We are happy to announce the new partnership between Asia Trail Master and Hong Kong's newest coolest brand T8. Technical undergarments, dubbed Typhoon Wear, that is made by and for runners. 

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.

The T8 Commando

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 products for podium placers and lucky draws, as well as the top ranked runners at the end of the 2018 ATM Championship. 

LINK : https://t8.run/products/commando 
 

The first edition of the V Trail in Laos will open registration next week on 1 May. The event is the first major trail event in the country and technically organised by the teelakow team from Thailand that also brings you UT Koh Chang and UT Chiang Rai to name just two. The race courses for V Trail are now also 100% confirmed and it was decided to have a 85 km course as main race, and a 52 km as middle race. Shorter distances are also available, but the two longest matter for the Asia Trail Master Championship. 

Laos is a new destination on the trail map and of course will be characterised by jungle and mountains, and lots of technical single trail. The 85 km features nearly 5200 hm, but in the fine teelakow tradition you get 30 hours for that - which is still no walk in the park given the terrain, though. Runners should be prepared for a tough technical race in hot conditions. 

Participants can best get to the event via the international airport in Vientiane. From there it's a bus drive north to Vang Vien. 

Below are the profile maps for the 85 km and 52 km. 

Registration will be open via www.teelakow.com 

Vang Vieng Trail

Both the Korea 50K in Dongducheon and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Santa Cruz, Davao in Philippines were characterised by very hot weather giving even more difficulty to the runners on already challenging race courses. The Mount Apo Sky Race proved quite dramatic in particular, with only 20 finishers - 1 female - and the rest already cut-off after either 25k or 43k. If the race hadn’t been stopped by the race director at km 75 for security reasons, few would have made it to the finish. Last year’s winner of the then-70K Mt Apo Sky Race, Pablo Diago Gonzales, was therefore right in his pre-race warnings: this was going to be a shocker. 

The new route added three more peaks to the course and those proved to be extremely technical with virtually no running possible for the first 25K following the flag off at midnight. It took David Gianelli and a local road runner 5 hours and 20 minutes to complete those 25K. Gianelli, the Italian winner of the Indonesia SuperTrail last year, was the fastest man in the race also last weekend. As soon as they hit Mount Apo he was by himself in the lead and by km 75 he held an advantage of over 1 hour over the very strong Jag Lanante. The Thailand-based Filippino overtook Pablo Diago Gonzales just a few kilometres before the improvised finish line. Gianelli completed the 75K in 14 hours and 44 minutes,  and now being temporarily based in Philippines will also travel to Penang in 3 weeks for the Malaysia SuperTrail race, Penang Eco 100, where he will compete on the 100K. Pablo Diago is a busy bee this spring as well, as he is lined up for Tengri Ultra Trail in Kazakhstan and the same Penang Eco 100K. Local Mindanao runner Rexell Aguirre was 4th in Mount Apo, preceeding Joseph Gentoleo. 

Rizal Mountain Run winner Aggy Smith Sabanal was the only female finisher and scored her second ATM race victory of the season. Definitely in her element on the most technical of trails, Sabanal overtakes Majo Liao in the Asia Trail Master Championship with this new success by 65 points. Still very young for an ultra trail runner, it will be interesting to see her compete on the tough mountains of Mantra Summits Challenge in Malang, East Java, Indonesia this July. 

All other women, including Hong Kong’s Tanya Bennet, last year’s winner Manilyn Mamugay and Cheryl Bihag were all cut-off at km 43. 

Over in South Korea, there was local success as Kim Jisub took the victory ahead of Austria's Michael Kabicher and Japan's Hiragi Taichi. Jisub finished in 6:33, 14 minutes ahead of the European. The difference between numbers 1 and 2 in the women's was similar with France's Laetitia Pibis staying ahead of Yasuko Natsume of Japan, and her compatriot Sae Enaka completing the podium.

Rene Amigleo is a new Asia Trail Grandmaster

Aggy Smith Sabanal leads the ATM championship after her second victory of the season

Laetitia Pibis was the fastest woman in South Korea during the Korea 50k

Kim Jesub was the great home winner of Korea 50k

This weekend the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship series continues with another doubleheader. Korea 50K in Northern Asia and the Mount Apo Sky Race in Southeast Asia. Both events meanwhile have established a tradition and will see the participation of a strong set of runners. 

Mount Apo is the highest mountain of the Philippines at an altitude of nearly 3000m, located near Davao on Mindanao Island. Race director Doi Calbes has further upgraded his A-race from last year’s 70K to a full 100K this weekend. This is a technical and challenging trail that appeals to experienced trail runners. It should be noted that last year’s winner and 2nd placer Pablo Diago Gonzales and Rexell Aguirre are both coming back. They will face the challenge of some other good runners such as David Gianelli, the Italian who impressively won the Indonesia SuperTrail last season. For Pablo Diago Gonzales, a top 2 result would place him in 2nd place of the ATM ranking behind leader Harry Jones. Also on the start list but a question mark is the other Singapore-based Italian Alessandro Sherpa. Still struggling with a foot injury, it is not sure he will be tackling Mount Apo. Thailand-based pinoy runners Joeffrey Camara and Jorge Lanante should be considered for a podium finish, as well as a number of local runners who can always create a surprise. 

