PBIM Organising Chairman and Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai led a delegation to Songkhla Marathon 2026 on 23 August, where the team met representatives of the Songkhla Provincial Government and the Songkhla Marathon organisers.
Deputy Governor of Songkhla Province Chucheep Thammaphet received the delegation, together with Songkhla Provincial Tourism and Sports Officer Jirawadee Onwong, Director of the Sports Authority of Thailand Songkhla Provincial Office Uraiwan Chanlap, and members of the Songkhla Marathon organising team.
The two sides discussed ways to bring their destinations closer through major running events. Both teams also exchanged notes on race operations, safety, runner management, destination promotion and the economic value sports tourism brings.
Songkhla Marathon drew 9,000 runners this year. More than 2,500 came from Malaysia, and 500 of those travelled from Penang. PBIM shared its own experience running a large-scale event, growing international participation and building the marathon into a major tourism product for Penang.
Penang and Southern Thailand sit just a few hours apart by road. Wong said this proximity gives both sides room to grow the movement further, drawing more Thai runners to Penang while encouraging more Malaysians to race across the border in Songkhla and beyond.
The Songkhla visit fits into PBIM’s broader strategy of maintaining ties with marathons across the region. Rather than treating neighbouring races as rivals, PBIM sees these connections as a way to open up more opportunities for runner movement, tourism and regional promotion.
Wong ran and completed the 21km Half Marathon at Songkhla Marathon 2026 himself, giving him a runner’s view of the event. It marks his 12th half marathon since he took up long-distance running in 2022. He completed a full marathon at PBIM 2022 and is the only PBIM chairman to have run both a full marathon and a series of half marathons. Earlier this month, he also completed the Taiping Half Marathon and met with its organising team.
The trip comes as PBIM gears up for what could be its biggest edition yet. Backed by Aspen, Klippa and IHH Healthcare Malaysia, PBIM 2026 is expected to draw around 25,000 runners on 13 December.
This scale puts PBIM among Malaysia’s largest sports tourism events and the biggest in the northern region. Its reach goes beyond race day itself. Runners travelling into Penang drive demand for hotels, restaurants, transport, retail and tourism attractions, generating economic activity across the state.
For PBIM, growth ahead isn’t just about adding more runners. It’s about using the marathon to draw more visitors into Penang, raise the state’s international profile and build stronger ties with neighbouring destinations.
Wong said the existing flow of runners between Penang and Thailand shows the market is already there. PBIM now wants to build on that and turn major running events into a lasting cross-border tourism link.
