When China’s Miao Yao burst onto the ultrarunning scene in 2018, first successful and setting a brand new ladies’s course file on the Hong Kong 100k, inserting second on the Lavaredo Extremely-Path, after which successful CCC, she was a 23-year-old who till then had by no means raced outdoors of her house nation.

Then, in 2019, the younger runner, identified for going out quick and holding on, hit a tough patch with DNFs at Transgrancanaria, Marathon du Mont Blanc, and UTMB. Dissatisfied with the yr, she left path operating to deal with street marathons as a substitute. In “Wa/ondering,” a brand new movie about her return to the paths in 2023, she comes again to the game with a brand new perspective.

Whereas crammed with gorgeous surroundings from Yao racing and coaching round Europe, this movie is way more than only a runner in fairly locations.

The movie begins with Yao admitting, “I won’t have discovered my true self but. I don’t know who I’m.” The pretty somber tone of all of it results in the preliminary impression that she is all enterprise in relation to path operating. She goes on to say, “The media and viewers, none of them perceive me. They haven’t actually interacted with me.”

Who Is Miao Yao?

Watching her run, most individuals most likely wouldn’t understand that Yao was pulled from a life in rural China by the state-sponsored athletics program to be a runner. Nevertheless, she wasn’t fairly quick sufficient to make it to the best stage in marathons and left this system, solely to make her method to path operating round 2016.

A little bit of background early within the movie supplies the context with Yao’s expertise after beginning to race outdoors of China in 2018 — a younger runner lining up for CCC after just some months of worldwide success. Reflecting on the second, Yao says, “I used to be fairly nervous and slightly excited. It was a rare second in time.”

One of many many breathtaking scenes featured within the movie “Wa/ondering.” All images: Kyle Obermann

After which, of the next yr the place nothing appeared to go her manner, she says, “Then in 2019, I didn’t end a number of races. For me, it was a extremely powerful interval to get via.”

She admits to having aspirations of successful UTMB in 2019, and led the race for the primary 90 kilometers earlier than eye points pressured her to drop after 112 kilometers. She says, “I felt my life entered a really tough interval,” and explains that she not needed to run trails and went to race street marathons as a substitute.

However in a shift — the primary indication within the movie that there’s extra to Yao than the intense face she presents early on — she says with amusing, “Individuals will overlook me if I don’t return.”

Returning to the Trails

The movie then follows Yao via her return to the path racing world in 2023 through Sierre-Zinal and OCC, and alongside the best way, reveals that there’s way more to her than the intense and centered athlete that so many know her as.

In getting ready for Sierre-Zinal, she admits to not having spent a lot time on trails. Heading up a steep path, she jokes with the digicam, “Even Kilian [Jornet] must stroll a number of steps of this slope!”

After ending fourth within the race, she turns her consideration to OCC and coaching in Chamonix, France, the place the occasion takes place. In a second of seriousness, she talks about how she’s an lively scholar simply moving into the primary a part of her research. However then she laughs as she listens to a Fundamentals of Sports activities class on headphones whereas operating, explaining that lessons in China begin at 7:30 p.m., which is 1:30 p.m. in Chamonix, absolutely admitting that “Generally I can’t hear very clearly,” as she flies down a path.

Crammed with lighthearted moments, it’s clear that Yao and the filmmaker, Kyle Obermann, had enjoyable with the manufacturing of the movie, taking viewers on a experience that may solely be offered via the eyes of a younger and optimistic runner able to see the place life can take her.

“I really feel like being myself is sufficient,” she says of her outlook and aspirations. She asks, “As I proceed to maneuver ahead, what sort of life can I make out of it?”

Name for Feedback

• Have you ever adopted Miao Yao’s profession? What are your highlights?
• What different current path operating movies do you like?

Miao Yao, wanting centered on the path forward.