Media Release: Sun Life Malaysia Help 2,000 Runners Kick-start a Healthy 2017

Kuala Lumpur, 23 January 2017 – Health and good deed may have proven to be a winning combination for the first edition of Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run at Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur recently.

Over 2,000 running enthusiasts began to crowd at one of the rare green spaces in the city from as early as 5:30am before the 12km Competitive Run flagged off at 6:20am and the 5km Fun Run at 7:00am. Out of the total number of participants, close to 700 participated in the 12km while the remaining joined the 5km Fun Run.

Speaking during the Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run is Mr. Ooi Say Teng, Chief Executive Officer / Country Head of Sun Life Malaysia. “We are delighted to see such an overwhelming response from the competitive and recreational runners for this inaugural event. Not only have these runners embraced a healthier lifestyle but they have also participated in a worthy cause.”

“Sun Life Malaysia has been in partnership with Diabetes Malaysia and HOPE Worldwide Malaysia through financial sponsorship for diabetic patients and health programmes for the underprivileged community since 2014. Today, besides part of the proceeds from registration fees as well as the Ringgit-to-Ringgit boost from Sun Life Malaysia, we are also taking the opportunity to pledge our 2017 sponsorship to both organisations,” he added.

Through Shine Resolution Run, both charity organisations received a combined total of RM257,000 to support their 2017 programmes and initiatives.



Present at the event is also Mr Kevin Strain, the President of Sun Life Financial Asia. Mr Strain who took part in the 12km run said “Globally, Sun Life is committed to the awareness and prevention of diabetes by promoting healthy living. Running is not only a good form of exercise but has also been proven to keep diabetes at bay. More importantly, we want to encourage the public combat the rise of diabetes through knowledge and a positive change in lifestyle.”

“This is why we conceptualised this Shine Resolution Run which is happening at the same time today both in Malaysia and Hong Kong. I am very pleased to be here in Malaysia for this inaugural event and I am looking forward to more Sun Life business units in Asia holding this event together moving forward,” Strain added

Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run featured two primary events, namely the 5km Fun Run and the 12km Competitive Run. A total of RM10,400 in cash prizes, trophies and prizes worth up to RM6,570 were given to the first five who reached the finishing line from the respective 12km categories:




Sun Life Malaysia Resolution Run is a “fun run” - apart from the races, there were a lot of side activities lined up for the day, namely game booths with great giveaways, health checks, inflatable castles, free candy floss, tattoos, fun Instagram booth, sponsor booths as well as food trucks.

Media Release: Runners Snap Up All Standard Chartered KL Marathon Individual Race Slots Within Four Days

Kuala Lumpur - 20 January 2017, Dirigo Events, race owner and organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017 (SCKLM), announced today that registrations for the race has officially closed as they have sold out all individual race slots for the event. The Standard Chartered KL Marathon turns nine this year and the 2017 edition will take place on Sunday, 21 May at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

“We are grateful that interest in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is as strong as ever. After our pre-registration period for 2016 participants closed, we opened registrations to the public on 16 January and have sold out four days later,” said Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events and Project Director of SCKLM 2017. “We thank all our loyal supporters for continuing to support the marathon and will now focus on delivering the best race experience possible,” he added.



An incredible 12,512 race slots were snapped up on the first day of registrations on Monday, 16 Jan, which is about a third of the total number of race slots available. According to Rainer, an encouraging aspect this year was that registrations for the Full and Half Marathon categories sold out quicker than the usually more popular 10km and 5km categories.

“We have been consciously trying to increase the level of competitiveness for SCKLM 2017 and we are very happy to see that the popularity of the longer distances are increasing. In fact, we’ve closed the Full Marathon category with 8,000 runners in total this year, constituting a 7% increase from 2016 and the highest number recorded in this category so far for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. So for the first time our Running Clinics will have two sessions specifically for runners who are going to attempt their first Full Marathon and first Half Marathon,” he said.

The data gleaned from the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017’s registrations this year also show that there will be 1,381 runners from 63 different nationalities taking part, with the highest number of international runners coming from Indonesia (325) followed by the United Kingdom (146) and India (132).

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown to become the premier running event in Malaysia that draws thousands of local and international runners to the country whilst firmly establishing Malaysia in the global running calendar. The 2017 edition of the race will once again see sponsorship from Title Sponsor Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, along with Honda Malaysia, Brooks, Lucozade, Seiko and Pacific Regency.



Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank said, “It gives us tremendous pride to be the title sponsor of such an iconic event that has come to symbolise the coming together of communities and fostering nation building through sport. We wish all runners the best of luck and we look forward to welcoming them at the race.”

Elite runners will be competing to earn a slice of the almost RM500,000 in total that is on offer at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017,which include bonus prizes for record breaking course times.

In an effort to reduce congestion and make the race more competitive, SCKLM 2017 will continue with a seven hour cut-off time for the Full Marathon with checkpoints at designated areas along the route to ensure runners are within the specified time frames. Runners who don’t make it to the checkpoints within the required times will not be allowed to complete the race and will be transported to the finish line. This is also meant to ensure the safety of runners as the public roads need to be opened to regular traffic at times strictly stipulated by the authorities.

A perennial feature of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative Run For A Reason that aims to channel funds raised to deserving charities that assist underprivileged communities and those in dire need. This year the participating beneficiaries are the Standard Chartered Foundation, National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation and Hospis Malaysia.

Participating runners can also look forward to a total of 12 running clinics that will be provided by the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017, including 5 Junior running clinics and specialised clinics for those attempting their first Half and first Full Marathons.


For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon
Twitter : www.twitter.com/SCKLmarathon
Instagram : https://instagram.com/SCKLmarathon
Website : www.kl-marathon.com

Media Release: Tola, Degefa Lead Ethipian Clean Sweep at Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola and Worknesh Degefa lead an Ethiopian clean-sweep at the 2017 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon today (Friday) as Kenenisa Bekele's world record bid crashed in the opening few metres. Tola took advantage after pre-race favourite Bekele fell to the ground at the start gun after being tripped in an incident described by the Race Referee as "unintentional contact."

It was a crushing disappointment for Bekele after setting his sights on Dennis Kimetto's World Record. After falling at the start, the three-time Olympic gold medallist found himself back down the field and never really recovered as the leaders accelerated away at world record breaking pace leaving Bekele to drop out at around 23k clutching his left calf.



"I came to Dubai to do something special - however it was not to be," said a disappointed Bekele. "I fell down at the start and got hurt. I tried to run, but it didn't work. I just hope to come back to Dubai one day and show what I can do here."

The early fast pace - with the pack of a half dozen as much as 45 seconds up on world record pace at halfway- told in the latter stages as Tola eased home in a new course record time of 2:04:11, more than two minutes ahead of compatriots Mule Wasihun (2:06:46) and Sissay Lemma (2:08:04).

"The pace was very fast at the start," said Tola after receiving his trophy from HH Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai International Marine Club and Julian Wynter, Standard Chartered Bank CEO UAE. "The 15k time (43.26) was much too fast but when we saw that Kenenisa was well behind, I became more confident. I'm happy to win but I think I could have run under 2.04".



In the women's race, Marathon debutante Worknesh Degefa won the $200,000 prize at the first attempt crossing the line in 2:22:36 — the fourth fastest time in the event's history— with Shure Demise in second (2:22:57) and Yebrgual Melese taking third (2:23:13). A superlative half-marathoner, Degefa put the extra training distance to good use by running away from all but Demise, one of the pre-race favourites. Demise managed to claw back some of the deficit in the penultimate kilometre, but when she saw Degefa still running strongly, she was forced to settle for second. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and held under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon saw around 30,000 runners compete in the Marathon, the 10km Road Race and the 4km Fun Run.

In the wheelchair category, there was a battle royal between Spain's Rafa Botello and Patrick Monahan of Ireland with both men fighting it out all the way to the finish line. In the end it was the Spaniard who emerged triumphant of his Dubai debut storming home in 1:31:19, just three seconds ahead of Monahan who was also racing on the Dubai roads for the first time. Third place went to defending champion JohnBoy Smith of Great Britain (1:36:25). The 10km Road Race saw Samir Jouaher of Morocco successfully defend his crown (28:34) with Ethiopia's Wuletaw Adane in second (28:57) and Morocco's Ahmed Tamri third (29:27). The women's 10km Road Race saw victory go to the UAE's Alia Mohammed in 33:07 ahead of Ethiopian BerhanAregawi (33:32) and third placed Amanda Bohlin of Sweden 36:53).

As well as Standard Chartered as title sponsor, the Dubai Marathon is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, adidas, Dubai Eye 103.8FM, Sport 360, Masafi, Dubai Holding, Dubai Police and the RTA. ends Caption 1: Tola wins 2017 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in a new course record time of 2:04:11 Caption 2: Degefa's marathon debut ends in victory in Dubai Caption 3: Kenenisa Bekele crashes out of the running early on at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon Caption 4: The top ten men and women's results

Get ready for SCORE Run 2017!

