Esther Joy Wins KLSCM Malaysian Women’s Title In Her Full Marathon Debut
Prior to the race, she said the furthest she had run during training was 36km.
Cover image via @bukanrunclub (Instagram) & KLSCM (Provided to SAYS)Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
Esther Joy Chen made an impressive full marathon debut at the 2026 Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM), winning the Malaysian Women's category in 3:05:22
The 23-year-old national triathlon athlete was among the top Malaysian runners at this year's KLSCM, which also served as the official preliminary selection event for the 2027 SEA Games marathon team.
Chen finished ahead of Elaine Koon, who took second place in 3:12:43, while Lai Wei Ling came in third at 3:14:37.
Speaking to @ArenaMalaysia after the race, Chen said completing the marathon distance was no easy feat.
"42km is a really long distance. Imagine reaching 21km, and you have another 21km to run. It was just a mental battle with myself the whole time," she said.
She added that, prior to the race, the furthest she had run during training was 36km.
Chen said she decided to take on the marathon after learning that KLSCM would serve as the preliminary selection event for the 2027 SEA Games
Her coach subsequently adapted her training programme to include a dedicated marathon block, with the pair adopting an ambitious strategy for her debut.
"He gave me a rough pace to follow and my goal was to finish the race. It would have been nice to also clock a sub-3," Chen said.
Podium finishers (from left): Lai Wei Ling in third place, champion Esther Joy Chen, and Elaine Koon in second place.
Image via Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (Provided to SAYS)Meanwhile, defending champion Yeow Ni Jia successfully retained his Malaysian Men's title, finishing in 2:33:52
Lai Yi Hng came in second at 2:34:16, while national record holder Tan Huong Leong finished third in 2:39:17.
"I decided to go with the flow today. My goal was to secure a podium spot as well as make the SEA Games longlist and, of course, defend the title," said 26-year-old Yeow.
Both Yeow and Chen received RM20,000 each for winning their respective Malaysian categories.
Podium finishers (from left): Tan Huong Leong in third place, champion Yeow Ni Jia, and Lai Yi Hng in second place.
Image via Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (Provided to SAYS)In the Full Marathon Men's Open, Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi narrowly beat defending champion John Nzau Mwangangi to the finish line
Kemboi clocked 2:21:19, just eight seconds ahead of Mwangangi, to claim the title and a USD15,000 (approximately RM61,065) prize.
In the Women's Open, Ethiopia's Alemitu Ajema Lema delivered a commanding performance to win in 2:39:29. Kenya's Lucy Nthenya Ndambuki finished second in 2:39:59, followed by compatriot Caroline Cheptonui Kilel in third at 2:40:17.
