KUALA LUMPUR — Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi and Ethiopia’s Alemitu Ajema Lema captured the premier Open Full Marathon titles at the 18th edition of the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2026. Held across a two-day weekend schedule, the event drew a record-breaking 43,800 registered participants, including over 3,600 international runners representing 53 countries.
Sanctioned as a World Athletics Elite Label road race for the second consecutive year, the 2026 edition carried added competitive weight for domestic athletes. The national full marathon division served as the official preliminary selection trial for Malaysia Athletics to assemble its longlist for the 2027 SEA Games.
Kemboi Leads Kenyan Podium Sweep; Lema Controls Women’s Open
The Men’s Open Full Marathon featured a tactically patient contest that culminated in a thrilling sprint finish along the final stretch toward the finish line at Dataran Merdeka. Ezekiel Kemboi, returning to race in Kuala Lumpur after his last appearance in 2023, executed a decisive late surge to edge out defending champion John Nzau Mwangangi and claim the gold medal along with the US$15,000 (RM61,065) winner’s purse.
Kemboi crossed the line in 2:21:19, holding off Mwangangi by eight seconds (2:21:27). Fellow Kenyan runner Moses Kibet Kipsang completed a clean podium sweep for Kenya, finishing third in 2:21:32. Having prepared for the event’s signature heat and humidity by training in high-altitude conditions around Eldoret, Kenya, Kemboi managed his pace across the urban course layout to secure the victory.
In the Women’s Open category, Ethiopia’s Alemitu Ajema Lema broke away from the lead pack during the latter stages of the race to cross the line unimpeded in 2:39:29. Kenya’s Lucy Nthenya Ndambuki took the silver medal in 2:39:59, while her compatriot, veteran distance runner Caroline Cheptonui Kilel, captured the bronze medal in 2:40:17.
Malaysian SEA Games Selection Focus: Yeow Defends Title, Debutante Chen Wins
With spots on the line for national squad consideration ahead of the 2027 SEA Games, competition in the Malaysian categories proved intense over the standard 42.195km distance.
In the Malaysian Men’s Full Marathon, defending local champion Yeow Ni Jia, 26, successfully retained his title while setting a new local personal best of 2:33:52. Yeow maintained a steady cadence within a competitive local lead group to lower his previous course mark. Lai Yi Hng finished second with a strong time of 2:34:16, while national marathon record holder Tan Huong Leong secured third place on the local podium in 2:39:17. Following the race, Yeow noted that the competitive depth of the local field helped drive his pace under 2:35:00 as he targets recovery ahead of future national training blocks.
The Malaysian Women’s Full Marathon produced a major headline as 22-year-old Esther Joy Chen Hong Li captured the local title in her competitive debut over the full marathon distance. Executing a structured pacing plan designed alongside her coach, Chen crossed the tape in 3:05:22. Former national elite road cyclist Elaine Koon took second place in 3:12:43, while Lai Wei Ling completed the local podium in third position with a time of 3:14:37.
Event Execution, VIP Flag-Offs, and High-Visibility Support
The second day of the event saw more than 27,000 distance runners take to the highways and arterial roads of Kuala Lumpur, routing past major city landmarks before returning to the historic Dataran Merdeka precinct. The flagship Full Marathon was officially flagged off by Deputy Minister of Economy, Dato’ Indera Mohd Shahar Abdullah, alongside title sponsor representatives including Standard Chartered Malaysia Interim CEO Mushahid Syed and Chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridzuan.
The ASICS Half Marathon was flagged off by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Chang Lih Kang, accompanied by ASICS Malaysia Country Manager Boon Tib Soom Nik and Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia CEO Bilal Parvaiz. Demonstrating corporate participation within the event’s charitable initiatives, Mushahid also completed the half-marathon distance as a registered participant under the race’s flagship fundraising initiative.
Project Director of KLSCM and Director of Dirigo Events, Rainer Biemans, highlighted the event’s continued operational growth, noting that maintaining World Athletics Elite Label status remains central to attracting international elite fields while offering domestic runners a certified high-performance platform. Biemans also emphasized the heightened medical preparedness deployed along the route, with dedicated “Medic-on-the-Run” personnel running alongside participants to provide real-time medical monitoring.
Community Impact: Record RM1.1 Million Raised for Charity
Beyond the elite competition, KLSCM 2026 maintained its role as a major driver for community fundraising through its official Run For A Reason (RFAR) charity program. Participating runners raised over RM1.1 million in donations prior to race weekend, marking a record total for the initiative.
The funds raised through RFAR will directly support five non-profit beneficiary organizations: returning partners Standard Chartered Foundation, Hospis Malaysia, Kechara Soup Kitchen, and Teach for Malaysia, alongside new beneficiary partner the Malaysian Congenital Heart Foundation (Yayasan Jantung Kongenital Malaysia). Official fundraising channels remain open to the public through October 12, 2026.
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Title sponsored by Standard Chartered Malaysia for the 18th consecutive year, the event was co-supported by Gold Sponsors ASICS and IHH Healthcare, alongside official partners 100 Plus, Counterpain, Dynamo, High5 Nutrition, Seiko, and TudungPeople. The marathon was organized by rights holder Dirigo Events with sanctioning from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Malaysia Athletics, World Athletics, AIMS, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police.