The conquerors are back! SCORE Run 2017 returns to the city, so get ready to take it to the limit and dominate the streets!

It’s man versus city. Kick off at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s golden triangle – BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE and stop at nothing to conquer the urban jungle. Run under the shade of towering skyscrapers and world-class hotels and be in awe as the city comes alive.

With an expected 12,000 runners, SCORE RUN is set to be one of the best running events of the year.

What? Score Run 2017

Where? Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur

When? 9 April 2017 (Sunday) 5:30am

How far? 21, 12, 6K



Sign up now to also get your t-shirt with your personalised name on it! For more info on the run, you may log in to www.score.my

Media Release: Cyberview Hosts 3rd Annual Cyberjaya Twincity Marathon

Cyberjaya, 15 January 2017 – Participants from all walks of life gathered in Cyberjaya this weekend to participate in the 3rd annual Cyberjaya Twincity Marathon, which covered routes spanning Cyberjaya and Putrajaya.

The marathon is one of the signature community events organised by Cyberview Sdn Bhd, the tech hub enabler tasked to elevate Cyberjaya into a Global Technology Hub.

“This year is significant for us because we have successfully signed up the highest number of participants in the three years of organising this marathon,” said Dato’ Faris Yahaya, Managing Director of Cyberview Sdn Bhd.

The marathon attracted 7,500 participants this year, highest in the three years since this event was introduced in 2014. The event garnered 4,500 sign-ups in 2014 and 5,000 pax in 2016.



“Our objective in running this event is to create a platform built on engagement and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among Cyberjaya’s different stakeholders and the community as a whole. And what better way to kick start 2017 than to remind the community to lead a well-balanced lifestyle,” added Dato’ Faris.

Dato’ Faris further added that the annual Twincity Marathon joins other similar events in the country throughout the year to promote, develop, and encourage running in the country.

“Cyberview focuses on putting in place an ecosystem for individuals, companies, and startups to thrive in our journey towards elevating Cyberjaya into a smart city. But we have to realise that the transformation into a smart city should also take into account its liveability factor. A city can be as digitally connected as it can be, but the well-being of the people is equally, if not more important,” elaborated Dato’ Faris.



According to Dato’ Faris, running is a community-driven sport that is able to unite people from different walks of life with the objective to get outdoors and just move.

“Running to me is fundamental to any sport. You place one foot in front of the other, and whether you’re running alone or with your friends, you are doing something for the benefit of your well-being. It’s literally a marathon today, but symbolically it also teaches us how the best things in life are achieved after a marathon, and not after a sprint,” said Dato’ Faris.

A cumulative amount of over RM21,000 are offered to winners in four different distances. The full marathon offers RM1,000 for the champions in all of its four categories, while the most popular distance is the half marathon with almost 2,400 pax running. The Twincity Marathon also offers beginners and fun runners the 12km and 5km distances.



Among the main sponsors for this year’s Cyberjaya Twincity Marathon are Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, Prestariang and Disitu Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Patriots Day - A Story of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and the Aftermath

Media Release: Getting Healthier Together at MPI Generali Run 2017

Kuala Lumpur, 8 January 2017 – Princes and princesses were sighted at Padang Merbok yesterday but instead of running late for a ball, they were running to get healthier together at MPI Generali Run 2017.

The sixth annual community run of MPI Generali Insurans Berhad features a 5km fun category in which participants got to dress up as Prince and Princess to race while keeping fit at the same time. Family members and friends who prefer a more relaxing exercise opted for the 3km Fun Walk.
The Run’s 10km category catered to the more competitive runners. In total, the Run attracted over 4,300 runners.

With participants from all walks of life, the Run treated them to a carnival at Padang Merbok Car Park where they were entertained by balloon sculptors, bubble performances and cosplayers ready for wefie opportunities.



Booths of sponsors and partners were also set up offering great deals like special discounts and post-run massage. Snack stalls offering tidbits like popcorn and cotton candy completed the family day atmosphere.

Before the prize-giving ceremony, participants took up the emcee’s cue to remain motionless for a Mannequin Challenge video.
Participants also got the chance to be eco-friendly and do a kind deed by donating their pre-loved sports shoes and tees to Project Good Deeds. Seeking to reduce the impact of solid waste on the environment, the CSR initiative successfully collected 177 pairs of sports shoes and 950 tees for the Orang Asli community.



