Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon makes a comeback

Participants running up to the peak in previous Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon.

KOTA KINABALU: The annual Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon, which was put on hold for one year following the June 5 earthquake in 2015, is back.

The climbathon this year promises new challenges for climbers due to the new route that was carved out after the previous trail was damaged in the quake.

Up to 120 experienced climbers are welcomed to join in this event come Oct 16.

The race will be flagged off at Kinabalu Park and runners will make their way up to the summit of the 4,095.2m-high Mt Kinabalu before descending down and crossing the finish line back at the park.

However, participants will have to use the newly opened trail located on a higher elevation, promising new challenges for runners and a breathtaking view.

For safety reasons, the race this time is only opened to qualified participants recommended by their respective national federations or have finished the race within the time limit in previous years’ Climbathon.

While casual runners may take an average of two days to scale the mountain, professional mountain runners can clock as fast as four hours.

The public is invited to witness this annual sporting event dubbed the World’s Toughest Mountain Race and cheer for runners at Malaysia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site.

Interested individuals must register before the closing date on Sept 30.

They can contact Winceslaus Gerald Autine of Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd at 088-232121 or email wences@sabahtourism.com, or visit the website at www.climbathon.my for more details.

-thestar online.