The Philippines' running ace Manolito Divina returns to the Asia Trail Master scene this weekend at the Ultra Trail Mapawa race on Mindanao Island. A 50km race with about 2400 metres of elevation gain that should suit him well to regain the top spot in the Asia Trail Master ranking. Divina would equal the points achieved by Jan Nilsen (1600), but in the latest direct confrontation between the two in an ATM points race (Malaysia Eco 100) the Pinoy star won and Nilsen DNF'd. Still, nothing will be decided for the championship this weekend as the two will clash again next month at CM 50 Ultra, and will even face stern opposition from other Asian top runners in that race as well. This weekend, what counts for Divina in the Mapawa race is to win and get the maximum available points (500). 

UT Mapawa is a popular event that has been on the Mindanao trail programme for a few years, but it is the first time the organisers are opening up the event to a wider and more international audience. In fact, the 50 km trail route is new this year and therefore references to the previous editions are not very significant. The race takes place in a Nature Park, about half an hour's drive outside the local city hub of Cagayan de Oro in the northwest of Mindanao. The course is quite technical with lots of single trails, and there's four official mountain climbs and five water streams on the itinerary. It does take some time to travel to Cagayan from outside the Philippines, but it will be a rewarding experience. 

An impression of the Mapawa Nature Park 

Manolito Divina should not expect a training run, however, as there are more strong trail runners on the list of starters. Aldean Lim was third in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra, for example, and Thumbie Remigio returns after some time off due to injury. Never count him out!

In the women's a lot of attention will go to the performance of Majo Liao, only three weeks after the grueling 100k of the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge in Indonesia. Majo was one of only three women to complete that race run in very difficult conditions. Now back on more familiar territory, she starts the Mapawa 50 as the favourite. A victory on Sunday would push her up to second place in the Asia Trail Master championship, behind Tahira Najmunisaa. 

All the participants on the 50k will not only be rewarded with the standard finisher points and performance points for the ATM championship ranking, but will also receive a gift from our sponsor Simple Hydration! 

Majo Liao returns to the trails only three weeks after the devastating MesaStila Peaks Challenge

Manolito Divina on a mission to regain the points lead in the Asia Trail Master ranking

This weekend there are two points races on the Asia Trail Master schedule: Ultra Trail Jeju in South Korea, and Mount Falaza Ultra Trail in Eastern Russia. Both races are young and keen to develop further into important races on the Asian trail calendar. UT Jeju is a three-day stage race of 100 km in total, while Mt Falaza UT features a 50 km and 39 km race valid for Asia Trail Master points on and around the Falaza mountain that characterises the Promorye region in the very far East of Russia, close to Vladivostok. 

This Friday, approx 110 runners will begin the stage race on the beautiful Jeju Island that belongs to South Korea. On day 1, they are supposed to climb the highest peak of the island, Mt Halla, in a race of 30 km. Day 2 and 3 consist of 36k and 34k respectively. Two weeks ago, harsh weather conditions forced the organisers of Ultra Trail Mount Jiri to reduce their event to 50k, but this weekend should not be that dramatic. 

Mount Falaza Ultra Trail is hosted by the Gribanovka Ski Resort, a popular place for skiing in winter and now also increasingly so for trail running and adventure racing. While still a boutique event this year, the local organiser is a well-known and respected athlete in the North Asia region himself, who is highly motivated to develop the event in the years to come. Trail running is also in eastern Russia still a very young sport. Participants can combine the race with a city visit to Vladivostok, as shuttle bus transport to and from the Gribanovka Ski Resort is arranged by the race organiser. 

As always, via our social media channels you can stay tuned to the action on the scene! 

The Siberian forest on and around Mt Falaza, scene of Sunday's Mt Falaza Ultra Trail 

Ultra Trail Jeju caters for all types of runners in a three-day stage race

It is time for the Indonesia SuperTrail! The 6th edition of the MesaStila Peaks Challenge this weekend in Central Java has record participation numbers and will see a significant battle for points in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship. Ranking leaders Tahira Najmunisaa and Isaac Yuen Wan Ho are both registered along with a whole list of potential challengers to their thrones. On the agenda for them, of course, is one of the toughest races on the Asian trail calendar. An elevation gain of approx 7500 hm in 100 km, including the ascent of Gunung Merapi, is a big feat. Everyone who finishes this race within 36 hours will be a hero. 