The Run returned to its mainstay Padang Merbok as the routes remain a popular favourite among both amateur and seasoned runners. Project Leader Jayne Liew remarked: “All these years, MPI Generali Run has been associated with the hilly challenge and scenic city view of Padang Merbok. We have not settled on the location for our next MPI Generali Run. All I can assure you is we will strive to live up to our established reputation as a well-organised and fun-filled Run.”

The next MPI Generali Run is slated to happen on 13 January 2018. MPI Generali will continue introducing new concepts to the Run so that community members can better enjoy starting the year on a healthy footing.

The Run Organiser takes this opportunity to congratulate all the Race finishers especially the Champions of the four categories: James Karanja (10km Men’s Open), Vadiveelu Arumugam (10km Men’s Veteran), Manissha Arokiasamy (10km Women’s Open) and Yuan Yu Fang (10km Women’s Veteran).



The Organiser would also like to thank all the sponsors and partners, MPI Generali employees, business associates, volunteers, corporate supporters and all runners for taking part.

Media Release: Ethiopians Dominate the 15th Xiamen International Marathon

Xiamen, China, 4 January 2017 - The first IAAF Gold Label Road Race of 2017, the Xiamen International Marathon, started promptly at 08:00 on Monday 2nd January and was dominated by Ethiopian athletes in both the men’s and women’s elite events.

In the men’s race, winner Lemi Berhanu took the lead from the start and never looked threatened, coming through to win in a time of 2:08:27. Although outside of his personal best (2:04:33), the 22-year-old was happy with the result, having already commented in the press conference that the “the course is very hard with a lot of rises and falls, and the weather is very hot”.

Fellow Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew impressed with his marathon debut, taking second place with a time of 2:10:20, beating countryman and last year’s runner-up, Shura Kitata, who came home in third place with a time of 2:10:36.



The Ethiopian women also prevailed with a comfortable top-three finish. Winner Meseret Mengistu completed the course in 2:25:58 to sink compatriot Workenesh Edesa’s hopes of retaining her 2016 title.

Edesa had set a personal best to win last year’s edition, but was unable to repeat that this year and clocked 2:26:27 to take second place. Melkam Gizaw took third place in 2:26:47.

“I am happy to be the champion,” said Mengistu, “but it’s a pity that I didn’t break my personal record. The day is hot and the slopes in the return course were hard.”

Up to 30,000 runners from 31 different countries took part this year, buoyed by the vociferous support of numerous spectators along the route – something that has become a feature of the Xiamen race. They were rewarded with a race set, for the first time, almost in its entirety along the unspoilt coastline of the garden city of Xiamen, further enhancing what is already justifiably reputed to be one of the most beautiful road courses in the world.

“It was a great race. Everyone was so nice on the course with great scenery and the best race support I have ever seen. Thanks for putting on an exceptional event.” Wrote by this year’s Eric Corbett in facebook.

In another, this year’s marathon both started and finished at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre, the site of the first China Marathon Expo, which ran from 30th December until 1st January. Also marking the race’s 15th anniversary, activities this year included the Honour 15th Celebration, the Green Run and a Marathon Photography Contest.

For more info about Xiamen International Marathon, please visit www.facebook.com/xiamenmarathon

Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run Invites You to Embrace A Healthy Lifestyle While Contributing to A Noble Cause

Kuala Lumpur, 22 December 2016 – Malaysians from all-walks-of-life will have the opportunity to kickstart their 2017 on a healthy note while performing a good deed by participating in the inaugural Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run.

The unique running event, which was inspired by the “New Year’s Resolution” tradition, will be held on Sunday, 22 January 2017, within the idyllic neighbourhood of Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

Sun Life Malaysia Shine Resolution Run is expected to draw a total of 2,000 participants to the 12km Competitive Run and 5km Fun Run. Registration is currently open and will close on 1 January 2017. Proceeds from the registration fees will be channelled to Sun Life Malaysia’s charity partners, namely Diabetes Malaysia and HOPE Worldwide Malaysia.



“Globally, Sun Life is committed to the awareness and prevention of diabetes by promoting healthy living. In Malaysia, Sun Life Malaysia has been in partnership with Diabetes Malaysia and HOPE Worldwide Malaysia through financial sponsorship for diabetic patients and health programmes for the underprivileged community since 2014,” said Mr. Ooi Say Teng, Chief Executive Officer / Country Head of Sun Life Malaysia.

