KOTA KINABALU: A young girl from Sabah, Noor Hafizah Zubaidi, known as Fifiana, made personal history by debuting in the prestigious ultra-trail race, Chiang Mai UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), held from December 5 to 7 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
This international event, organized by Running Connect Company Limited, is one of the major championships in the UTMB World Series—a significant aspiration for trail runners worldwide.
Facing a daunting 160 km challenge for her first participation, Fifiana encountered extraordinary physical and mental hurdles.
The race route features an elevation of 9,711 meters, with a strict time limit of 48 hours and cut-off times at each water station and checkpoint, demanding complete focus to reach the finish line.
“This is a dream for every trail runner, and I want to achieve my first dream of completing the 160 km run here,” she stated.
Although this was her first UTMB championship, throughout this year, Fifiana has participated in nine road marathon events in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan, Kudat, Miri, Kuching, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Osaka, Japan.
Originating from Tamparuli, Fifiana has also taken part in two trail marathon events in Sabah, namely the Kadamaian Adventure Race (60 km) and TMBT (50 km).
This reflects her strong dedication to the running world, both on the road and on trails.
In addition to her competitive activities, Fifiana leads a running community in Kota Kinabalu known as RUNSYND.
This community organizes free and paid training sessions for both new and experienced runners while sharing knowledge and fostering a healthy running culture in Sabah.
