A hundred trail runners took on the Kaboon 6-Hour Endurance Challenge, organised by the Kaboon Community and held across the rugged hills of Perhutanan Sungai Liang last Sunday.
Sefli Ahar emerged as the winner of the men’s category, completing 16 laps (39.2 km) in 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 13 seconds. In the women’s category, Norazimah binti Md Zin completed 12 laps (29.4 km) in 5 hours, 31 minutes, and 25 seconds to take the top spot.
The event, which started at midnight, aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle, foster relations among runners, and provide competitive training for local athletes gearing up for regional and international trail events, such as the TMBT Ultra Trail Marathon in Sabah.
Event coordinator, Rahayu binti Anina, highlighted the dual purpose of the challenge—encouraging fitness and preparing participants for future competitions. Despite the event’s timing clashing with other local and regional races, organizers managed to secure the required 100 participants through an online registration process that ran from July 1 to July 31.
The race faced weather-related challenges, with rain, lightning, and thunder striking just before the scheduled start at midnight. Due to safety concerns, the race was delayed by 30 minutes, beginning at 12.30am and concluding at 6.30am. Before the flag-off, Race Director Ali bin Hamran conducted a safety briefing to ensure all participants were well-prepared for the conditions.
The course covered a 2.45 km lap with an elevation gain of 190 metres, beginning and ending at Bukit Perumpung. Runners tackled five challenging hills—Bukit Komando, Bukit Omicron, Bukit Kubu, Bukit W, and Bukit Peluru. To ensure accurate timing, the event utilised the AQRace Timing System, a trusted local provider that digitally recorded lap times for all participants.
The race featured separate categories for men and women.
An awards ceremony was held at the end of the race, where Race Director Ali and other committee members presented prizes to the top 10 finishers in both categories. – FADLEY FAISAL
