The 3rd edition of the Tengri Ultra Trail, the premier trail running event of Kazakhstan, is confirmed for 7 May 2017 and will again be a points race in the Asia Trail Master series. The menu will not be changed: the main race will be 70 km - a Grandmaster distance - and less ambitious runners can opt for a 35 km and a 15 km through the grasslands and canyons of Tamgaly Tas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The registration has also been opened already. 

Tengri Ultra Trail starts and finishes at a campsite along the banks of the Ili River, which flows into China. Tamgaly Tas is approx 100km from former capital city Almaty, which is also the international gateway to the event. You can fly to Almaty from most capital cities in Asia. Air Astana is the national carrier that flies direct to e.g. Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Seoul. Busses will bring registered participants from Almaty centre to the campsite on Saturday. Camping is a must, so people need to bring camping equipment, or rent it in advance. There will be a small-scale BBQ in the evening, but participants are recommended to bring some food and drinks along as well. As it suits an adventurous trip, there is no wifi and hardly any mobile signal in this remote area. In the past two editions there was abundant sunshine, so runners are advised to bring protective head gear and sunblock. 

The race takes runners through the steppe, or grassland, which makes it a very runnable trail race. However, there are a few technical and rocky sections through the canyon that can even become tricky if there were significant rainfall in the days preceeding the event. You might even get your feet wet. Most of all, the views you will enjoy are the kind you will unlikely forget soon. 

You can find all key details here on this website on the TUT cover page. 

Manolito Divina is the new 2016 Asia Trail Master champion. The 36-year-old Filipino running star made it a hattrick of wins in the 50 miles race of theClark-Miyamit Falls Ultra event and as such overtook Jan Nilsen in the points standings. Although there are two more races on the ATM calendar in December, nobody can still match the 1650 points total by Divina. It was a classic battle in Clark last weekend between many of this year's protagonists in the Asia Trail Master series, also including the 2015 champion from Indonesia Arief Wismoyono, who proved his title was no fluke by fighting hard and finishing second in his first ever appearance in the Philippines. Jan Nilsen had an off-day and could not do better than fourth place. The 50-year-old Thailand-based Norwegian could not hide his disappointment at first, yet quickly realised that what he has achieved this season can only be described by one term: outstanding! 

CM 50 was once again characteristed by a jolly atmosphere throughout the event weekend. The start of the 50 miles and 60km races was held at 1 a.m., with a relatively mild temperature of 24 degrees that nevertheless proved hard to cope with for some of the faster runners. China's Xu Xiutao had flown into the Philippines with a mission to win and keep his own championship ambitions alive, but already after 26 km he threw in the towel. The humidity and the temperature difference between Clark and his native Beijing, where it has been seriously freezing recently, made the 22-year-old's legs feel like lead. However, also ATM points leader Jan Nilsen found himself struggling already at that early point of the race. Initially ahead together with Manolito Divina, Arief Wismoyono and Kristian Joergensen, Nilsen took a wrong trail and lost contact with the frontrunners. On the way up to the Miyamit Falls and the highest peak, he would still get close to Wismoyono, James Tellias and the surprisingly strong Louie Ganayan, but by then his main rival Divina was already out of sight. 

As Divina increased the gap, taking full advantage of his familiarity with the course, a crisp Wismoyono and persevering Tellias were the strongest of the rest. Joergensen had already dropped back with stomach issues and Jan Nilsen gradually also lost more terrain. In the end, Manolito Divina finished comfortably in 10:21:52, having ample time to celebrate his third successive victory in this race and the Asia Trail Master championship. About an hour later, Wismoyono and Tellias arrived together, after the Indonesian had gone off course in the latter stages and was joined again by the local runner, who also finished third last year. 

The men's podium with Manolito Divina, Arief Wismoyono and James Tellias

The respect runners have for Jan Nilsen was widely illustrated afterwards. Dominator of all big Indonesian volcano races, amongst other races outside ATM, what the 50-year-old has shown this year is highly remarkable. Pushing the youngsters to the best of their game, and still beating them on a regular basis as well. Visibly tired, Nilsen did admit it might be time for a short resting period. Divina was ecstatic himself: father of four young children and daytime worker in a warehouse, his ATM championship ambitions were severely under threat only a month ago when he injured his ankle during UT Mapawa. Fortunately for him, it healed just in time for CM 50, although Divina did suffer quite a bit of pain during the race. 

