Standard Chartered Taipei Charity Marathon

• Established in 2013, the Standard Chartered Taipei Charity Marathon (SCTCM) has grown into one of Taiwan’s most recognised charity marathons that is committed to inspire runners to embrace the spirit of perseverance.
• The race is certified by Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and World Athletics (WA), and endorsed by the Sports Administration under the Ministry of Education which has been awarded "Sports Activist Award - Gold Sponsorship Award” since 2014.
• SCTCM is one of the 10 marathon events globally sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank. Charity has always been central to SCTCM, aligning with the Bank’s brand promise to be ‘’Here for good.’’ Through SCTCM, runners are encouraged to raise funds in support of Standard Chartered Charity Programmes, the Bank’s global initiative that aims to tackle inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people in local communities.
• Starting in 2026, the event is designated as an AbbottWMM Age Group World Rankings qualifying race—making it the largest qualifying event of its kind in Taiwan, enabling Taiwanese runners aged 40 and above to compete directly for international age group world ranking points.

2027

• With cumulative donations exceeding TWD144 million, encouraging more runners to support charity and sustainability.

2026

• The 2026 event was themed “TOGETHER, WE RUN FURTHER,” attracting 26,000 runners from 51 countries worldwide, with participants aged up to 88 years old.
• The event was officially included as a qualifying race for the AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Rankings, providing Taiwanese runners with an opportunity to compete for international age-group rankings and establishing SCTCM as one of Taiwan’s most prominent international road races.
• The race was jointly inaugurated by Mary Huen, CEO of Hong Kong and GCNA; John Tan, Chairman of Standard Chartered Taiwan; and Anthony Yu, CEO of Standard Chartered Taiwan. Both the Chairman and CEO personally participated in the 11K Challenge.
• With strong support from runners through participation and fundraising, individual donations reached NT$840,000, while total fundraising exceeded NT$3.5 million.
• In the Full Marathon category, Hong Wei-qi, a 22-year-old Taiwanese runner, claimed the men’s championship with a finishing time of 2:30:11.
• In the women’s Full Marathon category, Japanese runner Kana Numata won the championship with a personal record of 2:40:15.
• Following the race, Golden Melody Award-winning band MIXER performed at the post-race carnival, accompanying runners through music as they celebrated their achievements.

2025

• The 2025 Standard Chartered Taipei Charity Marathon, themed "RUN FOR CHANGE" encourages runners to create positive change in their lives, the environment, and society through running.
• The event invited Taiwanese band Bestards, formed by a former doctor, pharmacists, and an engineer, to serve as event ambassadors. Through running and music, the group encouraged participants to develop healthy running habits and continue pursuing their personal journeys.
• As the first stop of Standard Chartered Bank’s global ten-city marathon series, the 2025 SCTCM unveiled a refreshed event logo to showcase Taiwan to the world. A dedicated Shakeout Run was organised for international runners before race day, allowing participants to connect through running and experience local culture.
• The event continued to strengthen its partnership with international sports brand New Balance, aiming to deliver a more professional, enjoyable, and high-quality race experience for runners worldwide.
• In collaboration with running communities, SCTCM introduced long-term training programmes tailored for different ability levels, supporting runners in improving performance and achieving personal milestones.
• Under the spirit of “RUN FOR CHANGE,” SCTCM launched the Second Life Festival to extend the lifecycle of pre-loved items and create sustainable value. The event also introduced the Plogging Clean Street Run, led by Serena Fang, encouraging the public to create environmental change through running.

2024

• The event invited Golden Melody Award-winning band Cosmos People as ambassadors and shared their signature song “Run Together” as the event theme song. Music stations were introduced along the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and 13K routes to support runners and promote Taiwanese music talents.
• New Balance served as the official race apparel sponsor, providing race shirts and supporting runners through the New Balance Run Club (NBRC). Through running clinics, NBRC shared professional training tips and guidance to help participants prepare for race day. Pacers were also provided for the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and 13K categories to support runners in achieving their target finishing times.
• Runners who registered for both the 2023 and 2024 races were eligible to receive a 10% discount. Participants who achieved a faster finishing time in the 2024 race compared with their personal best from 2023 were also eligible to enter a lucky draw on the SCTCM Facebook page.
• An official race app was launched for the 2024 event, with multiple features designed to enhance the participant experience. These included creating personal event profiles, sharing progress with the running community, live performance tracking, viewing official race results, and analysing race performance data.
• Aligned with Standard Chartered’s goal of achieving net zero emissions from its own operations by 2025, SCTCM continued to incorporate green and sustainable practices into the event. A new 13K Plogging Run category was introduced to encourage environmentally responsible practices among runners. The 2024 race medals and trophies continued to be produced using environmentally friendly bamboo materials, with green and blue elements incorporated into the design. All race-related items were developed in accordance with the principles of “Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse.”

