappeared from the scene to give birth. In her footsteps follows a Sabahan youngster from Team Kolumpa, the team managed by the legendary Lintanga sisters. Lynda Marylyn looked good in the Borneo MIler. Let’s see how she fares on shorter distances in the coming months. Also qualified for now is Celeste Teo, and she is a crafty experienced trail runner who might as well focus on securing that spot.

We already put the spotlight on the women’s Team Pilipinas in this article, let’s mention a few words about the men’s . Davao’s Sean Aying is in pole position for qualification at the moment with 1085 points from three races. Aying, a fresh Grandmaster, was already a finalist last year. Just like for Team Malaysia, however, anything can happen in the next few months. Yoyong Sacayle has looked very competitive in two races this year, followed by Maynard Encormal. Reigning ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras scored a 3rd place in Lantau 70, and is just 1 race finish away from securing his wild card. Macaneras, from Team T8, is keen to defend his title in December. Will Elmer Retolado - winner in Santa Ines - recover from his injury in time to boost his points total and earn his spot in Team Pilipinas? What about John Ray Onifa and Larry Apolinario? The men’s pinoy team could potentially appear the strongest of all. On the female side, Elizabeth Dangadan, Angelie Cabalo and Cecille Wael have all already collected a result in Santa Ines. But with busy bees like Biguasen, Glorioso and dark horse Ann Jilian Pulanco, team places won’t come cheap.

Hau Ha was the first ever Vietnamese ATM Champion last year with an overwhelming season culminating in a difficult, and yet ultra dominating victory in the Mt Apo Sky Race. Logically, Hau Ha has been eyeing the world stage for 2023 and also the Vietnamese marathon record on road. It is a question mark whether she will have energy left to defend her ATM title in December. Hau Ha already took an ATM win this season in Dalat and is on the start list of her home race VMM, so a wild card should be no issue. Team Vietnam was the third strongest team in the 2022 Championship, so in any case there’s life besides Hau Ha. Rank 2 to 8 in the women’s is currently only separated by 75 points, so literally everything is still up for grabs. Thi Lan Huong Vu and Huong Nguyen Thi are leading the pack today. Looking at the men’s, Nguyen Si Hieu, Chris Devoize (Frenchman living in Vietnam for over 8 years) and Nguyen Tien Vo are setting the tune with two strong results so far. Nguyen Si Hieu was unable to make it to the Final for professional reasons last year, but can more than make that up at Siksorogo. A very smart performer, Nguyen Si Hieu also has Indonesian experience - having won Mantra 116 last year together with his compatriot Quang Tran. The latter has been the man-to-beat in Vietnam for years, and reportedly has his eyes set on doing better in the ATM Final this year than sixth last year. Without 100 km in the legs from a week before, Quang Tran - a great painter in his free time - can indeed be the outside favourite for the ATM Championship title at Siksorogo. Few people will talk about him, but when he is ready, physically and mentally - watch out!

Team Japan: At this time last year, Hisashi Kitamura was winning everything and had already secured his place in his country’s team. A dip in performance and a bad bout of covid in the autumn jeopardised his chances on Mt Apo and he had to settle for fifth place and the honour of finishing the 2022 ATM season as the overall points leader. Kitamura collected an easy race win in Cuc Phuong 42k early April and has since moved back from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo. His move unfortunately coincided with a bad tumble in the very wet Korea 50k race, which ended with a broken wrist and a serious black eye. ‘Karate Kit’ has only recently resumed training, but his dedication to his ambition to win the ATM Championship remains in tact. Qualification for Team Japan should not be an issue for him. The question is who will join him in Team Japan? Tomohiro Mizukoshi is a near-certainty. The Roppongi runner actually tops the standings with 725 points from two races this season. Deep Japan Ultra last month propelled a number of ‘Japanese star runners’ into the leaderboard. Takashi Doi, Saturo Geya and Kazufumi Ose - just to name them - all could join Kitamura as potential podium placers, even champions, should they dedicate themselves to it. With another points race in Japan coming up next weekend in Hokkaido, we may get a clearer picture already. The same applies for the female team. Hiroko Suzuki leads with 525 points for winning Deep Japan Ultra. No runner has as yet finished two ATM races this season - remember, a minimum requirement.

