One of the most anticipated new events at the end of this year is the Malaysia Ultra Trail Festival. A rather bombastic title for a new event and the slogan "lose your mind, discover your soul" adds even more flavour and - especially - intrigue. However, organiser Ewegene Tan and his experienced crew know very well what they are putting up in the city of Taiping in Perak, north of Kuala Lumpur. From 30 November to 2 December, trail runners can truly expect a trail feast. What's more, the event has been granted the 2019 ATM Candidate Race label.
Malaysia Ultra Trail festival will be held in Taiping Town which sits on a coastal plain at the foothills of the Bintang Range. Taiping is located about 48km northwest of Ipoh, the capital of Perak. It is connected with Kuala Lumpur and Putrayaja by highway, and if you are driving, you could even consider getting there quicker starting from Penang.
The 1st edition of this highly anticipated new event take runners through 15 / 30 / 70KM of pristine trails around Taiping with elevation gain of approx 1000m, 2000m and 4000m respectively. The 70 km long distance race is obviously the one that will receive most attention from our Asia Trail Master point of view. Looking at the figures, 4000hm for 70k, that's a tough one, so you need to have some reserves in the tank after a long year of running. The race will give each and every runner a chance of a lifetime to experience up to 6 different trails going up and down the iconic Maxwell Hill (5 of which are not normally open to the public on any given day).
Centre point of the long distance race is indeed Maxwell Hill, named after William George Maxwell, who was the British Assistant Resident in Perak. Also known locally as Bukit Larut, it is a hill resort founded in 1884. As such, it is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. It is approximately 1440m above sea level. Bukit Larut and Taiping also receive some limelight for being the wettest places in Peninsular Malaysia. The high amount of rainfall has led to a fertile collection of flora and century-old rain trees in the Taiping Lake Garden.
The name of the event indicates it, and yes, MUTF will be more than just a trail race. It will be a trail party! After the event, runners and their companions can get together to discuss their experiences over some delicious food and drinks at the after party.
The official website for registration and information is: http://mutf.my
