Bukidnon has become a genuine trail running hub alongside Davao in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines, and Point Trail Ultra was testimony to that fact. A solid technical organisation supported by a wonderful vibe created by the various local and regional trail communities made PTU one of the standout experiences of the current season. On top, Bukidnon ace Shally Yason scored her second back-to-back ATM race win just five weeks after the renowed Hardcore 100 Miles in Luzon. And in the men’s points race, it was the first ever victory for Kik Suello, after innumerable podium places in the past two seasons. 

Kik Suello’s win did not come by accident either. The runner from Zamboanga, 7th in last year’s ATM Final, went out to get it on merit. Over halfway into the race by the end of the night, he passed the early race leader Eric Candelanza and also got rid of Kristian Joergensen on an uphill stretch. By that time, pre-race co-favourites like Jevie Cagatin, BTR Ultra hero Roberto Cain III, Jomarc Ferrer, Eldy Bulod, Isaiah Paraiso and Marjones Abugan were already looking at quite a gap that they would not be able to close anymore. In fact, Bulod and Paraiso would even DNF and score zero points. As Candelanza gradually faded towards the end, it was Suello vs Joergensen for victory. Both were more or less running at the same pace only some five minutes apart. Suello, sensing he could finally grab that elusive ATM race victory, did not waste any time at the last two aid stations. Joergensen is always a formidable competitor, and kept the pressure on. The result at the end was two amazing finishing times of 8h05 for Suello and 8h15 for Joergensen. And this for a 70k race with over 4000 hm of elevation gain and lots of muddy, slippery, treacherous trails. A fantastic dual between the two, competitive trail running at its best. Candelanza salvaged his 3rd spot on the podium, a great ATM debut for him. He crossed the finish line in 8h39. Almost one hour later, Jomarc Ferrer outsprinted Roberto Cain III for fourth place, and excellent and potentially significant result with a view to his ambition to qualify again for Team Pilipinas at the ATM Championship Final in Vietnam on 4 October. Cain III said afterwards he had trouble with his stomach throughout the race. In sixth, after running fourth for quite a while, was Jevie Cagatin, who also was not yet 100% fit after a bit of an injury recently. Marjones Abugan did well in seventh place, closely followed by Dan Fernandez in eighth. 

The women’s race was more clear cut. At the first aid station, Shally Yuson and Erlicete Paragoso were still together, but in the next section Yuson already went solo. She quickly developed a substantial gap to Paragoso and Kimberly Flores, with Valerie Marcos close behind in fourth place. Most of the race nothing changed, but towards the end Paragoso faded and Marcos launched quite an incredible push and overtook both Paragoso and Flores to look for Yuson. In the end, the gap was big enough for Yuson to just maintain a consistent pace and win in 11h52, but it was nevertheless surprising when Marcos finished just 12 minutes after her. Great final third of the race by Marcos. Kimberly Flores finished about an hour later in 12h46. Paragoso still cramped up and lost fourth place to Metzi Joy Alson, who is having a very solid season that might get awarded come September with a spot in the team for the ATM Championship Final. The same applies for Shekinah Velasquez, who finished seventh last Sunday behind Daryl Palomar. Cristine Montuya never featured at the front this time around, yet still scored useful points for eigth place. 

The next ATM Championship points race in the Philippines takes place in Bukidnon as well. MUSPO 100 in Valencia, a bit closer to Davao compared to Malaybalay. 

Sunday’s Point Trail Ultra in Malaybalay in Bukidnon, Mindanao is the next points race in the Philippines, a country where the battle for ATM Championship points is for real. There’s no shortcuts to earn a ticket to the team that goes to the ATM Championships here, so many of the country’s trail stars will be present for the 70km race that starts at midnight.

It is a debut for Point Trail Ultra in the ATM Championship, after a successful stint as a Candidate Race last year. The 70km race is quite serious business when looking at the estimated elevation gain of 4150 hm, although race director and 2-star Grandmaster Yoyong Sacayle argues the course is runable. Rain might alter that, as there has been precipitation in the afternoons over the past few days and it’s actually the wet season still in Bukidnon. The course is essentially a rollercoaster without distinctive mountain peaks, but to negotiate the relentless ups and downs one better has good legs on race day.

