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Saturday, April 29, 2023

The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon Celebrates 15 Years of Distance Running with Coveted Road Race Label

YB Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports displaying the KLSCM 2023 Race T-shirt presented by Rainer Biemans, Project Director of KLSCM and Director of Dirigo Events and Mak Joon Nien, CEO Standard Chartered Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 28 April 2023: The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) heralded the 15th edition of the event when Minister of Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Hannah Yeoh officially launched the opening of registrations to the public here today. Malaysia’s premier distance running event, which will take place in Dataran Merdeka on 30 September and 1 October, has been awarded the prestigious Road Race Label by governing body World Athletics, making it the first running event in Malaysia and only the fifth in South East Asia to receive this recognition.

KLSCM last saw over 40,000 participants in its 2020 edition, which ultimately only took place late last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event switched to a Virtual version in 2020 and 2021 and received tremendous participation numbers with over 51,000 and 47,000 participants respectively. KLSCM 2023 has already garnered almost 7,000 participants through its priority registrations, which opened on 18 April and involved runners who had taken part in seven previous editions, including the Virtual runs, as well as faster runners who were eligible based on previous officially recorded timings.

“We are delighted to have received the Road Race label from World Athletics, which is a stamp of approval that would give runners added confidence that they are registering for an internationally recognised event,” said Rainer Biemans, Project Director of KLSCM and Director of Dirigo Events, the owner and organiser of the multi-award-winning mass participation event. “We have also always been about encouraging ordinary people to start running to stay fit and healthy, and inspiring existing runners to go faster or further, so now, runners who recorded quick finishing times either at KLSCM or at other officially recognised events could also enjoy the privilege of priority registrations.” added Rainer.

YB Hannah Yeoh delivering her Official Launch Speech

Youth and Sports Minister, Yang Berhormat Hannah Yeoh was given the honour to officially launch public registrations for KLSCM 2023 and duly noted KLSCM’s brand recognition amongst the running fraternity.

"I am truly honoured to have been invited to participate in Malaysia's most renowned mass participation event," said Hannah. "It is gratifying to know that KLSCM and Dirigo Events have dedicated themselves to

developing the sport of distance running and consistently organize a world-class event that attracts over 40,000 participants from Malaysia and around the world."

"I understand that KLSCM has previously discovered the talents of runners such as Muhaizar Mohamad, who has won bronze medals in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the SEA Games as Malaysia's sole representative in the Full Marathon category, as well as Sheela Samivellu, who holds the national record for Women's Half Marathon since the 2016 KLSCM edition," said Hannah.

Hannah further expressed her admiration for KLSCM's inclusivity. "What is especially heart-warming about KLSCM is that although the event has a serious and competitive element, it also caters to participants of all levels with its shorter distance categories for beginners and special categories for kids. Most importantly, the Run For A Reason charity platform has helped transform the lives of many Malaysians," she added.

L-R Mak Joon Nien, YB Hannah Yeoh and Rainer Biemans taking questions from the media

Charity programme Run For A Reason (RFAR) has been an integral component of KLSCM and has benefitted and improved the lives of thousands of Malaysians by raising over RM7 million over the last 15 years. For 2023, the charity beneficiaries are Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers, Hospis Malaysia, Dignity For Children Foundation, Kechara Soup Kitchen and Reef Check Malaysia.

This will also be the 15th year that Standard Chartered Malaysia returns as the title sponsor, which is a great manifestation of its corporate tagline, Here For Good. The Bank has been a steadfast supporter of the event since its inception in 2009 and is a major factor behind its’ success.

“We are honoured to have Yang Berhormat Hannah Yeoh here today to officiate the launch of KLSCM 2023. Standard Chartered is privileged to have this long-standing partnership of 15 years with Malaysia’s premier marathon and we are proud to see how it has flourished over the years – from 13,500 runners back in 2009 to 51,000 at its peak in 2021. The traits of KLSCM strongly ties in with the Bank’s values and most importantly, this platform allows us to reach out to many people in significant ways and helps uplift communities,” said Mak Joon Nien, CEO of Standard Chartered Malaysia.

L-R Rainer Biemans, Loh Chooi Fern (Two-time KLSCM Women’s Full Marathon Malaysian winner), Muhaizar Mohamad (Five-time KLSCM Men’s Full Marathon Malaysian winner), YB Hannah Yeoh and Mak Joon Nien strike a pose against the KLSCM 15th Anniversary Photowall

“Last year’s marathon was a particularly memorable one for me, as it was my first time running in the 10km category with my wife and son. The experience gave me a greater perspective about the event, and I distinctively remember the energy and euphoria felt by all the runners especially at the final stretch before the finish line. I look forward to seeing more memories to be made and cherished at the Marathon’s 15th year anniversary.” he continued.

This year, KLSCM will begin implementing some changes to the event with the intention of reducing its carbon footprint and waste through innovations like encouraging runners to use refillable bottles for water instead of opting for paper cups served by volunteers, composting the enormous amounts of fruits like bananas, pears and apples given to runners, and creating awareness about the importance of recycling and waste reduction. This marks the beginning of KLSCM’s sustainability journey, and the organising team intends to continue implementing new initiatives in the following years to make the event more environmentally friendly. The introduction of new apparel partner Pressio from the UK is also a conscious step in this direction as the brand promises that every garment they produce has been created with the most sustainable materials and technologies, including recycled yarns, non-dying & biodegradation, and complete with traceability.

KLSCM 2023 will also see the return of Gold Sponsor Boost Juice Malaysia, along with official partners Seiko, Brooks, 100 Plus, and TudungPeople. The event is also supported by venue host DBKL, athletics associations MAF and FTKLAA, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police.

L-R Rainer Biemans leading YB Hannah Yeoh and Mak Joon Nien on a guided tour of the KLSCM 15th Anniversary Photowall

To encourage more participants to take part in the premier running event, Standard Chartered will be offering a 10% discount for debit and credit cardholders, and 15% discount for Priority and Worldmiles debit and credit cardholders upon registration for the KLSCM. In addition, Standard Chartered clients will be able to win three grand prizes comprising of a 4-day 3-night trip to participate in the Standard Chartered Taipei Marathon while 1,000 KLSCM running slots worth up to RM120 will be given out to other winners. For more information on the campaign, please visit sc.com/my/klscm.

For more information and updates on KLSCM, please visit:

 

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