Kuching Marathon cancellation a blow to 13,000 participants who made travel plans, says Sarawak sports minister

Sarawak's Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, expressed disappointment over the last-minute cancellation of the Kuching Marathon 2026 due to the haze, affecting over 13,000 participants.

The event's abrupt cancellation was especially problematic for out-of-state participants who had already arranged travel and accommodations.

Despite understanding the health and safety priorities considered by the organisers, guided possibly by advice from PDRM and SDMC, Abdul Karim noted the ministry's support and the potential criticism from the affected participants.

The Kuching Marathon Association has facilitated the collection of finisher medals and tees for registered participants.

KUCHING, Sept 25 — Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has expressed disappointment over the last-minute cancellation of Kuching Marathon 2026, which had attracted more than 13,000 registered participants.

He said the decision was particularly difficult for participants from outside Sarawak who had made advance arrangements, including booking flights and accommodation.

“If it is indeed cancelled, I myself feel sad because of the hopes of those who came and registered. We also know that there are more than 13,000 participants.

“Many of them came from outside Sarawak and had already booked accommodation such as hotels and homestays. Some travelled by plane, which involved costs to attend the marathon,” he said when commenting on the cancellation.

Earlier today, the Kuching Marathon Association (KMA) announced that the event, scheduled for Sunday (Sept 27), had been cancelled due to the prevailing haze affecting Kuching and surrounding areas.

Abdul Karim said he had been at the race pack collection venue shortly before the announcement and had not been informed about the cancellation at the time.

However, he said he understood that the organisers would have had valid reasons for making the decision, possibly following advice from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).

“I believe the organisers must have had certain reasons for cancelling it, possibly on the advice of PDRM and SDMC,” he said.

Abdul Karim said his ministry had also provided financial assistance towards the organisation of the event, although its implementation remained subject to various considerations.

He said he understood if the cancellation prompted criticism from participants, particularly those who had already made travel and accommodation arrangements.

At the same time, some participants had praised the organisers for prioritising public health and safety despite the decision coming shortly before the event.

Meanwhile, KMA said registered participants could collect their finisher medals and finisher tees tomorrow (Sept 26) and Sunday at the Alfresco area of Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre.

Collection will be available from 9am to 9pm tomorrow and from 8am to 1pm on Sunday.

Participants must present their physical race bib at the designated category counter to collect their finisher medal and, where applicable, finisher tee.

One person may collect the items on behalf of up to five participants, provided the physical race bibs of each participant are presented.

Participants who have yet to collect their race packs must do so before collecting their finisher medal and finisher tee.

Race pack collection will remain open on Sunday from 10am to noon. — The Borneo Post

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砂拉越青年、体育及企业家发展部长拿督斯里阿都卡林拉曼哈姆扎对古晋马拉松2026因雾霾在最后一刻取消表示失望，超过13000名参赛者受到影响。

活动的突然取消对已经安排好行程和住宿的外州参与者来说尤其麻烦。

尽管阿卜杜勒·卡里姆理解组织者在马来西亚皇家警察和马来西亚灾害管理委员会的建议指导下所考虑的健康和安全优先事项，但他同时也注意到了该部的支持以及受影响参与者可能提出的批评。

古晋马拉松协会为已注册的参赛者提供了领取完赛奖牌和T恤的便利。

古晋，9月25日讯——砂拉越青年、体育及企业家发展部长拿督斯里阿都卡林拉曼哈姆扎对2026年古晋马拉松赛在最后一刻取消表示失望，该赛事已吸引了超过13000名注册参赛者。

他表示，对于提前做好安排（包括预订机票和住宿）的砂拉越以外地区的参与者来说，这个决定尤其艰难。

“如果活动真的取消，我本人会感到难过，因为那些前来报名的人都抱有希望。我们也知道，有超过13000人参加。”

“他们中许多人来自砂拉越以外的地方，并且已经预订了酒店和民宿等住宿。有些人是乘飞机来的，参加马拉松比赛也需要花费一些费用，”他在评论比赛取消一事时说道。

今天早些时候，古晋马拉松协会（KMA）宣布，原定于周日（9月27日）举行的马拉松比赛因古晋及周边地区受雾霾影响而取消。

阿卜杜勒·卡里姆表示，他在宣布取消比赛之前不久曾到过领取参赛包的地点，当时并没有被告知比赛被取消的消息。

不过，他表示理解主办方做出这一决定有其正当理由，可能是听取了马来西亚皇家警察（PDRM）和砂拉越州灾害管理委员会（SDMC）的建议。

他说：“我相信主办方取消此次活动一定有其原因，可能是根据马来西亚皇家警察和南苏丹管理委员会的建议。”

阿卜杜勒·卡里姆表示，他的部门也为活动的组织提供了财政援助，但活动的实施仍需考虑各种因素。

他表示，如果取消行程引发参与者的批评，他表示理解，特别是那些已经安排好旅行和住宿的参与者。

与此同时，一些参与者称赞组织者在活动开始前不久才做出决定，但仍将公共卫生和安全放在首位。

与此同时，KMA表示，已注册的参赛者可以于明天（9月26日）和周日在Plaza Merdeka购物中心的露天区域领取完赛奖牌和完赛T恤。

明天上午9点至晚上9点以及周日上午8点至下午1点均可取货。

参赛者必须在指定的类别柜台出示实体号码布，以领取完赛奖牌，并在适用情况下领取完赛T恤。

一人可代表最多五名参赛者领取奖品，但须出示每位参赛者的实体号码布。

尚未领取参赛包的参赛者必须先领取参赛包，才能领取完赛奖牌和完赛T恤。

参赛包领取处将于周日上午10点至中午12点继续开放。——《婆罗洲邮报》

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