KUCHING: The 8th edition of the Kuching Marathon, scheduled for Oct 1, is poised to attract a significant surge in participation, with an estimated 10,000 runners expected.
Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah revealed that the current number of registrations stands at an impressive 8,600.
“The target is 10,000, but looking at the (current) registrations, I believe it will exceed the target as the event is still one month away.
“We’re aware that participants, especially locals, tend to register at the last minute since the event always sees a high turnout,” said the Minister for Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development on Monday (Aug 28).
Speaking at a media briefing here during the launch of the marathon, he outlined the event’s structure featuring six categories, starting from 1am to 8am.
The event will commence with the flag-off for the 42km open category (for both genders) and the 42km veteran category (for both genders).
Following this, the flag-off for the 21km open category and veteran category is scheduled at 4am. For the 10km run, participants will start at 5.30am, and the 5km race will kick off at 6.30am.
Participants will vie for a collective prize pool of RM100,000 distributed among the victors of each contested category.
Abdul Karim shared an additional enhancement to this year’s event – the setup of 18 mosques and prayer rooms accessible throughout the championship.
This provision particularly benefits Muslim participants seeking to perform their prayers during the marathon.
This thoughtful inclusion stems from feedback received in previous editions, where participants requested prayer facilities.
He expressed gratitude to Malaysia Airlines for their support, as they have extended promotions on various flights to boost participation numbers.
As Sarawak’s Tourism Minister also, Abdul Karim expressed his belief that the marathon contributes to eco-tourism, particularly within Kuching city.
He further highlighted the event’s role as a platform for families to partake together, fostering stronger bonds during the holiday season.