Team Thailand - UTKC fell into the water in January, and so Thai runners have one race less in their home country to score ATM points. Chiang Mai’s Trail of Man in June delivered some very interesting results, however. Thosaeng Kunno won that race as young newbie to trail and eager to test himself against other strong runners from across the region. He is due to race again at the upcoming Akha Trail. Jay Jantaraboon won Korea 50k and currently sits in the top 5 of the Thai ranking with that. Traditionally, his focus is on the global stage, however, so it seems unlikely he will be part of Team Thailand in our ATM Final on 2/3 December. Narin Kongsiri and Amorn Kimnguan have been doing well, both collecting points in two races already and heading the board. On the female side, Morgan Nisachon was excellent in Trail of Man, her ATM debut. Let’s see if she can follow that up with more in the second semester. Qualification for Team Thailand is still very open today.

Team Hong Kong currently has two near-certainties already with Jeff Campbell (winner in Sierra Madre Trail and Lantau) and Gone Running Teammate Jose Luis Alvelais. Campbell is a potential ATM Champion for sure, and will be happy to know that Gunung Lawu is considered much less technical than Mount Apo. Who will support the Canada-born Campbell at Siksorogo is still open. The same for the women’s Hong Kong Team, as no runner has so far delivered two results this season.

Team South Korea is interesting to follow this year, as they might have another potential ATM champion in the ranks. Kim Jisub has been the benchmark over there for ages, especially on the medium distance. Kim Jisub has reportedly taken an interest in the ATM title and will start his qualification campaign next week at Mt Daisetsu Trail in Hokkaido. With also Ulju Trail 5 Peaks still on the menu end of October, that’s two potential strong race results already - could be enough for Team Korea. Mind you, if he can stimulate some of the other Korean ‘stars’, both male and female, we have a team that can surprise everyone in December.

Qualification for some of the, let’s say, smaller countries is still very much open. Team Australia may have a strong men’s squad, including Andrew Farmers and Washingto Firmeza. Team Singapore may see Deric Lau as a potential top 10 podium candidate. Trung Nguyen likewise. On the women’s side, Vincere Zeng, 8th in the Final last year, is keen to qualify again to keep Singapore in the spotlights, too. Team Brunei was still absent in 2022 following covid, but is looking good to have a decent representation in Indonesia in December. Team Nepal is likely to have one of the smallest teams in the ATM Final, but the two ladies most likely to qualify, Rashila Tamang and Chhiok Sherpa, are both candidates for the podium - and who knows more? They looked good on a flat 50k in Koboi in May, what if they have a high altitude mountain in front of them like Lawu?

We conclude this round-up with Team Asia Expat , as usual a very strong group of runners. Important to remember is that the expat team is not part of the ATM Team Championship, so all runners will only feature in the individual race result. Alex Tilley, based in Penang, has been one of the most active and successful male runners this season and already collected 1250 points. He should be safe already, and he loves mountains so he is a dangerman for the Final. And so is T8’s Alessandro Sherpa as well, of course. The 2018 ATM Champion, also third last year, made sure he got two strong results in the bank before returning to Italy for the summer. Sherpa will return to Asia at some point in Q3 , and is a competitor who knows how to prepare himself, also psychologically, for a big objective. Nobody has ever won the ATM Championship twice, Sherpa - alongside Macaneras - are arguably the most likely men to achieve that feat. Chris Timms, 9th in the Final last year, is a dark horse and is currently a third card Team Asia Expat can play during the 77km long race. On the female side, no protagonist has so far banked two results this season, and so things remain wide open. But we have seen some excellent performances by Katrina Hamlin, Christine Mitchell and last-but-not-least Vanja Cnops. Vanja was third on Mt Apo last year - taking the fight bravely to Hau Ha in the early stages, and putting the Vietnamese runner under pressure for the first time in her running life. Cnops paid the price herself afterwards, though, got a knock of the hammer on the climb and she also had to let Sally Yap pass for second place. As for runners like Campbell and Kitamura, Gunung Lawu will suit Vanja a lot more than Apo…. so who knows?

Check the full ATM 2023 rankings here

https://m.racetimingsolutions.com/rankings/2023