The 2026 edition of BTR Ultra in Bali, Indonesia, has been scheduled for the weekend of 15-17 May and features again 100km and 60km distance categories offering points for the ATM Championship ranking. Being longer than 70km, the 100km of course also offers a Grandmaster Quest point for finishers. BTR Ultra is centred around the iconic Batur volcano in Kintamani and has quickly become one of the most popular destinations on the ATM calendar. Bali raises images of sun, beach and holidays, but make no mistake: this is a tough trail race!

The 100km actually measures 106km and has over 7200 metres of elevation gain. Runners start at 6 pm on Friday evening and has 34 hours of time to complete the course. The 60km has 3800 metres of elevation gain, starts at 4 am on Saturday and you have 19 hours to reach the finish line. Start and finish is located at the Batur lake.

Last year, the two main categories were won by non-Indonesian runners, Roberto Cain III (Philippines) and Man Yee Cheung (Hong Kong) took the men’s and women’s 100km. race, respectively. On the medium distance, it was Lodewijk Vriens (Netherlands/Hong Kong) and Vanja Cnops (Belgium/Singapore) who claimed the top step on the podium.

Registration is open and will go quickly. Click on the button below to reach the BTR website and information on how to register.

For those new to trail running and Bali, Kintamani lies towards the northeast of the island and is at least 2 hours driving from the airport (subject to traffic). Tourism hotspot Ubud is closer and an option to stay, but you will need organised transport (taxi, grab., motorbike) to reach Batur from there.

100km

Penang Sky Race is one of Malaysia’s qualifiers for the Asia Trail Master Championship and rapidly becoming a classic race on the calendar. The 2026 edition retains its end-of-April spot, with the event marked on 25/26 April. Co-organised by MMTF Consultant, Penang Sky Race not only saw a fantastic competition in 2025 in both the men’s and women’s categories, but also proved once more that you don’t always need a 100km to feel completely squeezed out like an orange. Penang is beautiful, but also hot and very humid.

As the event name suggests, Penang Sky Race is also part of the global Skyrunner series and in particular the 30km race, which almost has the same elevation gain as the 50km (approx 2300 hm vs 2700 hm). Please note that runners seeking points for the ATM Championship ranking need to focus on the 50km.

The 50km Sky Ultraks race category has start and finish at the Youth Park in Georgetown, main city in Penang. As such, this is a convenient event logistically with also an international airport to the south of Georgetown. Following the 3 am start, the course will take runners on ondulating terrain with Penang Hill as a highlight. The highest point of the course is Western Hill at 833m above sea level. Hills can be very rugged and technical, and then there’s the heat and humidity. But once you finished, the beach is also not far away and Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site do definitely worth your time to wander about. The Pearl of Orient State of Penang is also famous for its tantalizing local street food (specifically Peranakan cuisine) and for being one of the top tourist destinations in Malaysia. It is a place where cultural tradition and modernity blend seamlessly into one.

Last year, Godwin Mirar took his first major international win ahead of Wilsen Singgin, while Hau Ha managed to keep Priya Rai behind her.

Registration for the 50km is easy via the button below that links to the Checkpointspot website.

With regret we have to inform everyone of the confirmation that the return of Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths in Vietnam has been postponed from early April to the end of December 2026. The postponement is the result of a major survey conducted by the event organiser, Race Jungle. According to the statement linked below via facebook, the main consideration is the difficulty of the race at the end of the trail running season in Vietnam (which mirrors the Hong Kong season). Moreover, end of year is perceived to be a better and more beautiful fime to enjoy the Cuc Phuong primary forest.

A major implication for the Season 11 ATM Championship is that Cuc Phuong hereby also moves from Season 11 to Season 12. At present there’s therefore one less qualifier event for Vietnamese runners to score points in their attempt to qualify for the ATM Championship Final, which will take place in Vietnam - at Mu Cang Chai on 3 October. Previously this season, also Lam Dong Trail in Dalat got cancelled following the terrible weather in the region over the past months. The next ATM Championship qualifiers are Vietnam Trail Marathon next month and Brah Yang Trail Summit in March. Prenn Trail Summit, also coming up in January, offers Grandmaster points. We aim and hope another Vietnamese event can still be included on the Season 11 calendar.

