Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB

Taiping, one of Malaysia's most charming colonial towns, serves as the gateway to the Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB. The course plunges into the surrounding tropical rainforest, one of the oldest in the world, where towering dipterocarp trees create a dense canopy overhead and the air hangs heavy with moisture. Runners climb through this jungle cathedral toward Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut), the oldest hill station in Malaysia, established during the British colonial era.

The conditions are pure tropics: relentless humidity, muddy single track, root covered trails and the occasional encounter with the rainforest's extraordinary wildlife. The terrain is steep and unforgiving, with climbs that seem to go on forever in the thick, warm air. Yet the beauty is overwhelming, from the chorus of cicadas and gibbons to the sudden appearance of a clearing with views across the Perak plains to the Strait of Malacca.

As part of the UTMB World Series, Malaysia Ultra-Trail brings the global trail running community to Southeast Asia's most biodiverse landscapes. The warmth of Malaysian hospitality and the richness of the local food scene add layers of enjoyment that make this far more than just a race.