The Penang Bridge International Marathon ( ms, Maraton Antarabangsa Jambatan Pulau Pinang) or Penang Bridge Marathon is an annual

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

event held at

Penang Bridge The Penang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the state of Penang, Malaysia. The bridge connects Perai on the mainland side of the state with Gelugor on the island, crossing the Penang Strait. The bri ...

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

, since 1984. It is organised by Penang State Tourism Development office (PETACH) and fully supported by the

Penang State Government The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...

. It is known as the biggest run in the country. During the competition, participants run over the bridge and along a scenic coastal highway.

History

The event started in 1984 as a road race from Esplanade to Gurney Drive. With the completion of Penang Bridge in 1985, it is usually held there in late November annually since 1986 with the exception of 2014, when the event was held at

Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge The Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge or Penang Second Bridge ( ms, Jambatan Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah or ''Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang'';) is a dual carriageway toll bridge in Penang, Malaysia. It connects Bandar Cassia ( Batu Ka ...

which is also known as the Penang Second Bridge. In 2006, after a break for a number of years, the Penang Bridge International Marathon was revived as "a combination" of the Penang International Marathon, which was last held in 1999, and the Penang Bridge Run, which had been held from 1992 to 2003. In 2020, the competition was rebranded with the introduction of the new logo as well as the tagline "The Asian Challenge", reflecting the vision of making it into an internationally acknowledged marathon run event.

Controversies

In 2016, the event was rescheduled in order to accommodate requests from the parents of schoolchildren, causing trouble for runners who had already booked flights for the race. In 2017, there were a number of issues, including issuing shirts of incorrect sizes, running out of water, handing out expired chocolate bars, delaying the reporting of results, and denying some podium finishers an onstage presentation.https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/11/27/penang-bridge-run-sia-sui-runners-complain-as-medals-run-out/ In addition, some runners waited for two hours for finisher medals, and over three hours for food.

Cancellations

In 2018, the 10k race was cancelled for the first time "due to heavy rain and lightning", with all registered runners given finisher medals as a consolation. The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

, with all entries automatically transferred to 2021, and all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to another runner.

Course

The current version of the marathon runs on a loop course that begins and ends at the outdoor

car park A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

of the

Queensbay Mall Queensbay Mall is the largest shopping mall in Penang, Malaysia. Located in Bayan Lepas, the building was completed in early July 2006 and was opened to the public in December 2006. The mall covers a gross built-up area of and contains over 400 ...

. The course first enters

Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway ( zh, 林倉祐大道; ms, Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu) or Federal Route 3113, is an expressway in Penang, Malaysia, that connects the city of George Town to Batu Maung. This expressway stretches along the east ...

, which runs along the eastern coast of

Penang Island Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...

, with runners first running south and then back up north before turning back south to cross the bridge. Shortly after crossing the bridge, runners turn around and run across the bridge again, before heading south to finish back at the Queensbay Mall.

Other races

The Penang Bridge International Marathon also incorporates a half-marathon event and a 10-km run event. The competition also had an 8 km fun run event, but it was removed in 2018 as part of rebranding exercise. The organiser originally planned to remove the 10-km run competition as well by 2020, but chose to continue due to popular demand.

Winners

Full marathon

Key: Course record

Notes

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Penang Bridge International Marathon website
Marathons in Malaysia Sport in Penang