Kuching Marathon: Organizers decided to cancel the event

KUCHING, Sept. 25: The decision regarding the 2026 Kuching Marathon was handed over to organizers following uncertain weather conditions.

Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the decision whether to continue or not the race event scheduled for this Sunday depends on the organisers, relevant agencies as well as Air Pollution Index (API) indicators to determine the health and safety level of outdoor events.

He said the weather conditions could change in a short period of time depending on the direction of the wind, making it difficult to determine the outcome of the event ahead of time.

"...for this matter, I'm sure myself. You need to ask the organizers if they're going to continue this event or not. I'm also in a dilemma because things can change from day to day. One day, we'll see it all right.

"I remember last September 16th, when we celebrated Malaysia Day in Kuching, it was suddenly bright all day until night, and we could even see such a beautiful fireworks show. But the next day, things got really bad and I was shocked myself", she said.

Abdul Karim said this when he met reporters after spending almost an hour visiting the Kuching Marathon alley at a shopping mall in Kuching, on Friday.

However, Director of Kuching Marathon 2026, Liew Tang Chieh confirmed that the annual running event organized since 2013 was completely canceled after organisers took into account air pollution index (IPU) readings, weather indicators and wind movement patterns.

Liew said that he also sought advice from the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) as well as the police, in addition to getting views of the Sarawak State Health Department before making the decision.

"...I also want to let everyone know, we have a large medical team. Kuching Marathon has a very large medical team and we also involve the Sarawak State Health Department. I have received a letter from the Kuching County Health Office. All the advice given should be taken into account, especially in the course of the Kuching Marathon.

"So, because of that, we had no choice. We really want to continue this show. Apparently, we've already asked the police to issue a notice on the street. Signage, direction, everything is ready. But the safety and well-being of our participants and crew is a priority. Our entire team in organizing the Kuching Marathon has always put that as a priority. So, given that consideration, we had to cancel it", he said.

According to Liew, the health aspect was a major consideration as Kuching Marathon participants were expected to run for up to seven hours in rough conditions, with the race starting at 1am and ending around 8am.

In addition to the 42.195-kilometer, 21-kilometre and 10-kilometre full run categories, he said the safety of Fun Run participants up to five kilometres was also a concern, especially for parents carrying young children.

Meanwhile, Liew said all participants remain eligible for medals and runway jerseys, with the draw starting tomorrow.

The timeline will be announced via the organizers' official Facebook page.