MesaStila is the name of a boutique luxury spa and resort in Magelang, between Yogyakarta and Semarang, and close to the legendary temples of Borobudur. Trail running and trekking is inherent to the magnificent area, characterised by volcanic peaks that are scattered all over the place and offer breathtaking views. The race has gradually developed over the years and is proud to be the Indonesia SuperTrail in the Asia Trail Master series. Race director Sri Agus explains: "Indeed, it has been a long journey. In 2011 we started with the Losari Challenge, a 16km run, and one year later the name MesaStila Challenge was born: a Half Marathon following old train tracks. In 2013 the MesaStila Challenge went from rails to trails, and in 2014 we introduced the first Ultra distance of 60k. Last year we then added the 100k category. "

Last year, however, the event was affected by the major forest fires nearby. Gunung Merapi was closed at the time so that runners this weekend will conquer the nearly 3000m high volcano for the first time as part of the MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge. Only 100k participants will proceed as far as Merapi. The 65k, nicked the 4 Peaks Challenge, reaches until Gunung Merbabu.  "Gunung Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes on earth and it is the signature item of our 100k race,"says Sri Agus. "It is a difficult trail to go up Merapi compared to other mountains nearby.  It is very steep in parts, and there's loose volcanic rocks. Overall this is technical terrain.  All participants on the 100k are advised to focus, pay attention and forget the racing when climbing up to the Pasar Bubrah check point. Once one top you will be rewarded by a view you will never forget. Take your time to take it in, then descend again carefully and only then start thinking of the race again. Safety should always come first."

Mila Marlina will try to repeat her victory from last year

The champions from last year are back. Arief Wismoyono, who laid the foundation for his successful Asia Trail Master championship here, and Mila Marlina are both on the start list for this weekend's 100k - or 5 Peaks - race. Wismoyono will be aiming to get himself in the mix to defend his ATM title. He already has a victory under his belt this year, at Ijen Trailrunning, but he needs more points after a DNF at Rinjani 100 last July. Wismoyono has home advantage, but faces a stern challenge from the amazing Rinjani champion Jan Nilsen. The 50-year-old Norwegian, who lives in Thailand, was the only finisher on the volcano in Lombok and is still in outstanding form. Last week, Nilsen finished third in MF 42, a preparatory race for the Clark-Myamit Falls Ultra - the Philippines' SuperTrail on 27 November. More importantly, Nilsen was not far behind Manolito Divina and Kristian Joergensen on a trail course that suited him much less. Nilsen and Wismoyono start as big favourites this weekend, but the just mentioned Kristian Joergensen certainly ranks as the dark horse. Joergensen, from Denmark, is a multiple race winner in his resident country the Philippines and is a young runner who can still feature highly in this year's Asia Trail Master championship. The question is: can he keep his fast running pace over a 100k distance?

Someone who can is Isaac Yuen Wan Ho. The Hong Kong runner moved into first place of our rankings last July with a second place in the Magnificent Merapoh Trail in Malaysia. Already completed three races this season, Yuen Wan Ho will aim to score more than 450 points to improve on his total of 1400 ATM points, which means he needs to come second this Sunday to do so.... and Jan Nilsen should not win, otherwise the Norwegian, currently third with 1000 points, will take over the points lead in any case. Technically, also Malaysia's Abdul Rahman can find himself topping the Asia Trail Master ranking after the weekend! Currently ranked fifth with 775 points, Rahman needs a victory, though, and even then it depends on the performances of the others. One thing is for sure: Rahman, a finisher of the Malaysia Eco 100 miles and Merapoh Trail 100, will not have a problem with the long distance. The same can be said of Brunei's Ali Ajis Rasil, number 6 in the ATM ranking today following fine performances at Beach Bunch, Ijen Trailrunning and Vietnam Mountain Marathon. 

