Debutant Victor
Kipchirchir from Kenya clinches maiden KLSCM title
KUALA LUMPUR, Sunday, 29 September
2019: Dataran Merdeka was awash in blue when 40,000
runners took part in the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2019
today. The 11th edition of the premier distance running event in
Malaysia also saw YB Syed Saddiq, Minister of Youth and Sports, make his debut
in the event by participating in the Half Marathon category. Also present were
YB Khalid Samad, Minister of Federal Territories and YB, Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy
Minister of Trade and Industries, who also took part in the Half Marathon.
Contributing to the record participation numbers was one
of the largest Full Marathon fields seen in an event in Malaysia when more than
13,000 runners took part in the category. An equally impressive 12,500 runners
ran in the Half Marathon, making two of the longer distance categories the most
well represented, which is testimony to the growing popularity of distance
running in the country.
Victor Kipchirchir, from Kenya, who was making his
debut appearance at KLSCM won the Full Marathon Men’s Open category in a time
of 2:19:41 to take home USD17,500 while the Full Marathon Women’s Open category
was won by Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno from Kenya in a time of 2:36:45 also
earning USD17,500 in the process.
Kiprop Tonui from Kenya came in second in the Full
Marathon Men’s Open with a time of 2:20:05 while Tallam James Cherutich, also
from Kenya finished third in a time of 2:21:04. In the Full Marathon Women’s
Open, defending champion Elizabeth Chepkanan Rumokol from Kenya had to settle
for second place in a time of 2:41:48 while Ngigi Pauline from Kenya took third
place with a time of 2:45:44.
The Full Marathon Malaysian Men’s category was a
keenly contested affair as Muhaizar bin Mohamad and his compatriot in the Armed
Forces Nik Fakaruddin bin Ismail went toe-to-toe for most of the race. KL SEA
Games bronze medallist Muhaizar though broke away towards the end, managing to
defend his title and in doing so won this category for an astonishing fifth
consecutive time, finishing in 2:35:23. Nik Fakaruddin finished second in 2:40:31
while Fabian @ Osmond bin Daimon came in third in a time of 2:45:06. The Full
Marathon Malaysian Women’s category saw Loh Chooi Fern defend her maiden win in
KLSCM2018 in a time of 3:21:33 while Tho Siaw Khim clocked 3:29:42 to come in
second and Yap Yee Ling got third place in a time of 3:30:50.
FM Open winner Kipchirchir was delighted with his maiden
Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon win. “It was a tough race as I have
never run in this type of heat before but my preparation was good,” Kipchirchir
said. “I am happy to be able to win in my first race in Kuala Lumpur and I hope
to come back next year,” he continued.
Muhaizar was also thrilled to have retained his title,
especially after the intense competition with training partner Nik Fakaruddin.
“I think running and winning in KLSCM before gave me a slight advantage over
the other competitors as I know what to expect and so made the right strategy,”
he said. “This win will help boost my confidence ahead of the SEA Games in
Manila in November and I hope to be able to bring back a medal,” he added.
Rainer Biemans, Project Director of KLSCM and Director
of Dirigo Events, said “The 11th edition of KLSCM has proven to be
an exciting two days that has seen some great competitions in our top
categories, which has added to the lustre of our biggest event yet. It has also
been and honour and a privilege having both YB Syed Saddiq and YB Dr. Ong Kian
Ming participate in our Half Marathon, and my heartfelt thanks go out to them
for supporting our event and I hope they enjoyed themselves out there today. We
are also grateful for YB Khalid Samad’s presence and for giving out prizes”, he
continued.
Syed
Saddiq flagged off the Half Marathon category along with Abrar A. Anwar, Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer of title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank
Malaysia before joining in the run.
“For
someone who’s more a cyclist than a runner, that was pretty challenging! But
crossing that finish line was extremely fulfilling and I’m really happy to have
made it within the cut-off time. I can see now how participating in distance
running events such as this can be tremendously rewarding so kudos to Dirigo
Events, Standard Chartered Bank and to everyone else who had a hand in putting
together this fantastic event,” said Syed Saddiq. “My congratulations as well
to all the winners and to all who participated and achieved their running
goals,” he continued.
Anwar.
A. Abrar, MD and CEO of Standard Chartered Malaysia, who took part in
yesterday’s Friendship Run as well, was delighted with the massive turnout over
the two days and hoped the event would continue to attract the running masses
for many more years to come.
