No Prizes For Spotting Happy Runner

Editor’s Note

In a flash, all of the tickets for the individual running race categories have all been snapped up. There has been an encouraging increase in the numbers for the Full and Half Marathon Categories from previous years.

Although, SCKLM cannot offer USD200,000 Prize Money for the fastest Man & Woman as the Dubai version, Malaysia Runners and KL City are very proud to have our very own topnotch Marathon which offers an unmatched race experience on and off the route. Sadly, given the limited space of the iconic Merdeka Square race venue, the number of Total Participants have been capped at 35k for safety reasons. Sad for those who missed out in securing their individual slots. However, there can be no compromise when it comes to ensuring the safety of the runners and the Public.

Last year, I was able to cover the SCKLM 2016 quite extensively, and with the consent of the Event Organiser, I hope to continue giving my readers exclusive ringside reports of the build up and the race itself, and all the comings and goings of the SCKLM 2017 extravaganza!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON 2017 SOLD OUT

Runners snap up all individual race slots within four days

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 January 2017: Dirigo Events, race owner and organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017 (SCKLM), announced today that registrations for the race has officially closed as they have sold out all individual race slots for the event. The Standard Chartered KL Marathon turns nine this year and the 2017 edition will take place on Sunday, 21 May at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

“We are grateful that interest in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is as strong as ever. After our pre-registration period for 2016 participants closed, we opened registrations to the public on 16 January and have sold out four days later,” said Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events and Project Director of SCKLM 2017. “We thank all our loyal supporters for continuing to support the marathon and will now focus on delivering the best race experience possible,” he added.

An incredible 12,512 race slots were snapped up on the first day of registrations on Monday, 16 Jan, which is about a third of the total number of race slots available. According to Rainer, an encouraging aspect this year was that registrations for the Full and Half Marathon categories sold out quicker than the usually more popular 10km and 5km categories. 

“We have been consciously trying to increase the level of competitiveness for SCKLM 2017 and we are very happy to see that the popularity of the longer distances are increasing. In fact, we’ve closed the Full Marathon category with 8,000 runners in total this year, constituting a 7% increase from 2016 and the highest number recorded in this category so far for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. So for the first time our Running Clinics will have two sessions specifically for runners who are going to attempt their first Full Marathon and first Half Marathon,” he said.

The data gleaned from the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017’s registrations this year also show that there will be 1,381 runners from 63 different nationalities taking part, with the highest number of international runners coming from Indonesia (325) followed by the United Kingdom (146) and India (132).

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown to become the premier running event in Malaysia that draws thousands of local and international runners to the country whilst firmly establishing Malaysia in the global running calendar. The 2017 edition of the race will once again see sponsorship from Title Sponsor Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, along with Honda Malaysia, Brooks, Lucozade, Seiko and Pacific Regency.

Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank said, “It gives us tremendous pride to be the title sponsor of such an iconic event that has come to symbolise the coming together of communities and fostering nation building through sport. We wish all runners the best of luck and we look forward to welcoming them at the race.”

Elite runners will be competing to earn a slice of the almost RM500,000 in total that is on offer at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017,which include bonus prizes for record breaking course times. 

In an effort to reduce congestion and make the race more competitive, SCKLM 2017 will continue with a seven hour cut-off time for the Full Marathon with checkpoints at designated areas along the route to ensure runners are within the specified time frames. Runners who don’t make it to the checkpoints within the required times will not be allowed to complete the race and will be transported to the finish line. This is also meant to ensure the safety of runners as the public roads need to be opened to regular traffic at times strictly stipulated by the authorities. 

A perennial feature of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative Run For A Reason that aims to channel funds raised to deserving charities that assist underprivileged communities and those in dire need. This year the participating beneficiaries are the Standard Chartered Foundation, National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation and Hospis Malaysia.

Participating runners can also look forward to a total of 12 running clinics that will be provided by the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017, including 5 Junior running clinics and specialised clinics for those attempting their first Half and first Full Marathons.

For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:

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

Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/SCKLmarathon

Instagram : https://instagram.com/SCKLmarathon

Website : http://www.kl-marathon.com

For more information, please contact: 

Suthan Narayanan | 03.7887.4717 | suthan@dirigo.com.my

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:

Jennifer Kang | 03.2117.7770 | jennifer.kang@sc.com 

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

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About the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017

Back for the ninth year, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 21 May 2017. The marathon, owned and organised by Dirigo Events, will open to 35,000 participants, ranging from elite athletes to first-time distance runners. A truly international event, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon boasts participants from all over Malaysia and over 70 countries. The Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017 continues as Malaysia’s premier running event with top runners competing for a total of USD 125,000 in prize money.

For more information on the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon, please log onto:  http://www.kl-marathon.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/SCKLmarathon.

About Standard Chartered

We are a leading international banking group, with around 84,000 employees and a 150-year history in some of the world’s most dynamic markets. We bank the people and companies driving investment, trade and the creation of wealth across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. For more information please visit http://www.sc.com. Explore our insights and comment on our blog, BeyondBorders. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Standard Chartered in Malaysia

Standard Chartered Bank, a member of the Standard Chartered Group was established in Malaysia in 1875 and incorporated as Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad in 1984. As Malaysia’s first bank, Standard Chartered leads the way through product innovation, consistent and strong growth performance and sustainability initiatives. The Bank provides a comprehensive range of financial products and services to corporates, institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals through its network of branches across Malaysia.

In 2001, Standard Chartered UK established its third global technology & operations centre, Standard Chartered Global Business Services Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Scope International (M) Sdn Bhd) in Malaysia – the first international bank to do so in the country. Standard Chartered Global Business Services provides software development, banking operations, IT support services and customer service capabilities to the Bank in up to 70 countries. It now houses the biggest software development company in the country, International Software Centre Malaysia (ISCM) and has a total workforce of more than 4,300 people. Price Solutions Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank UK is also located in Malaysia. The company promotes and markets Standard Chartered’s financial products in Malaysia through a network of direct sales agents. Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad (Saadiq), Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia’s Islamic Banking subsidiary was established in November 2008. It offers a full suite of Syariah-compliant products and services to individuals and corporates through its dedicated branches. In 2012, Saadiq established Kuala Lumpur as its global hub for Islamic consumer banking.

Standard Chartered employs close to 7,000 employees in all its Malaysian operations.

About Dirigo Events

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon is owned by Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd, an award-winning event management company founded in 2011 by Rainer Biemans and Gloria Ng. The event not only draws a large number of Malaysian runners, but attracts runners from more than 70 countries around the world. 

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon was awarded the Platinum award in the Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism award in 2014 for bringing tourists to Kuala Lumpur. The award is testimony to Rainer Biemans’ and Gloria Ng’s combined experience of over 48 years in executing and creating world-class and impactful events for international clients around the world such as Europe, Brunei, India and Singapore. 

For more information on Dirigo Events, please contact +603 7887 1717 or email dirigo@dirigo.com.my

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