The Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) is set to return to the Kuala Lumpur city centre for its 17th edition on October 4 and 5, 2025, with exciting changes and developments, offering runners a more unique running experience.
The event will see a new race route, with the start and finish at different venues in the city and new race categories.
The news was announced by Dirigo Events director and KLSCM project director Rainer Biemans at a press conference held at Stadium Merdeka on April 16, 2025.
Biemans disclosed that KLSCM 2025 will be moving its start and finish points from its regular venue of Dataran Merdeka, as the area is undergoing significant upgrading and maintenance work in the second half of the year.
“This year’s race will now start within in the Kuala Lumpur city centre and finish at the iconic and historical Stadium Merdeka,” he said.
Also present at the event were Standard Chartered Malaysia CEO Mak Joon Nien, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur CEO and IHH Healthcare Malaysia regional chief executive officer (central) Erica Lam and ASICS Malaysia country manager Boon Tib Soom Nik.
Earlier today, Dirigo Events, the owner and organiser of the KLSCM, announced that Standard Chartered Malaysia has renewed its title sponsorship of the country’s premier distance running event for another four years until 2028.
It was also revealed that global sports brand ASICS and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL) have signed on as Gold sponsors with naming rights to the half marathon and 10km respectively.
The half marathon will now be known as the ASICS Half Marathon, while the 10km race will be called the Pantai KL 10km. ASICS is also the official footwear and apparel partner for the KLSCM.
“We are delighted to be able to continue this synergistic partnership with Standard Chartered for another chapter. Our shared values and commitment along with the growth of running culture in the country has seen us connect with many running communities over the years and we look forward to taking Malaysia’s premier running event to even higher levels,” said Biemans.
Mak said Standard Chartered is excited to extend its title sponsorship of KLSCM for another four years and proud of its significant contributions to the event.
“As we celebrate our 150th anniversary in Malaysia this year, this renewed partnership reflects our enduring commitment to the Marathon’s success as well as the nation – underscoring our promise to be Here For Good.
“With Malaysia assuming the role of ASEAN Chair, 2025 presents an even greater opportunity to elevate Malaysia’s visibility in the region.
“The Marathon serves as a unifying platform to showcase our spirit of inclusivity and sustainability by bringing participants from all walks of life from across the globe through the universal language of sport,” he said.
This year’s event also sees the introduction of two new categories – the Run Club Challenge and State Youth Challenge.
The Run Club Challenge is a category specifically for running clubs in Malaysia where they may send teams of four runners to compete in the full marathon, ASICS Half Marathon and Pantai KL 10km.
Participation in this inaugural race is by invitation only where clubs must meet certain criteria.
For the State Youth Challenge, Malaysian runners aged 15 to 24 years old will be represent a state of their choice in the full marathon, ASICS Half Marathon and Pantai KL 10km, with the prize money going to the state athletics associations for their youth programmes.
KLSCM 2024 attracted a record 42,000 runners and raised RM1 million for charity through the Run For A Reason (RFAR) programme.
The RFAR charity initiative will also a highlight for this year’s event to raise funds for four charities, including Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, Hospis Malaysia, Kechara Soup Kitchen and Teach for Malaysia.
The Medic on the Run programme which was introduced in 2024 to provide medical assistance on-the-go to runners immediately in case of any accidents or emergencies during the race will continue this year.
It will see a team of medical professionals, which includes doctors, nurses and paramedics, running alongside the participants, equipped with portable AED machines and first-aid packs.
Registration for KLSCM 2025 opens on April 22 and close on July 31 or when race slots sell out.
KLSCM 2025 will also see the return of official partners 100 Plus, Counterpain, High 5 Nutrition, Seiko and TudungPeople.
The event is also supported by venue host Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Malaysia Athletics, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police.
To register and for more information, visit https://www.kl-marathon.com/ or its official social media channels on Facebook – www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon; Twitter – www.twitter.com/KLSCmarathon and Instagram – www.instagram.com/KLSCmarathon.
 returns to the Kuala Lumpur city centre for its 17th edition on October 4 and 5, 2025.){kind=link}