The first Danao City International Ultra Trail in Cebu, Philippines proved to be a great addition to the Filipino trail calendar and was a successful ATM Candidate with promising years ahead. Andy Toniacao and Chloe Base won a very tough 100km race, but performance-wise it was probably Larry Apolinario who raised eyebrows the most with a stunningly dominant win on the 50km, 1h35’ ahead of second place…

The new event received large support from the Danao City authorities and featured a start & finish arena in the centre of town, which always boosts the festival atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the local population to be involved. Runners were given a technical course that was well-appreciated, including well-stocked aid stations that had about anything you could imagine. Especially the 100km ultra distance turned out to be a genuine challenge for the majority of participants. The 6300 metres of elevation gain were a warning sign on paper, but those numbers never say anything about technicality and gradients - both uphill and downhill. Experienced Filipino runners argued that Danao 100 comes close to being the toughest 100k trail in the country - and it was not even raining. The race winner’s finishing time of 20 hours and 37 minutes of course already says a lot. That winner is Andy Toniacao, a well-known and respected competitive trail runner in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Not a so-called nobody. He was in the lead from the start and soon build up a big advantage over the other runners. Despite slowing down slightly in the final sections - it was Toniacao’s debut on the 100 km - he arrived back in the bustling city centre of Danao on Saturday evening with an advantage of 1h15’ over Jensen Pasaforte and Juan Salang. Only one female runner managed to beat the 30 hours cut-off time: Chloe Base. She was probably the one who managed her efforts in the most efficient way, as during the whole of Saturday she was never reported to be inside the top three.

While the 100km was clearly a race for the toughest of trail runners, the 50km and 30km races were more manageable for the standard runner. Mind you, also the 50k was reviewed as ‘technical to very technical’. All the more impressive was Larry Apolinario’s pace as he blasted away from everyone else. At CP2, he already led the field by 25 minutes after just 15 kilometres. The majority of runners struggled their way to the finish, but Apolinario looked as if he had just gone for his regular Sunday’s jog. His race performances outside the Philippines, particulary in ATM races, have somehow been mostly below-par but on home soil he has firmly set his foot besides Onifa and Macaneras. His finish time was 6h25. Dante Soreno, all cramped up, finished second in 8h00’ , followed by Rodney Ortega in 8h16’.

The women’s 50km saw a very nice dual between local hero Kathleen Ligan, from Compostela - the town between Cebu City and Danao City - and the established competitor Cecille Wael. Both stayed together until aid stations 3 just over halfway. Then, Wael went off course for too long to still have a fighting chance against Ligan. Both of them were in good shape, finishing fifth and seventh overall. Let’s see if Ligan can build on this victory to become yet another contender for the already strong Pilipinas Team in our ATM Championship. From her side, Wael, was happy to have finished a technical race without the injury pains that plagued most of her 2023 season.

For once, the 30km category also attracted a lot of interest from trail followers due to the presence of reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa and the young up-and-comer, some would say ‘The Prince’ , Godwin Mirar. Still only 23 years of age, Godwin caught everyone’s eye already back in 2019 when he finished fourth behind Kitamura, Macaneras and John Ellis in the Punisher 80k race on Babak Samal island. One of those talents with a potentially big future in the sport. Godwin Mirar has been doing things the smart way: no long ultras for him yet, it’s all about body development, speed training and gaining technical experience in shorter races first. Already in VMM last year he showed the progress he had made since 2019. On the 50km he finished third behind Onifa and Joergensen, but just a mere 11 minutes behind. In Danao, Godwin Mirar could have a go at John Ray Onifa. It’s only 30km and Onifa is in recovery from a serious 100km in Hong Kong a week ago. Indeed, the Prince put the pressure on the King. At CP2, Godwin Mirar arrived a minute ahead of Onifa, who did twist his ankle just before. The ATM Champion realised he was in a serious race, grit his teeth together and managed to catch him again before opening up a gap. Mirar also missed a marker somewhere to eliminate his victory chances, but his bravery of taking the fight to Onifa can only be applauded. At the same time, John Ray Onifa showed his resilience to continue racing with a damaged ankle. After he crossed the line, he went straight into the ambulance. Luckily, it soon turned out to be relatively okay despite a swelling. His participation in the 9 Dragoons in three weeks is not in danger.

