The legendary Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon returns this Sunday, 18 October, as Race 17 of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series. Now in its 33rd edition, the race sends athletes from the gates of Kinabalu Park to the summit of Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m) and back down again.
Recognised worldwide as one of the toughest mountain races on Earth, the Climbathon brings a top-class international elite field to Sabah, all of which will be eager to bag those last overall ranking points before the final SkyMasters in three weeks.
THE COURSE
The 24.5 km course is a straight test of climbing and descending: a relentless 12.25 km ascent to the peak, then a punishing 12.25 km descent to the finish. The race is set inside Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO Global Geopark since May 2023.
The Men’s Elite, Women’s Elite and Men’s Veteran (40+) categories start together at 6:30 am on Sunday, 18 October. Strict cut-offs apply. Men’s Elite runners must reach the peak within 3 hours 30 minutes and return within a further 3 hours. All runners have 4 hours up and 3 hours 30 minutes down.
THE ELITE FIELD
A strong international line-up will contest the Women’s and Men’s Elite races, including the following athletes:
Elite women
- Svetlana Nurmukhametova (RUS)
- Vanja Cnops (BEL) – T8 / BIX
- June Villarroel (ESP) – La Sportiva
- Sandi Menchi Abahan (PHL) – VJ Shoes
- Sonia Ventura (ESP)
- Xinshuang Wei (CHN)
Elite men
- Daniel Antonioli (ITA) – Scarpa
- Alex Oberbacher (ITA) – La Sportiva
- Shoma Otagiri (JPN) – Merrell
- Fujio Ichige (JPN) – Merrell
- Luis Ovalle Rodriguez (CHL) – Merrell
- Wilsen Singgin (MAL) – Kailas
RECORDS TO BEAT
Both course records fell at last year’s edition on 19 October 2025, and neither record holder is on this year’s start list. That leaves the door open for a new name in the record books.
- Men: 3:05:41, Gianluca Ghiano (ITA), 2025
- Women: 3:46:13, Anastasia Rubtsova (RUS), 2025
The pair followed in the footsteps of skyrunning greats such as Marco De Gasperi, Emilie Forsberg and Kilian Jornet, who battled on Kinabalu’s slopes in the race’s earlier era.
At 6:30 am on Sunday the gun fires, and high above at 4,095 metres, Low’s Peak waits. Legends have been made on this mountain before; on Sunday, Kinabalu will decide who joins them.
More information HERE.
