Tioman is a small island roughly 30km off the Malaysian east coast and as of this weekend an official new trail running destination. MMTF Consultant, the company behind the Malaysia Mountain Trail Festival in Taiping, has successfully established Tioman Ultra, a tough 50km trail race on the island. Measuring only 39 km long and 12km wide, Tioman nevertheless has a mountain peak of over 1030m : Gunung Kajang. The island is sparsely populated and covered by dense rainforest.

Event venue was the beachfront of Kampung Air Batang.

The longest race category was the 50km, which had some of Malaysia’s better known runners in it. Yusof Abdul Manan proved to be the fastest man, covering the course in 9h17’47”, a solid 35 minutes faster than Mohamad Syahmim Nazmy and Seiji Morofuji. The finisher times indicate the high degree of technicality of this race. In fourth and fifth we had the first two women, with the highly experienced ultra runner Siokhar Lim having to push a bit to stay ahead of the surprisingly quick Norhani Mohd Jaffar. Norhani has been around for several years, but is known as a short distance specialist. Her performance in Tioman shows that she is growing on the 50k medium distance as well now. The gap between her and Siokhar Lim was just 9 minutes, and Siokhar herself has increased her standard running pace a lot compared to pre-covid years. In third place we had Guan Shin Law, another useful podium for her this season. Guan Shin Law also managed to stay quite a distance ahead of Halimatun Sa’adiah , fifth, for example. Succy Lee was fourth in between them.

Images courtesy of MMTF Consultant

The men’s overall winner Yusof Abdul Manan

Siokhar Lim was fourth overall, but pressed forward by Norhani Mohd Jaffar to win the women’s race

Dalat in the Central Highlands of southwestern Vietnam is quickly becoming the epicentre of trail running in the country. Prenn Trail Challenge is the latest event born in the outdoor tourism and culinary hotspot and promises to be very distinct from the already established Dalat Ultra Trail and Lam Dong Trail. Not only will Prenn Trail Challenge take place on 31 December - Yes, New Year’s Eve - the event venue and race courses are also different. The event is managed by Unique Events & Media and hosted by the Tea Resort Prenn at Prenn Pass Foot, Da Lat City. It has received the ATM Candidate Race label.

The event features four race categories, of which 80km is the longest and 15km the shortest. Elevation gain for the long distance is moderate at 2600 hm, and remember Dalat is on high plateau of about 1500m above sea level, which leads to cool temperatures for running on most parts of the day. Runners will go through pine forests, tea and coffee plantations that are typical for the Dalat plateau. Highlight will be the Prenn Pass, leading to Pinhatt Peak - the highest point of the course offering a wonderful panorama over the region and the Tuyen Lam Lake. Cut-off time is 20,5 hours for the 80km, which means the big majority of participants should be able to finish and celebrate New Year’s at the event venue.

Runners can reach Dalat via air or land. There’s a domestic airport in Dalat, but you can also take a bus or hired car from Ho Chi Minh City (estimate 5-6 hours drive to Dalat). Accommodation is plenty and can be found easily online.

Registration is open for this one-of-a-kind trail into 2024!

Please check all event details via the official website and facebook page.

No points races for the championship ranking this weekend - in anticipation of the perfect storm next week with three separate points race events - but we have a very nice ATM Candidate on the programme in the south of the Philippines. Camiguin Island Trail Race is the latest project by Vertical To Sky and takes place in northern Mindanao between Cagayan de Oro, Balingoan and Bohol Island. The island Camiguin is also knows as the Island Born of Fire, and ranks among the most scenic in the whole of Philippines. A must-visit for the outdoor enthusiast, as it has everything on offer: trails to run, hike or mountainbike on, swimming and diving areas - including free diving, and several refreshing waterfalls.

The actual event host is the Municipality of Mambajao, and the 50k main race takes place on. Sunday.

The course is a nice natural circle around Mambajao with Mount Hibok standing out halfway during the race. Runners will go up and down the peak. Total elevation gain is set at approx 2200 hm.