Last year's Asia Trail Master champion Arief Wismoyono thus finished second behind the man who is taking over his title. The Bandung Explorer team ace has had a less consistent season than 2015, and was therefore visibly delighted to end the year on a high note in the Philippines. Wismoyono will certainly again be a strong contender in the ATM series next year, having already pencilled in a list of races including the Malaysia Eco 100 in Penang, the important Malaysia SuperTrail that Divina won this year. 

In the women's race all attention went to Majo Liao, twice winner of this race, and the number 2 in the Asia Trail Master championship. A surprise to some, yet not to others, Sandi Menchi turned out victorious instead. From the get-go, Menchi was putting Liao under pressure and was able to open up a small gap on the long climb. Previously a short distance runner, Menchi has now arrived on the long distance stage and it looks like she can become a significant contender in ATM races in 2017. Majo Liao was nevertheless happy with her second place in both the race and the ATM championship. Third place went to Hong Kong runner Cherry Chung. 

Sandi Menchi won the CM 50 race for women and looked strong in doing so!

Jan Nilsen and Manolito Divina: huge mutual respect

The last SuperTrail race of the year is taking place in Clark, Philippines on Sunday, and it could be the decisive battle for the Asia Trail Master Championship. In pole position and holding all the cards is Thailand-based Norwegian Jan Nilsen, who after a tremendous season leads the points ranking having dominated all ultras in Indonesia. Only the best three results count, and so Nilsen currently has a 100-point bonus over home favourite Manolito Divina. And here's the catch: Divina won CM 50 in the past two years. If he repeats that feat and beats Nilsen on Sunday again, he will wipe out his rather disappointing 4th place result of UT Mapawa last month and finish the season with 1650 points, 50 more than Nilsen. Those 50 points are the difference between winning a SuperTrail and a standard race. Divina won Malaysia Eco 100 in May, Nilsen took MesaStila Peaks Challenge in October.  He who wins CM 50 is the 2016 Asia Trail Master champion. 

However, there are runners who can spoil the party for both Divina and Nilsen this weekend. Runners who have not yet given up on their own ambitions to become this year's ATM champion. CM 50 is not the final race of the year, there are still points and opportunities to be scored in UT Panoramic (Thailand) and The Punisher (Mindanao, Philippines) from 9 to 11 December. Indonesia's Arief Wismoyono and Xu Xiutao (China) in particular have both travelled to Clark this week with a clear mission: to beat the two protagonists and postpone the championship outcome. Wismoyono is of course the defending Asia Trail Master champion and won Ijen Trailrunning this season. Recently married, Wismoyono finds a trail course very much to his liking in Clark and is highly motivated to show to the Asian trail community he can also win outside his home country. Xu Xiutao has already done that: the young Chinese runner from Beijing was a strong winner at Korea 50K last April, and before that came second at UTHK 100 behind Tom Robertshaw. Xu has already pencilled in the 9-11 December long weekend in his diary... which says enough.

Fact is that if Wismoyono or Xu Xiutao win CM 50, the ATM championship will in theory not be over yet.

There's a number of other strong competitors this weekend who could also steal points away from the favourites. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho from Hong Kong is in great shape and could cause an upset still. Denmark's Kristian Joergensen is a real dangerman on the Pinoy trails, as he proved in the preparatory MF42 race two months ago. And of course, there's an entire armada of strong and experienced local runners at the starting line. In addition, there will be Aleksis Capili, the first Asia Trail Grandmaster, who just like Jan Nilsen will aim for a seventh finish on the way to the 2 stars shield (10 finishes). 

These are the four leading favourites for this year's Asia Trail Master championship

Majo Liao is the top favourite for the women's race again this weekend

Tahira Najmunisaa is already confirmed as the women's 2016 Asia Trail Master champion, and this weekend local star Majo Liao can assure herself of second spot. Also a double winner of CM 50 already, Majo can do a hattrick on Sunday. 

This weekend's CM 50 is already the sixth edition and therefore one of the pioneering races in the Philippines. Running from the Clark Freetrade Zone to the Miyamit Falls and back over 50 miles (82 kilometers). It is quite runnable, yet there are over 3000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered as well. Less ambitious participants can also opt for the slightly shorter distance of 60 km.  