“Being title sponsor for the last 11 years,
Standard Chartered Malaysia is delighted that we’ve once again managed to
successfully pull off this event with our biggest numbers to date.
From
pioneering the concept of being the first running event to run through iconic
landmarks in Kuala Lumpur, KLSCM has never stood still and has set the
benchmark and gold standard for running events in Malaysia,” said Abrar.
While KLSCM is a competitive event, it has been built
with a community focus at its core and that community element was brought to
the fore this year when KLSCM’s Run For A Reason (RFAR) charity initiative
raised its highest amount in terms of funds raised compared to previous years.
RFAR is an integral component of KLSCM and this year, participating charities
the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation and
Hospis Malaysia will benefit from over RM890,000 worth
of funds raised by over 1,000 RFAR participants, together with the Corporate
Challenge. “We are extremely happy to have raised a record amount under our
RFAR charity banner and our sincere thanks go out to all involved who made this
possible,” said Biemans.
The
record numbers did not end there as the event also saw its largest number of
running tourists as well when more than 1,900 from 49 countries arrived in
Kuala Lumpur to take part in the iconic event. Add another 10,020 Malaysians who
came from outside of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to make it a particularly busy
weekend for the city.
One particularly inspiring tourist was Chris Koch, a
farmer, athlete, adventurer and motivational speaker who flew in from Canada to
participate. Born without limbs, Chris has been travelling the world and
participating in marathons to spread his “If I Can” message to as many people
as possible in the hopes of motivating them to get the most out of their lives.
Using a longboard to traverse the Full Marathon route, Chris took part in his
eighth marathon on a third continent when he completed his marathon here. “I
was prepared for the heat and humidity because I knew it would be way more than
I’m used to, however, starting so early was different. On the course, other
marathoners are usually so encouraging and supportive but here, they were even
more so. That definitely has me wanting to come back for another,” Koch said.
KLSCM2019 began with the Kids Dash categories yesterday
morning that saw another record when 1,000 children participated in the 1km and
3km categories. Both categories were expanded this year to encourage more
children to participate and also saw speed categories introduced for both
distances in a move to separate the competitive children from the fun runners.
For the first time, the 5km category was also held
yesterday morning to allow for larger participation numbers today and
incorporated the Friendship Run, meant to be a warm-up run for those taking
part in the Full Marathon, as well as an opportunity for runners from around
the world to meet and forge friendships.
Towards the end of the event, the KLSCM running
community gathered at the Finish Line to cheer and provide moral support to the
last runners to finish within the check-out time of 7:15 hours. These runners
had given their all to finish the race and were given a rousing end replete with
confetti blasts to coax them home within the required time.
The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon has grown
year-on-year to become the most anticipated distance running event in Malaysia,
where for the first time this year public registrations had to be balloted. The
premier running event once again saw Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia returning
as title sponsor, along with a host of returning and new sponsors, including
Seiko, Under Armour, 100 Plus, Jaybird, TudungPeople, Banana Boat and Pacific
Regency. The event is owned and organised by Dirigo Events with venue host
Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.
KLSCM is sanctioned and supported by the Malaysia
Athletics Federation (MAF), Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletic Federation
(FTKLAA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and
Association of International Marathons, Distance Races (AIMS).
