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Almost 36,000 runners at 9th Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017

By
Team JustRunLah!
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The scene at the Honda Half Marathon Flag-Off! #SCKLM2017 // Photo credit: Standard Chartered KL Marathon Facebook

More than 36,000 running enthusiasts participated in this international race held in the iconic city of Kuala Lumpur. There were also close to 1,700 running tourists from 52 countries and 75 nationalities taking part making SCKLM a truly international event.

KUALA LUMPUR, 21 May 2017: Close to 36,000 runners converged on Dataran Merdeka to take part in the 9th edition of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon today. Cosmas Matolo Muteti,from Kenya won the Full Marathon Men’s Open category in a time of 2:18:43 to take home USD17,500 while the Full Marathon Women’s Open category was won by Elizabeth Chepkanan from Kenya in a time of 2:36:14 also earning USD17,500 in the process.

Five-time champion Kennedy Kiproo Lilan from Kenya came in second in the Full Marathon Men’s Open with a time of 2:19:35 while Tonui Kiprop from Kenya finished third in a time of 2:20:36 In the Full Marathon Women’s Open, Vikoti Chepkemoi from Kenya took second place in a time of 2:40:08 and Zeritu Begashaw Wakijira from Ethiopia had to settle for third place with a time of 2:42:56.

The Full Marathon Malaysian Men’s category saw a close battle between defending champion Muhaizar Mohamad and Leo Tan Huong Leong. These two vastly improved runners were neck to neck until close to the finish when Muhaizar eventually repeated his triumph in last year’s Standard Chartered KL Marathon with an improved time and personal best of 2:35:55. Leo narrowly finished second in a time of 2:38:06 and Ow Yong Jin Kuan came in third in 2:43:45. The Full Marathon Malaysian Women’s category was clinched by Yuan Yufang in a time of 3:23:00, while Loh Chooi Fern clocked 3:25:55 to come in second and Chua Khit Yeng got third place in a time of 3:33:46

FM Open winner Cosmas, was delighted that he not only won the title but recorded a personal best while fighting off multiple winner Kennedy. “I was running against strong opponents but I kept to my game plan and really enjoyed the run through some great scenery,” he said.

Muhaizar was also thrilled to have retained his title, especially after the tough competition with Leo. “It was a hard race but I’m very happy to have defended my title and even happier to record another personal best at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon,” he said.

Rainer Biemans, Project Director of SCKLM and Director of Dirigo Events, added “We are extremely pleased to have pulled off SCKLM 2017 without any major hiccups and we hope that all our runners had a memorable run and a great experience overall. It is gratifying to receive such support from the local and international running fraternity and we are committed to continually improve on all aspects of this event and look forward to welcoming all of you for our 10th anniversary in 2018.”

Mahendra Gursahani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank said, “As title sponsor, we are delighted to be able to play a part in empowering people from all walks of life to make a difference through this amazing event. There are inspiring stories everywhere today and this is a testament to the power of the Marathon. Congratulations to all our winners and our sincere appreciation goes out to all participants for their tremendous support.”

This was exemplified by more than 30 visually impaired runners who took part in the 5km Fun Run, along with volunteer “running buddies” from Standard Chartered Bank. 20 autistic children from Permata Kurnia and over 100 underprivileged kids from Sivanandha Home and Care2run also participated in the race across various categories. Standard Chartered KL Marathon’s Run For A Reason charity initiative remains an integral part of the event, channelling funds raised to deserving charities that assist underprivileged communities and those in dire need. This year the participating beneficiaries were the Standard Chartered Foundation, National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation and Hospis Malaysia.

Efforts to make the Marathon more competitive, like having a seven-hour cut-off time and route checkpoints appear to be paying dividends as more than 8,000 runners signed up for the Full Marathon category this year. There were also close to 1700 running tourists from 52 countries and 75 nationalities taking part making SCKLM a truly international event. SCKLM was also the first stop in Englishman Andy Dukes’ epic marathon ride around the world on his BMW motorbike while running in six marathons in six continents.

SCKLM 2017 Race Day was preceded by the Race Entry Pack Collection from 18-20 May which was a bigger affair this year with the inclusion of the Prudential Healthy Life Expo, as well as the Friendship Run and Pasta breakfast on 20 May which saw Full Marathoners from Malaysia and around the world gather for a warm-up run and mingle in a more social setting.

