The Penang Bridge International Marathon (Malay: Maraton Antarabangsa Jambatan Pulau Pinang) or Penang Bridge Marathon, abbreviated as PBIM, is an annual marathon event held at Penang Bridge from 1986 until 2023 and at Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge in 2014 and since 2024 in Penang, Malaysia.[a] It is organised by Penang State Tourism Development office (PETACH) since 2008 and fully supported by the Penang State Government. During the competition, participants usually run over the bridge.[3]
Penang Bridge, former venue of the Bridge Marathon race.
History
The event's history started in 1982[a] as a road race from Esplanade to Gurney Drive named the Penang International Marathon. It was jointly organised by the Penang Amateur Athletic Association (PAAA) with Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific for the first four editions and its Malaysian counterpart Malaysia Airlines for the remaining editions.[3][5][6]
With the completion of Penang Bridge in 1985, a competition named the Penang Bridge Run was held there from 1986 until 2003. In its early years, the Bridge Run only had half and quarter marathon categories. It was not until 1998 when the full marathon category was added and the event was renamed the International Penang Bridge Run (IPBR). The competition was jointly organised by the Malaysian Highway Authority and the New Straits Times.[7]
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 International Penang Bridge Run.[8] Between 2006 and 2007, the marathon race was jointly organised by the Highway Authority and the Penang Island Municipal Council (now Penang Island City Council), before it was fully taken over by the State Government the following year.[9]
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.[10]
In 2014 and since 2024, the events are held at Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge (completed in 2013), which is also known as the Penang Second Bridge.
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.[11]
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,[b] and denying some podium finishers an onstage presentation.[c][12][11][13] In addition, some runners waited for two hours for finisher medals, and over three hours for food.[12][13]
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.[14][d]
The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all entries automatically transferred to 2021, and all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to another runner.[15][16]
From 2008 until 2023, the Penang Bridge International Marathon ran on a loop course that begins and ends at the outdoor car park of the Queensbay Mall.[17][18] From 1998 until 2007, the race began at Gelugor National Primary School and ended at Universiti Sains Malaysia main campus' ground in Gelugor.
The course first enters Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, which runs along the eastern coast of Penang Island, with runners first running south and then back up north before turning back south to cross the 13.5km (8.4mi) bridge.[17][4] Shortly after crossing the bridge, runners turn around in Perai and run across the bridge again, before heading south to finish back at the Queensbay Mall.[17]
In 2014 and since 2024, the race is held along the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, also known as the second bridge. The starting and finishing points of the 2014 race were located at Batu Maung Interchange Grounds with turn around in Batu Kawan, while those of races since 2024 are located at ASPEN Vision City in Batu Kawan with turn around in Batu Maung.
The Penang Bridge International Marathon also incorporates a half-marathon event and a 10-km run event. The competition also had a fun run event which was introduced in 2007, but it was removed in 2018 as part of rebranding exercise.[22]
1 2 3 The Association of Road Racing Statisticians believes 1982 was the inaugural year, but does not have any details regarding the winners of that year.[2] Also, the first time the run was held on the bridge was 1986, since the bridge was completed in 1985.[3][4]
↑ Runners complained that full results had not been posted by evening, with one runner complaining that the results had incorrectly stated that the runner had "withdrawn during [the] race".[12][11]
↑ One 17-year-old girl, who placed second in her category, was left "sob[bing] uncontrollably" when she learned that she had to collect her prize at a booth.[13]
↑ Yeoh Soon Hin, the organizing chairman, stated that the 10k race could not be postponed as the bridge had to be reopened by a certain time.[14] The full and half marathons, however, had begun hours earlier.[14]
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Alex Melly 