Minamiaso Caldera Trail was the first ATM Candidate taking place on Kyushu, the southwesternmost island of Japan. Organised by the Local Gain group out of Kumamoto, Minamiaso has a winter and a summer edition, so participants can visit and enjoy the magnificent scenery along the trails in two completely different set-ups. The Winter Minamiaso took place in dry and good running conditions, albeit without snow this time. As such, it was a relatively fast race at the front, despite the significant elevation gain of 2500 hm for the 50km distance.

Tomohiro Machida proved to be quickest on the day in 5h53, winning the men’s race by some three-and-a-half minutes over Yohei Kawahara. The third spot on the podium was taken by Yuichiro Hayashi. Fastest female runner was Kyona Nonaka in 7h33, five minutes ahead of Seika Higashi. Sayo Matsuda claimed third place.

Minamiaso is one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas. You reach the area via Kumamoto, one of Kyushu’s main cities - the biggest is nearby Fukuoka. Kumamoto has an airport with even some international connections such as Hong Kong, and otherwise Fukuoka has more. Both cities are worth a visit, too.

The Summer Minamiaso is scheduled for early July 2026 and is expected to be officially announced in the course of January.

The last points race of 2025 saw two pre-race favourites live up to the expectations and take their second ATM race win of Season 11. Jomarc Ferrer and Kimberly Flores both ran a smart New Corella Trail Ultra race and underlined their growing reputation as young and upcoming trail talents in the Philippines.

After a neck-and-neck battle with Ulyses Esteva, Jomarc finally took the lead at around km50. Successfully navigating the more technical sections in the latter part of the race, he emerged victorious with a finishing time of 8:18 hours. Esteva did well to score second just 13 minutes later, with Prince Gabucay a great third place as well. Another top favourite, the experienced Yoyong Sacayle, managed to score useful ATM points for fifth place, but was still preceeded by Marlonette Esquierdo - yet another new name.

With this win, Jomarc again confirmed his current form and already looks like a near-certainty for Team Pilipinas in the Season 11 ATM Championship Final. Three weeks ago, he also emerged victorious in the 42 km of the Mount Apo Sky Race. Ferrer is also. qualified for the Season 10 Final. With his current form he might be a contender for minimum top 10.

Also Kimberly Flores scored her second win of the still young season, and in fact it is her third ATM race win in just four months. In August, she was also fastest female in the Punisher. After Shally Yuson’s and Shekinah Velasquez’ DNS, Flores was the clear woman to beat in New Corella. As such, she ran to another rather comfortable victory. Finishing in 11h50, she preceeded Luzon’s Krizia Bondad and Jenny Grace Padillo.

The next Filipino qualifier event for the ATM Championship Final of Season 11, which will end on 3 October 2026 with Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail in Vietnam, will be held near Manila with the Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in April.

The final ATM points race event of 2025 is upon us this weekend and it’s a new one: New Corella Trail Ultra (NCTU). Taking place in New Corella, located in Davao del Norte, Mindanao, the third edition of the event features a 70km race that serves as a qualifier for the ATM Championship points ranking and, as it’s 70km, for the Grandmaster Quest. The event is organised by AWRA Davao featuring 2-star Grandmaster Alran Cifra, and was a Candidate Race last year.

That edition had a 50km as longest distance and was won by Vincent Philip Sinanggote . The 24-year-old had the better of another promising talent in Eldy Bulod 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. Fastest woman a year ago was Guia Heistaire Angela, who will provide us with a lot of insight this weekend during our live broadcast from the event on Saturday afternoon and evening. The main race starts at 10 pm, implying a night race for the quicker amongst the many participants.

Participants will traverse diverse terrain, from rolling hills and dense forests to river crossings and rugged mountain trails. Amongst the highlights are Bundok Cave, a remarkable 200-foot-long cave that runners will traverse, and the Panas and Casilak Waterfalls. In addition, there is Balaang Bukid, a prominent landmark with significant local cultural and spiritual relevance.

