KUCHING: The tenth edition of the Kuching Marathon (KM2025), set for September 21, 2025, is expected to attract around 15,000 participants, including both local and international runners.
This annual event will feature four race categories: the full marathon (42km), half marathon (21km), 10km, and 5km runs.
Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, highlighted the marathon’s significant contribution to the tourism industry, noting the influx of visitors to Kuching for the event.
“When participants come to Kuching, they need a place to stay. During the marathon, nearly all budget accommodations in the city are fully booked.
“While some opt for five-star hotels, the majority choose budget hotels, Airbnb, and homestays,” he said during a press conference at the Baitul Makmur building today.
He added that this surge in visitors would also boost the local food scene, as many runners explore Kuching’s culinary offerings before and after the race.
“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.
Abdul Karim also expressed confidence that the number of visitors will continue to grow in conjunction with the event.
For KM2025, runners will receive two types of T-shirts: an event tee to wear during the race and a finisher tee awarded upon completing the race within the designated cut-off time, along with a finisher medal.
This year’s marathon will also introduce an improved 42km race route.
A total prize pool of RM125,000 will be awarded to the top 10 finishers across all categories, excluding the 5km fun run.
So far, 7,822 runners have registered for KM2025, consisting of 6,719 Malaysians and 1,103 international participants.
Most local runners are from Sarawak, while international participants hail from countries such as Brunei, Canada, China, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Maldives, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