Among the anticipated protagonists in the men’s race, a trio perhaps stands out slightly, but there’s definitely a handful of others who may just take the upper glory tomorrow. Kristian Joergensen, Kik Suello and Roberto Cain III will be the ones most look out for. But then there’s also proven contenders and race winners such as Jevie Cagatin, Isaiah Paraiso, Jomarc Ferrer and Eldy Bulod.

Roberto Cain III, fresh of an impressive 100k race win at BTR Ultra in Bali, will be keen to now also prove himself against Kristian Joergensen, a Filipino resident for years and the benchmark for many in the country. Kristian himself is keen on adding an ATM Championship to his palmares, especially after seeing Jeff Campbell manage that feat at 40+ in Borneo TMBT last year. Point Trail will already be his 5th ATM race of the season, and he finally won again in his last one: Mount Ugo Marathon 50k just over a month ago. A new victory on Sunday would be his 9th ever and put him alongside Hisashi Kitamura and Milton Amat in the all-time ranking. But a victory is exactly what Kik Suello wants, before he becomes the eternal ‘runner-up’. He has been collecting podium places since last season, but an official win has eluded him so far. Already this year, it’s been 1x second and 3x third. He no longer needs to worry about his spot in Tean Pilipinas for the ATM Final in Vietnam on 4 October, but entering that with a race win under his belt would be such a confidence booster. Jevie Cagatin already tasted victory once at Mt Kalatungan Ultra last year. Reportedly, Cagatin has been hampered by a slight injury, though, in recent times. Isaiah Paraiso won on Mount Apo in 2023 and was a Finalist last year, but Point Trail will be just his first ATM points race of Season 10. If he wants to qualify again, he better grabs as many points as possible this weekend!

The women’s 70k race features recent H1 winner Shally Yuson against Julieann Morales, impressive newcomer Kim Flores , Cristine Montuya, Shekinah Velasquez, Metzi Alson and Guia Cabigas, amongst other potential contenders. This race could remain exciting until the finish! Coming off her big win in the Harcore 100 Miler last month, Yuson may have a mental edge, but 70km is different than 100 Miles. Montuya was the race winner at Sierra Madre last year, can she score her second ATM race win on Sunday? It has been quiet so far this season around her, so maybe now will her real start. Velasquez has been a consistent points scorer this year, and if she can continue to do so she may earn herself a spot in Team Pilipinas for the ATM Final. That also applies for Metzi Alson and Guia Cabigas. Kim Flores won the 85km at Kalatungan this year, but that was not a Championship points race. Her account will open on Sunday, and some people tip her for the full 500 points..

The 70k race starts at midnight in the town centre of Malaybalay and can be followed live via the ATM Channels as usual, subject to connectivity.

Together with Kik Suello perhaps the 2 top favourites for the men’s race: Joergensen and Cain III

Bislig Ultra Trail in Surigao del Sur, north of Davao, this year offers a Grandmaster Quest point to all finishers of the 80km course on 11/12 October. The event, a Candidate Race last year, is organised by the AWRA Team, which also brings you the New Corella Trail Ultra in December.

As the official event tagline reads: “the race routes designed to challenge and inspire you amidst the stunning natural beauty of Bislig. You are about to embark on a journey that showcases the very best of our region’s landscapes and wildlife.” The highlight is the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls, often called the "Niagara Falls” of the Philippines.

In addition, there is the sanctuary of the Philippine Eagle, one of the world's rarest and most majestic birds. The presence of such unique wildlife adds a special dimension to your run, making it not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of Bislig’s natural heritage.

The 80km course is an extension of last year’s 50km. It is a challenging and exhilarating course that showcases the region's diverse terrain, including barangay roads, scenic trails, waterfalls, river crossings, and ridgelines. Last year, the excellent service and volunteer support gave participants a memorable trail experience. The men’s 50k race was won by pre-race favourite Jhon Mahinay and the women’s race went to Lory Gacusan in 10h28.