Finally, remember the tight sprint finish at Ijen Trailrunning this year? Local running star Yohanis Hiareij may have lost that one to Wismoyono, but he's back at MesaStila and might just as well take his revenge. 

Gunung Merapi is the highest point of the 5 Peaks race

Moving over to the women's side, Asia Trail Master points leader Tahira Najmunisaa from Malaysia will be aiming to consolidate her lead this weekend. Another race victory would mean Tahira has got the championship basically all wrapped up. Earlier this season, she won the Malaysia SuperTrail, Eco 100, on top of other victories at Beach Bunch and Merapoh. If Tahira wins her second SuperTrail race at MesaStila, only Yuen Kit Shan and Ma Yanxing can still come alongside her in terms of points, but for them that would imply winning two more races, including the Philippines' SuperTrail in November, AND beating Tahira in a straight dual.  Quite unlikely. However, there is a second scenario in which Tahira does not win this weekend and sees Pinoy running star Majo Liao crossing the finish line first. Majo Liao has recovered from her ankle injury sustained in the Cordillera Mountain Ultra last June and is making her comeback at high level. Scheduled to run also at UT Mapawa at the end of this month and the Clark-Myamit Falls race, which she won convincingly last year, Liao is probably the biggest threat to Tahira Najmunisaa's championship ambitions. 

As such, the experienced Mila Marlina can play a major role in the women's race. As defending champion at MesaStila, Marlina will be keen to please the local Indonesian running community with a back-to-back win. From an Asia Trail Master points' perspective, it would put her back in the mix after difficult races in Hong Kong and Malaysia in the early part of the season, but she can also take away points from the two leading contenders.  

Several more well-ranked runners are doing the 4 Peaks Challenge of 65 km at MesaStila, such as Jessica Lintanga (5th) and Jocelyn Cheung (6th).  Given the high elevation gain (4800 hm), the Asia Trail Master committee decided that the 65 k distance is also valid for the Grandmaster Quest. 

A race on at times dense rainforest terrain like this requires appropriate markings. Runners should pay attention to the following items: 

• MesaStila Peaks Challenge flag
• Sticker reflectors
• Plastic lines
• Paint Markers
• Cut coloured paper  

We will report on the Indonesia SuperTrail from start to finish via our usual social media channels. Stay tuned for what promises to be an epic trail weekend! 

Tahira Najmunisaa can become Asia Trail Master champion this weekend. Her husband Abdul Rahman can jump to the very top of the male standings as well.

This weekend the second Korean trail race of the Asia Trail Master season is on the menu. A tough mountainous race in the country's Southern region, on and around the holy Jirisan mountain. Mount Jiri is in fact the second highest mountain in Korea at 1915m above sea level, and the surrounding national park the largest of its kind. Trail runners have 100km or 50km to absorb this weekend. The main race has approx 5900m of elevation gain and a tight cut-off time of 32 hours. Spectactular views and local ethnic culture will accompany the athletes during their effort.  

The weather forecast is not brilliant for the weekend. One week after the debacle at UTMF last week, there are fears that also this big race may be reduced to a shorter distance. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. In any case, the cold temperatures in combination with potential rainfall will make it a tough day for all competitors. [UPDATE: the 100k has been cancelled. All competitors will be redirected to the 50k distance]

The event will have its second edition following a successful test race last year. Organised by the same crew of Korea 50k - the country's best known trail race and also an Asia Trail Master points race in April - UTMJ has the environment to develop further into a classic race on the Asian calendar.  Accessible via Busan, the organisers also arrange transport from Seoul and the main event hotel is the great Kensington resort. 

The competition is quite open with a great mix of local Korean athletes and international runners. The conditions during the race may affect performances, so it really remains to be seen who will emerge victorious. 

You can follow the action at UTMJ live via our social media channels this weekend. 