Among the men’s race favourites for the 70km are the trio of Jomarc Ferrer, Yoyong Sacayle and Marjones Abugan. All well-known competitors in ATM and in very good shape as Ferrer and Sacayle have shown already in recent weeks. Other known podium contenders are Sean Aying, Adam Jovane and Marvin Buizon. The two latter runners, plus Ferrer and Sacayle are already on the points board of Season 11 after Mount Apo Sky Race last month.

The women’s race may see an interesting competition as well featuring Shally Yuson, who has become the benchmark in Mindanao, and the young up-and-coming Kimberly Flores, winner of The Punisher and Mount Apo 42km in the past few months. Shekinah Velasques, ATM Finalist just like Yuson, is another challenger for the victory, and there’s other known contenders such as Dolly Alonzo and Jennifer Commandante.

You can follow the action at NCTU live on our ATM Channels with focus on facebook and youtube. The 70km race starts at 22:00 local time.

Jomarc Ferrer

Yoyong Sacayle

Marjones Abugan

Shally Yuson

Kim Flores

Shekinah Velasquez

We are happy to announce a new ATM Candidate Race in peninsular Malaysia, taking place in Selangor not too far from KLIA Airport on the weekend of 4/5 September 2026. The 2nd edition of Tunggul Melati Trail builds on the experience of its debut event and offers trail runners now also a long ultra course of 80km with nearly 3500 metres of elevation gain. Organised by Pasak Adv Empire, ‘TMT” as Tunggul Melati Trail is known in short, has great ambitions going forward.

The race village is based in Jenderam Hilir, where there will also be a sports tourism expo, cultural activities , local vendors and runner services. The long-term objective is to establish Jenderam Hilir and its surrounding attractions as a premier national and international hub for trail running, sports tourism and eco-recreation.

In brief, Tunggul Melati Trail seeks to:

• Position itself as one of Malaysia’s leading trail running races with regional and internation participation

• Promote Selangor as a key destination for nature-based and adventure tourism

• Create long-term economic opportunities for local businesses, homestays, vendors and tourism operators

• Foster healthy lifestyles through inclusive sports programmes and community-driven wellness initiatives

• Discover and develop new talents in trail running and endurance sports, especially among the youth

• Strengthen environmental awareness by encouraging responsible recreation and conservation of Bukit Tunggul, Bukit Melati and the surrounding green areas.

• Ultimately, the event aspires to become a signature annual attraction that contributes to tourism growth, supports local socio-economic development and builds a strong identity for the region through spots, nature and culture.

The event features several race distance categories of which the 80km is now the key attraction. Less ambitious runners can also opt for the 60km, 40km or 15km. Pay attention to the start time of the 80km: Saturday at 18:00h, meaning faster runners are looking at a nighttime race. The 60km starts at midnight, with the two shorter distance at 4:00 and 7:00 am respectively. Cut-off time for the 80km is 22 hours, 17 hours for the 60km and 12h and 6h for the 40km and 15km.

Registration goes easily via the well-known Checkpointspot site, linked below.

We are thrilled to announce a brand new extension to our Grandmaster Quest, the individual trail challenge for runners of all performance levels. This comes in response to popular demand by some of our Golden **** Grandmasters and even Silver *** and Bronze ** Grandmasters - who have been asking ATM for a new goal and new incentives to keep on participating in trail running events after completing the four levels of the Grandmaster Quest.

Months of contemplation and brainstorming have now resulted in two additional levels that will nudge Golden Grandmasters on the Trail to Immortality !

In a nutshell:

• For Golden 4-Star Grandmasters who wish to continue exploring the trails of Asia

• The gate leading to the Trail to Immortality opens on 1 January 2026

• No time limit to complete the Trail to Immortality .

• Two steps to reach Immortality

1. Become Legend

2. Become Immortal

• Become Legend by running Grandmaster distances at ATM promoted events in five different Asia/Pacific countries.

• Collect 500 points in as many races as you want. Each kilometre = 1 point (i.e. 100km = 100 points, 75km = 75 points).

  Note that running 5x 70km races is therefore not enough as only 350 points, and that you must be an official finisher in each race to score points

• Become Immortal by running Grandmaster distances at ATM promoted events in ten different Asian countries and collect 1000 points.

  Your points achieved to become Legend remain active and valid (i.e. no points reset).

