An annual high mountain trail classic already in our series, Mantra 116 in East Java’s Malang again promises to offer some exciting racing this weekend. Both the 116km and 68km points races begin at the same time this year, at midnight tonight, and the longest category is blessed with the presence of the reigning ATM Champion Jeff Campbell. Barely six days after finishing second in UTSG 50, Campbell goes out of his comfort zone for the second time this year after V Trail in Laos. Known for years as a very fast but a technically less-skilled trail runner than the Onifas, Amats and Sherpas of this region, it is admirable and commendable for others to see Campbell still trying out new things and challenging himself to this great extent. And of course, wherever he starts he is among the top favourites no matter what. 

He certainly won’t get his 12th ATM race victory on a silver platter. Among the contenders are local Indonesian long ultra stars such as Rachmat Septiyanto and Yusuf Aprian, both already winners in Mantra in the past. Yuta Matsuyama may find the colder temperatures in this race very much to his liking. Java-based Colombian Daniel Ortiz is also running and followers of ATM may remember he was the first winner in Season 10, at Dieng Trail Run back in late September. Another Indonesia-based expat, from Egypt, is Ahmed Bedair, who is also often competing for the prizes. Filipino ATM Finalist last year Jomarc Ferrer knows what a tough long ultra is, too. Ferrer has just scored two fourth places in H1 (100 Miles) and Point Trail Ultra 70, both against top competition so he is in fine shape. Bandung’s Hilman Maulana to our knowledge is making his debut on the 116 at Mantra, after having scored podiums on the 68k in the past few years. 

The women’s 116k was long dominated and even attempted by just one woman, Shindy Patricia. But more and more women have been trying the long ultra and also this year we have quite a few on the start list. Sianti Candra may be the top favourite, but there’s also Vietnam’s Le Thi Hang. As Vietnam’s long ultra specialist, she may give Candra a tough time for the win. Septiana Nia Swastika and Novita Wulandari are two more known contenders. 

In the women’s 68km, last year’s winner Dening Lo from Singapore will be trying to repeat her accomplishment this Saturday. ATM overall points leader Ritzy Amor was supposed to be one of her main challengers, but reports from Malang say that Ritzy could not fly to Indonesia. Malaysia’s Halimatun Sa’adiah was second behind Dening Lo a year ago, and is also running again together with her compatriot Lynda Marylyn. Let’s see if someone from the local Indonesian side can pull of a surprise. 

It’s a big start field on the 68km and we are bound to see some new names popping up the leadeboard. Malaysia’s Muhammad Faris could be one to challenge Bandung star Arief Wismoyono for the win. Faris has just won Gombak 50 in impressive style, and he also ran Mantra before. Taofik Hidayat cannot be underestimated, but was struggling in this year’s Bali BTR. 

ATM will be reporting live from Mantra 116 starting on Friday evening.

One week after UTSG 50, Jeff Campbell is back in action already and bravely starts mantra 116

Dening Lo: one of the top favourites on the 68km women

MUhammad Faris was an impressive 50k winner at Gombak two weeks ago

Ritzy Amor is busy bee this season: the overall points leader starts her 6th ATM race. She won her last one.

Rachmat Septiyanto can use all his Mantra experience to again finish on top of the podium

Nia Swastika is one of the favourites in the women’s 116km

Also Thang Hoang Huu from Vietnam is back in Mantra this weekend

The scenic Dieng Trail Run in Central Java, Indonesia, opened season 10 of the ATM Championship and as expected saw a number of new faces enter into the spotlights. Yogyakarta-based Colombian Edixon Daniel was clearly the fastest runner on the 60km points race distance, winning comfortably in a time of 9h32. The 60km was held mainly at nighttime, which was probably a bit unfortunate given the majestic views one could enjoy in this part of Central Java. Daniel led almost from start to finish and saw Singapore-based Humberto Baeza take second place , and Asril Rozzaq third place on the podium. Baeza is reportedly a newbie in trail and is said to be one to watch in the coming months. Rozzag sprained his ankle early into the race, but managed to hold on. The trails were quite dry and hard-packed, making for a runable course.

The women’s 60k race saw Bali’s Endang Suryani Borupayung take victory ahead of West Sulawesi’s Fauziah and Christyo Widorukhi . Borupayong’s finishing time was just above 15h. Let’s not forget there were over 4000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered also.