Manilyn Mamugay was the women's race winner last year and she also will defend her title. Shindy Patricia from Indonesia was scheduled to be a main competitor, but a passport visa application took a longer time than envisaged and Shindy is unfortunately unable to travel this weekend. Hong Kong's Tanya Bennet and Grandmaster Cheryl Bihag are podium candidates. 

In Dongducheon, near Seoul, in South Korea the country’s biggest trail race is entering its 4th edition on Saturday. Forest hills characterise this tough 58K that will see Takashi Doi from Japan face local top runners such as Sim Jaeduk. 

We will be reporting live from both events on Saturday, as usual subject to connectivity. 

Pablo Diago Gonzales (1) and Rexell Aguirre (2) return to Mt Apo this weekend

After a one week break, the busy spring campaign in the 2018 Asia Trail Master Championship continues this Saturday on two different locations. In China, we have the return to ATM of Ultimate Tsaigu in China, aka Tsaigu Tangsi Plus. In Po Luong, we have the second Vietnamese points race of the season: the Vietnam Jungle Marathon.

From a championship point of view, eyes will be set on Filippino runner Majo Liao, who is competing in the tough 100K in Linhai, China. Never afraid of a mountain challenge, Majo Liao is one of several Filippinos who will tackle the rough Kuocang mountain range. For Majo, it will be the 3rd ATM points race of the year, and a top 4 result would put her back in the lead in the points standings. Liao is 398 points behind Indonesia’s Ruth Theresia at the moment. Ultimate Tsaigu is one of China’s leading international trail races and has never ceased to grow since its conception in 2014. As part of the ATM calendar since 2015, some of the country’s top runners such as Yan Longfei and Ma Yanxing have won the  A-race, which began as a 58km but since a few years measures 100K. This weekend, there’s also  a 65K B-race that will provide points for the championship. Malaysia’s Azuan Asmuni is expected to be a challenger for the local runners on that distance. 

The 100K will see China’s elite versus a number of international elite runners from Europe, such as Spain’s  Juanjo Larrotcha   . Very interesting will be the dual between the two protagonists Qi Min and of the UTWT race in Hong Kong last January:    . 

In Vietnam, local trail hero Quang Tran can score his second victory of the season on the 70km. Dominator in Dalat Ultra Trail in March, Quang Tran will be keen to win in Po Luong, as last year he still had to accept defeat against his compatriot Cao Ngoc Ha, who himself has  his focus on triathlon at the moment. If he wins, Quang Tran collects another 500 points and that would place him in the top 5 of the championship. He’s the kind of runner who can play a major role in the title battle later this year. On paper, Quang Tran is the fastest runner on the ultra distance of 70k. For the remaining podium spots it will be an open competition with Quang Nguyen a prime pick, having scored several podia before in trail races. 

Also the women’s race is quite open but with several runners who already have quite a pedigree on the tour. Nguyen Thi Duong and Phuong Vy Le, for example, or also Sara Valentina. The local race director also expects a good performance by Bangkok-based Kylie Jane Ayson. 

We will be reporting live from both events this Saturday, subject to connectivity. The latter - as most of you know - is not guaranteed in China due to restrictions on the use of social media such as facebook, twitter and instagram. 

Quang Tran set for his second ATM race victory of the season

Indonesia is known for its hardcore technical trail events, where all the efforts are nonetheless superbly compensated by the most astonishing scenic views. Mantra Summits Challenge in East Java is a relative newbie following that trend. Last year's successful Candidate Race is now an official Asia Trail Master points race scheduled for 14/15 July and the new updated 75K A-race has just been revealed: A tough mountain race with Gunung Welirang and Gunung Arjuna as highlights towering 3300m above sea level. The 75K now also includes more runable sections after the technical descent, and two more smaller climbs of Mount Mahapena and Puthuk Lesung. All in all, runners face an elevation gain of 5675 hm! This is a race for the pure technical mountain runner. Perhaps it was no coincidence that last year the men's podium was filled with three of this specimen: Fandhi Achmad, Jan Nilsen and Pablo Diago Gonzales. 

Last year's 51K course is still on the programme as well, but serves now as the B-course. 

Host of the event is again the beautifully authentic Kaliandra Eco Resort in Malang. Organisers are of course the people of the Malang Trail Runners, which includes one of Asia's best technical trail women Shindy Patricia.

Registrations are open. 

Mantra 116

The organisers of the Tam Dao Mountain Trail in Vietnam, scheduled for 23/24 June, have regretfully informed us that their event has to be postponed for political reasons. A new event date is still being discussed, and is likely to be mid-October or mid-November. 

The 70K trail race nearby Hanoi was a successful newcomer on the ATM scene last year. Course modifications have been planned to reduce the road sections even more. Stay tuned for more details to come soon. 

