adminKUALA LUMPUR, 12 Sept (Bernama) — 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 to finish as the top Malaysian woman and secure her first UTMB World Series podium outside age-group competition.
China’s Wang Dayu won 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 seeing the strength of the international field at the pre-race elite introduction.
“I didn’t expect it because this is an international field. I’m very happy,” said Michelle.
“Yesterday, I saw that the elite runners had very high UTMB Indices, so I kept my expectations conservative.
“I also injured my ankle last weekend, which made me feel unstable on the downhills. I went down more slowly and pushed on the flat sections,” she said in a statement today.
Michelle resisted the temptation to chase runners ahead of her, concentrating instead on an effort she could sustain to the finish.
“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,” she said.
Her breakthrough came at the event that helped introduce her to the sport three years ago, when it was known as the Malaysia Mountain Trail Festival.
Meanwhile, in the men’s MY50, China’s Wu Erqing improved on 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 said his experience from finishing third last year helped him manage his effort, although he had arrived with qualification for next year’s UTMB Finals (in Chamonix, France) as his main goal.
“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 said.
“By the last checkpoint, I could barely lift my legs. My only thought was to keep going and get through the remaining distance. Although it was cooler than last year, it was still very humid,” he said.
Daniel Yap Chun Mun was the top Malaysian man, finishing fifth in 6:13:21s.
— BERNAMA
