Born in 1996 in a remote mountain village in Guizhou, Yao Miao was the youngest of six sisters. Born into a farming family, Yao Miao was determined not to fall into the fate of following in her family’s footsteps. Her introduction to athletics came through a state-sponsored talent identification program during her teenage years. Although she did not advance into the national athletics system after high school, Yao Miao discovered a new passion in trail running.
Yao Miao burst onto the international ultrarunning scene in 2018 at just 21 years old, delivering a record-breaking victory in the CCC® (100 km) at the UTMB® finals. Her historic performance made her the first Asian woman to win a UTMB finals event, and she joined the Salomon international team the following year. However, 2019 brought a series of setbacks, including DNFs at Transgrancanaria, the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, and the UTMB 100 miles. Disappointed but undeterred, Yao Miao took a step back from trail racing to focus on road marathons, using the time to rebuild her strength and mindset.
Returning to international competition in 2023, Yao Miao reclaimed her place among the world’s elite. In 2024, she captured victory at the UTMB® OCC® (50 km), becoming the first Asian athlete to win two different UTMB finals titles and one of only six athletes globally to achieve this distinction. Yao Miao has triumphed across a wide range of distances, from 20 km to 155 km, embodying both endurance and speed on the trails.
She hopes to encourage more Asian athletes to explore trail running and to chase their own ambitions on the global stage. Having grown up without local role models in the sport, she has forged her path through persistence and self-discovery and now seeks to share her experience and passion with others who dare to follow.
