PUTRAJAYA — The SCORE Marathon 2026 by AIA Vitality transformed Malaysia’s administrative capital into a massive sporting ground over the weekend, hosting 51,077 participants representing 53 nations. The scale of attendance earned the multi-day fixture official recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records as the country’s largest running event.
The weekend schedule coincided with the 10th anniversary of AIA Vitality, the event’s presenting sponsor. Mass participation spanned several competitive and recreational distance brackets across both Saturday and Sunday, drawing international elite athletes alongside local running clubs, recreational joggers, and government leaders.
International Elite Podium Dominance
The competitive distance tracks witnessed strong performances from international and regional endurance runners. In the marquee 42km International Open division, Vietnamese athlete Huynh Anh Khoi captured the men’s absolute title in 2:26:32, improving upon his previous runner-up finish in 2024. Fellow Vietnamese runner Pham Thi Hong Le secured the women’s International Open crown after clocking a winning time of 2:45:33 on the rolling Putrajaya circuit.
In the national standings, Muhammad Haziq Hamzah emerged as the fastest Malaysian male in the full marathon distance with a finishing mark of 2:44:45, while Jodie Lee led the domestic women’s full marathon field in 3:35:29.
The 21km half marathon category was headlined by Singapore’s two-time SEA Games marathon champion Soh Rui Yong, who won the men’s International Open division in 1:11:53. Singapore completed a division sweep as Goh Shing Ling captured the women’s International Open half marathon title in 1:23:12.
Malaysian half marathon record holder K. Prabudass recorded the fastest local male time with a 1:13:04 finish, while Nurul Juliana Shakira Abdul Halim claimed top honours in the Malaysian women’s half marathon standings with a time of 1:32:08.
Notable public figures also took to the course, including Science, Technology and Innovation Minister YB Datuk Chang Lih Kang, who completed his debut half marathon alongside the public field after flagging off the competitive 21km distance.
Community Formats and Operational Certification
The 2026 edition introduced the SCORE Double Challenge, an extended multi-race division where over 6,000 runners completed designated race categories on both competition days. Finishers were awarded interlocking medals framed together as a single commemorative display.
Beyond the competitive racing, the event village hosted community activations and sponsor experiences, including live musical performances, post-race recovery programs, and an official Malaysia Book of Records attempt for coffee serving capacity.
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The event holds official World Athletics Label Road Race status, featuring course certification conducted in cooperation with the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The marathon also serves as an official qualifying event for the Abbott World Marathon Majors, operating under the sanctioning of national governing body Malaysia Athletics.
