RANAU, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Donal Ronaldi Lasius retained his men’s open title at the Timpohon Run 2026 today, while Nancy Bongkuron made a stunning debut by winning the women’s open category in a record time.
Donal, 28, a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Penangah in Tongod, completed the 9.8km race at Kinabalu Park in 50 minutes and eight seconds to claim the title for the second consecutive year. The Tambunan runner finished ahead of Russian competitor Vegman Alexey, who clocked 53:48, while local trail runner Jospah Sualin took third place in 58:23.
Donal said the main challenge began after the sixth kilometre, when runners had to tackle a trail section of more than three kilometres.
He said the race was particularly demanding because the starting point was about 1,500 metres above sea level, requiring considerable stamina from the outset.
“The race is unique because it starts at a high elevation of about 1,500 metres. There are challenges right from the start, let alone when you have to climb higher. That is the main challenge,” he said.
Nancy, from Kiulu, set a new women’s open record by completing the race in one hour eight minutes. Malaysians Dazeree Joan Joannes (1:13) and Maritana Simpat (1:14:10) finished second and third, respectively.
Nancy said she had never expected to win, let alone set a record, as she had joined the race simply to try a new route after being invited by friends.
“I just joined casually. I never thought I would win. I only took part in the run to enjoy a relaxed outing with friends,” she said.
She said growing up in a highland village and walking along hilly routes to school from a young age had helped her tackle the downhill sections, although she had not expected to beat the experienced runners in the field.
A total of 331 runners from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia took part in the 9.8km race. The top five finishers in each open category received cash prizes of RM500, RM400, RM300, RM200 and RM150 respectively.
Organised by the Sabah Tourism Board in collaboration with Sabah Parks, the event served as the curtain-raiser for the 33rd Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon tomorrow.
The Climbathon is expected to attract about 250 elite local and international mountain runners for a gruelling 24.5km route ascending and descending Mount Kinabalu at elevations of up to 4,095.2 metres above sea level.
-- BERNAMA