Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB attracts thousands to Taiping

The third edition of the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB (MUT by UTMB) took place in Taiping, attracting over 3,000 participants from more than 50 countries. The prestigious event serves as a platform for local runners to qualify for the UTMB finals in Chamonix, France.

In the MY100 category (100km), Japanese runner Yutaro Yokouchi secured first place with a time of 12 hours, 18 minutes, and 44 seconds. Yokouchi described the victory as a personal redemption following a failed attempt at the UTMB World Series in Thailand earlier this year. Duyakar Bahar Duu of Vietnam took second place, followed by Hiroyuki Kawachi of Japan.

In the MY50 category (50km), Malaysian runner Michelle Ng achieved second place in the women’s division, finishing behind China’s Dayu Wang. Ng noted that she competed conservatively due to a recent ankle injury.

The event has provided a significant economic boost to the Taiping region, with officials estimating the socioeconomic impact of such sports tourism to exceed RM20 million annually through increased occupancy in hotels and support for local businesses.