• Bonus Points for elevation gain: for every 25000 hm accumulated : 25 bonus points

• You must be an official finisher of the race to score your points

• Each event, and each country, only coints once during the Trail to Immortality. However, you can choose an event you did already during your Grandmaster Quest

Runners who become Legend and Immortal will receive exclusive achievement tokens as trophy. The Trail to Immortality has been designed also keeping the four core objectives of Asia Trail Master in mind. We hope that this new addition to the Grandmaster Quest will inspire trail runners to keep going!

The Trail to Immortality opens for runners who have collected these four Grandmaster caps

It’s been well over two years since Masafumi Yamamoto grabbed his 4th star.

After scoring gold, Philippines’ Rhea Batac has been taking a break from trails

In the most epic edition of Izu Trail Journey ever, Hirokazu Nishimura and Honoka Akiyama both scored their third victory at the event in impressive style. Nishimura made his move at the very end after a smart and controlled race, while Akiyama was the outstanding female athlete this year finishing even in eleventh overall.

Heavy rain characterised the first five hours of the 70km race across the Izu peninsula south of Tokyo. While it wasn’t that cold, the wind along the mountain passes ensured that the rain-soaked runners had to protect themselves and layer-up to prevent hypothermia. Still, many participants would suffer that fate. Including none other than John Ray Onifa, the 2023 ATM Champion who was keen to be the first male foreigner to win ITJ. Alas, his bid ended at CP 3 and km 52, when he had already been dropped for good by the top five in the race. Also the young Natsuke Tomii, third female last year, would not make it to the finish along with over 650 others who had taken the start. Many others actually did not even turn up at the start due to the bad weather. Unseen at this event, just showing how tough it was out there and how rain can suddenly turn a fairly runable trail race into an absolute slugfest.

Yuya Kawasaki took the bull by the horns and went solo at the front, crossing the Nishina Pass first . Although the rain finally stopped right after the front runners crossed the Pass, there were no stunning Mount Fuji views this time. Short distance specialist Shoma Otagiri was close in second and also Hajime Kasagi and Hirokazi Nishimura were within just a few minutes. Tatsuya Itagaki was in fifth but losing touch with the lead quartet, as John Ray Onifa behind him also kept losing terrain. Hisashi Kitamura was running 14th at this point. One checkpoint later at km 52, three runners were practically back together. The one missing was Kawasaki, who seemed to be paying a bit of a price for his earlier attack. While Kasagi and Otagiri gave it their best shot on the ondulating final 15km, the experience of Nishimura proved decisive. When the winner of 2019 and 2023 and second-placer last year, made his move at the end of the race, the others no longer had a response. Nishimura crossed the new finish line in 6h13. Otagiri took second just under two minutes later, Kasagi third. Kawasaki and Itagaki held on to rank four and five, but Kento Tamura barely made it to sixth as Hisashi Kitamura ran a superb second part of the race to take seventh place still. Yuta Matsuyama suffered from the cold and came in in 36th place. He has placed Top 20 before in ITJ.

Some way behind Honoka Akiyama, who took her victory in 7h14, it was Arika Ito and newcomer Saegusa Moeka who scored second and third. The latter only started trail running three months ago! To note, both also still finished in the overall Top 50, which means something at Izu.

The next Japanese qualifier for Season 11’s ATM Championship ranking is Deep Japan Ultra in Niigata at the end of June.

This Sunday’s Izu Trail Journey promises to be one of the best of recent years with last year’s stars Koken Ogasawara and Hirokazu Nishimura challenged by a large number of domestic contenders - including Hisashi Kitamura - plus John Ray Onifa, who will aim to become the first non-Japanese man to win the classic 70km race across the Izu Peninsula. The 2023 ATM Champion from the Philippines is no stranger to Japan, and with the weather forecast showing uncharacteristic rain for race day, his chances of success may increase even more.

