The recently concluded Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB (MYUT) in Taiping, Perak, will be included in the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Tourism Malaysia is confident the campaign will attract over 35.6 million tourists next year, providing a significant boost to the nation’s tourism sector.
The campaign will feature several events, with MYUT among them. The Malaysia Ultra-Trail 2026 will take place on Sept 12–13. Race director Ewegene Tan said there are plans to organise another event in East Malaysia.
“The assessment is ongoing, so we can’t say more at the moment, but we hope to have an event in Borneo either next year or in 2027,” said the Taiping-born Tan.
“I would like to thank Tourism Malaysia for supporting this event. We will be part of its Visit Malaysia campaign. I’m confident that with more help from the federal and state governments, we can make MYUT an even bigger attraction.”
Tan said his long-term goal from the start was to make Taiping a trail running and hiking destination.
“We first organised the Malaysian Mountain Trail Festival (MMTF) in Taiping in 2018,” he said. “We knew we were going to open Taiping to the world. That’s why our route takes us to several historical villages and landmarks. That event evolved into the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB.”
UTMB is a global trail running circuit comprising a series of races worldwide, culminating in the UTMB Mont-Blanc finals.
Tan’s meticulous planning, which highlighted some of Taiping’s historical sites, helped the event gain traction among trail runners. It caught the attention of the UTMB World Series, which rebranded it as the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB – marking a milestone as Malaysia’s first official UTMB World Series event.
The flagship MY100 category, covering 96.7km with an elevation gain of almost 4,900m, took runners through diverse trails – including Taiping Lake Gardens, Murugan Temple, and two punishing ascents of Maxwell Hill, offering sweeping views of the town, the Straits of Melaka, and even Penang Island.
The route also passed Burmese Pool, Tiger Temple, Sasanakkha Buddhist Sanctuary, Ayer Kuning Village, Bukit Cempedak and Bukit Melayu in Durian Hills, a pre-war railway tunnel (one of the oldest in the country), virgin jungle reserves and coconut plantations, Taiping Prison, and Taiping New Club.
Besides MY100, there were four other categories – MY50, MY25, MY13 and MYVK.
Tan said moving the event from November to September created safer conditions after last year’s race was disrupted by the monsoon. He added that the finisher rate for the 100km and 50km was higher this year, with the only challenge being the heat.
He also revealed plans to redesign the courses to add excitement and freshness for returning runners.
That scenic route was one of the major attractions for Kristjan Chapman, who won on his debut in Taiping.
Originally from Iceland, Chapman has made Malaysia his home for the past eight months and plans to stay another four to five years to hone his trail running skills.
“I’m living in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, as I love everything about Malaysia,” said the 26-year-old. “When I heard about MYUT, I was immediately attracted as Taiping is one of the cities I really love in Malaysia. You’ve got great food and great places to run – for me, that’s a great combination.
“I love the trail here as it takes us to historic places like the pre-war tunnel. The view from Maxwell Hill is amazing. The elevation of the trail is also important, and Taiping offers that challenge, too.”
The win in Taiping earned Chapman an automatic place at the 2026 UTMB World Series Finals in France – an opportunity he described as “awesome”.
Chapman’s next race is the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon on Oct 19.
Before MYUT, he won races in Cameron Highlands (Cameron Ultra), Mantin (Mantin Hill To Hill Ultimate Challenge), and Port Dickson (Sungai Menyala Forest Trail).
“I hope to make my mark in Malaysia and other countries in this region before spreading my wings,” said Chapman, who admitted he “enjoys the pain of trail running”.
“I like to just go through the pain and the emotion of it all. It’s not easy, but I love competing.”
With four wins under his belt, Chapman hopes to make it five in Kota Kinabalu.
This year’s event attracted nearly 3,000 athletes from 64 countries, and with the 2026 dates now set, those numbers are expected to grow.
