Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon 2025: Malaysian Runners Shine Amid Kenyan Dominance
- SportPlus News
- Oct 6, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 7, 2025
Over 41,000 Runners Brave Humid Conditions in Malaysia’s Premier Road Race
The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2025 concluded with remarkable performances that highlighted both international excellence and local resilience.
Held over the weekend of 4-5 October at the iconic Merdeka Stadium, this year’s edition tested runners with a challenging route and humid conditions, yet still delivered inspiring victories for Malaysian and regional athletes.
Record Participation Across Categories
This year’s KLSCM saw an impressive turnout with over 41,000 participants across six categories: Full Marathon (12,147), Half Marathon (13,035), 10KM (10,870), 5KM (4,527), Kids Dash 2KM (235), and Kids Dash 400M (245).
The sheer number of runners underscored the marathon’s reputation as Malaysia’s largest mass participation sporting event and one of Southeast Asia’s most celebrated races.
Malaysian Heroes: Yeow Ni Jia and Michelle Chua
Among the standout achievements, Yeow Ni Jia and Michelle Chua Khit Yeng emerged as the top Malaysian finishers in the Full Marathon Open categories. Yeow clocked an impressive 2:36:13, outperforming Tan Huong Leong (2:37:05) and 2024 champion Muhaizar Mohamad (2:44:37). For the women’s division, Chua crossed the finish line at 3:05:40, ahead of Noor Amelia Musa (3:09:03) and Lee Siok Chin (3:11:07).
At just 25 years old, Yeow Ni Jia, a software engineer, reflected on the demanding course and the mental challenge of the race’s new finishing point at Merdeka Stadium. Despite the tougher conditions, he expressed satisfaction with achieving his goals and saw the win as a valuable benchmark for his athletic development.
Key Performances from ASICS Athletes
The 2025 edition also saw stellar podium finishes from regional ASICS athletes across multiple categories:
Full Marathon Malaysian Women’s Open: 1st place – Michelle Chua (Malaysia), 3rd place – Tiffany Lee (Malaysia)
Half Marathon Men’s Open: 2nd place – Pilon, 3rd place – Subas Gurung (Nepal)
Half Marathon Men’s Veteran: 1st place – Melvin Wong (Singapore)
Half Marathon Malaysian Men’s Open: 3rd place – Syakir Alwi (Singapore)
Half Marathon Women’s Open: 3rd place – Earn (Thailand)
Half Marathon Women’s Veteran: 1st place – Rachel See (Singapore)
Half Marathon Malaysian Women’s Open: 3rd place – Melissa Lua (Malaysia)
Men’s 10KM: 1st place – Sonny Wagdos (Philippines), 3rd place – Daren James Nair (Malaysia), 4th place – Asyhraf Zaidin (Malaysia)
Women’s 10KM: 1st place – Joida Gagnao (Philippines)
These achievements not only reflect individual dedication but also highlight ASICS’ growing impact in nurturing and supporting Malaysia and Southeast Asia's long-distance running talent.
Kenyan Runners Dominate the International Stage
While local runners stole the spotlight for Malaysian fans, the overall race was once again dominated by Kenya’s world-class athletes, reinforcing their long-standing reputation in distance running.
Their commanding performances set the pace and underscored the global competitiveness of the KLSCM.
A More Demanding Route
Runners noted that the 2025 route was more grueling than in previous years. With rolling hills and higher humidity, endurance and mental strength were pushed to the limits. The shift in the finishing line location from Dataran Merdeka to Merdeka Stadium added an unexpected psychological hurdle. As Yeow described, the final kilometres felt “torturous” but ultimately rewarding.
KLSCM as a Premier Running Event in Southeast Asia
The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon continues to grow as one of Southeast Asia’s premier road races, attracting elite international runners and fostering local talent. The 2025 edition once again proved to be more than just a sporting event—it was a celebration of resilience, determination, and community spirit.
As the cheers at Merdeka Stadium fade, the memories of this year’s race set the stage for an even more competitive 2026 edition. For Malaysia, the achievements of Yeow Ni Jia and Michelle Chua signal a bright future in long-distance running and inspire the next generation of athletes to push beyond limits. #KLSCM2025 #ASICSRunning
As a runner, I loved the intense competition at KLSCM2025! It's amazing how Yeow Ni Jia and Michelle Chua splikit
Mình có lần lướt đọc mấy trao đổi trên mạng شيخ روحاني thì thấy nhắc nên cũng tò mò mở ra xem thử cho biết. Mình không tìm hiểu sâu جلب الحبيب chỉ xem qua trong thời gian ngắn để quan sát bố cục جلب الحبيب cách sắp xếp شيخ روحاني các mục và trình bày nội شيخ روحاني dung tổng thể. Cảm giác là các phần được trình bày khá gọn, các Berlinintim mục rõ ràng nên đọc lướt cũng không bị rối Berlinintim với mình như شيخ روحاني vậy là đủ để nắm tin cơ bản rồi. جلب الحبيب
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This was a really enjoyable article to read. The explanations are easy to follow, and the information is presented in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. I like that the writer kept everything simple and straight to the point. It saved me time because I didn't have to search on multiple websites. Thanks for putting together such a helpful guide.
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What an amazing race! I love how the article highlights the winners. By the way, if you want to share your running stats on LinkedIn, you can use linkedin bold text to make your achievements stand out.
Awesome recap—great to see Malaysian runners shining even with such strong Kenyan competition! Really captures the spirit of the race. Enjoyed this while unwinding and browsing snapinsta for a quick bit of fun.