This weekend's Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa finally launches the second part of the Asia Trail Master championship season. The  4th edition sees a record number of 1600 registered runners spread out over five distances, of which three are valid for ATM points. New this year is the 100km race distance, and it has attracted not a bad number of athletes, including number 18 in our current Asia Trail Master championship, Ali Ajis Rasil from Brunei. The 100k is the hardest single day footrace in Vietnam and climbs up to an altitude of 1779m above sea level. After the start at the Topas Ecolodge, 100k participants will go on a new loop of 30k, before joining the traditional 70km loop. Along the route will be plenty of ricefields, plantations and villages of ethnic minority peoples. On the horizon looms Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam. The weather is always a factor in this race as well. 

A tough but very rewarding event that has put Vietnam firmly on the trail running map. It is fantastic to see how many local and Vietnamese people in general have decided to take part in VMM this year and spend a glorious weekend in the Sapa mountain region. Very much an event for everyone, all finishers on the 100 and 70k races will also score 1 point for their individual Grandmaster Quest.

Ali Ajis Rasil has a great opportunity to propel himself back in the top 10 of the ATM championship ranking for the second time this season. Coming from another country that only very recently has embraced the sport of trail running, the Bruneian has had solid finishes at Ijen Trailrunning in Indonesia and the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in his home country so far this season. Hong Kong's Jocelyn Cheung (27th, 425 ATM points) and Vietnam's own Thanh Vu (37th, 400 ATM points) are two women who could jump forward in the female championship ranking this weekend as both are registered for the 70km race. 

Stay tuned for updates on the races in Sapa via our social media channels on the weekend. 

CURRENT ASIA TRAIL MASTER POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP RANKING

1. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 1400 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1050 points
3. Jan Nilsen (NOR) 1000 points
4. Xu Xiutao (CHN) 800 points
5. Abdul Rahman (MAS) 775 points
6. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 737 points
7. Marcelino Sano Oy (PHI) 710 points
8. Alan Toh (MAS) 690 points
9. Philip Kian Yong Yeo (MAS) 680 points
10. Matthew Kennedy (GBR) 641 points
11. Zhong Guan (CHN) 640 points
12. Vincent Chalias (FRA) 635 points
13. Yong Yunseok (KOR) 600 points
14. Carlos Paz (ESP) 561 points
15. Raymond Cheung (HKG) 550 points
15. Zhaohong Hua (CHN) 550 points

TOP 15 WOMEN

1. Tahira Najmunisaa (MAS) 1600 points (incl. Abroad Bonus)
2. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 760 points
3. Adelinah Lintanga (MAS) 690 points
4. Patricia Shindy (INA) 660 points
5. Jassica Lintanga (MAS) 650 points
6. Ma Yanxing (CHN) 550 points
6. Yuen Kit Shan (HKG) 550 points
8. Akmaral Meirman (KAZ) 500 points
8. Ann Mari Lillejord (NOR) 500 points
8. Zhou Dongmei (CHN) 500 points
8. Qu Lijie (CHN) 500 points
8. Yukako Takashima (JPN) 500 points
8. Yukari Fukuda (JPN) 500 points
8. Tseng Wei Lin (TPE) 500 points
8. Xiao Jing (CHN) 500 points

Photo: David W Loyd Photography

At 4 a.m., sunrise in northwestern Mongolia, the 18th edition of Sunrise to Sunset has started in the Hovsgol National Park. This is one of the pioneering 100km trail races in Asia, which is even more remarkable when considering the very remote location. Runners who take part in the event require a mini holiday as getting there and away takes time. That is also why the race can be held on a Wednesday instead of on a weekend day. The participants are as always a very international mix combined with some of Mongolia's own top endurance athletes. The entire event goes to the benefit of the Hovsgol National Park, and the local communities in the vast area. We will update on the race proceedings as soon as we get news. 

