Tan handing prizes to marathon winner Sivaneshwaran, with Lim (left) and Muhamad Naqib looking on from atop the podium.
First-time marathoner Sivaneshwaran Gunasegaran emerged as the surprise winner of the men’s 42km race at Score Marathon by AIA Vitality 2025 in Putrajaya.
The national track and field athlete clocked 2 hours, 48 minutes and 8 seconds (2:48:08), surging ahead in the final stretch of the hilly course.
“I didn’t think I could even finish the race, but I ended up winning it – and in a good time too,” said Sivaneshwaran, whose previous experience was in 10km and 21km races.
He said his hard work, encompassing three to four months of training, paid off.
According to a media release by the event organiser, Sivaneshwaran’s initial aim was to finish under three hours to qualify for a marathon in Vietnam.
Instead, he topped a field of over 33,000 runners from 48 countries – the largest turnout in the event’s history.
Lim Kok Leong (2:51:00) and Muhamad Naqib Haikal Abdul Rahman (2:51:28) finished second and third respectively.
In the women’s 42km race, Lee Siok Chin took the top spot with 3:17:17, followed by Vietnam’s Vu Khanh Linh (3:21:54) and Diana Qistina Redza (3:35:53).
Former Youth and Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin was among thousands who took part in the half-marathon, completing the 21km distance in 2:44:17.
“Putrajaya is often thought of as flat, but it actually has a lot of hills,” said Khairy, who regularly competes in endurance and duathlon events.
“It was a tough, rolling route.”
Held under the theme “Conquer Your Next Challenge,” the event welcomed runners across all levels, including in the 5km and 10km fun runs.
Score Sports Management chief executive officer Patricia Tan said the event celebrated both elite performance and personal achievement.
“From elite athletes to weekend warriors and first-time runners, each person had a personal mountain to climb,” she said.
This year’s edition was the event’s first as a World Athletics Label Road Race, making it a qualifying event for the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
In 2024, the event recycled over 1,150kg of plastic, and sustainability initiatives this year included bio-based finisher tees and recycled-material medals.
The race village also featured fitness activities, food trucks, and sponsor booths.
Pre-event training support included running clinic tours around the Klang Valley.