Camiguin Island Trail is a boutique event, as most Vertical to Sky events are, which means tightly controlled participation numbers to ensure a great experience for all. On the start list of the 50km category, we find some well-known names as Elle Alvarez - female winner of the Mt Apo Sky Race a few years back -, Freddie Blanco, Eldy Bulod, Rodney Ortega and Archie Paran: regular winners and podium placers in domestic events in Mindanao and the Visayas.

We will be reporting from the event this weekend, thanks to our reporters Tin Salazar and Richard Akol. Stay tuned to our regular ATM channels, in particular facebook and instagram.

Event organiser and ATM Grandmaster Doi Calbes is very enthusiastic about his latest project on Camiguin Island

Amir Zaki was arguably the biggest name on the start list of Janda Baik Ultra, in the last-minute absence of Chris Timms, and the recent winner of The Borneo 100 Miler in Sabah showed again he has had a fantastic first semester in 2023 by grabbing another victory on his beloved 50km distance. He had to work for it - not surprisingly so short after a tough miler - but in the end Zaki managed to open up a gap of 20 minutes over Akmal Mansur and Malaysia-based Japanese runner Atsushi Ito. Zaki found it amusing he finished just five seconds above the 6 hour mark. In the women’s 50km we had ultra specialist and Grandmaster Siokhar Lim, back from the world championships in Europe, but it was Singapore-based Japanese Hanayo Brighton who took the race victory at Janda Baik. Brighton arrived 10th overall and eight minutes earlier at the finish than Lim, who for sure still had to cope with some jet lag. Third place went to Vivian Shin Yiing Tong, who stayed just ahead of Jenny Holloway.

JBU also offered a 100km option, and that race saw a tight battle between Mohamad Syahmim Nazmy and Maihazan Nurafendy. For quite some time it looked like Nazmy would take it, but he developed an injury in the final descent of Gunung Nuang and had to slow down. Nurafendy had kept something in reserve for late in the race, and overtook Nazmy for the race victory in 17h26’. In third, more than one hour later, Grandmaster Beng Siong Lee finished seven minutes ahead of Italian Francesco Floris.

In the women’s 100km, we saw a rather surprising victory by Nur Amaani Razilan. The young and every more competitive Razilan was 11th overall and ran more than 1h40’ faster than more established names like Sum Mei Soh and Norlela Ismail. A win that propels Razilan up the performance ladder in Malaysia!

Janda Baik Ultra was a solid ATM Candidate Race, taking place not too far from Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. It’s been an established event in Malaysia for quite a few years already and one of the few taking place in the first semester. Lots of videos shot by Mark Jinmin can be watched via our ATM facebook.

Podium of the men’s 100km

Podium of the women’s 100km

The strongest girls on the 50km

The next ATM Candidate Race on our 2023 programme takes place in peninsular Malaysia and is actually already quite a popular event: Janda Baik Ultra. Janda Baik is the name of the host village in Bentong, only some 35 km from Kuala Lumpur. It’s a popular weekend trail running spot for KL and Putrajaya residents, also because of the slightly cooler temperatures in the hills.

On the menu are 100km, 50km, 30km and 16km races. This weekend’s race coverage on our usual ATM channels will focus on the 100km and 50km categories. Some well-known runners feature on the start lists, including last year’s race winner Chris Timms from Singapore. Timms was third in the Orang Utan Trail in North Sumatra a month ago, and is preparing for Mantra 116 and Dieng Trail Run, his next two ATM points races. Someone who has just scored the maximum points (525) in a race is Amir Zaki, co-winner of the Borneo 100 Miler just two weeks ago. Zaki features on the 50km start list this weekend, and he as well is eyeing a trip to the high mountains around Malang in East Java next month. Many other podium candidates on the start lists, such as Jack Oh, Seiji Morofuji and Beng Siong Lee.

​The 100km flag off is at 4 am on Saturday morning, and the 50km one hour later. Follow our race updates via ATM Facebook and ATM Instagram.