The race starts at 1 a.m. and you can stay up to date on all the action throughout the weekend live from Clark. 

Link to Race summary 2015 edition

Aldean Philip Lim is one of the better known faces in the trail running community of the Philippines. To a large extent that is because Aldean Lim is wearing several different hats. First of all, he is a great trail runner with pedigree. His current tenth place in the 2016 Asia Trail Master championship is even more testimony to that. Secondly, he is the co-organiser of the Rizal Mountain Run, the new points race to the east of Manila in next year's Asia Trail Master series on 29 January. Thirdly, Aldean Lim is co-founder of the rising trail running accessories brand Ahon, producing stylish and quality technical items such as gaiters and running socks. And if you thought Aldean Lim is spending 100% of his time on our beloved sport? Nope, on a daily basis he earns his living as a lawyer. A busy man, and we are happy to have had a few moments this week to talk trail running with Aldean Lim in advance of this weekend's Clark-Miyamit Falls (CM50) race. 

By Kris Van de Velde

Q: Where were you born and did you grow up in the Philippines?
AL: I was born in Iloilo, Panay Island, Visayas. I spent my younger years (elementary to college) in Iloilo and spent lots of summer in the farm of my grandparents until I moved in Manila for law school. 

Was running something you have always done, or is it a recent hobby?
Running has always been a part of my life since I grew up in my grandparents farm. Plus, I was a member of my HS, College and Law School Soccer Team which requires a lot of running. As a singular sport, running started only in 2009 when i need some physical activity while reviewing for the bar exam. 

Are you member of a running club? 
Yes. I am part of the Salomon Team here in the Philippines and part of Suunto Philippines. But my regular training group is the Baboy Ramo and Co. which is composed of mostly top trail and ultra runners here in the Philippines.

Do you have any sports idols, athletes you look up to?
Yes. For trail running, I look up to Kilian Jornet, Ryan Sandes, Hal Koerner, Tofol Castanyer and Scott Jurek for inspiration. Recently, I've been reading the life and career of Mike Kloser, a north american adventure racing legend.

When did you discover your talent as a runner? Did you do other sports before?
Around 2012 when I joined my first ultra trail race (CM50), that's when I discovered that I have a knack and talent on racing trail and trail ultras. I was a soccer player since HS, College and Law School days. I have been an avid mountainbiker and mountaineer since college days.

What does your training plan look like? Do you have a coach?
It really depends on the type of race that i am preparing. If it is a 100 miles race, I usually log around 100-180km per week with significant elevation gain. I do some strength conditioning and speed workouts if I can fit it in my schedule. I do not have a coach currently but planning to have one soon, but i love to read books and research on my own. I love the experimentation during the training stage.

Do you pay attention to your food before a race? Are there any special products you take in preparation for your race?
Yes. I always make sure that I get a lot of good nutrition a week before leading to an important race. No strict diets and nothing specific, just good and nutritious food. I do take multivitamins, supplements and recovery drinks in preparation for the race. 

What is your best time on the road marathon?
3:21

What is your favourite type of trail race?
100 km with lots of vertical and technical trails. 

What do you do for a living?
I am a lawyer and a businessman.

How did AHON come about? 
Ahon is a two-man company, with a little help from close friends in the trail running community. My partner (Ronald Declarador) and I started it back in 2015. At that time, we knew that the big brands of trail running came from North America and Europe, and we want to develop a trail company born in Asia, particularly in the Philippines.

What is the philosophy behind the brand AHON? Does the word 'AHON' have a meaning?
Ahon is a Filipino word which means ascent or climb. We are a proud Filipino company. We take pride in hands-on product development and testing. The products we make were adapted for the Philippine trails (as may well be the same across Asia) which are tough, wild and raw. We want to develop products which are at par, if better than the world standards. 

Hong Kong is known as the Asian centre of trail running, but actually there are an enormous number of races in the Philippines as well. How did you experience this sudden boom of events in your area? Who were the pioneers in your country?
It all started in 2008 when TNF Philippines started the TNF 100k Philippines. It was the first ultra trail run in the Philippines. Back then what was booming was the road running events and culture. With the boom of social media and mountaineering plus the people's need for new challenges after 2010 that's when trail running skyrocketed in the Philippines. Right now, we have trail races almost every week for the whole year and the community is getting bigger. Back when i started in 2012, i could recognize all the people who were joining the trail races. Now, there are a lot of new faces. I love it because trail running is not limited to one area only (before), now there are already lots of races in the Visayas and Mindanao region as well. The Philippines is already starting to show the world how beautiful (and raw) the Philippine trails and mountains (and people too) are. 