Chloe Base as the only female finisher of the 100 km

Kathleen Ligan: impressive victory on the 50km

Larry Apolinario: man of the weekend?

We are happy to announce Zenone Poles continues as the new Official Poles partner of the Asia Trail Master Championship series. Headquartered in Ningbo, China, Zenone has been expanding rapidly in South East Asia and has become trendy in our series as well, thanks to the colourful customisations and the lightweight products.

The company behind the brand ‘Zenone’ has over 15 years of experience in the production and R&D of trekking and hiking sticks. Since the launch of the 2018 Asia Outdoor Exhibition and the new brand, Zenone has adhered to the tenet of "walking steadily and supporting life", with a pragmatic and rigorous attitude, and focus on extremely light. and on reliability. Moving into the sport of trail running, Zenone has rapidly gathered applause and popularity in the outdoor sports communities, including even mountaineering.

Several events on our ATM calendar are directly supported by Zenone Poles as well, and participating runners can purchase customised versions of the lightweight poles. In the plan for 2024 are also customised ATM poles. Runners will also be able to score these as prizes in ATM events.

On the official webpage and e-store you can see the variety of poles on offer. There’s something for all budgets and personal preferences. A good source of information is also the facebook page of Zenone Poles Malaysia, linked below as well. Zenone Poles are also easily available via the Red Dot Running Company store.

The 1st edition of the Danao City Ultra Trail in Cebu, Philippines, can look forward to the participation of reigning ATM male champion John Ray Onifa this Sunday. Being more or less at home in the Visayas, Onifa will be running the 30km shorter distance race of the ATM Candidate event, which also offers 100km and 50km categories. Onifa is probably hoping for a calm race, having just done a highly competitive 100km in Hong Kong last weekend, but will have the 23-year-old up-and-comer Godwin Mirar on his tail this Sunday.

The new event Danao City Ultra Trail has been set up under the direction of Bitbit Marites Sotto, a former highly successful adventure, MTB and trail running racer. The ambition seems clear: make this the stand-out trail running event in the Visayas. Runners can look forward to lush forests, rocky trails, and stunning vistas. The 100km ultra will certainly not be the easiest race to complete, looking at its continuously ondulating profile and the more than 6000 hm of elevation gain. Cut off time has been set at 30 hours with start at midnight. Ezekiel Cheruiyot from Kenya will be one to look out for. As one of few in his country of runners to have a clear focus on long distance trail ultras, Cheruiyot has been on the ATM scene before - collecting a second place in the 100 miles race of Ultra Trail Chiang Mai in Thailand in 2022. Looking at the start list, amongst the known competitors, we find Noy Gentoleo - always a contender for podium or at least top five. Florence Alave, recently third on Mt Apo Sky Race 100, will certainly also be in the mix.

On the 50km eyes will be focused on Larry Apolinario and Cecille Wael in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. Both had a rollercoaster year in 2023 with great race performances alternating with injury-related struggles. Apolinario is also one of those young local stars trying to stay in the slipstream of John Ray Onifa and Arnie Macaneras in the hope of one day taking over the crown.

ATM will be providing live race coverage all weekend from Danao City. You can follow the action as usual primarily on ATM Facebook, but also on ATM Instagram, ATM YouTube and ATM X channels.

John Ray Onifa kicks off his 2024 ATM season with the 30k at Danao City Candidate Race, but will face some strong opposition by the name of upcoming youngster Godwin Mirar

Cecille Wael will be aiming for success on the 50km having taken it easy over the past two months to allow her persistent ankle injury to heal

Larry Apolinario when he impressively won MUSPO 100 in July 2022. He will be on the 50k this weekend.