Bislig is located 200km north of Davao City in Surigao del Sur Province. Davao is your main airport for those who need to fly in. It’s certainly listed among the ‘new destinations’ for trail runners.

The official facebook page has all details and can be accessed via the button below.

After a DNF in Lam Dong Trail and a 5th place in Vietnam Trail Marathon, Filipino youngster Godwin Mirar has finally gotten his 2025 ATM Championship season really on track. Mirar won the tough Mount Kalatungan Ultra Trail 55km in his native Bukidnon region against an established field and with margin. He led the race nearly from start to finish, despite suffering also from blisters and a fall in the descent of Kalatungan, at 2880m one of the highest mountain peaks in the Philippines.

Almost 30 minutes later, Roberto Cain III finished second to kickstart his 2025 ATM campaign. Perhaps for Cain the 55km distance is a bit on the short side as he has recently been excelling in longer ultras. Kik Suello took third place, just one week after also finishing third in BUTM 100 in Malaysia! That’s a great start of his campaign to once again try to be part of Team Pilipinas in the ATM Final in October. Suello was 7th at TMBT last September - his best result to date. At Kalatungan, he was marginally ahead of Jevie Cagatin - winner last year of MTKU 85 and also an ATM Finalist in 2024.. Newcomer Johnkisler Lamigo came in an excellent fifth!

In the women’s 55km race, Angelie Cabalo confirmed her pre-race favourite status by taking a convincing win without too much pressure from the others, which was impressive when seeing the names of those. The number 3 of the 2023 ATM Championship Final missed out on last year's team qualification, but she launched her 2025 campaign in the best possible way, collecting 500 ATM points for her victory. It's Angelie's 4th career win in ATM.

A good hour behind her, Julie Mae Marquez scored her best performance in an ATM-promoted race with a superb second place. Last year’s race winner Julieann Morales took third on the podium this season. Shally Yuson settled for fourth place and in fifth, we had a nice performance by Belinda Ortiz.

MKTU also had a longer 85km distance, which this year was only relevant for the Grandmaster Quest. This category was won by 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras, who only needs to finish two ATM races to collect a wild card for this year’s Final. The women’s 85km saw a very popular win by local Kimberly Flores.

The next Filipino points race is scheduled for 5 April, one of the young ‘classics’ in the country, the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in the Rizal mountains near Manila.

Roberto Cain III : second best male behind Mirar

Eye-catching performance by Julie Mae Marquez: second in the women’s 55k behind Cabalo

After 3rd in BUTM last week, Kik Suello scored another 3rd at MKTU

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras ran the 85km (Grandmaster-point-only) and won it easily

Local hero Kimberly Flores was fastest woman on the 85km

The second ATM Candidate Race organised by the AWRA Davao Team took place last Sunday in New Corella. The New Corella Trail Ultra (NCTU) had three distance categories on the programme, of which the 50km was the main event. Once again, we discovered a new emerging talent from Bukidnon , the landlocked province in northern Mindanao: Vincent Philip Sinanggote . The 24-year-old had the better of another promising talent in Eldy Bulod, whom we have already known since last season. In a tough race , made even more technical and complicated by the heavy rainfall hours before the race start, Sinanggote finished in a time of 7h11 , which was almost half an hour quicker than Bulod. In fact, Bulod had to hurry up in the end as Angelo Navarro concludes his race just 30 seconds after him.

Actually, Romar John Galingan came first into the finish arena, but he got disqualified for missing a checkpoint earlier in the race. Jong Mahinay, a pre-race favourite, DNFd at around the km 30 mark.

The women’s 50k Candidate Race was won by Guia Heistaire Angela, another talented runner on the rise in the Philippines. She finished quite a way ahead of Janet Arnego and Carmhelle Pilos, who completed the podium.