How do you see the future of trail running?
It will be bigger and a lot of people will get into trail running. We barely scratched the surface.

Do we need more rules and guidance coming from above, i.e. the IAAF and/or ITRA or IAU? 
Yes. 

Many athletics federations in Asia do not recognise trail running as a genuine discipline. Is this holding the sport back? For example, it makes it very difficult for Asian runners to compete in the official world trail championships held every year. 
Yes. Trailrunning is still quite young in the Asian setting. As of now it will be a hard and we will experience lots of setbacks but give it time and they will have no choice but to recognize trailrunning as a genuine discipline. Just like any other sport during its younger years.

Should trail running become recognised as an olympic sport?
Yes. We'll get there.

From a legal point of view, which advice would you give to trail race organisers?
Medical Certificate attesting for the fitness of runners should be made mandatory on all trail races. Waivers should be mandatory. Organisers should always partner with the Local Government Units, and partner with a search and rescue team

What is your dream as a trail runner?
Short term: To run Hardrock, Western States, and Tor des Geants. Long term: To see trail running become an olympic sport. To travel, explore and see the whole world thru trail running. To join a trail running event in all 7 continents.

What do you think about the Asia Trail Master series?
For race organizers: It is a good movement to set a certain degree of standard of races in the whole of Asia. It is one way to learn from one another. For runners: A way to record and keep track of your trail running career and races. It is one way to compare your standings to the rest of the field in Asia.

You are also co-organiser of the Rizal Mountain Run, which enters the 2017 Asia Trail Master series as a points race. What can you tell us about the event? 
Rizal Mountain Run is an internationally acclaimed, challenging race, back dropped in a beautiful and brutal course in the mountains of Rizal Province which is readily accessible from Metro Manila. It would be one of the best trail running destinations in the Philippines. 

Thank you very much for this Q&A, and good luck in your defence of a top 10 spot in the 2016 ATM championship ranking!

Another highly anticipated event has opened the registration facilities for its next edition on 5 March 2017: the Cordillera Mountain Ultra! Considered by many as one of the absolute highlights of this year's Asia Trail Master series, CMU is a compact 50 km race in the Philippines featuring the ascent and descent of Mt Ugo via several alternative trails that are not often used. Importantly, the event is organised in support of local communities in the Cordillera mountain region north of regional centre Baguio. 

The event date has been moved forward from June to March, which used to be the time of the Cordillera Mountain Marathon, the predecessor of CMU. However, given the big success this year, organiser JP Alipio decided to otherwise stick with the same event formula and keep the 50 km distance as main race distance. We can again expect exciting true racing for the victory between some of the Philippines' and Asia's best runners. Local heroes Marcelino Sano Oy and Gretchen Felipe were the winners at CMU last June, and only a good month later both runners proved that that was not a coincidence as they took first (Gretchen) and second (Marcelino) in Malaysia's Magnificent Merapoh 60! 

Start and finish of the race is the small town Dalupirip in Benguet. Dominating the profile is of course Mount Ugo, which runners will climb to an altitude of 2150m above sea level. Afterwards, there is a long descent followed by a few kilometres of flat to return to Dalupirip. Total elevation gain is 2640 hm. A lot of the trails are in beautiful pine forest. The organisers like to see as many happy finishers as possible, so the 13 hour cut off time should be feasible for the big majority of participants. 

If you are a beginner or just a less ambitious runner, there is also a 21 k option available. If you wish to warm up the legs already on Saturday, you can go for the Vertical Kilometre, too.. Families are welcome: there is even a kid's race on the programme as well. 

You can now go to the Registration page of the Cordillera Conservation Trust website to sign up. While you are at it, please also take a look at the delicious local coffee for sale in the CCT online shop . For more info on the environmental tasks of the CCT, you can read more here. 

Teaser video Cordillera Mountain Ultra

CM 50 Ultra - Just 1 more week to go to the final SuperTrail race of the 2016 Asia Trail Master season in Clark, Philippines!

