Malaysia: Malaysia's Michelle Ng Qian Ying overcame an ankle injury sustained a week before race day to claim a surprise women's runner-up finish at the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB 2026 today. Michelle completed the 54.1km MY50 in seven hours, 29 minutes, and 38 seconds, finishing as the top Malaysian woman and securing her first UTMB World Series podium outside age-group competition.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, China's Wang Dayu claimed victory in 6:23:53s, while Hong Kong's Li Sham Ming finished third in 7:33:56s, just four minutes and 18 seconds behind Michelle. The result exceeded Michelle's expectations after observing the strength of the international field at the pre-race elite introduction.
Michelle expressed her surprise at the outcome, stating, "I didn't expect it because this is an international field. I'm very happy." She noted that observing the high UTMB Indices of the elite runners led her to maintain conservative expectations. Despite an ankle injury sustained the previous weekend, which caused instability on downhills, Michelle strategically adjusted her pace.
Michelle focused on sustaining an effort she could maintain to the finish, resisting the urge to chase other runners. She emphasized, "For me, trail running is me against myself. I follow my own pace. If I push too hard early on, I could struggle later and get overtaken."
Her remarkable performance unfolded at the event that introduced her to the sport three years ago, previously known as the Malaysia Mountain Trail Festival.
In the men's MY50, China's Wu Erqing improved from last year's third place to win in 5:03:47s, ahead of compatriot Zhang Sheng in 5:16:13s and Japan's Koyo Ogasawara in 6:00:55s. Wu credited his experience from the previous year for helping him manage his effort, although his main goal was to qualify for next year's UTMB Finals in Chamonix, France.
Wu remarked on his strategic approach, saying, "Having raced here before, I knew what to expect from the terrain and weather, so I made adjustments beforehand and followed my own pace. I didn't expect to win." He described the challenging conditions, noting the humidity despite cooler temperatures than the previous year.
Daniel Yap Chun Mun was the top Malaysian man, finishing fifth with a time of 6:13:21s.