Kinabalu climbathon’s return on Oct 6 after a six-year break is looking subdued
Hailed as the toughest mountain race, the Mount Kinabalu climbathon is making a comeback on Oct 6 after a six-year absence. But an earthquake in 2015 that killed 18 climbers has dampened its spirit and changed the face of the 26-kilometre climbathon. Registration opens today (June 4) but is restricted to seasoned mountain runners and capped at 200 as the participants’ safety is prioritised. Before the earthquake, more than 700 runners took part in the climbathon which was spread over two days: one for the seasoned runners and the other for almost anyone.
Malaysia’s tallest peak at 4,095 metres (13,435 feet) in the north Borneo state of Sabah is a paradox. It is easy to climb by all accounts. Climbers literally walk up the steps for the greater part of the distance up to about 3,400m before reaching the rocky summit. It is touted that even a 90-year-old can climb it. But running up 13km and down the mountain is an ultimate test of an athlete’s fitness and endurance. Yet many runners can complete the race in less than the cut-off time of four and a half hours for men and six and a half hours for women. Top men runners can complete the race in less than two and a half hours.
State officials are hard pressed to explain why the climbathon was axed for six years since 2018 only to be revived this year. Christina Liew, Sabah’s tourism minister, blamed it on the Covid-19 pandemic. But the race was stopped long before it. Officials speaking after the last climbathon was held in 2017, said it had more than served the purpose of promoting mountain climbing. Mount Kinabalu was becoming overcrowded. About 60,000 climbers were climbing it every year. And the climbathon attracted more than 700 runners from more than 30 countries, making it one of the most popular iconic mountain races in the world.
The deadly 6.0 magnitude quake that suddenly shook Mount Kinabalu sent rocks cascading down the slopes that destroyed many trails. The Mesilau trail, the 23km course of the popular Adventure Race, was badly destroyed and has been abandoned because it is beyond repair. And so the climbathon’s Adventure Race is no more.
Officials find themselves focusing more on making the mountain as safe as possible. For once, it got them to think of reducing the number of climbers and climbathon participants to minimize casualties should another such disaster hit Mount Kinabalu. Since then the number of climbers has dropped to about 47,000 last year. Companies offering Mount Kinabalu climbing packages say it is by design as the Sabah Parks, the mountain’s custodian, only allows 163 climbers a day because mountain huts can’t accommodate more. Until the 2015 quake, there had been no records of earthquakes ever striking the mountain which is sacred to the indigenous Kadazans and Dusuns who make up a third of Sabah’s 3.6m people who include ethnic Chinese, Indians, Malays, Bajaus and Suluks.
No one knows when the next quake will strike. Geologists say there’s a very remote chance of another one hitting Mount Kinabalu.
But what is sure is that the Mount Kinabalu climbathon will never be like what it was before the 2015 earthquake.
Click here to register for the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon
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