The 10th Anniversary of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon (SCKLM) is set to hit off with a rip-roaring start this year with several record-breaking runners, namely Muhaizar Mohamad, Leo Tan, Nik Fakaruddin and Ow Yong Jin Kuang set to pit against each other in the upcoming race.
Muhaizar, Leo, and Nik had recently competed in the Tokyo Marathon and broke their own personal best timings.
Top runners to watch at the SCKLM 2018
Leo Tan, who works as an engineer in Taiwan, was the first to finish and beat his previous personal best of 2:28:19 posted in the Tokyo Marathon last year by an astounding timing of 2:25:28, which is now unofficially the new national record.
Next up is Muhaizar, who had also performed spectacularly in the Tokyo Marathon with a timing of 2:27:21, which is faster than the previous national record despite it being his first race in close to freezing temperatures, without a chance to acclimatize to the change from the blazing climates of Malaysia.
The Armed Forces Personnel had also bested his own time at the KL S.E.A. Games 2017, coming in at a timing of 2:31:52 and earning him Malaysia’s first medal in over 44 years.
Also coming from the Armed Forces is Nik Fakaruddin, Muhaizar’s fellow colleague as well as a training partner. Nik has managed to up his previous best timing by a smashing 10 minutes with a record of 2:31:01, an amazing feat for his first overseas marathon!
Last but not least, finishing in third place at the SCKLM2017 is Ow, whom we can expect interesting results from. Armed with ample time for preparation for the SCKLM 2018, this year’s race should see him at an advantage over the other three runners who participated in the Tokyo Marathon just a few weeks ago.
The Men’s Full Marathon Open Category will also be seeing a heated battle where five-time consecutive SCKLM Champion Kennedy Kirpoo Lilan will be vying to reclaim his title from last year’s champion, Cosmas Matolo Muteti.
Director of Dirigo Events and Project Director of SCKLM 2018 announced that all top 10 finishers of the Malaysian Men’s Full Marathon category at SCKLM2017 will be back this year to compete again for the honours.
All eyes will be on the Malaysian Women’s Full Marathon category as award-winning marathon champions Yuan Yufang, a national record holder and perennial champion, Annie Yee who had posted an incredible personal timing of 3:15:00 at the Tokyo Marathon and Loh Chooi Fern who came in second behind Yufang in 2017 cross paths in SCKLM2018.
Finally, not to miss out on the Malaysian Women’s Half Marathon category showcasing Sheela Samivellu, a two-time SCKLM winner and national record holder with a mind-blowing timing of 1:24:44 at SCKLM2016, who will be going all out to bust her own record.
With over 38,000 participants consisting of both locals and international runners from all over the world, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon has now become the premier running event in Malaysia.
This year’s 2018 10th Anniversary edition will be the largest in its history.
