Kuching Marathon cancelled over haze concerns

KUCHING: The 2026 Kuching Marathon has been cancelled over concerns about the health and safety of runners and event personnel amid the prevailing haze, said race director, Liew Tang Chieh.

Liew said the decision followed consultations with the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), police and health authorities, while organisers continuously monitored the Air Pollutant Index (API), weather conditions and wind patterns.

He said advice from the Kuching Divisional Health Office also prompted organisers to adopt a cautious approach, particularly as runners could be exposed to haze for several hours.

“The full marathon starts at 1:00 am and finishes by 8:00 am, meaning they will be running for seven hours. The half marathon will take about four hours.

“We cannot take the risk of them inhaling the haze for seven hours and four hours,” he told reporters when met at Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre today.

Liew said the safety concerns extended to all four categories, including the 5km event, which allows families to participate with baby strollers.

“We allow trolleys with babies, so that is also our responsibility,” he said.

He added that changing API readings made it difficult to predict conditions during the race.

“If the API reading suddenly changes, what can I do? We don’t want to take the risk,” he said.

Liew said the cancellation was confirmed and final, stressing that the health and safety of participants, crew and other personnel remained the organisers’ priority.

Participants can collect their finisher medals and T-shirts from tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 26), with collection times and further details to be announced on the Kuching Marathon Facebook page.

Meanwhile, the Kuching Marathon organising committee said in a statement that the health and safety of participants, crew members, volunteers, officials, medical teams and the general public must take precedence.

It said all registered participants could collect their finisher medals and T-shirts from tomorrow at the Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre Alfresco Area.

“Detailed collection schedules and instructions will be announced on the marathon’s official social media platforms today.

“The Kuching Marathon Association (KMA) apologised for the disappointment caused and thanked participants for their understanding, patience and support. The safety and well-being of our community remains our utmost priority,” the statement read.