Trail runners across Asia will be happy to learn that Luang Prabang Trail in Laos is a new addition to the ATM Championship calendar of Season 10. The 3rd edition of the event, organised by the same team as V Trail, will be held on the weekend of 19/20 October 2024 and features two points race categories (105km, 55km) for the Championship ranking, and one for the Grandmaster Quest (105km). Luang Prabang is the former capital of the country, and now a large UNESCO World Heritage Site and tourism magnet.

While trail runners can look forward to a very scenic new destination, they should also come prepared. Luang Prabang Trail - like V Trail in Vang Vieng - is no walk in the park. The 105km race has an estimated elevation gain of 6850 hm and the 55km has approx 3500 hm. Luckily, the cut-off times are reasonable - as you can see in the image below.

Trail running in Laos is still very much in its infancy, but the team of Green Step has built a solid reputation since 2018 with V Trail. International runners are highly encouraged to join the event’s facebook page to stay up-to-date with latest developments in English language. Event Director Philip Tay is also available via whatsapp for any queries there may be. There are a number of international flights to Luang Prabang from Thailand, Vietnam, China and Cambodia. Alternatively, you transit in Laos’ country capital Vientiane , or take a long distance bus from there. Accommodation is plentiful via the usual hotel booking agents online.

The 4th edition of V Trail in Vang Vieng, Laos, saw a few interesting new names appear at the top of the male and female leaderboards. While still being a very tough mountain jungle course, V Trail received applause from participants for its technical event organisation.

Victories on the long distance course of this season's only Lao event on the ATM Championship calendar went to South Korea's Hee Joo Jang in the women's and the Thai duo Sittisak Suwannee and Puttasit Wiwatsriprapha. Hee Joo Jang was clearly the quickest as she finished almost 2h50' ahead of Thailand's well-known Siriporn Leumathong, ATM Finalist last season, and Patchara Buagun, also from Thailand. Belgium's Olivia Becu was fourth ahead of the first local runner Nakin Visisombat.

The male duo crossed the line together. Suwannee and Wiwatriprapha had a 26-minute advantage over China's Lyu Meng. Also among the 86k finishers were Malaysia’s Grandmaster point chaser Phua Cho Kai in 7th and Japan’s 4-star Grandmaster Masafumi Yamamoto in 9th place. For Yamamoto it was the second time he ran V Trail.

V Trail 55 km - France's Arnaud Beck was clearly the fastest on the 55km course, finishing in 8h44'47". Second place went to Indonesian young trail talent Surydratama Yanizar from Bali in 10h27, and third to Australian Fergus McLeod in 10h45. Nedyalko Terziev from Singapore took fourth, ahead of Thailand's experienced Amorn Kimnguan.

The women's 55km went to local Yoth Soulivanthong in 12h19, clearly ahead of two other Lao runners - showing the competitive growth of the scene in the country. Hutsadar Matsouvanh and Viravone Thepsimuang joined Soulivanthing on the podium. Yumei Chan of SIngapore crossed the finish line in fourth place.

With special thanks to Amorn Kimnguan and Masafumi Yamamoto

This weekend the spotlights are put on Laos again for the only time in our ATM championship season. It’s time for the 4th edition of V Trail in Vang Vieng, the first international trail running event in the country. Now exclusively organised by Green Step, V Trail has kept the traditional courses of 85km and 55km with significant elevation gain in them (5470hm and 3290hm, respectively). Considered as one of the very toughest mountain jungle races in Asia, V Trail is as much as mental challenge as a physical challenge.

Participants on the 85km and 55km score points for the ATM Championship ranking. That’s also important for the local Lao runners, who only have one chance in their own country to put themselves on the board. The Lao community has been growing since 2018 - year of the first V Trail - and last year we even celebrated a local victory in the women’s 55km race: Sou Soulivanthong even finished third overall. We are curious to find out if anyone will follow into her footsteps.

The 85km start list shows lots of different nationalities and several well-known ATM Grandmaster point seekers, including 4-star Grandmaster and 2022 ATM Finalist Masafumi Yamamoto of Japan, and Malaysia’s Phua Cho Kai. The battle for the podium places appears open on paper in both male and female categories. Siriporn Leumathong, ATM Finalist for Thailand last season, might as well have an opportunity to score her first ATM race win. Belgium’s Olivia Becu could be a challenger, too.

The 55 km start list for men has Thailand’s Amorn Kimnguan on it, ATM Finalist last season and always a contender for a top placing. Kimnguan has plenty of experience in tough ultra trails, and alread ran V Trail five years ago - finishing fourth on that occasion. France’s Arnaud Beck has a decent trail record in his home country and could be a potential winner, too. Of course, running in France is not the same as in the tropical rainforest in Laos. We also look forward to the performance of two Indonesian youngsters: Surydratama Yanizar and Zenal Arifin.

The 85km starts in the early morning at 6 am, the 55km half an hour later.