Veronika Vadovicova (2019) and Eszter Csillag (2023) already managed to win the women’s Izu race, but so far no “foreign man” has come really close to beating the local elites. John Ray Onifa, in excellent shape the past months, could just be the right man to accomplish this feat. It’s a course and a distance that suits him very well, and he finished ahead of last year’s race winner Koken Ogasawara at the latest world championships in Spain. While not every race is the same, it’s fair to assume that Ogasawara was not in Spain to enjoy a nice holiday either. Although Onifa has been around winning races in Hong Kong and Asia for several years now, a win this Sunday “in the lion’s den” could elevate his international standing still quite considerably. Last year, Ogasawara and Nishimura - also a former winner of this race - finished about a minute apart in 6h00. With rain expected, finishing times may be slower by default. The mid-section of ITJ has several technical downhill sections. With temperatures very moderate for the time of year and some slipping and sliding expected, Onifa could not wish for ‘better’ conditions for himself. One contender who knows Onifa like the back of his hand is Hisashi Kitamura. A regular participant in ITJ, he has never managed the top five (his best was sixth), but Kitamura has had several outstanding runs this season in Japan - including race wins. Let’s see if he can get closer to Nishimura, Ogasawara, Yuya Kawasaki, Kento Tamura and the like this year.

In the women’s race eyes will be focused on 2022 winner and last year’s runner-up Honoka Akiyama. A year ago, she put up a great effort against China’s Xiang Fuzhao but had to settle for second place. Natsuki Tomii , third on the podium last year, will be one of her rivals for the victory.

ITJ is attracting ever more international runners. Also ATM Grandmasters Alfredo Reyes Jr (Golden Grandmaster). Trevor Lim, Mario Yap, Nick Pilapil and Julie Mae Marquez are running tomorrow.

You can follow the race live on Asia Trail Master facebook and Youtube as usual with the race start at 6am local time (5 am Hong Kong/Manila time)

2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa this year won the 50/50 at The 9 Dragons

Hisashi Kitamura has shown superb form in Japanese races this year

ITJ has some of the most amazing scenery of any trail in Asia, but rain and clouds may hamper the joy

Running back in time

Niigata has become one of Asia Trail Master’s permanent race regions over the past ten years and we are happy this tradition continues also in 2026. Deep Japan Ultra is confirmed as an ATM qualifier for Season XI’s Championship with its usual two Grandmaster Quest race distances: 100 miles and 80km.

Organised by well-known runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, the event takes place in Niigata Prefecture, roughly 2-3 hours by shinkansen northwest of Tokyo. There’s also a few international flights to Niigata city directly. Visitors not familiar with Japan will experience the real countryside, which often remains unexplored. The host venue is the Mount Asakusa Park. Participants should be prepared for technical mountain trails, which at higher altitudes may still be covered in snow. Especially if you sign up for the 100 miles, do not come unprepared and unfocused. This is not a race to ‘try out’ 100 miles for the first time. The 80 km category has plenty of spice and technicality as well. Those who take it seriously will be rewarded with one of Asia’s finest endurance trail runs.

Make sure you read all the requirements in terms of mandatory gear. The website - linked below - is very detailed and in English , so you can prepare in the best possible way.

Register as soon as you can, because spots are limited. Note also that there is a strict registration deadline of 28 February. Too late is really too late here. Give yourself time to plan the event, including accommodation and travel, and get yourself ready for a wonderful trail experience next June!

Keen on a weekend in Singapore with the family and grabbing some ATM points while you are at it? Also in 2026, Mountain Goat Running Club is making that possible again with its popular UTSG event. Pay attention: the event is scheduled one month earlier than normal. Runners should pencil in the weekend of 30/31 May.

The UTSG trail course maps are being redesigned as well, and even the start/finish venue may change. These will all be confirmed in due course. Important for runners to note is that the ATM qualifying race for Championship points will measure 60km instead of 50km and will take place on Sunday instead of Saturday. New in 2026 will be a single day 80km race on the programme. 80km , that’s more than 70km , so it qualifies for the Grandmaster Quest. It will be the first time in ATM’s 11-year-history that race finishers can score a GM point in Singapore.

Via the below facebook and webpages you can and will get all the info needed to plan your trip to Singapore. Registration for the races goes via the RunnerReg platform, which is also linked below.

The UTSG 50 race has had some fantastic winners in the last two years with 2024 ATM Champion Jeff Campbell, 2022 ATM Champion Hau Ha, local road star Wen Sheng and Japan’s Chisato Kario.