STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON CLOSES REGISTRATION AS 35,000 RUNNERS SIGNED UP

Standard Chartered KL Marathon receives positive support and uptake from runners  

KUALA LUMPUR, 27th April 2016: Race owner and organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2016 (SCKLM), Dirigo Events announced that all 35,000 slots for the 2016 edition of Standard Chartered KL Marathon has been taken up. This will be SCKLM’s eighth edition and is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 7th August at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

There was also an initiative that gave participants of the 2015 race priority to register for the race. The move was warmly received as approximately 40% of the participants took up the opportunity to sign on for the race.  

Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd., Event Owner and Organiser of Standard Chartered KL Marathon, said, “The positive uptake shown by the runners deeply humbled us and we look forward to delivering a great race experience all the way to race day. We are encouraged by Standard Chartered Bank’s commitment to the Marathon and we would like to thank all runners and the Standard Chartered KL Marathon family of stakeholders, sponsors, partners and supporters for making the Marathon possible.”

Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia said, “To see so many runners returning and motivated to join the Standard Chartered KL Marathon gives us an extra spring in our step in putting together a great race. We are pleased to be a platform for ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and we are proud to be part of their journey in encouraging the community to get involved in sports and adopt a healthier lifestyle.”

Interested participants of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon will still be able to take part through its Run For A Reason initiative where you could raise funds for a selected beneficiary. Information are as follows:

• Corporate Challenge – The 10 KM category is still available for registrations. All donations from the race will go to the Standard Chartered KL Marathon beneficiaries.

• Be a “Run For A Reason” runner – Limited slots are still available for individuals who are looking to raise funds for their selected beneficiaries. Runners will get to setup a fundraising profile page to share with friends, family and the public. Raise RM500 and you are entitled to receive an exclusive Run For A Reason t-shirt from one of SCKLM’s official charity partners.

• Supporting the “Run For A Reason” runners – Pick a charity that you would like to support, and make a donation to our “Run For A Reason” runners who have pledged their commitment to raise funds for their chosen beneficiaries.

This year’s participating beneficiaries for Run For A Reason are Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF), Hospis Malaysia, Yayasan Sejahtera and IJN Foundation.

Alternatively to be a part of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, you could do the following:

• Be a volunteer – More than 1,500 volunteers are needed to help on Race Day and you can be one of them. Stay tuned to the Standard Chartered KL Marathon announcements on social media for volunteer registrations.

• Be a supporter – Cheer and support your friends and families all the way to the finish line in their race and add festivity to the event!

Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd., Event Owner and Organiser of Standard Chartered KL Marathon also further added, “Running the race in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is an amazing journey, and part of that journey involves preparing one’s mind and body. To help runners prepare for their race, we will be announcing dates of our Standard Chartered KL Marathon running clinics which will be led by our official coach, Mark Williams where he will share his experience and expertise to all runners.”

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2016 is made possible by title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank, and along with event owner and organiser, Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd. and co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:

Facebook    : http://www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon

Twitter    : www.twitter.com/SCKLmarathon

Instagram    : https://instagram.com/SCKLmarathon

Website    : www.kl-marathon.com

MEN’S HEALTH WOMEN’S HEALTH NIGHT RUN BY AIA VITALITY FLAGS OFF IN PENANG!

Penang plays host to 6,000+ runners and guests who enjoy inaugural race, celebrity DJs, live music and Time Out Penang Food Village

Bayan Lepas, Penang, 4 April 2016 – Over 6,000 enjoyed the party atmosphere at the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality. The event saw Malaysians from all walks of life taking on the various categories of the inaugural race, as the fun lasted through the night in the Runners Village where there were celebrity DJs, live music and many of the country’s best food trucks.

Entertainment in the village began at 5.30pm and lasted until well past midnight with an array of food vendors at the “Time Out Penang Food Village”. Live music acts included Kien Lim and Penang singer/songwriter Daniel C who performed at the Somersby Sound Stage. Dangerdisko, and headline star Patricia K also dee-jayed until late so that runners returning from their exertions around the course could join the revellers.

The race route took runners through some of Penang’s most breath-taking sights under the night sky, eye-catching among which was the spectacular Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah bridge in the background. The scene proved popular among selfie fans as many were spotted taking photos to remember the night.  

The Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality also raised competition as participants pushed the limits of their capabilities as they competed across various categories. Winners were announced across distances of 5km, 12km and 21km, with high value prizes for all. For a full list of winners, visit www.mens-health.com.my/nightrun or www.womens-health.com.my/nightrun.

“We are absolutely delighted to have brought the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality to Penang for the first time,” said Graham Paling, Group CEO of Mongoose Publishing Sdn Bhd.

“The main objective of this event is to give Malaysians an experience they will remember and to inspire them to better health. This great event has helped to energise the running community in Penang and deliver a fantastic experience in line with the core Men’s Health and Women’s Health brand values.

“This would not have been possible without the valued support of our title sponsor, AIA Vitality. AIA shares our vision and have been a great partner and ally in making our vision into reality. We look forward to working with them on the next legs of the Night Run Series in Putrajaya and Johor.”

Thomas Wong, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Bhd, said, “As Malaysia’s leading life insurer, we want to play an active role in empowering Malaysians to take charge of their health. As title sponsor of this run series, it gives us pleasure and pride in seeing so many people just joining in the fun and embracing what it means to be healthier Malaysians.”

Smiles were seen all around as runners prepared themselves by joining the warm up session by Fitness First after they were given a warm welcome by the Night Run Series’ Title Sponsor, AIA Vitality as well as the ambassadors of Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality.

