Kuching Marathon (KM) is an annual event which brings runners from all over the world to the beautiful city of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
The marathon inaugural race was on 17 August 2014, and it has since grown in stature to be one of the most awaited road race competition in Malaysia.
KM consists of Kuching full marathon of 42KM (measured to international standard of 42.195KM), Kuching half marathon of 21KM, Kuching 10KM Run and Kuching 5KM Run respectively.
As the 8th edition of Kuching Marathon which was inaugurated on 17 August 2014, KM is an international road race recognized by Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) as listed in AIMS Race Calendar at http://aims-worldrunning.org
Kuching Marathon new logo
In 2023, the Kuching Marathon decided to reveal a new logo as seen below.
Why run the Kuching Marathon?
According to previous Kuching Marathon runners, the is special because it is one of the few marathons in the world that gets the locals hyped up.
The route itself is excessively stunning as it belts around Kuching City which is known to be very green and relaxed.
The marathon itself is also considered a family event for the people of Kuching with thousands joining in the fun. Kids and school children are known to have even woken up early to cheer on the runners.
Since Kuching Marathon is flagged off in the centre of the city, hotels in Kuching City are nearby enough for marathon runners if they don’t want to spend too much on transportation.
When is the Kuching Marathon?
Usually, the Kuching Marathon happens in the second or third weekend of the month of August.
Here’s the dates of previous and up-coming marathon dates:
- 2014: 17 August 2014
- 2015: 16 August 2015
- 2016 : 14 August 2016
- 2017: 14 August 2017
- 2018 : 12 August 2018
- 2019 : 18 August 2019
- 2020 : Cancelled
- 2021 : Cancelled
- 2022 : 2 October 2022
- 2023: 1 October 2023
KM Categories
The event is a road race competition which consists of full marathon of 42KM (measured to international standard of 42.195KM), half marathon of 21KM, run of 10KM and 5KM respectively.
Usually, flag-off for the different categories varies as listed below:
- Full Marathon of 42KM : 1:00AM
- Half Marathon of 21KM : 4:00AM
- Run of 10KM : 5:30AM
- Run of 5KM : 6:30AM
Bear in mind time of flag-off may be changed by the organizers.
Kuching Marathon running map
The Kuching Marathon running map can be seen below.
This full 42KM running route passes by plenty of Kuching’s attractions including the Satok Suspension Bridge, the Kuching Waterfront and several iconic cat statues. It also passes by the Cat Museum which is located within the DBKU Building, the Sarawak Stadium, several Malay villages and several housing areas. It goes all the way to the northern side of Kuching City, allowing runner to enjoy the semi-urban landscape of Kuching.
Just like the 42KM route, the 21KM route passes by plenty of Kuching’s attractions including the Satok Suspension Bridge, a few Malay Villages, the Kuching Waterfront, the old DUN Building and several iconic cat statues. This route technically goes around Kuching City.
This 10KM route passes a couple Malay villages, the Satok Suspension Bridge, the Sarawak state mosque and the Kuching Waterfront.
This 5KM route passes by several housing areas and commercial areas.
Please bear in mind that the map the organizers can change the map accordingly. Maps here will be updated yearly to reflect the latest race routes.
Registration and fees for KM
Registration fees for the Kuching Marathon differ according to when you register. Early birds get to enjoy special rates starting from RM50 (for 5KM) while those registering on a later date will have to pay more.
Collection of race packs are usually done three days before the marathon with collection booths opened at the Ground floor of Plaza Merdeka.
In 2023, collection of the race packs was moved to Majma’ Mall.
The organizers have also announced that they will announce the last date of registration accordingly.
Kuching Marathon 2023 cut off time
For those wanting a finishers t-shirt, the cut-off time is as follows.
- 42KM Full Marathon – 7 hours
- 21KM Half Marathon – 4 hours
- 10KM Run – 2 hours 30 minutes
- 5KM Run – 1 hour 30 minutes
Where to stay during Kuching Marathon
Five hotels come highly recommended if you are planning to run the Kuching Marathon.
These accommodations are recommended because they are less than 5 minutes from the flag off of the marathon (Padang Merdeka)
- The Waterfront Hotel Kuching (Located at the start/finish location)
- The Ranee Boutique Suites (A couple of minutes to by foot to start/finish)
- Merdeka Palace and Suites (5 star hotel by foot to start/finish)
- QuiikCat (Hostel stay about 5 minutes by foot to start/finish)
- Harbour View Hotel (About 5 minutes by foot to start/finish)
- Hornbill’s Nest (Hostel stay about 5 minutes by foot to start/finish)
Technically most hotel within Kuching City isn’t too far from Padang Merdeka where the marathon is flagged off.
Padang Merdeka is located in the centre of Kuching City. The full list of Kuching hotels (including budgets ones) can be found here.
More information
Kuching Marathon is part of the Great Borneo Series which includes the Borneo Marathon (Kota Kinabalu Sabah) and Miri Marathon (Miri Sarawak). Participating in all three marathons in a year would earn the runner a special designed medal.
For more information on KM or related items, feel free to check the links below.
- BUY running/marathon shirt
- BUY running/marathon shoes
- BUY running/marathon pants
- READ more articles about KM
