KOTA KINABALU: Around 250 elite local and international mountain runners will gather in Sabah on Oct 18 for the 33rd Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon.
The race returns as the 17th stop on the 2026 Merrell Skyrunner World Series, making it the penultimate leg for athletes before the SkyMasters Grand Finale in Spain on Nov 7.
Competitors spanning three categories, Men’s Elite, Women’s Elite, and Men’s Veteran, represent over a dozen countries, including Italy, Japan, Spain, Russia, Australia, and the US.
Top-ranked international skyrunners headlining the Men's and Women's Elite fields include Italy’s Daniel Antonioli (World No. 7), Russia’s Svetlana Nurmukhametova (World No. 6), and former champion Sandi Menchi Abahan of the Philippines.
Top Sabahan runners Oswald Maikol, Jude Maikol, and Sheron Sariman line up in the Men's Elite, while Daved Simpat returns to defend his Men’s Veteran title alongside fellow Sabahan contenders Raichin Sungkit and Safrey Sumping.
"Its inclusion in the Merrell Skyrunner World Series places Mount Kinabalu alongside top international mountain-running destinations," Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Jafry Ariffin said. "Athletes, supporters, and visitors will experience our culture and hospitality, creating wider benefits for Sabah’s tourism industry and local communities."
First held in 1987, the Climbathon is organised by Sri Pelancongan Sabah (a subsidiary of the Sabah Tourism Board) in collaboration with Sabah Parks.
