Monday, 14th February, marked the official launch of the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2011. During the event, Minister of Youth And Sports Malaysia, Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, kicked off the "countdown to race day" with a click of a mouse.

Last week, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon's annual charity programme, Run For a Cause, was launched. During the event, we officially introduced this year's six charity partners and a representative from each charity shared their unique personal stories about Run For a Cause.

This year's charity partners and their spokespersons include:

• The National Autism Society of Malaysia General Manager Chia Liaw Kee
• Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam representative Aishah Sinclair, actress and television host
• Malaysian AIDS Foundation spokesperson Zainal Alam Kadir, editor and columnist for The Malay Mail
• The Malaysian Association for the Blind celebrity, singer & songwriter, Zainal Abidin
• National Cancer Society of Malaysia ambassador, Thanuja Ananthan, Miss World Malaysia 2009/10
• Standard Chartered Trust Fund spokesperson, Norliza Kamaruddin, Board of Trustee Member and and Country Head, Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd

Since registration began, nearly RM40,000 has already been raised for the Run For a Cause charities. Which cause will you support? Sign up now to make a difference today!

Running clinics are back! This year, we have included training circuits to help you prepare not only for the full marathon but also the half marathon and 10km races. Space is limited, so don't wait!

Dewan Sri Putra, Bukit Jalil is the venue for Race Entry Pack Collections this year. Not only does it have adequate space, air-conditioning, a great area for the expo but it also boasts 1,000 parking bays AND it's only a 10-minute walk from the Bukit Jalil LRT station. Collect your Race Entry Pack here from 22 June to 25 June 2011.

We are delighted to announce that New Balance and 100PLUS will continue their partnership as official sponsors of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon this year. Stay tuned for more info on upcoming sponsors, and don't forget to add us on Facebook and Twitter for fun daily updates!


For more info please log on to www.kl-marathon.com