LABUAN — The Pearl of Borneo Marathon (POBM) 2026 concluded today, successfully drawing 3,367 local and international participants and cementing Labuan’s position as a premier sports tourism destination in Malaysia and the Borneo region.
Held on June 6 and 7, the event is featured as a major highlight in the Labuan Tourism Event Calendar 2026. The marathon was jointly organized through a strategic collaboration between the Labuan Corporation, Faxtive Athletics Club (FXAC), and JKBAL Sport.
The two-day event featured four main categories: the 42KM Full Marathon with 581 runners, the 21KM Half Marathon (1,245 runners), the 10KM Run (1,172 runners), and the 3KM Fun Walk (369 runners). Each category was further divided into competitive divisions, including Men and Women Open, Veteran, and Senior Veteran.
Participants competed for a total cash prize pool of RM58,848, alongside RM27,318 worth of Brooks running shoes for podium winners. Runners also stood a chance to win various lucky draw prizes, including a Benelli Leoncino 250 SE motorcycle worth RM16,000 sponsored by Wang Maju Motor Sdn. Bhd., and a RM3,000 voucher from Syarikat Bateri Okay.
Organizers placed a premium on participant safety and professional event management by enhancing logistics, route management, and medical services. A key highlight this year was the introduction of the “Medic Runner” service, comprising experienced medical officers from KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital and the Federal Territories Sports Council (MSWP).
These mobile medical personnel ran alongside participants to act as first responders, providing immediate medical aid for injuries, exhaustion, muscle cramps, dehydration, and breathing difficulties before stationary medical teams or ambulances arrived.
The event’s success was backed by extensive support from various government agencies, statutory bodies, security forces, and educational institutions, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Road Transport Department (JPJ), Fire and Rescue Department, Ministry of Health (MOH), Labuan Hospital, Universiti Malaysia Sabah International Campus Labuan (UMSKAL), and Tourism Malaysia.
Corporate and non-governmental partners also contributed significantly, including Brooks, 100PLUS, Sabah Electricity Sdn. Bhd. (SESB), Financial Park Labuan, and Proton Ghee Hwa Motorpol 3s, among others.
“The success of the Pearl of Borneo Marathon 2026 will hopefully open up opportunities for this event to be listed as part of the Borneo Marathon Series in the future,” a spokesperson of Labuan Corporation said.
The spokesperson added that the Pearl of Borneo Marathon has the potential to become one of the major running events that completes the regional marathon calendar, thereby strengthening Labuan’s reputation as a competitive sports tourism hub.
The tentative date for the next edition, Pearl of Borneo Marathon 2027, has been set for June 6, 2027, to sustain momentum and reinforce its status as an iconic annual event. According to the spokesperson, the marathon directly supports the “Labuan 5S” initiative—focusing on Sun, Sand, Seafood, Shopping & Services, and Sports Tourism.
“Through the organization of large-scale events like this, Labuan is capable of attracting the influx of both domestic and international tourists, subsequently boosting the local economic activities encompassing the accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, retail, as well as tourism services sectors,” the spokesperson said, in line with the official event tagline, “Run Beyond Limits, Discover Labuan”.
