BUTM to woo 800 trail runners to Kiulu

 

KOTA KINABALU: The Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon (BUTM) is back to Kiulu after a year's hiatus, and hoping to attract 800 extreme marathon enthusiasts.

The event set for March 19-20, will see marathoners racing past the forested terrain trails of the rustic Kiulu villages, said BUTM race director Claus Pedersen.

So far about 400 people including 25 foreigners have confirmed their participation, he said, adding that the foreign participants are mostly expatriates from Australia, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Russia, Romania, Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore, among others.

"The last ultra trail marathon took place in 2020, right before the movement control order was imposed. At that time, there were 1,600 local and international participants.

"Due to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) restriction, we are limiting this year's event to 200 participants per category," he said, adding there are four distance categories (100km, 50km, 30km and 9km).

Kiulu remains the venue of choice for BUTM due to its reputation as an eco-adventure destination and its close proximity to Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, said Pedersen during a courtesy call on Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai at the STB office here.

Pedersen assured the event would comply strictly to SOPs and all participants would be subjected to a Covid-19 test to prevent infection.

Joniston, who is also STB chairman stated the BUTM is more than just a sporting event but also a major tourism draw.

"This is wonderful for Sabah and Kiulu in particular because the BUTM event allows participants to explore Sabah's rural destinations while participating in outdoor sporting activities in the fresh air surrounded by rivers, green trees, and mountains.

"Kiulu is known for its commitment to community-based tourism. The villagers could use this opportunity to promote their place, homestays, and culture, allowing participants to stay longer and enjoy our rural destination.

"While we encourage Malaysians to visit Sabah, we also recognise expatriates as our prospective tourists while the international border remains closed.

"Therefore, we must continue to promote potential events that will attract expatriates and pique their interest in Sabah," he said.

BUTM 2022 registration is open until February, and the registration procedure can be found at https://www.borneoultra.com/butm/registration.

-nst online.

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