It is going to be a make-or-break race for several top ranked men if they still want to become this year's Asia Trail Master champion. Their task is clear: beat Jan Nilsen in the 50 miles race to Miyamit Falls and back. The pressure will be pretty much on home favourite and already a double winner of this race, Manolito Divina. But last year's ATM champion Arief Wismoyono has not surrendered yet and is coming to defend his title in style. And what about dark horse Xu Xiutao, a fantastic winner in Korea 50k and determined to become champion! They are only a few names of the strong male line-up for next week's big event.

In the women's CM 50 race, all eyes will be cast on local favourite Majo Liao, who can consolidate her second place in this year's championship behind Tahira Najmunisaa. Expect a lot of changes to occur in the rest of the top 10 still by the end of the season. As you can see below, it is very tight for third place in the women's ranking at the moment with Patricia Shindy from Indonesia currently holding it. 

Take a look at the current top 15 going into the Philippines' SuperTrail:

2016 Asia Trail Master Championship Ranking - Men:
*Best 3 points result count

1. Jan Nilsen (NOR) 1650
2. Manolito Divina (PHI) 1500
3. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho (HKG) 1450
4. Abdul Rahman Abu Hassan (MAS) 1275
5. Arief Wismoyono (INA) 860
6. Lee Jeong Ho (KOR) 825
6. Nohui Seong (KOR) 825
8. Ali Ajis Rasif (BRU) 810
9. Xu Xiutao (CHN) 800
10.Aldean Lim (PHI) 775
11. Hendra Wijaya (INA) 755
12. Aleksis Capili (PHI) 737
13. Husnan Husin (MAS) 716
14. Marcelino Sano Oy (PHI) 710
15. Alan Toh (MAS) 690

2016 Asia Trail Master Chamionship Ranking - Women:

1. Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid (MAS) 1650
2. Majo Liao (PHI) 1450
3. Patricia Shindy (INA) 1110
4. Jassica Lintangga (MAS) 1015
5. Ruth Theresia (INA) 1000
6. Ina Budiyarni (INA) 990
7. Yuen Kit Shan (HKG) 950
8. Xiao Jing (CHN) 925
8. Sunghee Lee (KOR) 925
10.Faherina Mohd Esa (MAS) 850
11.Gyesook Lee (KOR) 825
11. Mila Marlina (INA) 825
13. Jocelyn Cheung (HKG) 800
14. Gretchen Felipe (PHI) 760
15. Hyonshim Chong (KOR) 720

Grandmasters in 2016 - 1 star:
Aleksis Capili (PHI)
Jan Nilsen (NOR) 
Ina Budiyarni (INA)

Check out the full ranking via the Race Timing Solutions page, where you can also filter by nationality to find out the best trail masters in your country. 

Jan Nilsen leads the 2016 Asia Trail Master ranking after 3 big wins in Indonesia

Majo Liao is second in the women's ranking and can assure that position at CM50

The organisers of Korea 50K have opened the books for the 3rd edition of their event, scheduled for 23 April 2017. Given its host venue Dongducheon is right next to capital city Seoul, Korea 50K offers a great weekend getaway for the whole family. While the main race is a rather tough 59 kilometre rollercoaster that has a total elevation gain of 3500 hm, beginning runners can also opt for a short and quite flat 10 km run. 

Last year's female champion Fukada

The 59K race will take place throughout the Sunday and starts at 5 am with finish at 6.30 pm. The trail course has actually been made even a bit harder than this year's and now measures 3500 hm. That makes Korea 50K a relatively short race for good climbers. Last April, two international runners actually took the victory in the male and female categories. China's Xu Xiutao was a proud winner, in what for the young Beijinger was certainly a breakthrough moment. Yukari Fukuda from Japan was the fastest woman. 

As South Korean trail running has been developing quickly, we can expect the locals to be more than ready to score a win for the host country in 2017. 

You can now register for the Korea 50K via the local event website already. 

A concise overview of the key event details are available also here on our cover page. 

