The Course: Putrajaya, Then Cyberjaya, Then Back
In 2026 the start moved from Cyberjaya to Dataran Putrajaya, which the organiser, Ten Senses, said gave more parking and room for a race village for about 20,000 runners [1]. All six races started and finished in Putrajaya [2]. The organiser called the route completely new in one interview [1] and a slight change in others [3][4].
The organiser's GPX file for the marathon starts on Persiaran Perdana in Presint 3 [5][6]. The first 14 km stay in Putrajaya, north through Presint 2 and Presint 1 and out to Presint 12, 13 and 11. At about km 15 the route crosses into Cyberjaya at Garden Residence and spends more than 20 km there, on Jalan Teknokrat, Persiaran Bestari, Persiaran APEC and Persiaran Tasik, before returning to Putrajaya along Persiaran Selatan for the last 4 to 5 km [5][6].
The half marathon follows the same pattern on a smaller scale: Putrajaya to about km 7, Cyberjaya from about km 8 to km 17, then back through Presint 5 and Presint 4 to the finish [7][6].
Expect some climbing. The elevation data in the GPX files, which are drawn on a mapping site rather than surveyed, runs from about 10 m to 68 m above sea level, with the marathon's high points around km 6 in Presint 1 and km 16 at Garden Residence [5][7].
The Weather: 24°C Before Dawn, in Saturated Air
Kuala Lumpur International Airport, about 19 km south of the start, recorded 25°C, a dew point of 22°C, 83% humidity and no wind at 2.30am on race morning, and 24°C with 89% humidity at 3am, the readings either side of the 2.45am marathon start [8]. It barely changed for six hours: 24°C to 25°C and 83% to 89% humidity from 2.30am to 8.30am, with wind of 3 knots or less [8].
The half marathon started at 4am in 25°C and 83% humidity and closed at 8am at 25°C [8]. After that it warmed quickly: 26°C at 9am, 28°C at 10am, and 29°C with 70% humidity at 10.30am, 15 minutes before the marathon cut-off [8].
A dew point of 22°C means sweat evaporates slowly, and with almost no wind there was little to help. The line that matters is 9am. A marathoner who finished inside about six hours ran almost the whole race at 24°C to 25°C; an eight-hour finisher spent the last stretch in temperatures heading for 30°C [2][8].
Start Times, Cut-offs and What Finishers Get
The Sunday races started at 2.45am for the marathon, 4am for the half marathon, 6.45am for the 12 km and 7am for the 5 km. The Saturday had the 3 km Kids Dash at 7.30am and the 10 km Friendship Run at 8am [2].
The limits were 8 hours for the marathon (10.45am), 4 hours for the half (8am), 2 hours 15 minutes for the 12 km (9am) and 2 hours each for the 5 km and 10 km [9][2]. The cut-offs are clock times, so a runner who starts at the back of a big wave has less than the full limit [2]. The organiser said more than 85% of participants finished inside the time for their category [3][4].
Every finisher got a medal, and finisher tees went only to marathon and half-marathon finishers [9][2]. Every category except the 10 km came with an event tee; the 10 km had no timing chip or e-certificate, and the 5 km had no timing chip [2]. The minimum age was 18 for the marathon and 16 for the half and the 12 km [2].
Roads, Parking and Getting to the Start
The roads were not all fully closed. In Cyberjaya, the Sepang municipal council's notice closed Persiaran Garden Residence from 3am to 5.30am and ran contraflow on Persiaran APEC from 3.15am to 6.30am. On Jalan Teknokrat 1 and 2, from 3.30am to 7am, runners had the left lane and vehicles the right [10]. Expect traffic beside you on parts of the Cyberjaya loop, in the dark.
A shuttle ran between Putrajaya and the Cyberjaya Park & Ride in front of Cyberjaya Fire Station, D'Pulze and Shaftsbury [2]. The move to Dataran Putrajaya was partly about parking [1], but the rules say the organiser is not responsible for parking problems at the venue [2].
Race packs were collected at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) on Friday 16 January, 10am to 8pm, and Saturday 17 January, 10am to 7pm. Courier delivery cost RM20 if booked by 15 October 2025 [2]. The marathon cost RM130 at the regular rate and RM140 late, and the half marathon RM115 and RM125 [9][2]. Entry fees were not refundable and registrations could not be transferred [2].
A Big Field, and a Slow Start Line
The 2026 race drew more than 21,000 runners from 33 countries, up from about 13,000 in 2025 [3][4]. The half marathon was by far the biggest race, with about 10,600 runners, ahead of the 12 km with about 4,500 and the marathon with about 3,500 [3].
In a field that size, reaching the start takes time. One half marathoner's results card shows a gun time of 2:36:10 and a net time of 2:25:39, more than ten minutes between the gun and the start line; on net time that runner placed 2,778th of 9,829 in the half marathon [11].
How Fast the Field Is
Muhamad Haziq Hamzah won the men's open marathon in 2:41:41 and Noor Amelia Musa the women's in 3:13:05 [1][4]. The international categories went to Sato of Japan in 2:50:36 and Vu Khanh Linh of Vietnam in 3:09:28, faster than the Malaysian women's open winner [1]. Nik Fakaruddin Ismail won the men's veteran marathon in 2:48:37 [4].
Prize money is split. Malaysians race in open and veteran categories paying RM2,000, RM1,500 and RM800 for the top three in the marathon and RM1,500, RM1,000 and RM500 in the half, with trophies down to 10th place. Foreign runners race for a separate international prize with the same amounts for the top three [2]. With winning times in the 2:40s and trophies ten deep in four categories, a strong club runner has a realistic chance of a place.
Should You Enter the 2027 Race?
Yes, if you live in the Klang Valley or can fly in for a January weekend and want a big marathon with music, cheering and food stalls around it [1] and a limit that suits slower runners. The eight-hour cut-off and the 24°C to 25°C air before dawn give a slower marathoner a real chance to finish. The 12 km and 5 km give non-marathoners a reason to come.
Think twice if you want fully closed roads, an uncrowded start, or you cannot face a 2.30am start after little sleep.
The 2027 race is on Sunday 24 January, with the 3 km and 10 km on Saturday 23 January at PICC [12][13]. The starts move 15 minutes earlier: the marathon at 2.30am with an eight-hour limit (10.30am) and the half marathon at 3.45am with four hours [12]. Entry fees are published: RM135 to RM145 for the marathon (RM165 for international runners) and RM120 to RM130 for the half (RM150) [12]. Bib transfers are to be allowed during an official marketplace period, a change from 2026 [2][12]. The organiser is aiming for 27,000 runners and pairing the race with a culture festival [14]. The route, its certification and the aid-station plan are to come in the race guide, which had not been published when this was written [12].
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's race information, registration pages and GPX route files, local reporting in Malay, a council road-closure notice, airport weather records and one runner's post.