Starting at a Major Football Stadium
The Sabah Half Marathon offers three distances -- 5K, 10K and 21.1K -- starting at Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu. [1] Likas Stadium is a multi-purpose venue with a 35,000-seat capacity, mainly used for football and athletics within the broader Likas Sports Complex. [2] It's been the home stadium of Sabah FC since its opening in 1983, renovated in 2001 and again in 2023 for AFC-standard usage, and ranks as the 8th-largest football stadium in Malaysia.
Genuine Athletic Infrastructure
Beyond football, Likas Stadium also serves as home venue for the Sabah FA Women's Team, hosting Malaysia National Women's League and AFC Women's Champions League matches. [2] That dual football/athletics use makes it a genuinely purpose-suited venue for a road race start/finish, with real crowd-handling and staging capacity built in.
A Familiar JomRun Framework
This event is organised via JomRun, the same organiser behind the KL Half Marathon, Tebrau City Half Marathon and Terengganu Half Marathon covered elsewhere in this research batch. [1] That gives East Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu the benefit of a tested registration and race-day structure already proven across multiple Peninsular Malaysia events.
A Tight Registration Deadline
[1] Register well ahead rather than waiting.
Should You Run It?
If a well-organised half marathon starting at a genuinely major stadium venue in East Malaysia appeals, the Sabah Half Marathon on 13 December 2026 is a strong pick. Register before the 12 December deadline, given JomRun's consistently tight registration windows.