129 Runners To Compete In 30th Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon On Oct 15

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), Oct 4 (Bernama) -- A total of 129 high altitude runners will be competing in the 30th Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon on Oct 15 (Sunday). Sabah Deputy Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Pang Yuk Ming said out of the number, 41 are foreign runners from 18 countries. “This year, the Climbathon has attracted 105 elite men and 24 elite women from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France and Germany. “(There are ) also (runners) from Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand and the United States as well as Malaysia,” he said at a press conference here Wednesday. Pang also said among the participants, 30 would be tackling the 4,095-metre mountain for the first time. He said the race, which will be flagged off by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun, involves a 26km route from the flag-off site at Kinabalu Park in Kundasang to the summit and back. Meanwhile, local beverage company Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd was proud to provide sponsorship for the race for the second time since last year, especially to show its appreciation for the mountain guides’ and porters’ hard work in risking their lives to maintain the mountain, whilst helping the state’s tourism industry to grow. Life Water manager Liaw Hen Kong said the company had been impressed with the efforts of the mountain guides, who played an important role during the earthquake on June 5, 2015. “Since the disaster, we (Life Water) got to know the mountain guides better and realised their troubles and their spirit in taking care of the mountain after the earthquake,” he said. The Climbathon has seen participation from mountain guides and porters, who also went on to win the race, such as porters Daved Simpat, who was the 2013 men’s category champion, and Muidah Bolinting (2013 women’s veteran champion) and mountain guide Safrey Sumping (last year’s men’s elite champion). -- BERNAMA