By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Feb 14: Spartan Race world champion Robert Killian will be competing at the upcoming Spartan Race Sarawak 2020 here on April 4-5.
Killian, who is the World Spartan Race winner for 2019, will compete with thousands of local and foreign participants from 23 countries for the podium finish in the second edition of Spartan Race Sarawak.
The event will be held at the Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service for the second time, following its successful hosting bid last October, attracting some 3,000 participants.
“World Spartan race champion Robert Killian has confirmed his participation at the race in Kuching. It will be the first time that he is racing outside the United States.
“With his presence, it will make this year’s race more interesting and special,” Sarawak Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told a press conference here today.
He expressed confidence that the race, which has gained much popularity among Sarawakian youths, would be able to draw more than 3,000 participants.
At current, the race has received 1,950 registered runners including 568 foreign participants.
“There will be 20 Chinese racers who will be competing at the event despite the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) epidemic. We hope that as time goes by, the situation on the Covid-19 will improve and the Chinese racers can participate in the race.
“Nonetheless, we do have precautionary measures and the Chinese racers will be screened thoroughly. We are working with the State Disaster Management Committee and perhaps the Chinese racers will be able to come in with special clearance.
“I do hope that there will be more participants from Europe and the United States participating at the event,” he said.
Abdul Karim opined that the Covid-19 situation will not dampen the race, as he observed that the are more than 200,000 cases related to pneumonia death every year.
On the 2020 Spartan Race Sarawak, he noted that it will also be the first Southeast Asia Regional Qualifier Series which consist of three categories.
They consist of a 5km sprint with 20 obstacles, 10km and 25 obstacles, as well as the Spartan trail which is a 10km and 21km trial run with no obstacles.
Abdul Karim revealed that each Spartan race participant will receive an official Spartan finisher’s medal and finisher’s t-shirt for completing the race.
The podium finisher will receive a total prize money of RM23,400.
The 2020 Spartan Race Sarawak is organised by Kuching Fitness Association and CrossFit Kuching in collaboration with Sarawak Sports Corporation and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In addition, the first of nine Spartan Community workouts will be held tomorrow (Feb 15) and Feb 23 at Kampung Barieng, Bau. — DayakDaily
