SEPANG – The spirit of endurance returned with force as more than 2,000 athletes from 30 countries plunged into the mud, fire, and obstacles of the Spartan Race Malaysia 2025 Kuala Lumpur Trifecta Weekend at Gamuda Cove over the past weekend. Competitors traveled from as far as Iceland, Austria, Sweden, and Argentina, affirming Spartan Malaysia’s strong international appeal.
The two-day spectacle ushered in a significant new era for the Spartan brand in Malaysia. This was the first event organized under the joint management of RUNRIO Thailand and a local sports management entity, which serves as the official Spartan Race licensee for Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore from 2025 to 2027. This refreshed collaboration aims to blend RUNRIO’s regional expertise with the local team’s event knowledge to deliver world-class race operations while upholding Spartan’s core values of grit and resilience.
Elite Domination on Home Soil
The competitive categories witnessed outstanding dual victories by two prominent regional athletes:
- Malaysia’s own Saddam Pittli and Vietnam’s Kim Luu Linh each swept the top honors in both the BEAST (21km, 30 obstacles) and SUPER (10km, 25 obstacles) Elite races.
- Saddam’s double victory was a triumphant return to Spartan competition after nearly a year away. He aimed to make the country proud on home soil, though he narrowly missed his target time in the BEAST due to a single missed spear throw, forcing him to complete 30 penalty burpees.
- “The Hercules Hoist, Spear Throw, and Sandbag Carry were the toughest,” Saddam noted. “The sandbags weighed around 35kg and the route went uphill—it really tested both strength and stamina.”
- Kim Luu Linh’s back-to-back wins highlighted her impressive consistency. She cited the Gamuda Cove course as a special moment in her career, symbolizing the payoff of persistence. “The race was very well organised, and the volunteers were incredibly supportive—I really appreciated their energy and encouragement throughout,” she said.
In the Age Group races, Individual Neutral Athlete Sergei Kliukin and the Philippines’ Ritzy Amor Ectin proved dominant in both the BEAST and SUPER divisions.
A Test of Willpower and Community
Beyond the elite competition, the weekend embraced athletes of all ages and backgrounds, featuring the Sprint (5km, 20 obstacles), the Kids Race (1–3 km), and the grueling Hurricane Heat 4HR. Thousands of participants, including numerous first-timers, embraced the challenge, conquering mud, barbed wire, and heavy carries to earn their finisher medals.
In a display of impressive commitment, over 400 athletes earned the coveted Trifecta medals by completing three different Spartan distances during the weekend.
The event’s prestige was further elevated by the participation of Raja Puan Muda Perlis Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil. Her Highness’s continued involvement since 2017, even at the age of 55, serves as a powerful inspiration to Malaysians of all ages, embodying the perseverance central to the Spartan ethos.
Spartan as a Driver for Regional Sport Tourism
The event’s success reaffirmed Malaysia’s growing enthusiasm for Spartan races, with the focus now turning toward building a larger regional presence.
The success of the family-driven event was clear in the numbers for the Kids Race, which drew around 500 young participants. They estimated that, combined with the adult categories, total footfall over the weekend reached close to 7,500, underscoring Spartan’s role as a family experience and a meaningful contributor to sport tourism.
Boonperm Intanapasat, Chief Executive Officer of RUNRIO Thailand, emphasized that the successful staging of Spartan Malaysia 2025 marks the start of a three-year journey to elevate Malaysia into a flagship destination for the global Spartan community.
“Our goal is to make Spartan Malaysia a true international showcase that reflects top-quality race standards, promotes sport tourism, and builds a strong sense of family and community,” said Boonperm. He added that a thriving Spartan circuit across Southeast Asia, spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, has the potential for a substantial economic ripple effect, creating new business opportunities and boosting tourism across the region.
