A Race Anchored to a Genuine Engineering First
The race starts at the Kuala Terengganu Drawbridge, offering three distances: 21.1K, 10K and 5K. [1] The drawbridge is a bascule bridge crossing the Terengganu River, with a total length of 638 metres, width of 23 metres and height of 89.1 metres -- the first drawbridge ever built in Malaysia and all of Southeast Asia. [2]
Built as Part of a Regional Development Push
Construction began in August 2014 and finished in mid-2019, built by Zelan Construction Sdn Bhd at a cost of RM248 million, as part of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) development initiative. [2] It's the fourth bridge crossing the river within Kuala Terengganu city, after the Sultan Mahmud, Manir and Pulau Sekati bridges -- but the only one with a lifting mechanism, making it a genuine local landmark rather than just infrastructure.
Standard JomRun Format
As with the KL Half Marathon and Tebrau City Half Marathon covered elsewhere in this research batch, this event is organised by JomRun -- giving it a familiar, tested race-day structure even in a less internationally known city.
A Coastal East Malaysia Destination
Kuala Terengganu is the state capital of Terengganu on Malaysia's East Coast, a region less frequently visited by international runners than Kuala Lumpur or Penang -- giving this race a genuine off-the-beaten-path appeal for those willing to travel.
Should You Run It?
If starting a half marathon at a genuinely unique piece of modern engineering appeals -- Southeast Asia's first drawbridge -- the Terengganu Half Marathon on 31 October 2026 is a distinctive pick on Malaysia's East Coast.