Kuala Lumpur Marathon
Race snapshot
Race Day
75–88°F · Feels hot
Total elevation gain
Moderate rolling hills · Net elevation change +33 ft
Participants
World-class event
Crowd Rating
Excellent spectator turnout
The Lowdown
The Kuala Lumpur Marathon (officially the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon, KLSCM) is Malaysia's premier road marathon and one of Southeast Asia's most prestigious annual running events. Established in 2009 with Standard Chartered Bank as title sponsor, the race has grown into a flagship event attracting close to 36,000 runners across its multiple distances. It holds World Athletics Label Road Race certification and is an AIMS-measured course.
The race takes place over a two-day weekend each October, with shorter distances (10 km, 5 km, Kids Dash) on Saturday and the full and half marathon on Sunday. The full marathon starts at the iconic Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) at 3:30 AM and traverses some of Kuala Lumpur's most recognisable landmarks: the Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, the National Mosque, Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, and sections of the DUKE Expressway. The course features notable elevation changes introduced since 2022. The men's course record stands at 2:11:04 (Moses Kurgat, 2022) and the women's at 2:34:37 (Rose Nyangacha, 2011).
KLSCM is renowned for its electric pre-dawn atmosphere, strong international field, and the 'Run For A Reason' charity programme supporting organisations including SC Foundation, Hospis Malaysia, Teach For Malaysia, Kechara Soup Kitchen, and Yayasan Jantung Kongenital Malaysia. Kenyan athletes have historically dominated the Open elite category. The race was held virtually in 2020–2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to in-person format in 2022.
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