The view this morning during the FM Flag-Off. // Photo credit: Standard Chartered KL Marathon Facebook

 

Apart from the Full and Half Marathons, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017 also featured a 10km distance and a 5km Fun Run for social runners, along with Kids’ Dash categories for children under 12 years of age. There were also several categories like the Corporate Challenge, Media Challenge, Universities Challenge and Ministries Challenge to either raise money for charity as well as provide friendly competition and bragging rights for the eventual winners.

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown to become the premier running event in Malaysia, drawing thousands of local and international runners to the country whilst firmly establishing Malaysia in the global running calendar. The 2017 edition of the race once again saw Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia returning as title sponsor, along with a host of returning and new sponsors, including Honda, Seiko, Brooks, Lucozade and Pacific Regency. The event is owned and organised by Dirigo Events with co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

Standard Chartered KL Marathon is sanctioned and supported by Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF), Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletic Federation (FTKLAA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Association of International Marathons, Distance Races (AIMS).

Winners of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017

Full Marathon Men’s Open

Position Name Country Time
1st Cosmas Matolo Muteti Kenya 02:18:43
2nd Kennedy Lilan Kenya 02:19:35
3rd Tonui Kiprop Kenya 02:20:38

 

Full Marathon Women’s Open

Position Name Country Time
1st Elizaberth Chepkanan Kenya 02:36:14
2nd Vicoty Chepkemoi Kenya 02:40:08
3rd Zeritu Begashaw Wakijira Ethiopia 02:42:56

 

Full Marathon Malaysian Men

Position Name Country Time
1st Muhaizar Mohamad Malaysia 02:35:55
2nd Tan Huong Leong Malaysia 02:38:06
3rd Ow Yong Jin Kuang Malaysia 02:43:45

 

Full Marathon Malaysian Women

Position Name Country Time
1st Yuan YuFang Malaysia 03:23:00
2nd Loh Chooi Fern Malaysia 03:25:54
3rd Chua Khit Yeng Malaysia 03:33:46

 

Full Marathon Veteran Men

Position Name Country Time
1st Seurei Julius Kiprotich Kenya 02:23:09
2nd John Kprop Samoei Kenya 02:37:34
3rd Timothy Kelsall Great Britain 03:08:16

 

Full Marathon Veteran Women

Position Name Country Time
1st Lilian Chelimo Kenya 02:48:45
2nd Margeret Njuguna Kenya 02:56:20
3rd Deborah Chinn USA 03:36:13

 

Honda Half Marathon Men Open

Position Name Country Time
1st John Muiruri Mburu Kenya 01:07:13
2nd Charles Munyua Kenya 01:07:53
3rd James Munyi Maregu Kenya 01:09:28

 

Honda Half Marathon Women Open

Position Name Country Time
1st Shieys Chepkosgei Kenya 01:21:46
2nd Njijia Ann Mukui Kenya 01:22:33
3rd Muriuki Naomi Wambui Kenya 01:25:54

 

Honda Half Marathon Men Veteran

Position Name Country Time
1st Jeffrey Ross Great Britain 01:28:02
2nd Ramesh Palaniandy Singapore 01:31:49
3rd Troy Keast Australia 01:32:48

 

Honda Half Marathon Women Veteran

Position Name Country Time
1st Hayley Holle Great Britain 01:36:18
2nd Clare McCulloch Great Britain 01:37:20
3rd Rachel Pepper New Zealand 01:42:33

 

10km Speed Men Open

Position Name Country Time
1st Enock Kipchirchir Kigen Kenya 00:33:19
2nd Soh Wai Ching Malaysia 00:35:42
3rd Amiruddin Bin Nasir Malaysia 00:36:52

 

10km Speed Women Open

Position Name Country Time
1st Danielle Nant New Zealand 00:40:23
2nd Chan Shun Yee Hong Kong 00:44:32
3rd Michele Tan Bee Kiang Malaysia 00:45:08

 