Altai Ultra Trail in deep Siberian Russia was one of the more remote and mysterious Asia Trail Master Candidate Races this year, and we are happy to announce that the event will be an official Asia Trail Master points race in 2017. Altai Ultra Trail is the first mountain trail ultramarathon in Siberia. Organised by the Mountain Trail Sports Club, the race takes place on the territory of the Belukha Nature Park and it is part of the World Heritage Site entitled Golden Mountains of Altai. The trail route does not cross any terrain touched by civilization. To get there requires a significant amount of travel time, but your efforts will be duly rewarded. The event has actually been moved forward to the first weekend of July. 

Altai Ultra Trail will consist of several different race categories and formats.  You can opt for a 160 km duo team race over 3 days or you can also run individually in races over 105 km, 55 km and 35 km.  The longer distances will lead uphill to the foot of Mt. Belukha (4509 m) - the highest point of Altai and all Siberia, the sacramental mountain for native Altai people. 

 The duo team race will be held on 29 June - 01 July:

• 1 day - 70km, 3500m elevation gain
• 2 day - 30km, 1800m elevation gain
• 3 day - 60km, 2000m elevation gain
• Total 160km, 7300m ascent

The overnight stops are obligatory and will occur in the tourist camp provided by the local organizers. Transport of equipment to this tourist camp (and backward) will be organized also.

The individual races will follow more or less the same trails as in this year's first edition.  For the Asia Trail Master championship point chasers, the 105 km individual race will be credited with maximum 400 performance points for the winner and act as the A-race, whereas the duo team race will have a maximum of 200 performance points and the 55 km 100 performance points for the fastest runners. Both the team race and the 105 k single race are also in the Grandmaster Quest. The 105 km race has a total elevation gain of 3700 hm. 

International runners should fly into Novosibirsk first. A major hub in Siberia, Novosibirsk may well be worth a day of sightseeing before embarking on a 12-hour drive to Tyungur village in the Ust-Koksinsky district in Altai. One shorter alternative is to transit to domestic airport Gorno Altaisk first, and then do a 7-8 hour drive. 

Registration for the event will open in January 2017. Stay tuned for further news, updates and prerequisites on the Altai Ultra Trail via this website cover page and our social media channels. 

Please check out the trailer below of the 2016 edition. 

While BTS Ultra 100 in Indonesia lived up to its reputation as one of the hardest trail runs in Asia, HK 168 raised its profile once again as one of Hong Kong's traditional events. Both races saw fantastic winners: Jan Nilsen was dominant on the volcanoes, as expected, and Isaac Yuen Wan Ho relied on his amazing stamina to collect a first proper race victory after several podium finishes in the Asia Trail Master series. As such, both Nilsen and Yuen Wan Ho increase the pressure on Philippines' Manolito Divina to win this year's ATM points championship. It will be a great man-to-man battle soon in Clark, location of CM 50 Ultra and the last SuperTrail race of the year with bonus points on offer! 

The women's races in Indonesia and Hong Kong had it in them as well. BTS 100k had a superb line-up at the start, including Ina Budiyarni, who aimed to complete her Grandmaster Quest and become the first female Grandmaster ever. After a fall in the early part of the race that injured her hip, it cost Ina blood, sweat and tears but she crossed the finish line just inside the official cut off time. While she won the Grandmaster honorary title, a podium finish was not possible given her injury. Therefore, the battle for the race victory was between Shindy Patricia, Ruth Theresia and Mila Mirlani. It was tight at the end, but Ruth Theresia nicked it by less than ten minutes ahead of Shindy Patricia.

 At HK 168, pre-race favourite Yuen Kit Shan, double winner of UTHK, surprisingly did not feature at the top of the leader board at any time during the race. It was Yi Hua Wu who was the outstanding athlete on the weekend, finishing over 3 hours ahead of Habiba Benahmed and Xiao Jing. Yuen Kit Shan did finish the race in fourth place. 

The second major ultra race on the Asia Trail Master scene this weekend takes place in the New Territories in Hong Kong. HK 168 has become one of the traditional events in Asia's trail running centre and the increase in race registrations reflect the growing relevance of the event, which has joined the Asia Trail Master series and points championship for the first time this year.  Many international participants and some key ATM-ranked athletes are competing here, too. Isaac Yuen Wan Ho, third in the current points ranking behind Jan Nilsen and Manolito Divina, will be trying to improve on his best-three points total and as such edge closer to the Pinoy runner ahead of him. In fact, Yuen Wan Ho can win HK 168 all together. 