The 2nd Magnificent Merapoh Trail on the outskirts of the famous Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia starts on Friday night. The sold-out event, organised by the people of Running Project and to the benefit of the preservation of the Merapoh Cave complex, has a mouth-watering course for the speedies among the trail runners. An elevation gain of 1200 metres over 100 km is the lowest in the entire 2016 Asia Trail Master series and contrasts heavily with the 9100 altitude metres that participants will have to conquer on the Rinjani volcano in Indonesia also this weekend. Primarily, fast runners will be in action in Malaysia and mountain goats in Indonesia, but both are as pure a trail running event can be!

The Magnificent Merapoh Trail offers three race distances of 100km, 60km and 30km, and can be proud of its list of participants. Home favourite and current leader in the female Asia Trail Master championship ranking Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid returns to action this weekend on, of course, the 100 km race distance. Tahira has already collected race wins in the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei and Malaysia Eco 100 miles this season, and a new victory would make her very hard to beat in this year's championship, indeed. She will face some stern competition in Merapoh, though. Her compatriot and winner of the 100km race in Eco 100, Adelinah Lintanga, cannot be underestimated. Tan Seow Ping will be there as well, the number three of last year's Asia Trail Master championship. Furthermore, Indonesia's Ina Budiyarni decided that Merapoh Trail suits her characteristics and ambitions better than Rinjani 100 and will toe the starting line. Budiyarni, fourth in the 2015 championship and a multiple race winner in her own country. There are also a few runners with loads of international trail running experience: Teresa Aranalde (Mexico) and Cheryl j. Bihag (Philippines), for example. And in the context of the 2016 ATM series' championship, we should also keep an eye out for Gretchen Felipe, the young woman from the Philippines who won the Cordillera Mountain Ultra last June and who is competing on the 60km race distance this weekend. 

It will not all be about the women. The men's race will be just as exciting and will see Hong Kong's Isaac Yuen Wan Ho trying to regain the lead in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship ranking! Yuen Wan Ho, fourth in UTHK and second in Brunei earlier this year, can overtake Manolito Divina if he finishes inside the top 70 on Saturday, as he just needs 150 points (100 finisher points, 51 performance points for rank 70). As he showed in Brunei, Yuen Wan Ho is actually a very fast runner, so he may as well go for the race win or at least the podium. However, also for him, there are other strong contenders. Henry Yang from Singapore, or Allan Toh from Malaysia for sure will give him a run for his money. There's a solid team of Japanese athletes as well, and let's not forget Abdul Rahman, who was third in Malaysia Eco 100 miles, after all. 

As in the female 60km race, the recently crowned winner of the men's Cordillera Mountain Ultra, Marcelino Sano-Oy, will be the one to watch. Sano-Oy is actually making his first ever trip abroad, and is gradually building up trail running experience. 

While the elevation gain is limited, the Magnificent Merapoh Trail does have technical sections, and combined with the traditional heat and humidity should not be considered an easy trail run. Let's not forget that the DNF rate of Malaysia Eco 100 in Penang was much higher than anybody expected, and so it was in the much shorter Brunei race last February. During Merapoh, runners will need to cross a few water streams, but also run through some caves, obviously a very special item of this event. 

We will be reporting live from the event on our social media channels, and this starting at 21:30 on Friday night. 

Protagonists guaranteed this weekend: Tahira Najmunisaa and her husband Abdul Rahman 

Marcelino Sano-Oy: winner of the Cordillera Mountain Ultra 50 last month: hot favourite for the 60km race in Malaysia this weekend as he begins his international running career

This weekend marks the beginning of the Asia Trail Master series in Japan, the country that has embraced the sport of distance running perhaps more than any other Asian country since decades. The Echigo Country Trail in the Oguni and Ojiya Nature areas close to Nagaoka in Niigata promises a great weekend out and a race that fits the time of year just before the real heat of summer kicks in. The event is very welcoming to international runners, which due to language barriers is unfortunately not always the case in Japan. As such, the Echigo Country Trail will provide runners from all over Asia a great opportunity to get a first hand experience of trail running in Japan.  

The 52k race course will lead participants through Echigo, Oguni and Ojiya counties on authentic local mountain trails.  Total elevation gain is respectable, yet not excessive with 2000 hm. The race is set to commence at 6 a.m. and the cut off time is 10 hours later. 

