MALAYSIA ULTRA-TRAIL BY UTMB JOINS GLOBAL ULTRA-TRAIL ELITE WITH INAUGURAL UTMB WORLD SERIES EVENT

17 November 2024

This weekend, 3,000 runners made history as they took part in the inaugural Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB, testing their endurance through one of the world's oldest rainforests in Taiping.

The event, which evolved from the Malaysian Mountain Trail Festival (MMTF) established in 2018, marked a significant milestone as Malaysia's first UTMB World Series event.

Across six incredible races, including MY100, MY50, M25, M13, MYVK, and MYKIDS, runners experienced a variety of trails around Taiping Lake Gardens and the iconic Maxwell Hill, and for those in the MYVK, MY50 and MY100 categories, an adventure of a lifetime into the Virgin Jungle Reserves.

Those who took part in the flagship MY100 tackled a challenging but rewarding 98-kilometre course featuring an elevation gain of 4,937 metres. Runners navigated through pristine tropical rainforest and the historic Virgin Jungle Reserves surrounding Maxwell Hill, passing pre-war railway tunnels in Taiping. As a UTMB World Series 100K category event, finishers earned three Running Stones, with the top three male and female athletes securing direct qualification into the 2025 UTMB World Series Finals (CCC: Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix).

Ji Duo (CHN) emerged victorious in the MY100 men’s race with an impressive time of 11:01:18, earning rapturous applause from the many spectators who cheered him across the finish line.

“This is my first time running on the trails in Malaysia. I was worried about the humidity and the heat, but it wasn't too bad in the nighttime, and I could run well. The last hours in the daytime up and down Maxwell Hill twice was very hot and very hard,” said Duo. “I learned about Malaysia as a child and saw it on TV and always wanted to visit, so I am very happy to finally come and experience it for myself.

“I am here to do a warmup race for Chiang Mai by UTMB in December, I didn’t come to win but I am very happy to take the win. This year I DNF’d at the UTMB Mont Blanc CCC race, I am still wearing my wristband as a reminder because it still stings, and I will be back next year for revenge.”

Xingzhi Bai (CHN) finished second in 12:00:49, while Malaysian runner Milan Amat demonstrated his class to lead the local charge and finish third in 12:02:08.

“I am a farmer from rural Malaysia and spend hours every day climbing up and down hills on my farm, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to race here in Taiping. I race for the community to inspire them and show them that nothing is impossible,” said Amat. “I celebrated my birthday two days ago, I am 42 but I feel like 24. To be on the podium at a UTMB race in Malaysia in my home country is the best birthday present I could ask for.”

In the women’s MY100 race, Lin Chen (CHN) and Hau Ha (VNM) ran alongside each other for much of the race and after an epic battle, came down the finish chute side-by-side. The two women were separated by milliseconds as they crossed the line, with Chen ultimately claiming victory in 13:15:16.

“Chen Lin helped me a lot, especially on the downhills. She was very nice, and it was fun to run with her the whole way, I’m happy we finished together,” said Ha. “This is my second time to Malaysia, first time to this race. The trails and jungle were beautiful, the last hills were very tough.”

Rounding out the podium in the women’s MY100 race was Angelie Cabalo in 16:14:37.

In the MY50 race, featuring a 51-kilometre course with 2,801 metres of elevation gain, local favourite Wilsen Singgen (MYS) secured victory in the men’s race in 6:28:24. Danish runner Kristian Joergensen was just over seven minutes behind in second. Lim Jia Jen from Malaysia rounded out the men’s MY50 podium.

“I started out toward to the back of the pack, a bit slower than I would’ve liked but I managed to run through the field to finish at the front,” said Singgen. “The rain made the trails a little bit slippery, but I really enjoyed the hills and the trails.

“I am very, very happy to have a UTMB race here in Malaysia and to win at home,” he said.

Adverse weather caused the races to be suspended for around 90 minutes, before resuming. This impacted the first runners in the MY50 women’s race, but Nepal’s Priya Rai took out the women's category, claiming the win in 8:10:11.

"This was my second time to Malaysia, and first time here in Taiping. This was the wettest race I’ve experience, I was climbing with my feet and hands up the final climb, it was very tough" said Rai. “I love to race in Malaysia, it has it’s own unique beauty of nature. I used to run the marathon, but I kept getting injured, so decided to switch to trails and have never looked back.”

The MY50 awarded two Running Stones to finishers, with top three male and female athletes qualifying directly for the 2025 UTMB World Series Finals (OCC: Orsières-Champex-Chamonix).

The MY50 women’s podium was completed with Rebecca Hormann from Switzerland and Sooji Park from South Korea in second and third respectively.

The event also featured the MY25 (25.7km), which saw runners cross two rivers and forest reserves, the MY13 (14.1km) through Taiping Lake Garden and durian plantations, plus the MYVK vertical challenge and MYKIDS categories. Participants experienced diverse terrain including old railroad beds, plantation trails, four-by-four tracks, and rugged jungle paths.

The host city of Taiping, celebrating its 150th anniversary and recognised as one of the world's most sustainable cities, provided an exceptional backdrop for this landmark sporting event. This inaugural UTMB World Series event not only showcases Malaysia's world-class trail-running terrain but also provides local runners the opportunity to earn Running Stones and qualify for prestigious UTMB events without extensive international travel, further strengthening Malaysia's standing in the global trail running community.

For more on Ultra-Trail Malaysia by UTMB visit https://malaysia.utmb.world/