This weekend, Grandmaster point seekers again have an opportunity in Santa Cruz, Davao, with the 7th edition of the legendary Mount Apo Sky Race - our ATM Championship Final host in 2022. This is probably the race that really started things off for international trail running in Davao and it remains an icon. Running from the beach to the summit of the highest mountain of the Philippines at nearly 3000m above sea level and back still speaks to the imagination of many people, both runners and non-runners.

This season, the Mount Apo Sky Race is focused on the Grandmaster Quest and not the ATM Championship ranking. Host venue is still the Playa de Obuza Beach Resort in Santa Cruz and event organiser is still Vertical To Sky led by Doi Calbes, who also has another Davao classic in his trail portfolio: The Punisher, which will take place again mid-August 2025 as the last Filipino points race of the ATM Championship season before the big Final.

How sexy the Mount Apo Sky Race may look and sound, this remains a tough nut to crack, even for experienced trail runners. The 100km has approx 5000 metres of elevation gain , mostly but not exclusively thanks to the ascent of Mount Apo. On Apo, the final 8km to the summit are adventurous and runners need to make their way up and then down the ‘boulder face’ , also relying a bit on orientation skills to choose the right path up the huge boulders. It’s very technical and over the years participants either love the boulder face or hate it. It’s part of the allure of the race, and the winners certainly cherish this trophy. Runners such as Jevie Cagatin, Rexell Aguirre and - interestingly - Godwin Mirar will all be keen to add their name to the winners’ list this weekend.

From an ATM perspective, however, the main focus this edition is to finish the 100km and score a GM point. And, there is a runner from Manila who may score her 3rd Grandmaster star on Mount Apo. Cheryl Bihag has only just returned to the scene after a bit of a break with a solid finish in the SC 70 race last week. That was her 14th GM point in her ATM trail running journey that started back in 2016! What a great way it would be to collect her 3rd Grandmaster star on the highest mountain of her country. Malaysia’s recently crowned 2-star Grandmaster Munintaran Sundram is also continuing his Quest for a third star.

Live updates on the Mount Apo Sky Race can be found on our facebook page this weekend.

Last year’s winners : Isaiah Paraiso and Julieann Morales

The first Filipino event on our Season 10 Championship calendar is Mount Kalatungan Trail Ultra in Bukidnon, Mindanao, with race start in Pangantucan on Sunday, 2 March 2025. A successful points race already in 2024, runners will again have the opportunity to conquer the country’s fifth highest peak at an altitude of 2860m above sea level. An important distinction should be mentioned between the 85km and the 55km race categories. It’s the 55km that offers points for the ATM Championship ranking. The 85km is for those seeking to score a point on their Grandmaster Quest. .

The event is organised by the Ultra Runners Republic, including the Grandmaster brothers Rene and Ramie Amigleo. Bukidnon is the region roughly between Davao and Cagayan de Oro, from where lots of new trail running talent has emerged in the past few years. The Amigleo brothers have done a lot for the sport there.

Mount Kalatungan is a stratovolcano, albeit with no historical eruptions, and a serious altitude of 2860m making it just a bit smaller than Mount Apo near Davao. Both the 55km and 85km will go to the summit. The mountain features in the first half of the race, which means runners need to save energy for afterwards.

Host venue is Pangantucan and its municipal gymnasium. Runners from outside Mindandao should best look at Cagayan de Oro as the main gateway to the event, well-connected with Cebu and Manila. To go Bukidnon from Davao is also feasible, it just takes a bit longer.

Last March, Jevie Cagatin scored his first ever ATM race win at Kalantungan with the approval of Yoyong Sacayle. Both came into the finish together, but Sacayle argued it was Cagatin who deserved to be called race winner. Kik Suello completed the podium. All three laid a foundation there to qualify for Team Pilipinas in the ATM Championship Final later in September at Borneo TMBT. The women’s race saw Julieann Morales take victory ahead of local Mary Joy Sumanda and Ann Jilian Pulanco. Morales in those months seemed unbeatable on mountain trails in her home country.

Registration is open via Racetech and it is advised to follow the event’s facebook page for latest updates and key details. Questions on logistics and registration payment can also be addressed to the orga team of Ultra Runners Republic.

