Yeow Ni Jia retains KL Marathon crown with 2:33:52 PB as Esther Joy Chen wins on debut in SEA Games trial

Yeow Ni Jia defended his Malaysian men's marathon title with a personal best of 2:33:52, and Esther Joy Chen won the Malaysian women's race on her marathon debut, at the 18th Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) on Sunday, 4 October.

The results carry extra weight this year. The KLSCM doubled as the official preliminary selection race for Malaysia's marathon team at the 2027 SEA Games, which Kuala Lumpur will host, so the weekend gave national selectors a first look at who is in form.

Ni Jia holds off Lai Yi Hng

Ni Jia's winning time was his best in a Malaysian race. He finished 24 seconds ahead of Lai Yi Hng (2:34:16), with Tan Huong Leong third in 2:39:17. Ni Jia told The Star he chose to run with the flow of the race and that the strong field helped pull him to a faster time.

The open men's marathon went to Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi in 2:21:19, while Ethiopia's Alemitu Ajema Lema won the open women's race in 2:39:29.

Esther Joy Chen wins first marathon

In the Malaysian women's category, Esther Joy Chen crossed the line in 3:05:22, more than seven minutes clear of Elaine Koon (3:12:43). Lai Wei Ling took third in 3:14:37. Chen said her coach had built a dedicated marathon training block for her and the race plan was to "go big or go home".

Half marathon: Daren James and Nurul Juliana

Daren James Nair Rodney James won the Malaysian men's half marathon in 1:13:44, ahead of Muhamad Asyhraf Mohamad Zaidin (1:14:39) and Wee Hon Gavin Sim (1:15:26). Nurul Juliana Shakira Abdul Halim took the Malaysian women's half marathon in 1:32:36, with Yu Hui Khiing second in 1:33:08 and Allison Yee Pui Se third in 1:37:00.

Singapore's Rachel See dominated the open women's half marathon in 1:22:33, leading a Singaporean one-two ahead of Goh Shing Ling (1:25:13), with Thailand's Kawinthida Thadased third.

Haziq wins 10km on opening day

The weekend began on Saturday, 3 October, at Dataran Merdeka, where Muhammad Haziq Mohd Hairol Izmi gave the home crowd a Malaysian winner in the men's 10km open. He clocked 33:54, 28 seconds ahead of Thailand's Aekkarat Meenamai, with Singapore's Ahmad Arif Ibrahim third. Kenya's Mercy Jebiwott won the women's 10km in 37:00, and Malaysia's Shayathiri Ratnam finished third.

A big weekend for KL running

Organisers said 43,800 runners took part across all events, with about 27,000 on race day and 3,600 international participants from 53 countries. The race holds World Athletics Elite Label status and offered RM500,000 in prize money, according to Malay Mail.

The marathon was part of an unusually crowded weekend of sport in Malaysia, alongside the Formula One race at Sepang and the final stage of Le Tour de Langkawi in Putrajaya.

What it means for the SEA Games

The SEA Games marathon squad will not be picked on one race, but the KLSCM sets an early benchmark. Ni Jia's sub-2:34 run and Chen's debut win put both runners in a strong position after the first trial on home roads.

Key takeaways

• Yeow Ni Jia retained the Malaysian men's marathon title in a personal best of 2:33:52.
• Esther Joy Chen won the Malaysian women's marathon on debut in 3:05:22.
• Daren James Nair Rodney James and Nurul Juliana Shakira Abdul Halim won the Malaysian half marathon titles.
• The KLSCM was the preliminary selection race for the 2027 SEA Games marathon in Kuala Lumpur.
• A total of 43,800 runners took part across the weekend.

FAQ

Who won the Malaysian categories at the 2026 KL Standard Chartered Marathon? Yeow Ni Jia (2:33:52) won the men's marathon and Esther Joy Chen (3:05:22) won the women's marathon.

Who won the overall marathon? Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi won the open men's race in 2:21:19, and Ethiopia's Alemitu Ajema Lema won the open women's race in 2:39:29.

Why did this year's KLSCM matter for the national team? It was the official preliminary selection event for Malaysia's marathon team at the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Sources: The Star, Malay Mail, SportPlus