By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 27: Sarawak’s own Hazarullah Safri and Kenya’s Jackline Nzivo were crowned champions of the second edition of the Kuching Heritage Half Marathon 2025, leading the 21km Men’s and Women’s Open categories respectively.
Hazarullah, 28, clocked 1 hour, 18 minutes and 6 seconds to clinch the Men’s Open title, followed closely by his twin brother Syahrullah Safri (1:19:16). Third place went to 21-year-old Harres Ramesh Kumar, who finished in 1:21:23.
Nzivo dominated the Women’s Open with a strong finish in 1:32:01. Malaysia’s Tiew Jing Jing came in second (1:41:24), while Hungary’s Trang Chu Minh secured third place (1:42:58).
In the 21km Men’s Veteran category, Kenya’s Dennis Isika took top honours with a time of 1:19:03. Malaysia’s Looi Mun Fai came in second (1:25:34), followed by Rajeli Samar (1:28:45).
For the Women’s Veteran 21km, Ewe Bee Hong of Malaysia crossed the finish line first in 1:43:28, followed by Jessy Fung (1:44:24) and Lim Set Hiang (1:46:07).
The National 21km categories saw the same top three results for the Men’s division, with Hazarullah, Syahrullah and Harres leading the field. In the Women’s National category, Tiew Jing Jing finished first, followed by Ewe Bee Hong and Lina Tchung (1:43:51).
In the 10km Men’s Open, Brunei’s Ruzaini Mahadi sprinted to victory in 35:29. Malaysia’s Chan Chia Hock, 29, finished second (37:06), while Shahmi Muhaimin Safri, 20, came in third (37:25).
Malaysia’s Hii Win Nie, 32, claimed the 10km Women’s Open title with a time of 43:36. Lim Siet Fah, 43, finished second (46:34), while Pung Cheng Hui, 24, placed third (48:07).
In the Men’s Veteran 10km category, 56-year-old Mohamad Sharif Mohamad Ekbar finished first in 38:39. He was followed by Tan Jit Ping, 46 (40:54), and Singapore’s Tiong King Hee (42:48).
The 10km Women’s Veteran title went to 48-year-old Christabel Lim, who clocked 46:55. She was followed by Foo Yin Yin, 48 (48:09), and Lau Ngiik Ching, 49 (48:56).
The event also gave special acknowledgement to its most senior participants, celebrating their remarkable endurance and spirit.
Lim Thian Leng, 81, was honoured as the eldest finisher of the Half Marathon (21km). Meanwhile, Wellman Abon, 82, was recognised as the second-oldest participant, and Wong Chan Voon, 86, as the oldest overall participant of the Kuching Heritage Half Marathon 2025.
Held in conjunction with the Kuching City Day Festival, the event attracted over 3,200 runners from across Malaysia and 22 countries.
Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who officiated the event at the MBKS grounds this morning, praised the overwhelming turnout and smooth organisation.
He also congratulated the City Joggers Club and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) for their efforts, while highlighting the event’s positive impact on tourism.
“I saw winners from Hungary, Brunei, Kenya and many from Peninsular Malaysia. When runners come to Sarawak just to run, they stay in hotels, enjoy local food and shop for souvenirs to take home. All of this contributes to Sarawak’s tourism economy,” he told reporters. An audio recording of Abdul Karim’s remarks was later shared with DayakDaily.
With the theme “Embrace the Legacy, Run the Journey”, the event featured certified Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) routes for both 21km and 10km races, and awarded equal cash prizes across Open and Veteran categories, with a total prize pool of RM54,600.
Also present was Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng. — DayakDaily
