Day 2: John Nzau Mwangangi From Kenya Runs to Victory in KLSCM 2025

John Nzau Mwangangi 

Kuala Lumpur, 5 October 2025 – The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2025 saw John Nzau Mwangangi crossing the finish line in a time of 02:17:28 to win the Full Marathon Men’s Open title and take home the US$15,000 (RM63,225.00) prize purse.

In the Malaysian category, the highly anticipated contest between some of the nation’s top long distance runners saw Yeow Ni Jia surging ahead in the final stretch to break the tape with a time of 02:36:13, besting two other close contenders to bag the Malaysian title.

Earlier this morning, Tan Sri Shahril Ridzuan, Chairman of Standard Chartered Malaysia – the title sponsor of the event – flagged off the Full Marathon at this year’s start area of Jalan Raja Laut. He was accompanied by Mak Joon Nien, Standard Chartered Malaysia’s CEO.

The ASICS Half Marathon was flagged off by Boon Tib Soom Nik, Country Manager of ASICS Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Low Sin Ting, Associate Director, Marketing of ASICS Pte Ltd.

ASICS Half Marathon Flag-off

Today’s KLSCM 2025 races saw a total of close to 25,200 runners pounding the pavement through downtown Kuala Lumpur past iconic buildings and on highways to aim for their own historic finish at Stadium Merdeka. The Pantai KL 10km, 5km fun run and Kids Dash categories were held yesterday while the Full Marathon and ASICS Half Marathon categories were held this morning.

A record number of 42,000 participants registered for this 17th edition of the KLSCM, including 3,300 international participants from 53 countries. The KLSCM is Malaysia’s premier distance running event where KLSCM 2025 is a World Athletics Elite Label Race, making it the first and only distance running event in the country to be accorded that status.

Mwangangi was elated to clinch the Men’s Open title after finishing second in his last two KLSCM races. To prepare for the hilly roads and weather here, the 35-year-old trained under hot and humid conditions in the steeps hills of Machakos, Kenya which are about 640m above sea level.

“I missed out on first place twice because of my lack of experience with the final kilometre. I decided to analyse and learn from my previous mistake and change my strategy,” he said. “The course was balanced with a good mix of flat and hilly sections and I managed to go a bit faster today and improve my time.”

Full Marathon Men's Open Winners 

The Full Marathon Men’s Open saw a Kenyan sweep once again with Mwangangi’s compatriots Kiprotich Kiru and defending champion Vincent Kiprono taking the remaining podium positions, with the finishing times of 02:17:45 and 02:18:06 respectively.

Full Marathon_Women's Open_Winners

The third time’s also a charm for Truphena Chepchirchir of Kenya who won the Women’s Open crown with a time of 02:41:36. Almaz Negede Fekade of Ethiopia finished second with a time of 02:41:50 while Joyline Chemutai of Kenya had to settle for third place with a time of 02:42:34.

“I am so happy to win because I prepared for the course by combining hill work and speed training. I expected hills, heat and humidity so I would run up the steep hills behind my home in Eldoret, Kenya under the noon sun,” said Chepchirchir, 35.

Full MarathonMalaysian MenWinners 

The Full Marathon Malaysian Men’s category was set to be a close fight for the KLSCM 2025 crown with the additional carrot of being a Category B qualification for the 2025 SEA Games. Yeow Ni Jia finished in 02:36:13 to best national record holder Tan Huong Leong who came in second with a time of 02:37:05. Defending champion and six-time KLSCM champion Muhaizar Mohamad had to settle for third place with his time of 02:44:37.

“The course was challenging because of the rolling hills that KL is famous for. In terms of performance, I am grateful that I managed to hit the goal that I set before the race, which was to achieve a sub 02:40 timing in local weather,” said Yeow, 25. “I am looking forward to breaking my personal best in the next event but if I were to be selected for the SEA Games, I’ll be focusing on that first.”