2023

• With the theme “Go Forward,” the race aims to encourage participants to move forward towards their goals — whether achieving better health, contributing to the community, or becoming their best selves.
• Aligned with the Bank's commitment to achieve net zero across its own operations by 2025 and financed emissions by 2050, green and sustainable practices were integrated into the event. All race materials followed the principles of Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. For example, finisher medals are made from bamboo fibre, while trophies are handcrafted from bamboo. Event materials are provided in digital format, including digital finisher certificates, and plastic packaging has been eliminated from race apparel and race packs. More than 200 Standard Chartered volunteers took part in plogging during the event, demonstrating the Bank's commitment to environmental sustainability and leading by example.
• A charity sale featuring B Corporations and NGOs was also held at the Finish Line area.

2022

• The race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

• The race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

2020

• Nearly 30,000 runners from 43 countries participated in the event, including 250 visually impaired runners and disadvantaged young participants.
• The theme “Without Limits” was introduced to honour legendary runner Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine.
• The event introduced the first Full Marathon Corporate Charity Relay, with 24 teams supporting Standard Chartered Charity Programmes, the Bank’s global initiative to empower disadvantaged youth and visually impaired communities.
• A fundraising initiative was also launched, encouraging runners to support Standard Chartered Charity Programmes.

2019

• Nearly 30,000 runners from 54 countries participated in the event, including 250 teams comprising visually impaired runners and sighted guide runners.
• The theme “Be Fearless” was introduced for the 2019 race, encouraging runners to challenge themselves while celebrating the courage and determination of people with visual impairments in pursuing their career aspirations.
• The 13K category was introduced, replacing the previous 10K category.
• The “10-Hour Nonstop Visually Impaired Relay” was also held in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, accomplishing a total distance of 999.3 KM completed by the visually impaired challenging teams.
• For five consecutive years, Standard Chartered received the Gold Award of Sponsorship under the Sports Promoter Awards presented by the Ministry of Education.

2018

• The new 10K Team Challenge category was introduced as part of the race’s fifth anniversary celebration, encouraging greater participation among runners.
• Supported by Standard Chartered, the first “Taipei–Taichung–Kaohsiung 500KM Visually Impaired Relay Challenge” was launched and successfully completed, with the participation of 40 visually impaired runners and 88 sighted guide runners.

2017

• Through the race, Standard Chartered contributed more than TWD 50 million to support projects under Seeing is Believing, the Bank’s global initiative aimed at supporting employment opportunities for people with visual impairments in Taiwan and preventing avoidable blindness in developing countries.
• The innovative “Seeing is Believing Visually Impaired Employment Platform” received the 2017 Zero Project Award – Innovative Practice presented by the Essl Social Prize in Vienna.
• Inspired by the stories of people with visual impairments, the book “Seeing is Believing”, featuring 10 personal accounts of workplace experiences, was published in the same year.

2016

• More than 33,000 runners from 54 countries participated in the event, including 200 visually impaired runners and their sighted running guides.
• 10 athletes from the 2016 Olympic Games also joined the race to raise public awareness of the charity marathon under the theme “Hear the Love.”

2015

• The new 2K Leader’s Cup category was launched to engage business leaders in supporting employment opportunities for people with visual impairments in Taiwan.
• The “Seeing is Believing Visually Impaired Employment Platform” was introduced with support from partners including the Taipei Parents’ Association for the Visually Impaired (TPAVI), Institute for the Blind of Taiwan, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, and the Technology Development Association for the Disabled. Nearly 220 people with visual impairments successfully secured employment opportunities within enterprises during the same year.
• Standard Chartered received the Gold Award of Sports Promoter from the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education for the second consecutive year.

2014

• The first Standard Chartered Charity Taipei Marathon was held, receiving more than 36,000 registrations from 43 countries.
• Standard Chartered received the Gold Award of Sports Promoter from the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education.

2013

• Standard Chartered became the title sponsor of the “Taipei Standard Chartered Charity Road Run.” The event attracted 20,000 runners from 29 nationalities, establishing Taipei as one of the key cities in Standard Chartered’s global running series.
• The event welcomed more than 150 visually impaired runners and mobilised 400 Standard Chartered volunteers as sighted guide runner to support Standard Chartered’s global “Seeing is Believing” initiative.
• Standard Chartered also partnered with organisations including Chunghwa Telecom, Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation, Jardine Matheson Holdings, Audi Taiwan, and HP to establish the Standard Chartered Visually Impaired Employment Corporate Advisory Group, creating more inclusive employment opportunities and fostering a more accessible workplace environment.

Other overseas Standard Chartered Marathon Official Websites