Kuching Marathon 2017

Kuching Marathon is one of the biggest marathons in Borneo and one of the most interesting ones in Malaysia. In 2017 it took place on 13 of August with full marathon, half marathon, 10 and 5km categories. I was running the full one, starting at 1 am!

Before the start

I was seriously considering not going to bed in the evening. I really, really tried to get some sleep or at least some rest before the run... but it didn't happen. I was just too excited to sleep and it didn't help that exactly at the same time there was the biggest street parade happening outside of my window. Kuching City Day celebration parade was huge and loud, and colourful. Started at 6pm and was just about to finish when at midnight I was walking to the marathon village at Padang Merdeka (Merdeka Square).

Because of the parade, and because Kuching Marathon is not a very big event, the streets around the start line and the marathon village were not closed until around 12.30am. It didn't really matter, there was not that much to do there any way; a big tent for baggage drop off, and a few other for main sponsors.

Soon runners started to gather around the village and Plaza Merdeka shopping mall, and soon came my time to use the toilet... I've found some down stairs at the mall and 15 portable ones on the other side of the road just behind the post office. It wasn't much but there were no queues to the portable ones with only a short line to the ones at the mall.

The run

Then it was time to go to the start line. No corrals or pens but all together, orderly waiting for the gun to go off, and after the usual official part... BANG! Let's start running!

It was a bit crowded at the beginning when we were all negotiating our way around Merdeka Square, but soon after we passed narrow streets between 1 and 4 km and got on Jalan Merdeka along the Sarawak river the crowd disappeared. It was dark and quiet. Barely any cars or people. Almost no cheering parties, except for marathon volunteers at water stations and a few other random groups of either runners' families or Saturday night party goers.

I've heard stories that last year there were not enough water stations and they run out of water half way through the marathon. This year there were 17 water stations on the course at every 2 to 3 km and were very well stocked. There were also plenty of wet sponges (that I used for the first time), energy gels (High5) and food (thank you, thank you, thank you for that cold water melon at 21km). Portable toilets were lacated before or after water stations and a couple of water sprinkler tents that you run through and cool down... nice. First aid was available at almost every station and most had also Salonpas pain relief spray.

The course was flat, the weather perfect with the temperature quite nice at around 23C, humid as always... It was my 3 marathon in tropics so I knew I need to take it easy, and I did. I enjoyed the silence, street lights breaking the darkness of the night, a gentle breeze, wide empty roads, smiling volunteers. It was a very meditative run and for the most part (between 15 and 32km) even though I didn't get to see much of the city as it seemed we were running away from it... it felt magical. Maybe because of the night or maybe because there were barely any runners around me. Just me and the road...

...until we reached Kuching Isthmus when it got a bit harder. The temperature and humidity started to get me and there were tall bridges and overpasses at 32, 35 and 38km... oh I was swearing on the last one... and it was only 4 km to the finish line. Now through the city with more cheering, especially around Jublee Recreation Ground and Jalan Padungan and then The Cat Statue and only 1 km to go. Last stroll through Jalan Main Bazaar, sharp corner next to the Square Tower and The Old Court House and you can finally see the finish gates with only 200 metres of sprint left.

Yay! I did it again! and wasn't even that tired, and really enjoyed it... what???
Wouldn't I push hard enough? Could I, would I, why, what, how... you know, all the thoughts you think when you finish a marathon and you feel like you could run another one straight away... never mind. It's all done now. Let's just soak up this moment of inner pride and strength.

As soon as I crossed the finish line I got my medal and a bag containing my finisher's t-shirt, a proper meal (quite nice noodle dish), sweet buns, 2 energy drinks, water and a banana. Other sponsors were also giving away some chocolatey breakfast cereal and an instant coffee. There was nowhere to sit or rest though so after wandering around for some time I decided to walk back to my hotel, because all I really wanted now was just a shower.