Full Marathon_Malaysian Women_Winners

The Full Marathon Malaysian Women’s category saw Chua Khit Yeng reclaiming the title with a time of 03:05:40 with the defending champion Noor Amelia Musa settling for second place with a time of 03:09:03. The third podium spot went to Lee Siok Chin who finished in 03:11:07.

“I came in today focused on setting a good time – my goal was not to win but to fight the clock. Winning the race was a nice surprise because I have been losing to Amelia by a few seconds in our other races this year. I did not expect to overtake her today,” said Chua, 34. “The route had a normal difficulty and did not spring any surprises. It was well marked and well organised.”

Full Marathon Malaysian Veteran Men Winners 

Full Marathon Malaysian Veteran Women Winners 

Full Marathon Veteran Men Winners 

Full Marathon Veteran Women Winners 

“KLSCM 2025 has seen overwhelming response from the running community, and we truly appreciate the support that has been shown from both the community and our partners. Out of the 42,000 participants, more than 3,300 have travelled to Kuala Lumpur specifically to take part in the event. This is a much sought-after race that runners look forward to every year and what makes this 17th edition more memorable is the fact that we have different start and finish points, and that the race has been awarded the prestigious World Athletics Elite Label,” said Rainer Biemans, Project Director of KLSCM and Director of Dirigo Events.

“We are proud to be part of the community’s running journey by providing this platform that allows them to hone and showcase their running skills. Not only does the KLSCM bring together athleticism, determination and unity in one event, it also lets runners rise above their limits to become the champions that they are,” he added.

ASICS Half Marathon Flag-off - Standard Chartered Malaysia CEO Mak Joon Nien

“Marking 150 years in Malaysia is not just a milestone for our Bank. It is a tribute to the people who have walked this journey with us. Every step of our story has been built with our clients, colleagues and communities who have placed their trust in us across generations. That is why the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon is so close to our hearts. It’s not just a race but a celebration of people coming together with passion, perseverance, and purpose. We are deeply honoured to support it once again as 2025 is a special year for the Bank and Malaysia as ASEAN Chair. We are committed to progress alongside the nation we call home,” said Mak Joon Nien, CEO of Standard Chartered Malaysia.

This year, Standard Chartered Malaysia brought the spirit of ASEAN to life through its EKIDEN Heroes challenge, where colleagues from across the region came together in relay to symbolise Malaysia as Chair.

Mak adds, “The EKIDEN Heroes remind us that success is a collective journey. It is built on teamwork, collaboration and the shared values that unites us, not only in the Marathon but in our communities and across the ASEAN region.”

ASICS Half Marathon Men's Open Winners

As a race that race that chooses to make a difference, the Run For A Reason (RFAR) initiative is the heart of the KLSCM, giving runners the opportunity to transform their every step into a powerful catalyst for change by raising funds for one of the beneficiary charities on the platform. This year’s beneficiaries are once again Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, Hospis Malaysia, Kechara Soup Kitchen and Teach for Malaysia.

“The Run For A Reason programme is a collective effort for the runners and society to come together to raise funds for deserving charities. We are grateful to everyone for helping the RFAR raise RM1 million in funds last year and we hope everyone will rally together once again to breach that mark. There is still time to donate as we will only close our fundraising on 14 October, so please donate generously to help the charities continue their work in transforming lives and creating a better tomorrow for the less fortunate,” said Biemans.

The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon has grown year-on-year to become the most anticipated distance running event in Malaysia. Standard Chartered Malaysia is the title sponsor while global sports brand ASICS and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL) are the Gold sponsors. The other official partners are 100 Plus, Counterpain, High5 Nutrition, Seiko, TudungPeople and Amaterasun.

KLSCM 2025 is sanctioned and supported by venue host Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Malaysia Athletics, World Athletics and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police. It is also supported by the Malaysian Highway Authority (Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia), Konsortium Lebuhraya Utara - Timur (KL) Sdn Bhd (Kesturi) and Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (PROLINTAS). The event is owned and organised by Dirigo Events.

