KUCHING: Around 10,000 are expected to take part in the fourth edition of the annual Kuching Marathon (KM2017) on 13 August at Padang Merdeka.
According to Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth, and Sports Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, as of now a total of 8,750 runners have signed up for the run which surpassed the number of runners f or last year’s run.
“We are not only seeing runners from all over Malaysia joining, but also runners from outside the country such as Singapore, Africa, Brunei, and Indonesia.
“This is all part of our efforts to not only make Sarawak a sports destination, but to also add more to the tourism industry,” he said during a press conference at his office in Baitulmakmur here yesterday.
This year’s marathon will feature four categories; Full Marathon (42km), Half Marathon (21km), 10km Run, and 5km Run with flag-offs at 1am, 4am, 5.30am, and 6.30am respectively.
“Every year we see the number of participants increasing and we hope that we can reach 20,000 or 30,000 in the coming years.
“We want to see events like this in Kuching on a regular basis as we want to promote sports as a recreational activity and to instill healthy living among the people while showcasing the uniqueness of Sarawak,” he said.
Taking part here at Padang Merdeka and organised by the Kuching Marathon Association, registrations for the run are still ongoing and will be closed once 10,000 runners have signed up.
In addition to that, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg is expected to officiate the flag-off for the Full Marathon (42km) category at 1am.
KM2017 is co-organised by both Karim’s ministry and the Kuching Marathon Association (KMA).
Those who wish to know more can visit their website at http://www.marathonkuching.com/
Also present during the press conference was the ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and KMA president Wong Chen Yi, vice president Bong Kuet Foong, and event organiser Liew Tang Chieh.