10km Speed Men Veteran

Position Name Country Time
1st Lim Khon Seng Malaysia 00:39:53
2nd Chan Shan Ching Hong Kong 00:41:09
3rd See Hock Leong Ronnie Malaysia 00:43:14

 

10km Speed Women Veteran

Position Name Country Time
1st Susan Khoo Great Britain 00:47:27
2nd Lorna Wong Malaysia 00:47:38
3rd Tina Munro Great Britain 00:48:32

 

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Race Review: Meiji Run 2017 (by blizzy8)

By
blizzy8
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Took part in the 5k run, was down at Novena Square for the race pack collection, I was one of the first few and did not take long to get my race pack. Just a little odd the way they did the collection. Had to wait outside the building and then they let batches of people in at a time. The tote bag was very cute and it’s now the property of my daughter. Towel was great too, usually, anything besides a tee is great, don’t get many other stuff with race packs these days. I chose purple.

The event was held at Sentosa Palawan Green. With the 10k starting at 4.30pm and the 5k Fun Run at 4.40pm. I made my way down to Sentosa and was going to park at Vivocity before takign the train in. I figured that was probably the cheapest way to get there. Vivo was jam packed so in the end I ended up at Harbourfront. It was free to enter Sentosa via train as you just had to show your bib or wear the tee. The weather was not cooperative, it was one of the hottest days ever. I was dripping in sweat way before the run even begin. Lucky I remember to use some sun block and had my cap and shades with me.

4.30pm sharp the 10k was flag off in 2 waves. and the 5k runners were all set to go at 4.40pm. We were flagged off by the 2 mascots and I really pity the guys (or gals) playing the mascots, it must be like an oven in the suit.

It was a very narrow route and for the first 1km I think I was walking most of the time as there were just too many people aroud and some had strollers with them. It was a 5 k course and for the 10k runners they did 2 loops, which made things even worst as you had runners from 5 and 10 merging. The route looked like the number ‘8’ starting at the center and finishing there as well. There was some slopes but I felt they were ok. 2 waterpoints were at either end of the ‘8’. The surprise came after the third km, where suddenly the BEACH appear and you had to do a loop on sand !! … Yeah sand !! Just wondered what those with strollers were going to do here.

After the sand break, it was about 1.5k to the finish where we were given a plastice bag and made our way to what looked like a porduction line and the volunteers were there to give us our goodies which we could keep in the plastic bag … and it was a lot of goodies from biscuits, milk, yoghurt drinks, crackers, dips etc… Grabbed the so very cute medal and made my way to the Meiji Fair to check it out.

The Fair was open to the public and you could purchase discounted food items from there. Ice Cream seemed to be the best seller there. It was still really hot and I did not want to wait too long as I just wanted to get out of my very wet attire. So I skipped the movie screening and lucky draw and picked up what I needed, and made my way back to the car. I did enjoy the run, just that the weather was so very hot. The route was ok just too narrow and crowded and they should have a better water management at the start/finish. Could not find the water point until someone pointed me to the correct location hidden in a little corner. It sure did live up to its Most Delicious Race motto !

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1st Siargao International Marathon Coming This July 23!

By
Servinio
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THE FIRST Siargao International Marathon will take place on July 23, 2017 at the bustling Municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.  The 42.195-kilometer footrace will be a fundraising activity for the benefit of the rehabilitation and preservation of the said municipality’s mangrove forests under the dynamic leadership of youthful Mayor Alfredo “JR” Matugas Coro II.

Thousands of runners from all over the globe will converge at the Numancia Elementary School grounds for the out and back cover traversing a good section of the Siargao Circumferential Road.  The 5:00 AM gun start will allow all to get to experience the island’s breathtaking scenery that includes the coastline that has given Siargao fame as a haven for surfing and other water sports.

For those not ready for the full distance, participants may opt to join the 21-kilometer or five-kilometer side events.  Entry fees are set at PHP 1,800.00 for 42 kilometers and PHP 1,400.00 for 21 kilometers while the five-kilometer race is free to Siargao residents but non-residents must pay PHP 600.00.

“We are limiting the race to only 1,000 runners to ensure a quality race,” said race director Coach Rio de la Cruz during the recent media launch.  Joining him were Rep. Francisco Jose “Bingo” F. Matugas of the First District of Surigao del Norte, Erick Bartolome of Open Space Media and Runrio’s Andrew Neri.

