Trail runners can treat themselves to an early Christmas gift and take part in the first ever major trail running race in Myanmar, previously known as Burma. The Shaman Trail between Kalaw and the southern point of the magnificent Inle Lake measures 70 km and is also the final race of the 2015 Asia Trail Master series. 

The race course follows natural trails used by villagers every day and with approx 1500 elevation gain is a solid but not a super tough run. The highest hills will be negotiated in the early part of the race, before it goes gradually down towards the lake. 

The course goes past three villages where the local shaman will bless the runners as they pass. 

Beginning runners can also opt for a shorter version of 15 km, which will start at the penultimate drinking station of the main race and finish at the same jetty point directly at Inle Lake. After the finish, runners will be taken by small boats to their five star accommodation on the Northeastern shore of the lake. An outdoor after party at the Novotel resort is also part of the programme. All details of what will be a memorable long weekend can be found on the event website, where you can also register easily online. 

As Bhutan's stage race The Last Secret came to its conclusion last weekend, the Asia Trail Master ranking has been updated and will remain as is during the summer break. The next race on the calendar takes place in Mongolia on 5 August.

China's Xie Zhangrong and Hong Kong's Yuen Kit Shan will therefore continue to see their names on top of the ranking sheet. However, the Last Secret did cause a few movements as runners finished their second ATMs race of the season. Remember: after the Shaman Trail in Myanmar, it is each runner's best three point results that count for the final classification to decide the championship. 

Mongolia Sunrise 2 Sunset is in fact a cult classic on the international trail running calendar, featuring a 100km ultra and 42km marathon distance in the grasslands. A non-profit organisation to the benefit of Khovsgol National Park, it is a chance for everyone to visit this remote but breathtaking area. It takes time to get there, so runners should consider turning participation into a short holiday. Registration is still possible via the event website. 

August will be a busy month with also races on Lombok (Mount Rinjani Ultra), Russia (Altai Ultra Trail) and Malaysia (Borneo TMBT) on the programme. 

The Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra trail is the fourth Indonesian race in this year's Asia Trail Master series and arguably the toughest. The longest distance is no fewer than 170 km and has a five digit elevation gain number. Slight less ambitious runners can also go for the equally hard 102 km race distance. Finishers on both these distances will score points for the Asia Trail Master ranking, which is not unimportant given the timing of the event and the difficulty - meaning a lot of performance points may be up for grabs as well for those strong enough to make it to the end. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra has a  high DNF quota.

You can sign up now via the official race website. A few key details can also be found here.

Plenty of action coming up in Indonesia:  the next race  that is part of the Asia Trail Master series is the Mount Rinjani Ultra on Lombok on 7 August. Later that month there is also the 2016 Candidate Race Ijen Trail on East Java on 22 August. 

Race 7 in the 2015 Asia Trail Master series witnessed a thrilling battle for victory against the might backdrop of Bhutan's Himalaya mountains. Hong Kong-based American Marcia Zhou's dash on the sixth and final stage was just sufficient to claim the win at the expense of France's Isabelle Dufour, who had been leading the standings since day 3. Saudi Arabia's Mo Foustok, who also won Cambodia's Ancient Khmer Trail last year, was the best in the men's race.

Trail running in Bhutan remains very special as the natural surroundings are not only breathtaking but also still unspoilt. However, the high altitudes - some stages go well above 3000m - are to be reckoned with and some acclimatisation before the race begins is highly useful.  It was the 3rd edition of the Last Secret stage race, 200 km in 6 stages,  and with three different female leaders and stage winners, including a stunning finale, certainly had a lot of spice this year.

Marcia Zhou actually began the race well with a win on the opening day, but then dropped back behind Canada's Chloe Onofrychuk and Isabelle Dufour of France mid-week. Dufour then lost her advantage during the longest and toughest 53.5km stage 5, which set the scene for a showdown with lightweight Zhou in particular on the last day. The American ran for her life and finished the stage second overall, only marginally behind Australia's Scott Coey! Eventually, she preceeds Dufour in the final classification by 2'17" only. Onofrychuk completed the podium.

Scott Coey may have won the last stage in the men's race, but the race was almost a one-man-show by Mo Foustok, who claimed all other stages. The podium battle was quite  intense here as well, though, and Great Britain's William McMillan and Canada's Chris Hum were the ones flanking Foustok at the end.