We are happy to announce that the 2nd edition of Trail des Gombak in Selangor is a new ATM Candidate Race in peninsular Malaysia on the weekend of 22/23 June. The event is organised by Projek Hijo and offers traditional race distance categories of 100km and 50 km , alongside shorter versions of 30 km and 15 km. The 100km can also be done in duo format.

Gombak is located near Kuala Lumpur and to the Batu Caves, a touristic hotspot, making it a very convenient event from a logistical point of view. The event location is the Orang Asli settlement. The race courses consist of jungle trails, hills, waterfalls and much more of what the Gombak area has to offer. On paper, Trail des Gombak is not the most difficult with approx 3600 hm of elevation gain for the 100k and 1800 hm for the 50k, but as usual numbers never tell the whole story. The 100km starts at day time, 11am on Saturday, and there’s a cut-off time of 32 hours. The 50km has a 3am start on Sunday with 15 hours as the time limit. Runners should be aware of the mandatory gear requirements before signing up.

Registration can be done via Checkpoint Spot Asia, which you can access via a click on the button below. More event details can be obtained via the event website and facebook page.

On a truly beautiful running day in and around Moc Chau, Vietnam-based Frenchman Valentin Orange won the Vietnam Trail Marathon 70km just inside the course record time set by Quang Tran earlier! It’s Orange’s first ever ATM points race victory in a time of 7h01'40". He ran solo for basically the entire race as co-favourite Hung Hai had an off-day and never challenged for the win. It’s the kind of performance that would make Valentin Orange a favourite for this season’s ATM Championship. Until halfway, Nguyen Si Hieu was able to keep the gap at around 15 minutes, but in the second half of the runable but steep rollercoaster Orange boosted his advantage to an impressive margin of over 1 hour at the finish. Nguyen Si Hieu still got caught by the ever improving Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh (better known as Tu Do) and the two finished side-by-side. Si Hieu admitted that Tu Do had waited for him in the final kilometers. Nguyen Tien Vo was fourth and kept the podium within reach but was unable to close the gap in the end. Hung Hai appeared somewhat disinterested but still finished fifth. Who knows those ATM points can still be important later in the season.. Tomohiro Mizukoshi was running 6th for as far as 50 km, but then began to suffer from the midday sun and dropped down the order quite dramatically to finish 12th. Brian Angwin did well in the second half to take sixth ahead of Luis Alvelais.

Men's Top Results:

1. Valentin Orange

2. Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh (Tu Do) at 1h03'48"

2. Nguyen Si Hieu (VIE) at 1h03'48"

4. Nguyen Tien Vo (VIE) at 1h'18'12"

5. Hung Hai (VIE) at 1h35'42"

6. Brian Angwin (GBR/VIE) at 2h30'17"

7. Luis Alvelais (MEX/HKG) at 2h31'38"

8. Tran Van Bac (VIE) at 2h40'34"

9. Ivan Grigoriev (RUS) at 2h42'46"

10.Nguyen Hoang Nghia (VIE) at 2h49'57"

In the women’s race, New Caledonia’s Leslie Nowicki won convincingly ahead of pre-race favourite Vanja Cnops. It was Nowicki’s first race in Vietnam, and nobody had seen her coming, but she is quite experienced as a trail runner. A surprised Vanja Cnops never realised until only halfway into the race that she was running in second. Still, Cnops admitted she did not have the best of race days and finished 23 minutes after Nowicki. Both Nowicki (5th) and Cnops (7th) finished high up the overall result list, indicating their high level of performance. Vietnam-based Japanese Akane Nemoto, 6th in the ATM Final early December, confirmed her competitive progress in long distance races once more with third place on the podium. Vietnam’s Le Thi Hang came fourth (after running a marathon on each day of 2023) just two minutes ahead of Thailand’s duo Tara Savage and Sutinee Rasp.

VTM was the first Vietnamese points race of this season’s ATM Championship series. The next one is Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths early April.

