KUCHING (Aug 17): Sarawak has been chosen as one of the stops for the prestigious Spartan Trail World Championship. The 1st Borneo Trail Classic (BTC), which will take place at Redeems Centre in Kampung Apar in Bau from Oct 15 to 16, will also be the only such stop in Southeast Asia.
It will stage five distances which are 7km, 10km, 21km, 50km (Trail Run Championship) and 100km (Trail Ultra Championship). Participants in the 50km and 100km races stand the chance to join the Spartan Trail World Championship. These elite runners are vying for the prize purse totalling US$25,000 as they earn championship points on the World Final leaderboard.
BTC organiser Sarawak Fitness Association is targeting 2,000 participants.
“I am confident we can reach this target because currently about 1,000 people from 14 countries have registered for the event,” Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told a press conference at his office at Bangunan Baitulmakmur II in Petra Jaya today.
Those who have registered comprise 40 per cent from Sarawak, 35 per cent from other Malaysian states and 25 per cent foreigners.
“On top of that, BTC is also organising the 1km and 3km Trail Fun Run for children aged five to 14,” said Karim who is also Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development.
“This event is very interesting because it will pass through some of our national parks and local heritage villages such as Kampung Apar, Kampung Segong, Kampung Barieng, Kampung Bobak Sejinjang, Kampung Daun, Kampung Daun Ngori, Kampung Tabong, Kampung Atas, Kampung Badul, Kampung Sudoh and Kampung Rayu.
The organisers have also specially invited Shakira Onie Henry to take part. Shakira, from a rural primary school in Sarikei, recently captured the imagination of many Sarawakians when she won the MSSM national cross-country girls U12 race running barefoot over 4km.
The BTC is one of the international events supported by the State government to help develop adventure tourism and sports. It is listed in the ministry’s tourism calendar.
For more information on BTC, visit www.borneotrailclassic.com or email [email protected].
Meanwhile, the minister also observed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Sarawak Fitness Association represented by its deputy president Shaun Ho and The Bold Warriors Adventure and Exploration Club as BTC’s technical and trail course partner.
Also present at the press conference were Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, Redeems Centre president Datuk Peter Nansian and Carus Sport & Event Sdn Bhd directors Carter Wei and Gordon Chung.