The 55km is the race for ATM Championship points

The 85km is the race for those seeking a Grandmaster point

Last year’s female top 3 podium with Julieann Morales as winner, flanked by Mary Joy Sumanda and Ann Jilian Pulanco

Last year’s men’s top 3 podium with Jevie Cagatin as winner ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Kik Suello

SC 70 was the first Grandmaster-only event in Season 10, taking place in Santa Cruz, near Davao City in Mindanao, Philippines. “Grandmaster-only” means there’s only Grandmaster points to be scored, but no points for the Championship ranking. The 70km course had about 4000 metres of elevation gain and is considered tough, with Mount Dinor and Mount Loay as highlights. Moreover, the race had a long nighttime part. Organised by Team Jegol, the feedback from finishers afterwards was generally very positive.

No Championship points, but of course there was still a competition going on. Once again, Roberto Cain III proved to be the strongest of the bunch. Leading nearly throughout the race, he concluded in 11:27:39. That was twenty minutes faster than Marjones Abugan in 11:47:43. Eldy Bulod took third on the podium in 13:13:31.

In the women’s 70km race, there was a surprising winner in Julie Mae Marquez, who ran the best second half to overtake Julieann Morales and grab victory in 14:44:40. Morales was second and in third, also with a solid run, came Guia Cabigas.

A tough candidate race in the outskirts of Davao with a 10-year history and a lot of runners. Datu Salumay can be called a classic and the event lived up to its reputation as being hardcore while at the same catering for runners of all levels.. Roberto Cain II was clearly the fastest man finishing the 85k in 16h45. That’s two hours ahead of Yoyong Sacayle and Jomarc Ferrer. Quite a performance! The race was halted at some point due to a swollen river that became unsafe to cross. Kudos to the event organising team to react quickly and appropriately in this situation. Runners were rerouted to ensure safety. The adverse weather also meant nearly 40% of the 85km course was on concrete.

The female candidate race at DASAL was won by Metzi Joy Alson in 20h16’. She preceeded Tressah Banas and Stela Coronica on the podium. Despite being on the start list, former winner Julieann Morales did not take part in the race last weekend.

The 10th anniversary edition of The Punisher on Samal island, just off the coast of Davao City in Mindanao, Philippines, had a fantastic competitive field as the last points race of Season 9 in our ATM Championship. Several runners required points or had to defend their ranking against others to ensure qualification for the Championship Final in Malaysia next month. As was to be expected, there was both joy and drama at the finish of the 50 miles or 80km race!

Starting with the women, Angelie Cabalo proved once more that she is arguably the fastest trail runner in her country at present. Sadly enough for her, even a second back-to-back victory after Bali Ultra 80 a week ago did not give her a top five spot in the Filipino ATM ranking. Cabalo only competed in three races this season, and in a country with so many competitive runners that proved to be insufficient, despite two wins and one second place. The ranking is based on a ‘best-of-four’ system and her compatriots all ran at least four races this season. Cabalo will have to wait and see if any of the five qualifiers cannot make the trip to Borneo TMBT. These five are Julieann Morales, Shally Yuson, Cristine Montuya, the surprising Irish Glorioso and Mary Joy Sumanda. Also Ann Jilian Pulanco dropped out of the top five, finishing “only” 9th last weekend. That was right behind Sumanda, who had been running strongly in second place most of the day but then was shown the wrong direction by a marshal. A classic, which shows again that one should not blindly follow marshals as many are just volunteers with no knowledge of the actual route -even if they should have. Sumanda was convinced she failed to qualify for team Pilipinas as a consequence, but alas her trip to KAR Ultra and the 50-point abroad bonus she got for that saved her. Irish Glorioso has had a remarkable boost in competitive form over the past 2-3 months and that results in her third consecutive qualification for Team Pilipinas. That in itself is unique for her country. Glorioso was one of three protagonist women who missed the start at 3am by half an hour. The other two were Morales and Manilyn Mamugay. The latter threw in the towel around halfway, Morales still managed to get fourth, just ahead of Glorioso. Ahead of them was the duo of Shally Yuson and Cristine Montoya, finishing together without pushing too hard - Cabalo was too far ahead anyway. Cabalo in fact finished fourth overall alongside Jomarc Ferrer.

