KOTA KINABALU: A week of celebrations will be held in conjunction with the first official Sabah Day celebrations on Aug 31 that fall simultaneously with the National Day Celebration.
The celebrations, dubbed Sabah Tanah Airku Karnival Merdeka 2024, will involve the Sabah Tanah Airku Merdeka Run (or Sabah Day Run) on Aug 24 to 31 and Tamu Sabah Day from Aug 29 to Sept 1.
The focus would be on culture, tradition and tourism through sports programmes at Padang Merdeka.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said that her ministry would be supporting the inaugural Sabah Day Run which offers several categories such as Merdeka Charity Fun Run, Mini Merdeka Fun Run, and Sabah Day Sprint Run.
"I encourage the public to make a date with the Sabah Day Run in the spirit of patriotism, unity and harmony. It is a relay run from one district to another, involving 30 districts," she said after a briefing by the organisers, led by Pertubuhan Penduduk Berasal Sabah president Philip Among and programme director Sheila Among, who represented Awesome Borneo Holidays which has been appointed to conduct the Sabah Day Run.
"We expect some 3,000 people to converge on Anjung Selera for this 5km Merdeka Charity Fun Run," Sheila said, adding that Liew will flag off the run at Anjung Selera along Tg Lipat - Padang Merdeka for the Kota Kinabalu segment at 4pm on Aug 31.
According to Sheila, there are four routes for the 5km Mini Merdeka Fun Run (covering all districts) leading to the finishing-point at Padang Merdeka on Aug 31.
These are the East Coast route, which involves 11 districts (Kalabakan, Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Beluran, Telupid, Ranau, and Tuaran); North-West Coast route involving five districts (Pitas, Kota Marudu, Kudat, Kota Belud, and Tuaran), Interior Route covering six districts (Pensiangan, Nabawan, Keningau, Tenom, Tambunan, and Penampang) and the South-West Coast route (seven districts namely Labuan, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Sipitang, Membakut, Papar, and Putatan).
Tuaran is the meeting-point for runners from the East Coast and North-West Coast routes.
"The Sabah Day Run starts on Aug 24 with Kalabakan as our first destination for the Mini Merdeka Fun Run and will culminate in the 5km Merdeka Charity Fun Run from three relay points simultaneously on Aug 31," she said.
She said registration was free and the public can register at https://linktr.ee/STAMerdekaRun.