Alex Tilley and Irish Glorioso came out on top of the 85km longest race leaderboard at the 3rd edition of the V Trail in Vang Vieng in Laos last weekend. The event made a comeback after more than three years following covid, and proved its reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most technical trail races once again. Tilley, from Great Britain, crossed the line in 17h27 for the 85km. Thailand’s Sirisak Namyota finished second nearly five hours later, and Jumnok Taonak completed the podium. The women’s race was won by Philippines’ Irish Glorioso ahead of her compatriot Roan Gumangan. The first ATM race win for Glorioso, who was one of the exciting newcomers in Philippines last year. She crossed the finish line in 24h48.

The 55k saw pre-race favourite Narin Kongsiri from Thailand win it in 12h56, followed by Souksavanh Sychandone. Fastest woman was Sou Soulivanhthong in 14h22, who did very well and even finished third overall!

Alex Tilley wins the 2023 V Trail 85km in Laos

This weekend trail runners arrive in Laos for the first time since the covid crisis. Vang Vieng’s V Trail returns to the calendar as an early season event, as the traditional November slot was still not feasible in 2022. The 3rd edition is built on the foundation of the 2018 and 2019 experiences, with a technical and hilly jungle trail of 85km as the longest race category. New this year is the addition of the 55km category as a second points race for the ATM Championship alongside the aforementioned 85km.

Green Step as organiser of V Trail is confident that 2023 will finally see the return of several Laotian events. The Luang Prabang Trail has now also been scheduled for mid-September, giving especially local trail runners in Laos a golden opportunity to get involved in the ATM Championship and qualify for the finals in December.

Due to the shock last-minute cancellation of UTKC in Thailand two weeks ago, this weekend’s V Trail is the de facto ATM season VIII opener. An unexpected development, given that originally V Trail came third on the calendar. Sadly, Indonesia’s very popular Tahura Trail in Bandung has also been called off for the second year in a row in what can already now be regarded as yet another indicator of the current difficulties organisers in several countries in Asia face to make their events happen.

The Vang Vieng races will see quite an international mixture at the start line. On paper it looks like an open competition with several candidates in with a shot to win in the men’s race. Thai runners Amorn Kimnguan, Supeeraphan Sreeduangjan and Wasin Mongholmalee have scored podiums in ATM long ultras before. In the women’s race, Philippines’ Irish Glorioso, one of the ‘new faces’ on the ATM scene last year, could be the one to watch for the race victory.

On the 55km start list we see the names of Sawangjit Saengow and Narin Kongsiri as proven podium runners. We are looking forward to following the performances of many local Lao runners in the race. It’s been more than three years since they last had a chance to do so on home soil.

Unfortunately, the V Trail in Vang Vieng, Laos, also has to be rescheduled following the earlier postponement of Luang Prabang Trail. The current situation in the country still does not warrant a successful event in November, and the organisers at Green Step have taken the precautionary step to move the V Trail back by a few months to the first weekend of February 2023. This implies it will be one of the first races of Season VIII of the Asia Trail Master Championship series, which may actually be a good thing. The event in Luang Prabang is being planned for its usual September slot in 2023. Laos was one of the new destinations in Asian trail running before the covid pandemic hit us all. In the last edition of V Trail, some local talent emerged as well and we are looking forward to seeing how these talented runners will develop themselves in the coming season.

Along with Ijen Trail in East Java, Indonesia, the two Laos events are currently the only scheduled ATM events not to take place after all. Lantau 70 in Hong Kong may be the fourth casualty of ongoing covid-related restrictions.

For any queries about the postponement , please contact Green Step directly.

As previously announced, the V Trail in Laos is returning to the ATM Championship event calendar on 12/13 November. Registration for the event in Vang Vieng is now open as well. On the programme are the traditional race categories, of which the 85k is the targeted event for the points seekers.

This was the inaugural event in the country back in 2018 and quickly established itself as one of the more adventurous and technical races on the ATM circuit. While the 30K and shorter distance categories offer a great introduction to Southeast Asian trail running, the 85K main race is one to prepare yourself for - physically and mentally. You get to the event in Vang Vieng, a tourism hotspot, via the national capital Vientiane.

Organised by Green Step, a company with a lot of ambition in Laos, the V Trail relaunch post-pandemic is wonderful news for the Lao trail running community, which practically had just been building itself up when covid hit.

With regret we need to announce that the new-style Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in Laos has been moved to 2023 as a consequence of ongoing covid-19 mitigation measures in the country. Concretely, access to the UNESCO World Heritage town remains restricted so holding a mass participation sports event is not yet feasible. Luang Prabang Ultra Trail was scheduled for the weekend of 24/25 September. The news, provided by event organiser Green Step, serves as a reminder that - unfortunately - we are all not out of the woods yet. Nevertheless, Green Step emphasises that their traditional trail running event in the country’s south, Vang Vieng Trail (aka V Trail) is confirmed to take place on the weekend of 12/13 November. International access to that event is via Laos’ capital Vientiane. V Trail is one of the tougher jungle mountain races on our calendar with Salva Rambla and Alessandro Sherpa sharing the victory in 2018 and Milton Amat dominating in 2019.