HK 168 is actually a bit longer this year and starts at Shin Mun Reservoir. In total, more than 8000 metres of elevation gain need to be conquered, which is of course a significant amount. Also the 93km and 66km races are no walks in the park. 

In the women's race we will see Yuen Kit Shan, winner of UTHK earlier this year, compete in her second race of the year. Another victory, not unlikely, can boost her way up the women's ranking. In theory, she is the only runner who can still catch up in points with Tahira Najmunisaa, provided she wins HK 168 and CM 50. This weekend, Yuen Kit Shan will compete against other regulars in the Hong Kong/China area like Xiao Jing. 

You can follow the action at Hk 168 live this weekend via the Race Timings Solutions portal - partner of Asia Trail Master. Also on our social media pages, our representatives will keep you updated. 

Live Results HK 168

Race Timing Solutions

Yuen Kit Shan is aiming for her second victory of the season this weekend

The 4th edition of the Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra in East Java, Indonesia, is on this weekend and the focus will pretty much be on two athletes: Asia Trail Master championship points leader Jan Nilsen is the big race favourite and, moreover, can become the second male Asia Trail Master Grandmaster, while Jakarta's Ina Budiyarni looks set to become the first female Asia Trail Grandmaster. The event probably has the most awesome backdrop of all in the series, but as those places go, tend to be vulnerable to the natural elements as well. The organisers were happy enough to announce that the original 170 and 100 routes to the Bromo volcano rim will be open, when a threatening weather forecast for the weekend dampened the euphoria. As at MesaStila Peaks Challenge last month, the participants will most likely have to cope with torrential rain showers, wind, and cold temperatures on the summits. Bad weather has been affecting many trail races of late, let's hope that BTS Ultra will be spared the worst.

This is also one of the toughest races of the season alongside Rinjani 100, and we all remember what happened there: only Jan Nilsen made it to the finish within the cut-off time. Nilsen has been outstanding all year in the toughest mountain races, and it is hard to see who can beat him now in normal circumstances. Then again, Muhammad Dzaki, second at MesaStila, is in prime shape and can put up a challenge to the Thailand-based Norwegian. Nilsen himself is keen for victory here, after he had to pull out of the race last year with blisters while running in the lead together with Ullas Narayana, who will not defend his title this weekend. In terms of Asia Trail Master championship points, Nilsen can maximise his points total for the final ranking in which the best three results of the year count. It would give added pressure to his rivals in the championship, such as Manolito Divina, Xu Xiutao, Yuen Wan Ho and Arief Wismoyono to name the most obvious challengers. Bandung runner Arief Wismoyono, who secured his 2015 Asia Trail Master champions with a gutsy run at Bromo last season, will not take the start on Friday afternoon. Wismoyono will be back in action at CM 50 Ultra, the Philippines' SuperTrail, on 27 November. While Nilsen and Dzaki are the main contenders for victory and the podium on the 170 km, the dark horse may well be Yohanes Hiareij. Second at Ijen Trailrunning behind Wismoyono, Hiareij DNFd at MesaStila and may be motivated to produce a strong performance at BTS. 

On the 100 km race distance, Rhenaldi Firdaus may be the one to watch. Firdaus won the MesaStila 4 Peaks last month, the 65k race over there. 

Jan Nilsen (in white) was running with eventual winner Ullas Narayana for a long time last year

As no women will take part in the grueling 170 km race, the 100 km distance has become the main event, or the A-distance. This implies that there will be a full bag of 400 ATM performance points on offer for the winner, instead of the usual 200 for a B-distance. We can look forward to a great competition, as most of Indonesia's leading ladies of trail running are present. Ruth Theresia was second in last month's MesaStila and may set the pace. But what about Patricia Shindy, only woman to finish the Rinjani 60 last July? Mila Mirlani is there as well, who can always rely on her experience in the long ultras. From Malaysia we have Faherina Mohd Esa, a solid second place finisher at the Magnificent Merapoh Trail 100 in July. And last but not least, Ina Budiyarni, who at MesaStila led most of the 65 k race to eventually finish second and for whom BTS is her favourite trail race. Budiyarni started her trail running career here three years ago, and it would be quite fitting if she indeed manages to complete her Grandmaster Quest in the race where it all began. Who knows, maybe a podium finish as icing on the cake?