Women's Top Results:

1. Leslie Nowicki (FRA/NCD)

2. Vanja Cnops (BEL/SIN) at 23'22"

3. Akane Nemoto (JPN) at 1h41'19"

4. Le Thi Hang (VIE) at 2h18'17"

5. Tara Savage (USA/THA) at 2h19'35"

6. Sutinee Rasp (THA) at 2h33'30"

7. Mai Thi Hoa (VIE) at 2h52'34"

8. Thuy Nguyen Thu (VIE) at 3h19'26"

This Saturday, for the first time in its 6-year history, the Vietnam Trail Marathon in Moc Chau is a points race for the Asia Trail Master Championship series and Grandmaster Quest. ‘VTM’ has been the traditional series opener of the Vietnam Trail Series, which also includes September’s classic Vietnam Mountain Marathon, and offers a majestic course across Moc Chau’s tea plantations and peach blossoms. The 70km race is the one for points and starts on Saturday morning at 5 am.

While technically our 9th ATM Championship season already started with Izu Trail and Mt Apo Sky Race last month, VTM is the first points race event in 2024. With also V Trail in Laos, Bagtit Ultra in Philippines and The 9 Dragons in Hong Kong coming up in the next few weeks it will indeed be a busy start. The set-up and regulations for the new Season IX mirror those of the past two years. In each race, the fastest 25 runners (male and female) score points for the ATM Championship ranking and at the end of the season the best five male and female points scorers get an invitation to join the ATM Final race to decide the new ATM champions. This year’s final event is projected to take place at the end of Q3 in September, as we are moving gradually away from the usual end-of-year date in December.

Vietnam Trail Marathon is known to have a runable course that nevertheless has about 3000 metres of elevation gain. Looking at the below course profile, competitors for the win and podium do need to keep something in reserve for the final 20km and all participants better measure their efforts early on as the trails go up almost immediately after the start.

Vanja Cnops has been coming to VTM already quite a few times and the 2023 vice-ATM champion will be back again this weekend to open her new ATM season’s account. The more runable trails suit Vanja a lot , even when the race lasts for 70 km. She is clearly the top favourite in the women’s race this Saturday, but behind her the battle for podium seems quite open. Le Thi Hang, who just completed her Project 365 to run a marathon each day in 2023, will be there, but also Japan’s Akane Nemoto. A 2023 ATM Finalist, Nemoto is now part of Team Mude Sports and after being outstanding in Vietnam’s shorter race distances for years is looking to reach the same level of performance consistency on the 70km. Last September, she won the 70km at VMM but then had a tough day at Lam Dong Trail 75 (5th) before claiming 6th in the ATM Final at Siksorogo Lawu 77km. Thailand’s Sutinee Rasp was 3rd in VMM 70k last season, and Tara Savage - winner of UT Chiang Rai and 13th in the ATM Final last year, are other podium candidates.

The men’s 70km is likely to see a battle between Hung Hai and Valentin Orange, with Nguyen Si Hieu, Tomohiro Mizukoshi, Luis Alvelais, Nguyen TienVo and Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh and Ivan Grigorev heading a larger field of podium contenders. At VMM last September, Hung Hai was back in top form, winning the 100km in a very fast time ahead of Sange Sherpa. Definitely the more experienced runner on an ultra distance, Hung Hai has an advantage over Valentin Orange, who has only really moved up from the shorter distance categories in the last year. Orange does carry a lot of speed with him, and as a member of the Mude Sports Team it will be fascinating to see how he fares against Hung Hai this Saturday. And what to expect of Nguyen Si Hieu? His record lists 9 ATM podiums with 2 race wins. Nguyen Si Hieu is always there and can never be ignored for the prizes at the finish.

ATM will be reporting live from VTM from start to finish, starting at 5am local time.

Hung Hai is the man to beat on the 70km this weekend

Vanja Cnops will be looking to score her 8th ATM points race victory

It is a pleasure to announce the renewed cooperation between Asia Trail Master and the popular Japanese kinesio taping brand New-HALE. At Asia Trail Master promoted events, we see increasingly more runners using colourful tape to protect themselves from potential injuries. New-HALE, established by Mr Koji Akuta, is one of the pioneers in the technology, and will please participants in our series with its great products and service.