Jomarc Ferrer turned out to be one of the great positive surprises of the day, in fact. Keeping up as well as he could with the trio of Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and Eldy Bulod, Ferrer had an outside chance of sneaking into the men’s ranking top five, and thus Team Pilipinas, and he took it. Of course, he did not have it in his own hands, but he did what he have to and as it turned out, Maynard Encornal had a complete off-day finishing just 18th. With Florence Alave not running as he cannot make it to TMBT anyway for family reasons, Ferrer entered the top five and is in the team! That came also at the expense of Sean Aying. The Grandmaster ran a great Punisher race himself, finishing in sixth, but his other results of the season were not always of the same level. Jevie Cagatin, Kik Suello and also the very young Mt Apo winner Isaiah Paraiso overtook Aying on points last weekend. Paraiso coming in fifth, Cagatin third and Suello a joint winner with Eldy Bulod. The duo dropped Cagatin in the final 9km and decided not to sprint for victory. Bulod plays no role in the championship “play-off” , as the Punisher was just his second ATM points race of the season. Note, however, that the young and upcoming Bulod stated he will aim for it next year. He also admitted that Suello was arguably the faster of them, in line with what insiders said during the race. Suello is a dark horse for TMBT. So is Cagatin, who finishes the season as number 1 in the Filipino points ranking.

Also Jeremy Ritcey (8th, Hong Kong) and Risa Kamiya (6th, Japan) ensured their qualification for their teams in the ATM Championship Final next month.

Angelie Cabalo was again outstanding, just a week after Bali 80

Shally Yuson and Cristine Montuya arrived second and third

No fourth victory for Julian Morales, but a fine run to fourth place nevertheless

The 10th anniversary of The Punisher on the holiday island of Samal in Davao Del Norte will see some fantastic racing between Filipinos trying to make their country’s team for the ATM Championship Final in Malaysia next month. Nearly everyone will be on the start line of the 80km, except John Ray Onifa who has a wild card already. Even Arnie Macaneras, who also collected his wild card at MUSPO last month, is joining the party. After all, this was Macaneras’ breakthrough race in 2019, when “out of the blue” he finished between Hisashi Kitamura and John Ellis here on Samal island. Great to see the Davao runner paying respect to his roots, and to Doi Calbes’ event, which is one of our series’ most underrated events. The Punisher has a great combination of runable and technical sections, demanding trail runners to use their full arsenal of skills. 80km, or 50 miles, is not nothing, but this course is doable for those who like to give an ultra distance a first try , too. The race starts at 3am , so there will be some 2,5 hours before sunrise, too.

While Arnie Macaneras is the logical top favourite in the men’s race, it will be very interesting to see who can stay close to him tomorrow. Several protagonists such as Jevie Cagatin, Maynard Encormal, Eldy Bulod, Isaiah Paraiso, Sean Aying, Kik Suello and Jomarc Ferrer are all still in the game to join Onifa and Macaneras in the team next month. Yoyong Sacayle completed his campaign last week in Bali and has a slender points lead over the others. However, Sacayle had a tough day at KAR two weeks ago, not giving him any points, and his 9 Dragons early in the year was also not great-great. That means his position in the ranking is vulnerable as the others will now do their fourth race, or try to eliminate the worst result of their previous four races. Florence Enciong Alave is the only one of the contenders not running this weekend. Private commitments prevent him from competing in Borneo TMBT anyway.