The event is organised by Hiroaki Matsunage, who has been a very familiar face on the Japanese trail running circuit for years. Exploiting his own extensive international running experience, Matsunage established the Echigo Country Trail last year in a shorter version, and has now beefed it up to a genuine long distance trail course with the support of the local authorities in Niigata. 

One of the race favourites for sure is Shunsuke Okunomiya. Winner of the Hasetsune Cup, a popular race with tradition in Japan, the 37-year-old has made it in the top 15 of UTWT races amongst the very elite. 

Shunsuke Okunomiya

"At Echigo there will be many famous and strong runners at the start line. So I have been quite excited for this race for some time already," says Okunomiya. "It will actually also be my first time running in this specific area, so I will be using all my five senses and have fun for sure. This race is also my first race in which I can score points for the Asia Trail Master championship. To be honest I had not yet heard about it, as this will be the first time points can be scored in Japan. Let's see if I could in the future target more races and aim for a high ranking at the end of the year. For sure I hope that Echigo will be joined by other Japanese events in the Asia Trail Master series. I want more international runners to come to Japan and enjoy our great trails and natural scenery." 

The Echigo Country Trail will be run on Sunday morning, but the event already begins a day earlier in the afternoon with a local fair and opening ceremony with dinner. As such, the event is about much more than just running, and is set up as a genuine cultural community event. 

As usual, we will be reporting live from the event on Saturday afternoon and Sunday throughout the race, subject to mobile connectivity, via our standard social media channels. 

A very authentic course map for the 52k race

This Sunday's Cordillera Mountain Ultra is the first race for Asia Trail Master championship points in the Philippines this year. The 50km main event takes place on and around Mount Ugo in the vicinity of regional centre Baguio, and is organised to the benefit of environmental NGO Cordillera Conservation Trust. While current points leader Manolito Divina is still allowing his body to recover from the Malaysia Eco 100, several other strong Filipino runners will be starting this weekend. Among those is Majo Liao in the women's, who is the double winner of CM 50 Ultra, the Philippines' SuperTrail race at the end of November. Liao is expected to be one of the protagonists for the women's championship as the season develops. Quite a few women in the start list for CMU, though, so one never knows if someone causes an upset on race day. 

In the men's we have an open race on paper. Local area experience may boost chances of Thumbie Remigio, who earlier this week spoke of the challenge of climbing Mt Ugo the way they do in CMU, and Alison Telias. Jonel Mendoza and MTB champion Arnold Lozano are others to watch out for, along with a contingent of foreign runners. 

CMU follows the Cordillera Mountain Marathon that was organised last year. While Mount Ugo dominates the race profile, fast climbers will need to ensure to keep something in reserve for the final 8 km to the finish in Dalupirit. The start of the race is scheduled for 4:30 a.m. and as usual we will be reporting live on social media, subject to available connectivity. 

All runners are also encouraged to support the work of the Cordillera Conservation Trust. Every small donation counts, and, in any case, the local coffee is excellent!

Mount Ugo in CMU this Sunday

Runners will need to cross a few bridges this weekend

Majo Liao is a big race favourite in the women's 50k. 

TEXT

This weekend marks the start of the 2nd GlobalLimits stage race of the season that qualifies for Asia Trail Master ranking points. The Last Secret in Bhutan, in its 4th edition, remains a special event on our calendar given its mystical location and the continuous high altitude. In total, participants will cover 200 km in 6 stages. It starts in Thimphu and ends at the world famous monastery Taktshang Goemba, also known as the Tiger's Nest. 

Competitors come from all over the world for this week long event in the Himalayan country. One familiar name in the Asia Trail Master series catches the eye on the list of participants, namely Veronique Messina. The Cambodia-based French runner ended sixth in last year's female championship and won the Wild Elephant Trail stage race. 

Stay tuned via our social media channels for updates on the race during the week. 