Winners of the Kuala Lumpur
Standard Chartered Marathon 2019
Full Marathon Men’s Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Victor Kipchirchir
|
Kenya
|
2:19:41
|
2nd
|
Kiprop Tonui
|
Kenya
|
2:20:05
|
3rd
|
Tallam James Cherutich
|
Kenya
|
2:21:04
|
Full Marathon Women’s Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno
|
Kenya
|
2:36:45
|
2nd
|
Elizabeth Chepkanan
Rumokol
|
Kenya
|
2:41:48
|
3rd
|
Ngigi Pauline Wangui
|
Kenya
|
2:46:44
|
Full Marathon Malaysian Men
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Muhaizar bin Muhamad
|
Malaysia
|
2:35:23
|
2nd
|
Nik Fakaruddin bin Ismail
|
Malaysia
|
2:40:31
|
3rd
|
Fabian @ Osmond bin
Daimon
|
Malaysia
|
2:45:06
|
Full Marathon Malaysian
Women
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Loh Chooi Fern
|
Malaysia
|
3:21:33
|
2nd
|
Tho Siaw Khim
|
Malaysia
|
3:29:42
|
3rd
|
Yap Yee Ling
|
Malaysia
|
3:30:50
|
Full Marathon Malaysian Veteran
Men
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Muniandy a/l Ramadass
|
Malaysia
|
2:54:21
|
2nd
|
Looi Mun Fai
|
Malaysia
|
2:55:37
|
3rd
|
Suresh a/l Muniandy
|
Malaysia
|
3:02:12
|
Full Marathon Malaysian Veteran
Women
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Wong Boon Jien
|
Malaysia
|
3:46:08
|
2nd
|
Neoh Hueih Ching
|
Malaysia
|
3:46:50
|
3rd
|
Ewe Bee Hong
|
Malaysia
|
3:50:05
|
Half Marathon Men Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Kiplagat Philemon Korir
|
Kenya
|
1:07:15
|
2nd
|
Mathew Samperu
|
Kenya
|
1:07:29
|
3rd
|
Mburu Francis Karau
|
Kenya
|
1:09:41
|
Half Marathon Women Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Edith Chemjor
|
Kenya
|
1:25:05
|
2nd
|
Jepkosgei Naum
|
Kenya
|
1:32:59
|
3rd
|
Agnieska Najnigier
Pierzynowska
|
Poland
|
1:35:58
|
Half Marathon Malaysian Men
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Vimal a/l Govendarajoo
|
Malaysia
|
1:15:36
|
2nd
|
Mohd Nor Afifi bin Haron
|
Malaysia
|
1:16:07
|
3rd
|
Sivaneshwaran a/l
Gunasegaran
|
Malaysia
|
1:19:25
|
Half Marathon Malaysian Women
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Sheela a/p Samivellu
|
Malaysia
|
1:30:08
|
2nd
|
Chua Kit Yeng
|
Malaysia
|
1:33:11
|
3rd
|
Chuah Cheng Ean
|
Malaysia
|
1:34:21
|
Half Marathon Men Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Jeffrey Ross
|
Great Britain
|
1:21:25
|
2nd
|
Cao Yuming
|
China
|
1:23:57
|
3rd
|
Chan Shan Ching
|
Hong Kong
|
1:25:22
|
Half Marathon Women Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Jasmine Goh Mei Ling
|
Singapore
|
1:31:25
|
2nd
|
Susan Khoo
|
Great Britain
|
1:46:38
|
3rd
|
Wang Sing Yee
|
Singapore
|
1:50:24
|
Half Marathon Malaysian Men
Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Brij Ravinder a/l N
Kathiravelu
|
Malaysia
|
1:21:32
|
2nd
|
Lim Khon Seng
|
Malaysia
|
1:23:51
|
3rd
|
Alex Tiong King Hee
|
Malaysia
|
1:26:29
|
Half Marathon Malaysian Women
Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Looi Mei Yan
|
Malaysia
|
1:44:18
|
2nd
|
Joanne Poh Leng Grange
|
Malaysia
|
1:45:20
|
3rd
|
Seah Bee Lian
|
Malaysia
|
1:45:46
|
10km Speed Men Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Soh Wai Ching
|
Malaysia
|
0:34:02
|
2nd
|
Azwan bin Bunjing
|
Malaysia
|
0:36:05
|
3rd
|
Ku Aliff Aiman bin Ku
Zainol
|
Malaysia
|
0:36:38
|
10km Speed Women Open
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Eunice Ong Huey Shen
|
Malaysia
|
0:43:56
|
2nd
|
Lim Cai Qin Daphne
|
Singapore
|
0:44:16
|
3rd
|
Michele Tan Bee Kiang
|
Malaysia
|
0:44:41
|
10km Speed Men Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Prabakharan a/l Madhavan
|
Malaysia
|
0:38:43
|
2nd
|
Dayalan a/l Suppayah
|
Malaysia
|
0:40:46
|
3rd
|
See Hock Leong
|
Malaysia
|
0:41:33
|
10km Speed Women Veteran
Position
|
Name
|
Country
|
Time
|
1st
|
Yong Chiew Ling
|
Malaysia
|
0:50:06
|
2nd
|
Jayce Chua Poh Cheng
|
Singapore
|
0:50:52
|
3rd
|
Karen
|
Malaysia
|
0:52:11
|
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