Langkawi International Half Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Langkawi International Half Marathon is a 21.1 km road race on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, held on a Saturday in December and organised by the running club Langkawirunners with the support of the Langkawi Development Authority. It was first run in December 2022, and the 2026 race is billed as the fifth edition. Earlier editions also had shorter races, but from 2026 the half marathon is the only distance, and the field is capped at 7,000 runners. Start and finish are at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC) beside Langkawi International Airport, a fully air-conditioned hall, which makes this the only competitive race in Malaysia that starts and finishes indoors. The first edition's route led from MIEC through the main street of Pantai Cenang and back; the course now runs along the coast and through paddy fields, with the mountains rising behind at sunrise. Total elevation gain is around 80 m, so the course is relatively flat. The gun goes at 5:00 am to beat the heat. Runners must be 18 or older on race day, and cash prizes go to the top finishers in the international and Malaysian open categories. The race is listed on the World Athletics Label Road Races calendar.