More marathon runners for next year’s home SEA Games

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Athletics (MA) will have more long-distance runners for next year’s home SEA Games with the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon, scheduled for Oct 3-4, serving as a selection event.

The top five finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories will be selected for the Games.

To increase the numbers, those who clock times below 2’45.00 in the men’s event and 3’15:00 (women) will also be picked.

At the last SEA Games in 2025 hosted by Thailand, Malaysia had only one representative in the marathon in Yeow Ni Jia, who finished seventh.

Malaysia Athletics (MA) deputy president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh is hopeful that this initiative will help the nation secure more qualified runners for the home Games.

‘‘We want to inspire Malaysians to pursue long-distance running seriously, knowing that there exists a transparent system that acknowledges and rewards merit,” stated Hisham.

The collaboration between MA and Dirigo Events, officially launched at Wisma OCM yesterday, also aims to identify and nurture emerging talents.

The selected runners will then undergo a structured training programme, complemented by enhanced coaching support, exposure to international and regional races, and nutrition planning to facilitate their development.

“MA are also collaborating with the National Sports Institute (NSI) to provide athletes with access to sport science services, strength and conditioning programmes, physiotherapy support, performance analysis, and other high-performance resources,” added Hisham.

With international podium finishes being the main goal for MA, Hisham is confident this initiative will achieve just that.

“We want to see the Jalur Gemilang raised on podiums with our athletes bringing pride to the nation.”