For those people not yet so familiar with kinesio taping, this is a rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion. It is a therapeutic technique not only offering you the support you are looking for, but also rehabilitating any affected condition as well.

New-HALE has a wide range of items in its catalogue, but in ATM the focus is on the V Tape and the X Tape. Both these are easily available in Asia outside Japan thanks to famous retail stores such as Red Dot Running Company in Singapore and Gone Running in Hong Kong.

V Tape

This innovative pre-cut V-shaped tape is super flexible to applied on the calf, knee, shoulders or waist to provide targeted support. It is loved by professional athletes around the world and also used in many medical treatments. The tape is made of smooth LYCRA blend cotton fabric, which offers great resilience and joint support, such as elbow or knee, perfect for athletic taping.

X Tape

Ankle taping for professional top runners of trail running and ultramarathon. It stops not just sprain but also prevents overpronation to sustain resilience of runner's ankle, transferring propulsion force into higher performance. It sustains the angle of 90 degrees of ankle and foot to reduce stress and burdens on foot. Simple "X-type taping" makes it easier for ankle support. Support by the elastic material LYCRA. Tape of lower elasticity provides both fit and fixed power. Acrylic rubber 100% prevents losing power. Sweat and water-resistant taping surface with high quality glue substance prevents it from peeling off. Ankle Fixed-Up To Step Up Performance Of All Sports!

Malico Grand Ultra in Santa Maria West, Pangasinan, in the West of Luzon a little south of Baguio, was held for the first time as an ATM Candidate Race last weekend. Organised by the Maharlika Team that also brings you Sierra Madre Trail Ultra in March, Malico turned out to be quite a tough and technical course with the 75 km long distance winner requiring 15h39’ to complete the distance. Miguel Carranza is not a soft cookie, though! The weather was cold in parts, but Carranza likes long ultras and was in his element to take the measure of a strong Bhert Orpiada, who took second and Sai Tonog II , one of last year’s Filipino protagonists who narrowly missed out on qualification for the ATM Final. One of the Finalists and pre-race favourites, Avelino Versola III suffered from hypothermia in the cold weather and decided to DNF with a long season ahead.

A great newcomer on the ultra distance has won the women’s Candidate Race: Michella Aradanas! She managed to outpace none other than last year’s Sierra Madre winner Ann Jilian Pulanco on the technical terrain. Pulanco came second. As you can hear in the post-race chat, Aradanas has a background in ultra cycling and bodybuilding training, so the basic fitness level is clearly there!

The next Filipino Candidate Race is already coming up in 2 weeks in Cebu: Danao City Ultra Marathon, which will have several big names at the start. The first ATM Championship points race in the Philippines will be Bagtit Ultra next month, followed relatively quickly by Mt Kalatungan Ultra and Sierra Madre Trail in March. The first quarter is indeed the trail high season in the country.

The men’s Top 3 on the Podium of the 75 km race with Miguel Carranza as winner

Michella Aradanas scored a nice win of AJ Pulanco in one of her first ultra races

Last year’s Sierra Madre winner Ann Jilian Pulanco had to settle for second

We are delighted to announce that T8 has extended its support for the Asia Trail Master Championship series for Season IX, which is scheduled to run until mid-September 2024. T8 is credited as our official apparel partner.

The Hong Kong-based brand has entered the trail running market in Asia by storm over the past couple of years - and as such certainly lives up to its name. T8 refers to the typhoon or hurricane wind signal used by the Hong Kong Observatory to warn for a gale or storm from one of the four quadrants.

Founded by trail runners Mark Green and the 2019 ATM Champion John Ellis, T8 has been supporting ATM since 2019 and nowadays its stand-out logo is omnipresent in the Asian trail scene. In particular, the Sherpa Shorts and the T8 Commandos - the anti-chaffing underwear that started it all - have become many runners’s favourite. Combined with a fun and clean image, and an excellent team of trail performers, both competitively and media-wise, the brand keeps on growing.

