Sarawakian Syahrullah Safri, Kenya’s Abigael Jerop win HSL Samarahan Marathon 2026 21km open titles

Abdul Karim (second row, seated fourth right) poses in a group photo with other dignitaries and runners at the prize-giving ceremony for HSL Samarahan Marathon 2026 at La Promenade Mall on May 17, 2026.

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, May 17: Sarawakian runner Syahrullah Safri and Kenya’s Abigael Jerop emerged champions in the men’s and women’s half marathon categories respectively at the HSL Samarahan Marathon 2026 today, as runners posted blistering times under cooler race conditions in Samarahan.

Syahrullah clinched the men’s open title with a time of one hour 16 minutes and 31 seconds (1:16:31), smashing last year’s winning mark of 1:20:51 set by Andy Yeo.

Jerop dominated the women’s open race after crossing the finish line in one hour 27 minutes and 26 seconds.

Although competing in the 21km men veteran category, Kenya’s Dennis Isika emerged as the fastest runner of the day after clocking a stunning 1:16:28 — three seconds faster than Syahrullah’s winning time in the men’s open division. Another Kenyan, Jackline Musyawa Nzivo, won the women’s title in the same category with 1:27:22.

Clockwise from top left: Winners of 21km open and veteran categories Syahrullah Safri, Abigael Jerop, Jackline Musyawa Nzivo, and Dennis Isika.

Meanwhile, Jia Qi Chew secured victory in the women’s national category with a time of 1:33:32, while Syahrullah claimed the men’s national title.

HSL-sponsored athletes, including Sally Yap and members of Team Haolian, also delivered strong performances, collectively securing 13 top-10 placings across multiple categories.

The Best Costume awards went to Joyce Nyupeh for her Halloween bunny outfit, alongside Adrian Harun and Voon Kim Choon.

The prize-giving ceremony was officiated by Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts as well as Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who congratulated the organisers for successfully hosting the event.

“But this year they can’t do the full marathon because there is so much road construction down here, so they just did the half marathon, and it was very successful,” he told reporters.

He noted that the marathon drew runners from across Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and overseas, contributing to the State’s sports tourism industry.

“I can see that the winners today, many of them are not from Kuching, not from Sarawak. They are from West Malaysia, from Africa, and all other parts of Sarawak. This is a very healthy event,” he added.

The HSL Samarahan Marathon, jointly organised by HSL, City Jogger’s Club and Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), began in 2021 under the HSL Fitness Weekend banner and has since grown into one of Sarawak’s major running events.

Now in its fourth edition, the event offered a total prize pool of RM50,000.

HSL Realty director Yu Ji said this year’s race conditions were significantly better compared to last year.

“2025 was extremely hot, and every runner suffered, from the professionals to the amateurs. This morning was much cooler, and everyone pushed harder from the start,” he said.

He added that the final stretch inside La Promenade’s gated community provided a dramatic finish for participants.

“The final two to three kilometres, which were inside La Promenade’s gated community, were absolutely breathtaking. You could see the concentration and determination on the runners’ faces as they pushed towards the finish line,” he added.

Meanwhile, City Jogger’s Club president Elizabeth Wong said runners were now more familiar with the Tanjong Bako route, which has been used for the third consecutive year.

“It is quite straight, with only two U-turns, so runners who have done it before know where to hold back, where to increase their pace, and where to accelerate,” she said.

“I think it is possible for even faster times next year.”

At the same time, HSL marcom lead Abraham Tiong said the event has continued to grow beyond expectations since its inception.

“We were really caught unaware by the response. It was our first time organising a running event, and we hardly knew anything. But 2,800 people came. We were floored,” he said.

“That gave us the motivation to grow the half marathon into a full marathon by 2023.”

Tiong added that organisers are looking ahead to further improvements, including a possible route enhancement next year.

“Next year, we fully intend to update the full marathon route to include Sejingkat Bridge. It is going to be beautiful,” he said.

For more info, visit hsl.com.my, lapromenademall.com.my, or search #Samarathon. — DayakDaily