“True to our tagline ‘Life’s brighter under the Sun’, Sun Life Malaysia continues to champion the importance of embracing a healthy lifestyle. Running is not only a good form of exercise but has also been proven to keep diseases like diabetes at bay,” he added.

Citing the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015, Ooi said that diabetes is a grave concern in Malaysia as the country has about 3.5 million or 17.5% of its citizens aged 18 years and above that suffer from the disease. “The Shine Resolution Run is a natural progression of our commitment to help Malaysians combat the rise of this disease through knowledge and a positive change in lifestyle.”

RM10 of every complete race entry fee collected will be donated to Diabetes Malaysia and HOPE Worldwide Malaysia and to make it even more meaningful, Sun Life Malaysia will match ringgit-to-ringgit the amount collected to boost up the funds for their noble programmes.



Each participant will be entitled to an event T-shirt, goodie bag, race bib with timing (for 12km runners), race bib without timing (for 5km runners) and a finisher medal. Information on the race pack collection will be emailed to the participants via their registered email address.

For more details of the event, please visit http://bit.ly/ShineResolutionRun. You may also contact 03-8074 9209 or email your enquiry to info@ecpixels.com

Media Release: 2,600 Runners Sacrificed Sleep to Run the Night at the First Edition of OSIM Sundown Marathon Penang 2016

Pulau Pinang, 18 Dec 2016 – THE 1st edition of OSIM Sundown Marathon Penang proved to be a stepping stone for Singapore’s iconic home-grown night run as it ventures overseas into Penang. The event attracted more than 2,600 runners.

Penang hosted over 500 international runners from countries such as Singapore, Kenya, China, Indonesia and the Philippines while providing the perfect platform for Penang’s running community to run together. The theme, “Sleep Can Wait” challenged runners to sacrifice sleep and run through the night while enjoying the beautiful night skyline of Penang.



At 12.01am, 12.05am and 12.10am, runners for the 21.1km Half Marathon, 10km Challenge and 5km Fun Run race categories were flagged off respectively. Runners who wanted to finish the race at a specific time had the help of pacers who were easily identified by the helium balloons showing the targeted finishing time.

Supporters and finishers of the run were treated to exciting activities in the Race Village, such as band performances by Shades of Dreams and overnight movie screenings of blockbuster favourites such as Transformers: Age of Extinction.

“We are extremely pleased with how OSIM Sundown Marathon Singapore has evolved to become one of the signature sporting events in the regional running scene. We have been planning for regional expansion for several years now, and we are glad to be able to organize a successful race today in Penang for Malaysia. It is a stepping stone for us and we will only get bigger and better in years to come,” said Adrian Mok, Managing Director of HiVelocity Events Pte Ltd, the organiser of OSIM Sundown Marathon Penang.



John Cheong, Sales Director of OSIM, flagged off the various race categories. He said, “We’re really happy to see how the runners enjoyed themselves through the night. The spirit of the marathoner resonates with OSIM because we believe in challenging your spirit to do your best. Not only have these runners completed the challenge to sacrifice sleep, run through the night, and beat the sunrise, they also embodied strength, courage and passion. For those who took on the 5km Fun Run for the first time, we believe that this is merely the start of a healthy lifelong journey ahead of them. Our aim is to inspire well-being to everyone from all walks of life and we also wish to contribute to Malaysia’s running scene in every possible way.”

The best Malaysian timing for Men’s Half Marathon category was Ow Yong Jin Kuang, who crossed the finishing line with a timing of 01:22:27, and came in fourth behind African runners Kiptoo Joackim Kemboi (3rd), Biwott Justus Kipruto (2nd) and Njoki Charles Munyua (1st).

“This race is very different from the usual ones that are carried out in Penang. The race village is filled with exciting activities, it was so easy to go about in the race village where everything was organised and made easy for the participants as well as supporters. It was an enjoyable run, and I will definitely be joining Sundown Marathon Penang again,” said Ow Yong Jin Kuang.



Meanwhile, Yee Pei Ni had the best Malaysian timing for Women’s Half Marathon category, with a finishing time of 01:40:23, coming in second behind Towett Cynthia Chelangat.

“It was an exhilarating experience to be in this race, the race route made it easy to be able to keep up with my usual pace. The race village makes you feel like it is the place to be, they made sure everyone was well taken care of. There was a Zumba workout to help participants warm up for the race, and band performances that kept everyone pumped up. It was really exciting to be part of the first OSIM Sundown Marathon in Penang,” said Yee Pei Ni.

For more information, log on to www.sundownmarathon.com