In ATM Season IX, T8 will also continue its support for young trail running talents in Asia. The T8 Talent Fund will see runners from less-privileged areas receive an opportunity to shine and make themselves known by competing in one or more ATM points races. Hopefully, that may even result in qualification for their country team in the ATM Championship Finals. Nepal’s Rashila Tamang, the new female ATM Champion, is perhaps the greatest example of what the T8 Talent Fund can mean for someone.

‘T8 is very happy to continue its support for the Asia Trail Master series for the new season,” says David Longo, International Manager of T8. “In addition, we are looking forward to launching some new and exciting products in 2024.”

You can check out all the T8 products easily via their website and e-store linked below. Have a look at the new neck cooler, which is a very handy accessory in South East Asia, especially.

T8 milestones:

The Sherpa Shorts

Road, trail or mountain, these lightweight shorts will carry all your gear. Ditch the backpack and just run.

• Carries all your essentials - phone, water, gels, rain jacket - and more!

• Hyper-stretch mesh holds up to 2L or 1kg with minimal bounce

• Four pockets to stay organised

• Super lightweight 78gsm fabric with 4-way stretch

• Durable water repellent coating

• Reflective detailing for safer night-time running

• 6" in-seam and high side slit for extra mobility

• Comes in a reusable water resistant pouch

Sherpas are designed with no inner liner so pair with our T8 Commando V2 running underwear for a super comfy, guaranteed chafe-free running experience.

Note that we have recently standardised our sizing so please double check your waist size against the dropdown menu above. Runners looking for a "racing fit" (tighter waist and less bounce) should consider going half a size smaller.

• Composition - shorts (80% nylon, 20% elastane), waistband (77% nylon, 23% spandex) and mesh (68% nylon, 32% lycra).

The T8 Commando

Trail runners and ultra runners  in South East Asia need running gear that is crazy lightweight for minimal heat insulation, extra wicking and quick drying, plus super breathable for maximum air flow. The answer of T8 is the T8 Commando underwear: Ultralight, supercool, chafe-free - "so light you'll forget it's there". It's built for the worst conditions - category T8 typhoons - but also great for everyday casual wear.

Features

• ~ Super comfortable Italian fabric

• ~ Ultra lightweight at under 40 grams

• ~ Highly breathable and wicking

• ~ Minimal stride resistance

• ~ Guaranteed chafe-free

Great underwear starts with material and the T8 Commando features an environmentally sustainable Italian-made fabric. It's feather-light at only 85gsm, weighing less than half of the major brands.

The polyamide-elastane weave is super soft for an amazingly luxurious feel, while also providing a three dimensional stretch with minimal resistance and maximum airflow. It's highly breathable and holds very little moisture, keeping you dry and comfortable all day.

The T8 Commando also features thoughtful design. Flat stretch seams are positioned away from high risk areas (including the coccyx), with a six inch in-seam to protect the sensitive inner thighs. A double front panel provides extra support for your bits, while seam washing instructions are printed to avoid any chafing risk. 

Each T8 Commando comes in a reusable water resistant phone case, perfect for protecting your other valuables when out running, and which saves on wasted packaging. We care about the environment!

The Commando has been extensively tested in tropical Hong Kong conditions and is guaranteed chafe-free. If you experience any chafing in these pants, send us a photo and we'll refund you 100%, no questions asked!

T8 will be supporting selected events on the ATM race calendar with vouchers for podium placers and lucky draws, as well as the top ranked runners at the end of the 2018 ATM Championship. 

WEBSITE & SHOP LINK : https://t8.run

Iced Tees

Run cool with our dual fabric Iced Tees. The super lightweight 37.5® fabric is triggered by sweat vapor to provide the ultimate cooling for hot weather running, while the hyper stretch side panels offer incredible ventilation and comfort.

• Super lightweight 90gsm panels with 37.5® cooling technology

• Stretch mesh sides for free movement and fresh air flow

• Low profile flatlock seams minimise chafing

• Reflective elements help you run safe at night

• Composition: 91% Cocona White, 9% polyester

Rashila Tamang and John Ray Onifa, the reigning ATM Champions are both proudly supported by T8