For more information, please visit the KLSCM website at www.kl-marathon.com/ or their social media pages at:

· Facebook - www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon

· Instagram – www.instagram.com/SCKLmarathon

Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon 2025 Winners

Full Marathon – Men’s Open

• 🥇 John Nzau Mwangangi (Kenya) – 02:17:28

• 🥈 Kiprotich Kiru (Kenya) – 02:17:45

• 🥉 Vincent Kiprono (Kenya) – 02:18:06

Full Marathon – Women’s Open

• 🥇 Truphena Chepchirchir (Kenya) – 02:41:36

• 🥈 Almaz Negede Fekade (Ethiopia) – 02:41:50

• 🥉 Joyline Chemutai (Kenya) – 02:42:34

Full Marathon – Malaysian Men

• 🥇 Yeow Ni Jia – 02:36:13

• 🥈 Tan Huong Leong – 02:37:05

• 🥉 Muhaizar Mohamad – 02:44:37

Full Marathon – Malaysian Women

• 🥇 Chua Kit Yeng – 03:05:40

• 🥈 Noor Amelia Musa – 03:09:03

• 🥉 Lee Siok Chin – 03:11:07

Full Marathon – Veteran Men

• 🥇 Hosea Kogei (Kenya) – 02:31:50

• 🥈 Samson Karega Kamau (Kenya) – 02:41:03

• 🥉 Arash Nasiri Eghbali (Iran) – 02:49:42

Full Marathon – Veteran Women

• 🥇 Mercy Jelimo Too (Kenya) – 02:54:05

• 🥈 Jane Wanjiru Muruki (Kenya) – 02:57:39

• 🥉 Aya Mizushima (Japan) – 03:15:11

Full Marathon – Malaysian Veteran Men

• 🥇 Tay Pei Teck – 02:41:11

• 🥈 Looi Mun Fai – 02:55:20

• 🥉 Jimmy Chai Ping Guan – 03:01:23

Full Marathon – Malaysian Veteran Women

• 🥇 Chew Lay Ling – 03:23:08

• 🥈 Yap Yee Ling – 03:25:07

• 🥉 Wong Mi-Chi – 03:27:20

ASICS Half Marathon – Men’s Open

• 🥇 Francis Kioko Nzyoki (Kenya) – 01:11:08

• 🥈 Sedilta Pilon Nubatonis (Indonesia) – 01:11:26

• 🥉 Subas Gurung (Nepal) – 01:12:26

ASICS Half Marathon – Women’s Open

• 🥇 Petronila Nduku Musengya (Kenya) – 01:23:55

• 🥈 Eunice Mukina Mutungi (Kenya) – 01:24:56

• 🥉 Sutinee Dansoonthornwong (Thailand) – 01:30:21

ASICS Half Marathon – Malaysian Men

• 🥇 Ruveshwaran A/L Balachandran – 01:14:13

• 🥈 Sivaneshwaran A/L Gunasegaran – 01:14:36

• 🥉 Ahmad Syakir bin Alwi – 01:15:56

ASICS Half Marathon – Malaysian Women

• 🥇 Loh Chooi Fern – 01:34:44

• 🥈 Melissa Lua – 01:35:01

• 🥉 Lim Ee Kiom – 01:36:05

ASICS Half Marathon – Veteran Men

• 🥇 Melvin Wong (Singapore) – 01:19:22

• 🥈 Thomas Matheka Muli (Kenya) – 01:23:13

• 🥉 Tan Ehnao Daniel (Singapore) – 01:23:15

ASICS Half Marathon – Veteran Women

• 🥇 Rachel See (Singapore) – 01:24:13

• 🥈 Yvonne Elizabeth Chee (Singapore) – 01:39:34

• 🥉 Jacquelin Lee Sue Chen (Singapore) – 01:52:09