This Saturday, 2 May, marks the first of four Asia Trail Master races in Indonesia on the calendar. The Gede Pangrango Marathon takes place in a beautiful national park in West Java, roughly 2,5 hours away from Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia. It is a race for mountain goats and nature lovers. The 42km distance covers no fewer than 4000 altitude metres and two big (volcanic) peaks, and is a points-scoring race for the Asia Trail Master ranking. Start and finish is in Cibodas. 

For non-domestic participants, please see a gentle reminder for the MANDATORY GEAR List, as published on the event organiser's social media pages. 

1. BIB (Running number)
2. Drinking Water 1.5 Liter
3. Food
4. Headlamps + extra batteries.
5. Emergency Survival Blanket (minimum 130cm x 200cm)
6. Whistle
7. Warm Outfits
8. First-Aid Kit

Participants also strongly advised to have Travel/Accident Insurance.

There will be shuttle bus to ferry runners on race day from a city location in Jakarta to the race venue inside the National Park.

For more information, please contact:
Contact: 081210000469 (Ary) atau 0817181187 (Rama)
Email: debrads.id@gmail.com

DEPARTURE
Location: In front of FX Sudirman (https://goo.gl/maps/wbuCW)
Date/Time:
Saturday, 2 May 2015 02:00 WIB (for 15K dan 21K)
Saturday, 2 May 2015 01:00 WIB (for 42K)

RETURN
Location: Race Central at Cibodas Botanical Garden
Date/Time:
Saturday, 2 May 2015 15:00 WIB (for 15K dan 21K)
Saturday, 2 May 2015 22:00 WIB (for 42K)

FEE:
IDR 150,000/pax (for 15K and 21K)
IDR 170,000/pax (for 42K)

Terms and Condition:
1. Available only to confirmed (paid, with BIB number) participants.
2. Fee is IDR 150,000/pax for 15K and 21K participants, IDR 170,000/pax for 42K participants.
3. You will be included in the passenger list only after we confirmed your payment.
4. Shuttle bus capacity is 48pax/bus for 15K and 21K, 15pax/bus for 42K.
5. You will be grouped based on total number of passengers.
6. Grouping will be based on paid passengers.
7. Minimum number for group departure is 38pax/group for 15K and 21K, 12pax/group for 42K.
8. If minimum number in 7) above not reached, the group's shuttle bus will be cancelled and all payments will be refunded.
9. Departure will be on 2 May 2015 02:00WIB for 15K and 21K, and 2 May 2015 01:00WIB for 42K.
10. Return trip will be on 2 May 2015 15:00WIB for 15K and 21K, and 2 May 2015 22:00WIB for 42K.
11. Snacks will be provided during the trip.
12. We take no responsibility on your belongings, please take care of your own stuffs.
13. No littering are allowed in the bus or out to the open street.
14. By registering for this shuttle bus service, you agree to the terms and condition.
15. Payment can be done by bank transfer to BCA 4761178886, Account holder's name is Diah Kirana Putri.
16. Send your registration information, with payment proof, to debrads.id@gmail.com. Please include:

• Name
• Race Category (15K, 21K or 42K)
• Bib Number (Check yours at http://www.gedepangrangomarathon.com/id/about-gpmarathon/entry-list)
• Contact Number
• Attachment of Payment Proof

NOTES:
Do not forget to upload a copy of you Photo ID for Park purposes

The Asia Trail Master series is heating up over the next weeks as spring time hits most parts of Asia. Within the next month runners will score points in races in China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, and Bhutan a bit later in May. 

Tsaigu Tangsi Plus in Linhai, Zhejiang, has the honour of kicking off the series in mainland China, a country that will host at least four points-scoring races this season, giving Chinese trail runners plenty of chances to score points for the Asia Trail Master championship. The event in Central China has upped its long distance to 57km this year, and offers a course for mountain goats: at least 3500 elevation gain awaits the participants. Start of the race this Saturday morning is the tourist town of Linhai in Taizhou, approximately 150km south of coastal city Ningbo. After a short warm-up the trail will begin to go up for approx. 10km to an altitude of 900m above sea level. It is a rollercoaster from then onwards, but one that keeps rising gradually until about 1300m, before plunging into a spectacular descent into the finish line.  For sure, first up the mountain is no guarantee to be first down the mountain as well. The event is organised by Lerun Sports and directed by Kein Yu, himself an experienced trail runner. 

The winners of the men's and women's 57km A-race will return home with 457 points in the bags. The event also has a B-race over 28km, which will likewise award finishers with points for the Asia Trail Master ranking. 

We will be reporting live from the scene on Saturday via social media with text and images. An overview of the various channels will be found on the Tsaigu Tangsi Plus live page on this website. Livetracking of the runners is not available on this occasion, however.  In the course of next week, we will also publish a collection of high quality photos taken during the event. 

To all the participants in Tsaigu Tangsi Plus: GOOD LUCK and ENJOY! 

