I have read a few bad reviews about this marathon. However, found it to be well organized with sufficient drink stations, km markers & aid stations. The route was challenging especially towards the end when going up a hill from around 36 to the top at 38km. Anyone thinking of running this event must definitely train on hill running especially with a cutoff time of 6 hrs. I saw a lot of runners finishing after 6 hrs & I think the last runner finished in about 8 hrs.

Compared to last yr the current 2011 is a better arrangement, good ending n easy to collect the goodie bag wit all inside. Very good idea. However, the only small comment I wish to highlight is the T-Shirt, look very cheap n wrong colour, cannot see at night especially before dawn, should have use brighter color like Lumina yellow, green or blue, so we can see each others and not to hit on the front runner, always realized too late as dull green colour not easy to spot.

The race organisation has improved greatly judging by comments on previous years. Packet pickup went smoothly, location is a little out of the way but just a short walk from an LRT station. Much of the course is on roads with runners separated from traffic by cones; this was well marshalled and roads were quiet early on but slower runners might suffer from more traffic. There were aid stations every 2k, well stocked with water, sports drink & sponges, plus bananas at 16k and gel at 30k. In 2011 it was humid at the 5am start but cooled off as it was overcast when the sun came up; the heat started to build up about 9am. There were pacers for 3:30, 4:00 etc. Start & finish are opposite the home of the Hash House Harriers! Biggest tip: stay well hydrated to avoid cramps on the final hill around km38. Despite this hill, I found it a reasonably fast course

The organizers listen to people's comments and have improved in many ways. However, they did not alert the public, so slower folks had to fight traffic, and there were NO spectators at all, which is disheartening.

Ran in 2008 the half marathon. It was alright, but after the Sungai Besi Airfield, we had to share the road with lots of impatient drivers and hopeless traffic police officers. At one stage we had to cross through something like 5 lanes of massive traffic jam. There were hardly any spectators along the way. The course itself (despite the traffic problem) was not too bad and quite interesting towards the end. FTAAA, why don't you include the Malaysian icon everybody is so proud of (the Petronas Twin Towers) in the course? The half marathon seemed very long (21.8K, according to my GPS). Is this a course that is measured to international standards? I did not see any kilometer markers. Organizers, look at Singapore and learn from them how to organize a proper race!

This is my first marathon, but I ran the 10K during the K.L.I.M last year.

1) Not enough distance markers - on some parts of the route, I just followed other runners blindly as there were no clear directions and distance.

2) Water at the water station were warm, especially the 100-plus.

3) No toilet along the way except near BNM, which was nearing the end of the marathon.

4) When collecting BIB and CHIP, the FTAA staff were rude, not helpful. Its a far cry from the Singapore Marathon, where the organizers were helpful and ready to help.

5) Traffic was not controlled until all the runners had passed. Many times I was honked at by cars, and at some point had to wait while police stopped the cars.

6) Terrible finisher's t-shirt. Not only is it not wearable, but I'm a size M/L - not XXXL. What is the point? Isn't finishing a marathon considered an achievement?

Please do something about the above, as it is a matter of national pride.

Terrible organization
- two bathrooms in the whole race
- running between cars
- course not separated from open streets
- hot drinks in the race stands
- only one distance marker (wrongly positioned)
- people sitting and standing right in the finish line

Is there anything else that could be wrong?

Very good.

A friend and I traveled to KL to run the marathon on March 18, 2007. We thought it would be great to go overseas and run a marathon. I have completed 4 previous marathons.

The course is hard and hilly, with a lot of running up and down ramps on the freeway. I found the water stations great, with plenty of water. The power drink supplied, however, was carbonated, so a little hard to handle. The organization of the event took a lot to be desired; we were told we would get transfers from the airport for traveling overseas, but this did not happen. The pre-race number pick up was hard to find and very disorganized.

The temperature and humidity make this a difficult course; we had problems after finishing the race trying to cool down and find any shade, as all the tents were full of 10KM runners and half marathoners. The race had no toilets along the course and very few at the start line. I do believe there were only 3 small blocks of toilets for 8,000 runners. KL itself is a great spot and very affordable.

In my opinion, this marathon was poorly organized. Below are a few of my grouses (during and pre-race) which the organizers should look into:
1. Distance wasn't clearly marked. At one point, I thought I was running aimlessly.
2. Absolutely no toilets along the way, unlike the Singapore Marathon where mobile toilets lined (almost) the entire route.
3. Water stations were only available at every 5K and even then runners had to wait for water to be poured into the cups, making us lose precious time.
4. Primitive ribbon system being used. What's the point of wearing a chip then?!! I had to run an extra lap because the race officials missed out in giving me a ribbon.

Pre-race:
1. Bib collection was poorly organized. I registered online and was asked to re-register for the chip. Blatant waste of time and not to mention, an incovenience.
2. FTAA people were rude. I called about the road closures (as I wanted to drive there), and they weren't helpful or courteous. They accused me of "nagging" them.