KINABALU PARK, 7 October 2024: After a seven-year pause, the Mt Kinabalu International Climbatho returned for its 31st edition on Sunday, 6 October, at Kinabalu Park, featuring a remarkable lineup of 206 elite runners.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Deputy Permanent Secretary Madam Mary Malangking flagged off the early morning dash to the 4,095-metre-high summit.
This year’s summit race comprised three categories: 74 Elite Men, 60 Elite Women, and 72 Men Veterans. Among the participants were seasoned athletes from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei Darussalam, many with impressive track records in previous Climbathons and other notable races.
The Climbathon’s participant list was predominantly Malaysian, featuring 155 individuals from all 13 states. Sabah led with the most participants at 84, followed by 33 from Selangor, 13 from Kuala Lumpur, five from Perak, and four from Negeri Sembilan. Additionally, there were three participants each from Johor, Pahang, and Sarawak, while Kelantan and Terengganu had two participants each. Lastly, one participant each hailed from Melaka, Penang, and Labuan.
Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit commented: “It’s incredible to witness the enthusiasm surrounding the return of our Climbathon after seven years. We received an overwhelming response and are thrilled to announce that participants from 17 countries joined us for the 31st Climbathon 2024.”
He further highlighted the diversity of participants: “We welcomed solo participants from Australia, China, Great Britain, Hungary, Peru, Poland, Sweden, the USA, and Vietnam, along with three from France, four from the Philippines, seven from Indonesia and Singapore, and 16 from our neighbouring country, Brunei Darussalam.”
This year, the distance was extended to 26 km from the previous 21 km.
The prize pool comprised MYR8,000 for the three main category winners: men’s Elite, Women’s Elite, and Men’s Veteran. The second and third-placed winners received MYR6,000 and MYR4,000, respectively. Additional cash prizes were awarded to the fourth through 10th-place finishers.
Participants competed for these prizes by tackling the breathtaking challenge of climbing Mount Kinabalu, ranked among Southeast Asia’s highest mountains.
On 24 May 2023, Sabah was awarded the title of Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark, making Malaysia the third country in the world to achieve the triple crown status from UNESCO.
Julinus added, “With this declaration, Sabah became the third location in the world, after China and Korea, to attain the prestigious triple crown status. Sabah’s two other UNESCO crowns include Kinabalu Park, recognised as a World Heritage Site on 2 December 2000, and the UNESCO Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, recognised on 12 June 2014.”
The 31st Mt Kinabalu International Climbathon 2024 was organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment Sabah (KePKAS), Sabah Tourism Board, Sabah Parks, and Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn. Bhd. It was proudly supported by Tourism Malaysia and organised by Hello Sabah Events.
Sponsorship partners
● Official Hotel Partner: Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, Perkasa Hotels.
● Official Drink Partner: Tritonic Isotonic Drink, K2 Drinking Water.
● Official Transport Partner: Borneo Excursions.
● Official Media Partner: KupiKupi FM.
● Official Apparel Partner: K2 Life Water.
Other sponsorships included Airdry Microfiber Sdn Bhd, Zeak, and FUGA.
For more information on Sabah tourism visit https://sabahtourism.com/