EXCLUSIVE - Join the Adidas Infinite Trail World Championships Relay in Gastein, Salzburger Land, Austria from 22 to 24 June with a 20% discount on the registration fee! 333 Teams of 3 runners each will battle for the world title in an exquisite mountain setting over a total distance of 124 km and 7100 hm. 

It's the Ultimate Team Challenge. Each runner does a different loop from start/finish and in the end all team members cross the finish line together. Loops vary in length and elevation:

Loop 1: 25 km and 1900 hm
Loop 2: 57 km and 3400 hm
Loop 3: 40 km and 2100 hm 

Before the championship race, there is also a mandatory prologue race for ALL participants on Friday: a vertical run of 18 km and 1500 hm, which will determine the starting order of the relay world championship race on the weekend. 

So if you're looking for a special kind of new trail experience in Europe this summer: look no further. We recommend flying to Munich airport in southern Germany, but Salzburg, Innsbruck and even Vienna are alternative international airports. 

The special discount code for Asia Trail Master is:
AIT18TR , available until 30 April. 

The top 3 of the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship have received a special invitation to this event. We are happy to provide this great opportunity to our runners. 

All details on: 
https://infinitetrails-worldchampionships.com/en/home/

Sandi Menchi: unbeatable on 50K

Sungai Menyala Forest Trail is not for nothing called the ‘fastest 50k trail in the Asia Trail Master circuit’. Whereas last year rainfall had made several sections muddy and slippery, conditions yesterday were dry and smooth. It led to course records in both the men and women’s races, with a blistering 3:49 winning time for Britain’s Harry Jones! The young Chiang Mai-based runner took over the ATM championship points lead from Wilnar Iglesia by shaking off a very competitive field in Port Dickson. Two of the other pre-race favourites, Azuan Asmuni and Byeungwwon Park even quit the race halfway when already dropped by Jones, who was just flying. After two laps of 25K, Jones crossed the finish line witha bonus of nearly half an hour on eternal second Mohamed Affindi, and Indonesia’s new trail protagonist Margono not far further back. Affindi actually was outstanding himself, having just returned from the draining Beach Bunch Trail Challenge 100 last week (where he also came second). For Margono it was the second ATM podium this season after 2nd in Tahura Trail. Also the second time he proved to be quicker than Arief Wismoyono on this distance. The 2017 championship runner-up did well to arrive in fith place nonetheless, scoring more championship points after two fourth places earlier this season. In fourth place we had a surprise name: Japan’s Tomohori Mizukoshi. 

Alessandro Sherpa suffered again from his ankle injury sustained at UTKC in February and had to be content with 8th place. Lim Wen Shan did not start the race, unfortunately. 

It’s still early days in the ATM championship, but as some top runners have already put three race results on their 2018 account a few tendencies and theories can be developed. Harry Jones has 3 wins and looks like the one to beat. Yet, it may take some time before he returns to the ATM scene, as the professional runner has assignments in Europe in the coming months. To win the ATM championship, the best five race results in terms of points count, so three race wins won’t be enough. Other top runners will catch up in the ranking as the months pass by. 

Sandi Menchi remains undefeated on the ATM tour as she again proved her fast legs at Sungai Menyala. She repeated her victory of last year in this race and was again unchallenged. In fact, second place went to the same woman as well: Jassica Lintanga. And that deserves an extra round of applause, too. Just like her Malatra teammate Affindi, Jess ran the 100k in Brunei as well just a week ago. That performance made her a Grandmaster, and yesterday she showed she is still quick on the shorter trails as well. She preceeded her sister Adelinah Lintanga on the podium. Adelinah is better on the long ultras, but was in good form to stay ahead of Shindy Patricia. 

Ruth Theresia remains on top of the ATM championship standings, but sees Jassica Lintanga move up to a joint fourth with Sri Wahyuni. Second-placed Majo Liao is running again in two weeks in China, so the leadership may change yet again at Ultimate Tsaigu. 

Credits to Malatra

Harry Jones wins it BIG, but shows a lot of respect for his competitors such as Mohamed Affindi

A surprise 4th place for Japan's Tomohiro Mizukoshi

Indonesian "speed walker" Margono is rapidly making a name for himself on medium distance!

New Grandmaster Jassica Lintanga recovered very well to claim 2nd again at Sungai Menyala

The 2nd edition of Compressport Ultra Trail Nan in Thailand has opened registration. Runners keen on the tough 100k race - actually 109 km this year - need to be quick as entries are flying out the door. The shorter 50k distance is reportedly already sold out. 

UT Nan 100 was a popular new entry in last year's Asia Trail Master championship, and the event on 20/21 October is expected to grow significantly. The 109k course goes in and around the Doi Phu Kha Park and is quite tough with approx. 6000 metres of elevation gain! The event is sponsored by our partner COMPRESSPORT as well. COMPRESSPORT has designed fantastic-looking event shirts, which can be yours if you sign up  for the event soon here. 

COMPRESSPORT UTN 100