We are delighted to announce that both Luang Prabang Ultra Trail and V Trail in Laos have been confirmed as points races on the 2022 Asia Trail Master Championship series calendar. Both events return after a two-year break due to the covid crisis, and are receiving a fresh look as illustrated by the new event logos.

Vang Vieng’s 85km long V Trail has already obtained a reputation on the ATM circuit as being one of the toughest races around, and was the original Laotian trail event on the calendar. In 2019, Milton Amat - the Sabahan jungle mountain runner par-excellence - required 15 hours and 40 minutes to complete the course. A year earlier, Alessandro Sherpa and Salva Rambla even needed over 17 hours for the 85k distance! The event retains its November slot on the calendar, and more precisely the weekend of 12/13 November.

Green Step, the team that organises V Trail, is adding more mass participation events to its company portfolio and Luang Prabang Ultra Trail is the second major trail event that will feature in ATM this season. This event, scheduled for 24/25 September, will offer runners a choice between 100 km and 50 km (but Grandmaster Quest challengers should of course focus on the 100k only). Luang Prabang, a city in north central Laos and former capital, is also a major tourist attaction due to the UNESO World Heritage label it holds since 1995.

More details and registration for both events will be coming soon.

Women’s podium of 2019 with winner Montha Suntornwit (left), and 2nd placed Rhea Batac (right)

The inaugural trail running event in Laos is already entering it’s third edition this season on 21/22 November. The V Trail in Vang Vieng, in the south of the country, has quickly established a reputation for being one of the most technical and adventurous trail races on our Asia Trail Master Championship calendar. The 85 km long main points race has about 5100 metres of elevation gain through often thick mountain jungle. The 2020 recipe remains unchanged after an initial plan by organisers Green Step/Teelakow to boost the distance to 100k was shelved for another year. Sharp observers will of course have noticed that the event is now scheduled two weeks later than usual.

Vang Vieng is a small town north of Vientiane, sitting alone the banks of the Nam Song River. It's surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves. Previously known for its controversial backpacker party culture, the local government a few years ago decided to improve the reputation of the town and has gambled all-in on developing ecologically-friendly adventure travel. The V Trail event is part of that plan.

The online registration for the event is open now. Asia Trail Master point-seekers need to focus on the 85 km race. Less ambitious runners can also opt for one of the shorter distances.

V Trail 2020 teaser video

The second edition of the V Trail in Vang Vien, Laos, saw the sudden appearance of three main protagonists in the Asia Trail Master Championship. Both Milton Amat and Koi Grey in the men’s, and Montha Suntornwit in the women’s, saw a great opportunity to boost their championship ambitions and took part in this very technical 85 km long race. Sabah’s Uglow Running Project runner Milton Amat and Thailand’s Siangpure runner Montha Suntornwit maximised on it by winning, while Filipino Koi Grey suffered an unfortunate DNF after km 60 due to serious digestive issues. In terms of the ATM Championship, it means Milton scores an extra 50 points and keeps his title-winning chances open. Montha moves up to fifth place in the women’s with this win - her fifth result of the 2019 season. Koi Grey stays fifth and will be competing in Taiping on 14 December to keep that Top 5 spot.

Second place in the men’s race went to Thailand’s Teerawat Kanjanasuttiyakorn, who last month became 10th in the Ultimate 230 in Chiang Rai and earlier in the year scored 4th in Ultra Trail Luang Prabang. Local Lao runner Duangpeng completed the podium. In the women’s Rhea Batac from Philippines took second.

Koi Grey was running in second place when he had to retire with serious digestion problems

All smiles: Montha Suntornwit from Thailand scores a solid race victory in Laos

The 2nd edition of V Trail in Vang Vien, southern Laos, promises to be a hotly contested race for some of the final Asia Trail Master Championship points on offer this season. Top contenders Milton Amat from Sabah and Koi Grey from Philippines will be attempting to boost their total points tally even a bit more before the final day in Taiping, Malaysia on 14 December.

Milton Amat is currently third in the Championship ranking with quite some margin still to improve on points. The Malaysian starts as the favourite in V Trail, given his credentials in the most technical of trail races in South-East Asia. The 85 km should suit him as much as Koi Grey, another technical runner who this year has shown great consistency in his running. Grey is 5th in the Championship ranking and could leapfrog Tomohiro Mizukoshi once again as the gap is only 26 points. Amat and Grey will get competition from Michael McLean - never to be underestimated - and a list of Thai and local runners.

Connectivity-permitting, we will be updating regularly about the action in Laos on Saturday.

Milton Amat is the dangerman in the ATM Championship for Ellis and Kitamura

Koi Grey is a solid fifth in the ATM Championship and keen on doing even better than that