After the superb racing in Malaysia and Southwest China last weekend, the Asia Trail Master series moves to Indonesia for the first points scoring race in the country this year. The 2nd edition of the Ijen Trailrunning in Bondowoso, East Java, will see the first appearance of 2015 Asia Trail Master champion Arief  Wismoyono, who has been quietly preparing in recent weeks to be in top shape as he begins the defence of his title. The event, organised by Egon Trail, is completely centered around the beautiful Ijen volcano. The climb to the crater rim, where runners can witness the so-called blue fire, is the highlight of the trail, and also the only serious difficulty. The main race is 70km long - just enough for finishers to score a point in the Grandmaster Quest - and has a total elevation gain of approx 2500 hm, which is relatively moderate in comparison to the other Indonesian races on our calendar. Fast runners therefore have a chance to do well on Sunday. 

Wismoyono of course starts as the favourite to win the 70k Ijen Trailrunning. He also won this race last year together with Alan Maulana, the latter not featuring on the start list this season. The star from the Bandung Explorers team had a difficult winter as both his Hong Kong adventures, HK 100 and Lantau 100, suffered from extremely cold weather spells, which literally froze his chances for a good result. Let's see how Wismoyono fares back at home on  familiar soil. 

In the women's race, also Ina Budiyarni, fourth in last year's Asia Trail Master championship, will make her 2016 debut at Ijen. Budiyarni has been going well in other trail and road races in Indonesia  all year - find a race where she is not taking part in and win a fruit basket - , but on the start list are several women who could surprise her this Sunday.

Ijen Trail running's start has a lot of  international names this year, and for sure we will discover some new interesting athletes. As always, you can follow the action live via our social media channels this weekend. 

Already the third SuperTrail race of the season is on the Asia Trail Master menu this weekend, as runners from all over the continent gather in Penang for the Eranzi Malaysia Eco 100. It will be an important event for the 2016 points ranking, but also for Aleksis Capili. The Thailand-based Pinoy runner is set to complete his Grandmaster Quest of six races of over 70k in two calendar years!

While Penang is the gateway to the event, organised by Endurance Nature, the start and finish of the three race distances is in Bukit Mertajam opposite Penang Island. The 100 miles and 100k races will soak up most attention, but the 50k is definitely not without merit neither in the hot and humid climate of Malaysia. Challenging conditions for many runners, who are perhaps fortunate that the elevation gain is considerable yet not excessive. Race Director Seow Kong Ng, an icon in Malaysia's endurance runnjng scene, of course knows where the acceptable limits are.

The rankings will look very different after this race. Both Jan Nilsen and Manolito Divina are going for the win, and for the lead in the men's Asia Trail Master championship ranking at the expense of current leader Isaac Yuen Wan Ho. Nilsen is in top shape, having just beaten Divina in a big race in the Philippines a fortnight ago. The 100 miles in Malaysia are more runnable, though, and more humid. They will be challenged by several other top runners from Malaysia itself.

Also in the women's we are bound to see a change of leadership in the points standings.Upcoming local hero Tahira Najmunisaa is doing the long distance race this weekend, and if she finishes will move ahead of Ma Yanxing and Yuen Kit Shan. The impressive winner of the Beach Bunch Trail Challenge in Brunei is only 50 points behind and will be the first of the top runners to compete in two races this year. However, also on the start list is the number 2 of last year's Asia Trail Master series: Mila Marlina from Indonesia. Marlina had a tough run at UTHK earlier this year, but if she is back to her best level - which brought her wins at e.g. MesaStila Peaks Challenge last year - she will certainly give Tahira a run for her money. At the end of December, the best three race results per runner count.

Aleksis Capili is the real ultrarunner: perhaps not the fastest of all, but he just keeps on going weekend after weekend... Malaysia Eco 100 miles will be his sixth Asia Trail Master race of more than 70km in less than a year! Capili has not left at that, as he also regularly runs other races outside our calendar as well. Capili is orginally from the Philippines, but based for work in Thailand. If he successfully completes this weekend's 100 miles, Capili will enter the inaugural Hall of Fame as an Asia Trail Grandmaster. 

Watch our social media pages for news and updates of the Malaysia Eco 100 this weekend!