The Rungus people, also known as the Momogun Rungus, are an Austronesian ethnic group indigenous to Sabah, Malaysia. They primarily live in the northern Kudat Division, especially in the districts of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, with small minorities also existing in the Beluran and Telupid districts on the east coast of the Sandakan Division and within the Kota Kinabalu District (such as on Gaya Island) of the western coast of the West Coast Division. They have a distinct language, dress, architecture, customs and oral literature from other Dusunic sub-groups, with an estimate of around 74,000 Rungus people spread across the state aside from their native ranges.

The Rungus are considered among Sabah's most traditional ethnic groups, and they are renowned for their rich cultural heritage. Originally pagan-animist, a majority of them had converted to Protestantism, while the remaining either adhere to other branch of Christianity, Islam or remain with their traditional religion. Their traditional dress is black in colour, and they are known for the unique pinakol beadwork, which distinguishes them from the other indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah.

The Rungus ethnic group is one of Sabah's indigenous ethnic groups that are grouped into the larger Kadazan-Dusun indigenous group with unique native status, which is generally known as the "Momogun". Rungus ethnic scholars asserted that the word "Rungus" originated from the word "Rungsud", a Rungus ethnic forefather who migrated from the Nunuk Ragang area to the coast of the Kudat Peninsula, Marudu Bay, Pitas, Beluran, and as far as Telupid. These ethnic scholars also believe that "Rungsud" was a "Sea Momogun" figure who began to explore and subsequently inhabit the Kudat-Bandau area in ancient times, which partly became the origin for the Rungus to identify themselves as Momogun or Momogun Rungus, since the concept of Momogun itself refers to the name of the Rungus ethnic group. Oral sources also mention that the term "Rungus" for the ethnic group in Kudat comes from both the Bajau and Suluk languages, namely from the word "Ungus", which can be interpreted in the Malay language as "pasir" (sand).

The Rungus are Bornean indigenous people who lived around the hills of Kudat Division at the tip of Sabah, which is a sub-group of the largest indigenous of Kadazan-Dusun. Based on the research by Rungus ethnic scholar, the Rungus legend states that Rungsud or more well known as Aki Rungsud was the main figure who opened the Bandau-Kudat area as the largest barter trading area in the Berungus Cape and Bandau Bay region of Borneo in ancient times. Bandau Bay is known as the site of the ancient Rungus trading centre, where the usual goods traded in the bay are cassava, bananas, corn, pumpkins, forest products, Rungus woven cloth, and various other trade items. The ethnic are among the most traditional ethnic group in Sabah, with their culture revolves around rice; however, coconut and banana groves provide cash income. Women weave cloth on backstrap looms, and make containers from vine or beadwork. Rungus modern society have now work in town, with many have abandoned the communal life of the longhouse.

As among the most traditional ethnic groups in Sabah, the Rungus are renowned for their rich cultural heritage, where they engage in traditional practices with traditional ceremonies, music, language, and medicinal knowledge, agricultural activities, and former communal living in longhouses.

Rungus cuisine is mainly prepared using cooking methods like braising, grilling and baking. Being a community of fishermen and farmers, the staple foods of the Rungus people usually consists of rice and cassava, supplemented with green vegetables and fish. Tinunuvan soguntung is the Rungus term for a preparation of grilled or roasted eggplant. The cooked eggplant is peeled, and served with chillies, lime juice, toasted anchovies or salted fish, and sprigs of lompodos (a local variety of basil). Tinonggilan is a slightly sparkling alcoholic drink made from maize. Akin to the Latin American corn beer, Tinonggilan is a Rungus speciality and is usually served during festive occasions, or as refreshments for guests during the performance of a ritual dance called Mongigol Sumundai. The Rungus also prepare simple sweet foods for breakfast or as daily snacks such as flatbread made from sweetened grated cassava (tinopis runti) and bintanok dalai (mashed corn kuih), or mashed corn wrapped and steamed in corn husks as well as bintanok runti (mashed cassava kuih), and bintanok punti (mashed banana kuih).

Magahau is the main and largest festival of the Rungus ethnic group, which is associated with the celebration of the new year according to the traditional calendar of Rungus. Like the Kadazan-Dusuns, Rungus people also celebrate Kaamatan, which became part of Magahau Rungus festival, with the festive, is one of the many festive entities during the month celebrated on 31 May every year. Even though there are many similarities in the way these festivities are celebrated between the two indigenous races, there are also differences between them. Among the original purposes of the Magahau festival are mamapak/mamasi palad/mangaraha palad (ceremonies related to sustenance), mintutun (introducing oneself), monudung (to find a partner), gimpuhut (the most beautiful girl), bunjal (barter system/selling activities), gontira (sports), posikib dot konsapatan sid keluarga om kinoruhangan (sharing sustenance with family and friends), mongodim dot kovorisan (inviting relatives), and humigak (partying).

The celebration during the festival includes mogunum (arrival of crowd), mangantag (traditional festive dance), mangatod (land clearing), mogontong (marriage), lumuvas (clearing away ritual ceremony), mongolosod (traditional ritual), mabbaris (an ethnic dance similar to Kadazan-Dusun sumazau), and manaradan (a sacred Rungus dance). Many of the original traditional practices of Magahau have shifted following the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century throughout the administration of the North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC). With the successful improvement of the economy, education, and health of the Rungus ethnic group in North Borneo by the British, many of the original Magahau ritual practices were abandoned since the practices contradicted the current religious teachings of the major religion of either Christianity or Islam, despite a majority of the ethnic group being well known for their traditional lifestyle.