KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — National triathlete Esther Joy Chen is eyeing an opportunity to compete in the marathon at the 2027 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games after emerging as Malaysia’s fastest female runner at the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon on October 4.

Esther, 22, clocked three hours, five minutes and 22 seconds (3:05:22) to win the Malaysian women’s category in her marathon debut, putting herself on the preliminary list of candidates for selection for the biennial Games.

She said the achievement had motivated her to continue improving her performance, particularly in terms of physical and mental preparation, as she pursued her dream of representing Malaysia on the international stage.

“In my mind, I am an optimistic person. I like setting high targets because I believe that whatever we set our minds to, we can achieve,” she said on Lensa Wanita on Siara Bernama Radio at Wisma Bernama here today.