Brought to you by the team that has been doing Ijen Trail since 2015 is the new Jember Ultra in East Java, which is part of a grand running festival on 20/21 August. The 70 km long trail race will be a points race for the Asia Trail Master Championship ranking, the third Indonesian one this season. Jember is an important university town in East Java, and the surrounding region is characterised by a beautiful beach area and the typical hilly and volcanic scenery when you go further inland. The event, highly supported by local authorities, has big ambitions: alongside the 70km trail race there will also be a road marathon, half marathon and 10k fun run. Something for everybody in other words!

Those familiar with Ijen Trail, which is one of the most runable mountain ultras on our calendar and remains tentatively scheduled for late October, should be aware that Jember Ultra is tougher on paper, offering a great mixture of runable sections with quite seriously techical bits. Total elevation gain does not exceed 2700 hm for the 70km , but gradients are often short and steep. Do not be fooled by the numbers and prepare yourself for a challenging trail.

Details and the confirmed course map and elevation profile will be released in due course following last week’s final route inspection. The start of the race will be in the hills, at the very popular hotel retreat in Rembangan. Runners will also be able to stay there. The finish line will be at the central square in Jember City. The last 4 km of the race will therefore be on tarmac, but the good news is this stretch goes slightly downhill.

The start will be at the Hotel Rembangan in the hills, the finish smack in the city centre of Jember

Now open for registration with early bird rates until 16 February: Mantra Summits Challenge! The renowed high mountain event in East Java is having its 5th edition on 11/12 July and remains the Indonesia SuperTrail in the Asia Trail Master Championship with 50 bonus points for all finishers on the 116km and 75km - both distance categories also labeled as A-races. Mountain goats across Asia: this is your event!

Hosted by the great Malang trail running community and the authentic Kaliandra Eco Resort, Mantra Summits Challenge will test your resilience as a trail runner. For a lot of people, the 116k and 75k are the toughest race courses in the Asia Trail Master Championship series. However, they are also recognised as among the most beautiful of the whole year. You are going up to well over 3000m altitude on Mount Welirang and Mount Arjuno. With its peak at 3339m, Arjuno is the third highest peak in East Java after Semeru and Raung, and the fourth highest on the entire island of Java.

In 2019 MSC was the playground of Sabah’s Milton Amat, who won the 116k race with a gap of FOUR HOURS to second-placed Hisashi KItamura. Just to emphasize how a specific race course can have an impact on performance. Asuka Nakajima was the women’s winner last year, a feat that proved she is indeed now a serious trail runner and not only a road runner.

While the 116km and 75km are serious challenges that you should be prepared for, less ambitious runners can also aim for the shorter categories. There’s something for everyone at this event to enjoy.

Logistics: best is to fly international to Surabaya, from where it is a 90-minute drive to Malang. Shuttle busses are scheduled from the airport terminal 2. If you are based in Indonesia, there’s a few domestic flights that go to Malang itself as well. Accommodation is highly recommended at the Kaliandra Eco Resort, which prices are very reasonable. Homestays around the area are also possible.

Alessandro Sherpa suffered a DNF last year. He was not the only elite runner to DNF.

Former winner Fandhi Ahmad keeps returning to Mantra Summits Challenge

A troubled Tahira Najmunisaa made her to-date final appearance on the ATM circuit in Mantra last year and did not finish. Will she return to East Java to set the record straight?

One of the hot newcomers in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship has opened registration. Mantra Summits Challenge is accepting all experienced mountain runners for a genuine challenge over 75 km  on a technical course that reaches peaks well above 3000m altitude. Shorter distances are also available, yet the 75 km is what counts for the championship and the Grandmaster Quest. 

The event is organised by the Mantra Runners in Malang, East Java. As last year, when the race was a Candidate Race, the Kaliandra Eco Resort will host the event, providing comfortable accommodation in even quite a historic Javanese setting. 

Definitely one of the toughest races on the calendar, do not take this one lightly. For runners traveling from farther away, the Mantra Summits Challenge can be combined with the less technical Ijen Trailrunning event one week later a bit further east in Java. Doing that allows you then to hop onto a ferry to Bali to conclude your fantastic East Javanese trail running week in which you can score a load of Asia Trail Master Championship and Grandmaster points. Our Wold the Trail Indonesia package will also include a mid-week training and hiking session on either Bromo or one of the other majestic volcanoes in this area. 

Registration for Mantra Summits Challenge works via the official event website. 

Mantra 116