Minister saddened as Kuching Marathon cancellation affects 13,000 participants

Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 26: The last-minute cancellation of the Kuching Marathon 2026 has left more than 13,000 registered participants, including those from outside Sarawak, facing losses after making advance preparations and spending money to take part in the event.

Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the cancellation had also affected participants who had already booked hotel rooms, homestays and flights for the marathon.

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

“Many of them are from outside Sarawak and have already booked accommodation such as hotels and homestays. Some travelled by plane, which involved costs, all for this marathon,” he told TVS after inspecting the final preparations for the Music Industry Award (AIM) on Friday (Sept 25).

Abdul Karim, who is also Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, said cancelling the event at the eleventh hour could be disappointing for participants who had invested time, effort and money in preparing for it.

He said he had only visited the race pack collection venue earlier on but had not been informed about the cancellation at the time.

Nevertheless, Abdul Karim said he believed the organisers had valid reasons for calling off the event, possibly following advice from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).

“I believe the organisers must have had specific reasons for cancelling it, possibly following advice from PDRM and SDMC,” he said.

He said his ministry had also provided financial assistance towards the organisation of the marathon, although its implementation was subject to various factors and considerations.

Abdul Karim also said he understood why the cancellation could draw criticism on social media, particularly from participants who had already made travel arrangements and incurred expenses to attend the event.

Earlier, the Kuching Marathon Association (KMA), in a statement, announced that the Kuching Marathon 2026, scheduled for Sunday (Sept 27), had been cancelled due to the haze affecting Kuching and surrounding areas. — DayakDaily