We are very happy to announce the latest event by The Pace Republic in Philippines as a Candidate Race for the 2024 Asia Trail Master Championship series. Bagtit Ultra is a 80km - or 50 miles - race in Mayantoc, Tarlac, which is located about 3 hours north of Manila and quite close to Clark. The team of Grandmaster Rhea Batac and the Santa Ines Mountain Adventure will be organising this event for the second time on 11 June.

‘Bagtit’ is the local Ilocano translation of the word ‘crazy’. Or Bagtit Ultra actually means ‘Crazy Ultra’ . This 80km race is indeed considered to be tough. The course has an accumulated elevation gain of 3890 hm and has five distinct peaks. Mount Damas and Mount Sem-ilya. One can experience a panoramic view of the Tarlac and Pangasinan plains and Mt. Arayat from afar. Mt. Damas may arguably have the distinction of being the most scenic mountain in Tarlac. But it is the less explored trails on Mt Sem-Ilya that are considered to be the highlight of the event. The start and finish venue is in Mayantoc Town Plaza. Ambition is to foster a healthy lifestyle amongst its citizens and to boost the tourism industry in the area.

Gun start will be at midnight, and the cut-off time at the finish is 20 hours. There are two intermediate cut-off time spots, and you need to have finished at least 1 marathon already in order to be allowed a starting bib.

Find out all details on the official website linked below.

Also Angelie Cabalo was present in the inaugural edition of Bagtit Ultra last year

The 4th edition of the Jumla Rara Ultra Marathon event in the west of Nepal delivered two great race winners who both broke the course record in their respective male and female categories. Dal Bdr Kunwar covered the 49km race in 4:54:10, just three minutes ahead of second-placed Dhir Bdr Budha. Third place on the podium went to Sher Bdr Budha in 5:08:41, indicating a tight and highly competitive race.

In the women’s race the different was clearer as Manju Rawot came into the finish in 6:06:23, a solid 48 minutes ahead of Ganana Bhandari. Anita Budha completed the podium a short while later.

The Jumla Rara Ultra obtained the ATM Candidate Race label and is aiming to enter the ATM Championship calendar in 2024. If so, it would be the first Nepali race in our Championship since 2018. The event takes place in a stunningly beautiful setting in the west of the country, which also makes it remote and far from capital city Kathmandu. It is organised by the Karnali Sports Club, which is determined to assist talented youngsters in gaining sporting experiences and develop their skills for potential international competitions later on.

Male winner Dal Bdr Kunwar

female winner Manju Rawat

The team of Alicia Ultra on Bohol island produced a successful first edition last Sunday and gave us a nice introduction to some new names in the southern Filipino trail world. The ondulating 50km ATM Candidate Race was won by Candelario Logrono and Kathleen Ligan in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. Logrono completed the scenic and mostly runable course in 6h23, twelve minutes faster than Andy Toniacao. Joliemar Aquino completed the podium in third. Kathleen Ligan was clearly the fastest woman in 8h56. Jessie Ejoc and Sharon Torres joined her on the podium.

Alicia Ultra was postponed for over three years due to the corona crisis. Normally scheduled in February - when the air is cooler - the race was approved by local authorities quite late to be held in April instead. RD Richard Anania said afterwards Alicia would move back to February in 2024. Our race reporter Richard Akol gave the thumbs up for the event, characterised by good accessibility, great hospitality by the local community in Bohol, and a fine and quite runable race course mostly on single trails.

The next Filipino ATM points race takes place near Manila on 6 May, Sierra Madre Trail Ultra 75.

We are happy to announce a new ATM Candidate Race in Nepal: the 4th edition of Jumla Rara Ultra Marathon takes place in the northwestern part of the Himalayan country on Monday (!), 24 April. On the programme is a daytime 50km race from A to B, at high altitude with accumulated elevation gain of approx 3900 hm. In other words: a race for mountain goats, of course unsurprising for Nepal.

The event has been set up by Karnali Sports, a non-profit organisation that aims to nurture local running talent - and sports talent in general, as well as turn the Jumla area into a high-altitude training center for athletes. This year’s edition on 24 April is already the 4th, and international trail runners are now kindly encouraged to come to Nepal and take part.