On the female side, we will have similar scenario in tomorrow’s all-deciding points race. Everyone at the top of the ATM ranking is competing: Shally Yuson, Cristine Montuya, Julie Ann Morales, Ann Jilian Pulanco, Irish Glorioso, Mary Joy Sumanda, Manilyn Mamugay and last but not least Angelie Cabalo. The latter is coming to Davao having just won Bali Ultra 80 in impressive style a week ago. Cabalo does need the points, as The Punisher will only be her third race of the season, while the others will end up with four, five or even six ATM races. It’s a’best-of'-four’ system, so Cabalo has put herself in a complicated situation. She may start the race as the one-to-beat, based on her performance a week ago. However, she will have to deal with last year’s winner Julie Ann Morales, who is from Davao and unbeaten in this season’s ATM points races. Morales looks like a certain qualifier for Team Pilipinas next month - provided she add a few points to her total this weekend. What can in-form Shally Yuson do tomorrow? She looked strong at KAR 110, before a knock of the hammer due to heat exhaustion threw her off the main podium at the very end. If she has recovered, it will be interesting to see how she fares against Cabalo and Morales. And what about Montuya and Pulanco, the last two female winners of Sierra Madre Trail 75k? They will probably mainly focus on Glorioso, Sumanda and Mamugay.

As usual, there’s also several international competitors in The Punisher. These can be important this weekend as they can take points away from the Filipinos. Risa Kamiya from Japan, a Mantra 116 finisher in fourth place last month, is one example of those. Kamiya herself is trying to get herself qualified for Team Japan next month, and so are a few runners from Brunei, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Lantau 70 organiser Jeremy Ritcey, for instance, is a very solid competitor who will certainly aim for a podium spot or a top five placing at The Punisher.

ATM will be broadcasting and reporting live from The Punisher event on Samal island starting at 2:45 am local time.

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras returns to the event that made him known in 2019: The Punisher

Jevie Cagatin is one of those promising Filipino runners who can get himself assured of the ATM Final

Can previous Punisher winner Julie Ann Morales score a 4/4 this season?

Three Top 4 placing early this season put Ann Jilian Pulanco in a great spot to make the Championship Team

The battle for ATM championship points is ongoing in the Philippines, with several candidates remaining for the five male and five female spots for the team that can take part in the ATM Final at Borneo TMBT Ultra on 14 September. Last weekend’s MUSPO event in Valencia, Bukidnon, Mindanao was the penultimate chance to score points on home soil. Those who take an interest had to go for the 50km race category. MUSPO’s 100km was only valid for the Grandmaster Quest this season. 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras returned to MUSPO after an unfortunate DNF two years ago, when he was leading the 100k race together with Larry Apolinario until they both went off course. Davao’s leading runner therefore had unfinished business in Bukidnon. He also started as the top favourite in the 50km and quickly showed his good form. A brief scare towards the end, when Arnie again missed a marker and went off course, he won comfortably in 5h52. Kik Suello scored his second podium of the ATM season with an impressive run to second place in 6h01. Suello is beginning to make a name for himself. He preceeded Jevie Cagatin and local Yoyong Sacayle by 8 minutes. Eldy Bulod and Isaiah Paraiso were next, two more exciting newcomers to the scene this season. Grandmaster Sean Aying ran a solid race to 7th ahead of Ivan Matic and Marjones Abugan.

In the women’s 50km we saw the confirmation of the ever increasing competitiveness of Shally Yuson. As in the men’s category, many good runners in the women’s race at MUSPO, and Yuson managed to score her first ever ATM points race victory with even a dominating display. At the finish in Valencia she had an advantage of nearly half an hour on the equally surprising Irish Glorioso, who seems to have found back her good form from two years ago. Emelyn Cabangas finished ten minutes later in third place, and Sierra Madre Trail winner Christine Montuya had to settle for fourth. Maria Elywana Jara Isulat claimed fifth place.

The 100k race was won by Roberto Cain III in the men’s, and Guia Angelie Cabigas in the women’s.

Shally Yuson scored her first ever ATM points race victory and underlines her growing running form

2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras notched up another race win

A great second place for Kik Suello!

Irish Glorioso has found back the form that gave her several podiums in the 2022 season

Emelyn Cabingas completed the women’s podium on the 50k

Roberto Cain III won MUSPO 100 and collected one more Grandmaster point

Guia Angela was the quickest woman on the 100km and scores a Grandmaster point