Only one week after Ultra Trail Hong Kong, the Asia Trail Master series continue with another inaugural event: the Wild Elephant Trail” from 6-14 March 2015 in Sri Lanka.  A country that, moreover, is quite new to the sport of trail running.

As the official press release by organiser Global Limits reads: 52 runners from 23 countries from all continents in the world, including top Sri Lankan marathon runner Sanath Bandara, will compete in the stage race.  The Asia Trail Master series team is happy to promote this new event, and assist in the development of running opportunities for athletes in Sri Lanka. 

The course is expected to be quite adventurous and technical in parts, but filled with cultural landmarks as well.  The press release continues: the 210km, 6 stages race begins at the rock fortress of Yapahuwa, the short-lived capital of medieval Sri Lanka.  The runners will then head to Sasseruwa, the giant Buddha in “Freedom from Fear” pose, the picturesque Ritigala Mountains, and the Kandalama Lake.  The finishing line is set at the top of the World Heritage Site, the Sigiriya, ”The Lion Rock”.  In between the stages, the runners will stay at local pilgrim halls, campsites, and local village houses.  

Finishers of the stage race will collect a significant haul of Asia Trail Master points, and by coincidence the distance points - 175 - are the same as for last weekend's single-stage UTHK race. The rule for stage races namely says that 175 is the maximum number of distance points that can be won, which aims to avoid all-too-easy gains. 

Progress of the stage race can be checked via the GlobalLimits website, but also here and on the Asia Trail Master series facebook, twitter and instagram sites. 

The 1st edition of Ultra Trail Hong Kong starts this Friday in the New Territories and also marks the true launch of the equally inaugural Asia Trail Master series (ATMs). Throughout the year, trail runners will score points for the Asia Trail Master ranking and championship when they finish a race on the ATMs calendar.

Ultra Trail Hong Kong was set up in the spirit of the unofficial trail running world championship in France, UTMB, and the equally popular Japanese equivalent UT Mount Fuji. Race organiser Augustine Wong wants to build the race up towards a genuine benchmark on the Asian and world calendar.  There's of course plenty of races in Hong Kong already, but UTHK is certainly one of the very toughest. Runners who finish the long distance this weekend will score no fewer than 175 distance points for the Asia Trail Master ranking, which by coincidence is also the maximum number of points runners will score when doing a stage race like the Wild Elephant Trail in Sri Lanka next week.  The second race at UTHK is also qualified for the series with a length of 92km. The performance points for the shorter distance are of course fewer than for the long one. If you are not sure about  the points system yet, just visit the ranking section of this website.

At the end of the year, before Christmas, the best performing runners in the series will be rewarded. The winner of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series, and therefore the 2015 champion, will score USD 1000, men and women. Cash prizes will be handed out to the top 3, with valuable sponsor and partner prizes for the entire top 10 of the ranking to boot. It will be a hot final month in December with points-scoring races scheduled in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar! 

And let us not forget the honourary title of Grandmaster, which is obtainable not only for the fastest amongst runners, but for everyone. To become an Asia Trail Grandmaster, you need to finish six long distance races within two calendar years. Important here is that the minimum distance must be 70km, but if one event offers two different race distances, only the longest one counts. So, the 175km participants this weekend in Hong Kong get 1 finish point, but the 92km participants do not. 

You can stay up-to-date on all the latest ATMS news via social media, check out facebook, twitter, instagram, weibo and weixin, for starters. This weekend you can also follow the action in Hong Kong live via our website, courtesy of Race Timing Solutions. If you like taking photos, post them on instagram with the hashtag #Asiatrail , who knows you will win something!

Finally, we wish all runners good luck for UTHK and all the races that follow. Let's make this a great first Asia Trail Master year!

Who has not yet heard of the Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset race in the remote west of the mythical country and the Hovsgol National Park to be precise. For 17 years this classic 100km trail race has been a dream for many a runner around the world. We are therefore delighted to announce that Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset is a new entry in the inaugural Asia Trail Master series. ATMS points can be scored on 5 August, but most of all participation means supporting the National Park and the Mongolian running scene, which remains in an early stage of development. 

Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) is a non-profit race and all profits go to and are managed by ecoLeap foundation, registered in Switzerland. MS2S was first held in 1999 and the race fist project was to raise money to buy a garbage truck to help with the waste management in the park. The funds from the race continue to support keeping Hovsgol National Park as beautiful and pristine as we found it in 1999.

The race starts at sunrise (4 a.m.) and ends at sunset (10 p.m.). This timeframe allows most runners to finish the distance, despite a significant altitude gain of over 3000m on the century run.  Apart from the long 100km trail, less ambitious runners can also opt for a 42km marathon distance. Given the remoteness and lack of transportation options, the race is part of a one-week tour package in the Park, where participants will get a true feel of ethnic Mongolian life. All details can be read on the very good event website, where you can also register for the event.