The Grandmaster Quest results in a lifetime achievement award and entry into the Asia Trail Master Hall of Fame. To obtain the honorary Grandmaster title, runners must complete six races of minimum 70 km or 4500 Hm, within 24 months. Aleksis Capili was the first trail runner who managed this feat at the Malaysia Eco 100 last May, and this weekend Jan Nilsen and Ina Budiyarni can reach the level of six completed races. Both of them began their campaign at Borneo TMBT in August 2015, fifteen months ago. As evidence of the difficulty of the Grandmaster Quest, Nilsen (BTS 2015, Malaysia Eco 100) and Budiyarni (Merapoh 100) both suffered setbacks along the way with DNFs in races that could have given them additional points. Ultra running remains a serious challenge to everyone: to finish first, you need to finish first. 

Stay tuned this weekend via our social media channels to find out what is happening at the 2016 Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra! 

If Ina Budiyarni finishes the 100km race she is the first female Asia Trail Grandmaster

Jan's Five Grandmaster Quest Steps so far:

• 08/2015 - Borneo TMBT (Malaysia) - 100 km
• 11/2015 - CM 50 Ultra (Philippines) - 82 km
• 02/2016 - UTHK (Hong Kong) - 156 km
• 07/2016 - Rinjani 100 (Indonesia) - 100 km
• 10/2016 - MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 100 km

Ina's Five Grandmaster Quest Steps so far:

• 08/2015 - Borneo TMBT (Malaysia) - 100 km
• 10/2015 - MesaStila 4 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 65 km
• 11/2015 - Bromo Tengger Semeru Ultra (Indonesia) - 100 km
• 05/2016 - Ijen Trailrunning (Indonesia) - 70 km
• 10/2016 - MesaStila 4 Peaks Challenge (Indonesia) - 65 km

To learn more about the Asia Trail Grandmaster Quest, please refer to our dedicated webpage. 

A blue sky might be a rare sight this weekend during the race .. 

The brutal course of the 170 km BTS 

It was certainly quite a surprise for many when Jonathan Pido arrived first in the finishing strait at Ultra Trail Mapawa. The local runner from Mindanao Island was nearly half an hour ahead of two more local athletes. And then, only then, came pre-race favourite and Asia Trail Master championship contender Manolito Divina. Fourth place was not good enough for Divina to join Jan Nilsen at the top of the points ranking. The gap is 100 points. This means that the pressure in next month's Clark-Myamit Falls Ultra race, with SuperTrail bonus points on offer, is entirely on the Pinoy star. Moreover, the reason for Manolito Divina's troublesome Mapawa race is worrying: a sprained ankle sustained in the early part of the technical 50k race. Hopefully for him, his ankle will recover quickly and he will be back at his best in just a few weeks from now.

While Divina suffered from his ankle, the three Mindanao runners in front of him deserve all credit for their performances. Jonathan Pido was a class on his own as he crossed the line in 7:01:55, almost half an hour ahead of Richgie Dola, and Leo Colonia in third place! Amazingly, Dola finished the race with only 1 shoe, having torn the other one at km 30. All three runners are solid road marathon runners. Behind Divina in a strong fifth place was Thumbie Remigio, who himself returned from a prolonged period of inactivity due to a foot injury.  

It was fantastic to see Majo Liao winning the women's 50k in 9:19:08, only three weeks after the brutal MesaStila 5 Peaks Challenge in Indonesia. A great show of character that rewards Liao with second place in the Asia Trail Master points ranking. Second in the race last Sunday was Maria Luisa Prado, and third Retchelle Nave. 

UT Mapawa received praise from the runners for the beautiful course, which, however was more technical than anticipated by most. Lots of steep climbs and descents. There was no mobile connectivity at the race venue, which made live reporting virtually impossible. It did increase tye sense of adventure for the participants, on the other hand. CM 50 Ultra on the other Philippines' island of Luzon next month is guaranteed to become a thriller for the ATM championship. Several scenarios are open with plenty of top runners in the ranking scheduled to run. Manolito Divina is a double winner of that race, but it is Jan Nilsen who is in the hot seat. 

With special thanks to Christine Ferrera and Simple Hydration. 

Tough day for Manolito Divina at Mapawa means CM 50 on 27 November will be vital