By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 25: The 10th edition of the Kuching Marathon (KM2025), set to take place on Sept 21, 2025, is expected to attract around 15,000 runners from Malaysia and across the globe, reaffirming its role as a key driver for tourism in Sarawak.
Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, highlighted the marathon’s wide-reaching impact on the local economy, particularly in hospitality and food services.
“During the marathon, nearly all budget accommodations in the city are fully booked. While some choose five-star hotels, most runners opt for budget hotels, Airbnb, and homestays,” he said at a press conference held at the Baitul Makmur building here today.
Abdul Karim, who is also Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, added that the influx of visitors also benefits the local food scene, with many runners eager to explore Kuching’s culinary offerings before and after race day.
“That’s why my ministry continues to support this event. We’ve been backing it for several years now, and the organisers have consistently done a great job,” he said, expressing confidence that participation numbers will continue to rise.
KM2025 will feature four race categories: the full marathon (42km), half marathon (21km), 10km, and 5km.
This year also marks a special milestone—its 10th anniversary since its inaugural run in 2014, with a commemorative logo designed around the Roman numeral ‘X’ and a Dayak tribal motif to reflect Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage.
The race is recognised internationally, listed in the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) calendar, and will once again take runners through Kuching’s historical landmarks and scenic routes.
This year’s event will offer all participants two T-shirts: an event tee to wear on race day and a finisher tee for those who complete their categories within the cut-off time, along with an enhanced medal design.
In a new move, 10km and 5km participants will also receive commemorative finisher tees.
A total prize pool of RM125,000 will be awarded to the top 10 winners across all competitive categories, excluding the 5km fun run.
An improved 42km route has also been introduced.
As of today, 7,822 runners have registered, comprising 6,719 Malaysians—mostly Sarawakians—and 1,103 international participants from countries such as Brunei, Canada, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom (UK), and Vietnam.
Also present at the press conference were Deputy Ministers Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew and Datuk Snowdan Lawan, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datu Sherrina Hussaini, as well as Kuching Marathon officials. — DayakDaily