“Preparation is key when it comes to joining any running event. We appreciate the positive energy shown by the runners this year. It is a good feeling seeing them getting pumped up for their respective runs and actively joining in the warm up session,” said Eugene Phua, Editor of Men’s Health.

   

This year, the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality race village had an array of activities and entertainment for runners and their guests to enjoy late into the night. The showpiece of this was a large, interactive AIA Vitality booth where guests were provided with complimentary health checks as well as pre- and post-run massages. For a bit of fun, guests were invited to juice their own fruits by pedalling on static bikes, as well as challenge each other to games of zorb ball.

The food trucks and vendors at the Time Out Penang Food Village proved especially popular with runners, their families and Penang-based visitors who came down to join the party. While on the Somersby Sound Stage, there were performances by Kien Lim and Penang singer/songwriter Daniel C. After which, there was a headline DJ set from by one of Malaysia’s hottest female DJs, Patricia K, who is also one of the event ambassadors for the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality.

“Running events are about challenging yourself and pushing your limits, but we feel it is also important to have fun in the process. The turn out this year is very good and we are overwhelmed by the overall support given by the runners and guests. With the food and fantastic music we hope everyone had a great time!” said Sueann Chong, Editor of Women’s Health.

Organised by Mongoose Publishing Sdn Bhd, the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality is made successful with the support from title sponsor AIA Vitality and gold sponsors including Skechers Performance and Ultron. Silver sponsor of the event is Petron, while the bronze sponsors are Go Pro, Optimax Eye Specialist, and Fitness First. Official partners include Philips, Grab, Appeton Essentials, Tender Soft, Otter Box, Lucozade, and Queensbay Mall. The official timer is Adidas and the media partner for the event is Time Out Penang.

Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality Winners List

21km Men’s Open

Position	Name	Time
1st	Ong Wei Xiang	1:28:43
2nd	Anphananthan Gunasegaran	1:31:04
3rd	Ong Ghee Khoon	1:48:15

21km Women’s Open

Position	Name	Time
1st	Sheela Samivellu	1:33:50
2nd	Christine Loh Woon Chze	1:49:48
3rd	Ong Ee Ling	1:51:07

21km Men’s Veteran

Position	Name	Time
1st	Baskaran A/L Kuppusamy	1:21:03
2nd	Bernd Eckmann	1:27:12
3rd	Tan Chong Peng	1:28:03

21km Women’s Veteran

Position	Name	Time
1st	Ewe Bee Hong	1:41:04
2nd	Susan Khoo	1:48:39
3rd	Toh Hui Sung	1:55:14

12km Men’s Open

Position	Name	Time
1st	Ooi Siau Tieh	0:46:37
2nd	Cheong Kin Eve	0:48:21
3rd	Eyeo Chun Seong	0:48:23

12km Women’s Open

Position	Name	Time
1st	Chng Suat Ping	0:57:59
2nd	Stephanie Chong	1:00:06
3rd	Indra A/P Samivellu	1:00:22

STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON ELEVATES COMPETITION AND IMPROVES RUNNING EXPERIENCE - Checkpoint system and extended official cut-off time amongst changes introduced -

KUALA LUMPUR, 9^th March 2016: Race owner and organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2016 (SCKLM), Dirigo Events announced today that runner’s registration will begin from Tuesday, 15^th March 2016. This year marks SCKLM’s eighth installation and will take place on Sunday, 7^th August at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

A new staggered registration system will be introduced to ensure a better registration experience for runners as it simplifies the online registration process and lessens the chances of web-traffic congestion. 

In addition, participants of SCKLM 2015 will be given priority to register for the 2016 event due to last year’s race cancellation caused by the haze. Further details of the staggered registrations can be found on www.kl-marathon.com or the Standard Chartered KL Marathon Facebook page.

Apart from the staggered registration system, the official cut-off time of the full marathon has been extended to 7 hours to reduce route congestion. A checkpoint system, commonly practised in international marathons, will also be implemented this year. Runners will need to reach each checkpoint within a designated time or will be shuttled back to Dataran Merdeka.

Other initiatives to look forward to this year include the Friendship Run and Pasta Party, which will be held on the eve of the race. Opened only to Full Marathon participants, the event aims to foster camaraderie amongst runners from around the world.

 “The Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown to become Malaysia’s premier running event that draws thousands of local and international runners to navigate a route covering beautiful and historical landmarks around the city of Kuala Lumpur” said Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events. “We hope that these additions will not only improve participant and fan experience but elevates the Marathon’s level of competition”.

Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia adds, “We are proud to return as title sponsors of such an iconic sporting event. The marathon, along with its additions, showcases a perfect example of Standard Chartered’s dedication to sporting brilliance. This devotion is displayed in the Bank’s dedication to building trust through continuity, credibility, competence and skill in the field of sports”.

This year’s participating beneficiaries for Run For A Reason are Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF), Hospis Malaysia, Yayasan Sejahtera and IJN Foundation.

The 2016 Standard Chartered KL Marathon is once again made possible by title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank, and along with event owner and organiser, Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd. and co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:

Facebook       : http://www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon

Twitter            : www.twitter.com/SCKLmarathon

Instagram       : https://instagram.com/SCKLmarathon

Website          : www.kl-marathon.com

For more information, please contact:

David Joshua Lau | 03.7493.5588 | david@my-essence.com

Jacqueline Khoo | 03.7493.5588 | jacqueline@my-essence.com

For more information on Standard Chartered KL Marathon:

Gloria Ng | 603.7887.4717 | 2015@kl-marathon.com

For more information on Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad:

Nimmi Kamal | 03.2117.7770 | nimmi.kamal@sc.com

Geraldine Tan | 03.2117.7821 | geraldine.tan@sc.com