Haze forces Kuching Marathon 2026 cancellation at eleventh hour

KUCHING — The Kuching Marathon 2026, originally scheduled for September 27, has been cancelled due to the hazardous haze situation affecting the city and surrounding areas. The Kuching Marathon Association (KMA) had been monitoring Air Pollutant Index (API) readings and other environmental factors since the haze began. Their decision to cancel the event was made after consultations with relevant authorities and medical experts, prioritising the health and safety of all participants, crew, volunteers, officials, medical teams, and the public.

All registered runners can collect their finisher medals and t-shirts at Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre starting tomorrow. The cancellation occurred shortly after State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah visited the marathon registration site at Plaza Merdeka. The marathon's route covered 42km.

Abdul Karim, who is also Sarawak's State Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister, stated that the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had set API-based indicators to decide if outdoor events could be safely held. He affirmed that the decision was not within his authority, attributing it to the SDMC's role. The KMA reported that over 13,000 participants had registered for this year's marathon, which began in 2014 and has become one of Borneo's largest international mass-participation running events, attracting runners from over 40 countries.