The race starts from Jumla bazaar at an altitude of 2305m (i.e. please allow for some acclimatisation time when you travel here), and finishes at the Rara lake at 2990m. The race course is measured at 49 km, and is basically uphill and downhill all the way with a few distinct points of note: Danphe at 3500m, Kavra Cave, Bhulbhule at 2950m and Chuchemara at 4017m. Yes, 4017m above sea level! A very interesting but definitely challenging mountain trail course, and runners from outside Nepal must be aware of the very high altitudes and allow for some days to get used to them before taking the start of the race. Moreover, be prepared for snow as well.

Rara is the largest lake in Nepal, and the multiday trekking from Jumla to the lake is a popular backpacker activity for travellers who like to explore nature off-the-beaten-track.

On the website, linked below, you can find details of how-to-get-there from Kathmandu. Options are long distance busses or a domestic flight. There’s also a recommended itinerary for 7 days mentioned as an example, including time to acclimatise.

The event takes place soon already, so early decision-making is required.

Runners may encounter snow along the course to the lake

We are happy to announce that after a three-year-postponement due to covid, Alicia Ultra will finally take place on 16 April as the next Filipino ATM Candidate Race. This event is special, as it’s the first event on the island of Bohol that carries the ATM label. On the menu are three options: 50km, 25km and 12km.

Bohol lies east of Cebu and northwest of Mindanao. Alicia is a beautiful town on Bohol and the trail course is set over the luscious green rolling hills of its Panoramic Park, oil palm plantations, rice paddies, and other tourist destinations. As you can see on the map, it’s a natural loop with about 2000 hm for the 50 km race.

The event is organised by the Bohol Trail Adventure team, amongst whom there’s experienced trail runners such as Richard Anania.

We have some exciting Championship points races ahead in Hong Kong and Vietnam in the coming weeks, but first we head to the State of Sarawak on the Malaysian side of Borneo island for Silabur Ultra Trail. It’s the second ATM Candidate in Sarawak after Jagoi Heritage Run, which this year is on our reserve list and taking place in early October. Trail running is hot on Borneo, and we do not just refer to the temperature.

Silabur Ultra Trail has a lot of things going for it to become a successful international event. Key feature of Silabur are the impressive cave complexes, such as the magnificent Silabur Cave aka Jade Cave. We are certainly looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds this weekend.

Organised by Alpha Sports Events and hosted by Kampung Lobang Batu Tebedu, the event offers four different race categories of which 60 km is the longest. The race may have modest elevation gain of 1400 hm, but do not be fooled - there’s technical single trail sections with thick jungle included. On the start list, we may not see a lot of big names as many are recovering from last weekend’s BUTM - also on Borneo, but in Sabah. One interesting name from a competition point of view is Ireland’s Mark Steacy, who lives in Kuching and had two great performances in ATM last season with a 5th place in TMBT and 3rd in Jagoi Heritage. By all means, any man who wants to win Silabur this weekend will need to pass Steacy. ATM Candidate Races are always fine occasions to get to know new running talent, especially early in the season with the first Malaysian points race this year still two months away: Koboi Malaya Classic 50k in Pahang on 13 May.

Traditionally, most of the Malaysian trail events take place in the second half of the year but we have a great teaser on 19 March already, with the SIlabur Ultra Trail in Sarawak, a new ATM Candidate Race. Organised by Alpha Sports Events and hosted by Kampung Lobang Batu Tebedu, Silabur offers four different race categories of which 60km is the longest. Key feature of the event are the impressive cave complexes, such as the magnificent Silabur Cave aka Jade Cave.

Nature lovers and adventure seekers have long traveled to Sarawak in East Malaysia, Borneo Island, to explore the many caves the state has to offer. The Jade Cave is located roughly 100km away from Kuching - your gateway by air. The 60k race may have modest elevation gain of 1400 hm, but do not be fooled - there’s technical single trail sections with thick jungle included. Accommodation is via hotel or local homestay and arrangements can be made from Kuching to the race venue as well.

Registration is open. Follow the event’s facebook page linked below to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.