First-time marathoner Sivaneshwaran stuns field in Putrajaya
Running his first full marathon, he crossed the line in 2:48:08, well ahead of Lim Kok Leong (2:51:00) and Naqib Haikal Rahman (2:51:28), who finished second and third respectively.
A national track and field athlete, Sivaneshwaran had previously won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2018 Asean University Games.
"This is my first full marathon. I only signed up because my club said they'd sponsor me for a race in Vietnam this December if I did a sub-three-hour run," he said.
"I didn't think I could even finish it. But to win, and in a good time, feels amazing.
"I trained hard for this. I spent three to four months doing long runs, gym sessions, everything. The route was tough and hilly. If it had been flat, I think I could've done 2:30."
In the women's category, local runner Lee Siok Chin dominated with a 3:17:17 finish, comfortably beating Vietnam's Vu Khanh Linh (3:21:54) and Diana Qistina Redza (3:35:53).
Wan Izzul Syahrulyuzi Wan Rusley and Nur Amelia Musa topped the charts in the half-marathon category.
Among the notable participants in the half-marathon was former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who completed the 21km race in 2:44:17.
While not the result he had hoped for, Khairy, who has been actively involved in endurance sports of late, including duathlon events. admitted it was a tough day out.
"A tough run. Although it's the Putrajaya route, it's fairly rolling with a lot of inclines, definitely a challenging route," he said.
"Putrajaya is often thought of as flat, but it actually has a lot of hills."
The AIA Vitality-backed event drew a record 33,000 runners from 48 countries, reaffirming its status as one of Southeast Asia's biggest and most inclusive races.
In the run-up to the event, organisers held Running Clinic Tours around the Klang Valley, helping both novice and seasoned runners gear up mentally and physically for race day.
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KUALA LUMPUR: G. Sivaneshwaran made a dream debut in the SCORE Marathon on Sunday, storming to victory in the men's 42km race in Putrajaya. Running his first full marathon, he crossed the line in 2:48:08, well ahead of Lim Kok Leong (2:51:00) and Naqib Haikal Rahman (2:51:28), who finished second and third respectively. A national track and field athlete, Sivaneshwaran had previously won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2018 Asean University Games. "This is my first full marathon. I only signed up because my club said they'd sponsor me for a race in Vietnam this December if I did a sub-three-hour run," he said. "I didn't think I could even finish it. But to win, and in a good time, feels amazing. "I trained hard for this. I spent three to four months doing long runs, gym sessions, everything. The route was tough and hilly. If it had been flat, I think I could've done 2:30." In the women's category, local runner Lee Siok Chin dominated with a 3:17:17 finish, comfortably beating Vietnam's Vu Khanh Linh (3:21:54) and Diana Qistina Redza (3:35:53). Wan Izzul Syahrulyuzi Wan Rusley and Nur Amelia Musa topped the charts in the half-marathon category. Among the notable participants in the half-marathon was former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who completed the 21km race in 2:44:17. While not the result he had hoped for, Khairy, who has been actively involved in endurance sports of late, including duathlon events. admitted it was a tough day out. "A tough run. Although it's the Putrajaya route, it's fairly rolling with a lot of inclines, definitely a challenging route," he said. "Putrajaya is often thought of as flat, but it actually has a lot of hills." The AIA Vitality-backed event drew a record 33,000 runners from 48 countries, reaffirming its status as one of Southeast Asia's biggest and most inclusive races. In the run-up to the event, organisers held Running Clinic Tours around the Klang Valley, helping both novice and seasoned runners gear up mentally and physically for race day.
