Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's prestigious running event, the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2026, has been officially designated as the preliminary selection event for the marathon at the 2027 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. This designation was announced to provide a platform for identifying and grooming top marathon talent in the country. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysia Athletics (MA) deputy president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh stated that the top five marathon runners in both men's and women's categories who meet the qualifying standards will be added to the long list for the biennial Games. The qualifying times are set at two hours and 45 minutes for men and three hours and 15 minutes for women. This approach aims to give opportunities to emerging runners who are eager to excel. Datuk Wan Hisham emphasized the importance of developing these athletes through the National Sports Institute (ISN) and specialized coaching programs to further improve their performance. With appropriate t raining, athletes are expected to enhance their times by 10 to 15 minutes within a year. This strategic development was highlighted during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MA and KLSCM organizer, Dirigo Events. The MoU, signed by Wan Hisham and Dirigo Events director Rainer Biemans, outlines the cooperation in providing athletes with a structured development program. This includes increased race exposure at regional and international levels, access to ISN facilities, sports science services, and collaborative coaching initiatives. As Malaysia prepares to host the 2027 SEA Games, Wan Hisham noted that the country expects to receive three quota places each for the men's and women's marathon events. The Games are scheduled to occur from September 18 to 29, across four main clusters: Sarawak, Penang, Johor, and Kuala Lumpur. The KLSCM, recognized as the country's only road race with a World Athletics Elite Label, will hold its 2026 edition on October 3 and 4. The event anticipates par ticipation from 40,000 runners, including entrants from 70 countries, competing for a total prize pool of RM500,000.