Registration is now ongoing at www.runrio.com.  Those without credit cards may pay via bank deposit or through registration centers to be set up in Siargao for local runners.

Run the rural roads of Siargao Island this July 23. Sign up now at www.runrio.com.

The race kit for the full and half-marathon includes a race singlet, race bib with timing chip plus a loot bag, medal and finisher shirt upon crossing the finish line.  Five-kilometer runners will receive a bib only.

Making the race extra special is that each runner will have one mangrove seedling pledged in his or her name that will be part of a planting activity on July 25.  Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, Chief Mangrove Scientific Adviser, will deliver a talk as part of the ceremonies.

Race kits may be claimed at the Sayak Airport from July 20 to 22.  Several side activities are also set for participants including an island tour on July 20 and a carbo-loading party on July 21.

Travel and lodging accommodations may also be arranged through the Runrio website.  Major sponsor Skyjet Airlines has allocated several flights that will be exclusive for race participants.

For sure, running on the island is a welcome change as it offers everyone a new route to conquer away from the usual urban marathons.  Grab the chance now to be part of running history and sign up now as slots, flights and hotels are very limited.

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The First Ever “Rising Together – Baton Run” (by Rebekah Ong)

By
Rebekah Ong
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Mok Ying Ren, Soh Hua Qun and Evan Chee are just some of the familiar names that you would hear in the local running scene! These are some of Singapore’s best athletes/ running elites and I had an amazing opportunity last weekend, 13 May 2017, to participate in the Singapore leg of the “Rising Together – Baton Run” with them and the RunONE Community!

RunONE

Now some of you may be wondering what is RunONE. RunONE aims to bring running to everyone. They are also the training partner for this year’s Straits Times Run. RunONE is co-founded by Dr Mok Ying Ren and Jed Senthil. You can find out more about them here.

Rising Together – Baton Run

The Rising Together Baton Run is a lead-up event to the 29th SEA Games and 9th ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur. This is the first time that such an event is organised by a hosting country in the history of SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games.

Singapore is the penultimate leg in the relay circuit, which has passed through the capital cities of nine other Southeast Asian countries since March. The baton relay will switch to a torch relay and continue through all the Malaysian states before concluding in Kuala Lumpur on 19 August for the SEA Games opening ceremony

[Dates of the Baton Run in the different cities – Photo courtesy of Kuala Lumpur 2017]

The Singapore leg of the “Rising Together – Baton Run” had Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin with other participants such as Team Singapore athletes, Singapore Sports School student-athletes and Team Nila volunteers join in the Baton relay.  It will also feature various notable athletes and sports personalities including gymnast Lim Heem Wei, badminton player Ronald Susilo and swimmers Ang Peng Siong and Mark Chay. The Baton Run was scheduled to pass through several iconic Singapore landmarks such as the Youth Olympic Park, Marina Bay Sands, The Merlion and the Sir Stamford Raffles Statue.

Event Day Excitement

My friend, Cheng Yee and I arrived at SCAPE Youth Park bright and early to meet up with the rest of the group and the team from RunOne! It was nice to see everyone excited and ready up for the event! This being a national event,  somehow felt like we were participating in a National Day Parade segment! The RunONE team introduced themselves and gave a short briefing on the event day line-up. Once the briefing was done, we went to change into “Rising Together” event tee! I really liked the design of the event tee though it was slightly too big for me. We took some group photos before hopping onto the shuttle bus which took us to our START point.

The total distance for the Singapore leg of the “Rising Together – Baton Run” leg covered 16.5 KM and there were nine checkpoints. We super excited to be on Mok Ying Ren’s Team which was the 2nd last checkpoint which will start from the Arts House and end at the Somerset Skate Park.

[Route Map for Singapore leg of the “Rising Together – Baton Run”]

Getting to know the Team

While waiting for the baton to arrive, we had the chance to interact with the team from RunOne. It was interesting hearing the athletes talk about managing their training while balancing work and life. It really takes lots of hard work and discipline to do what they do. I salute them for their commitment on going the distance. They also talked about their upcoming events and one of it was the Bangkok Midnight Marathon 2017 happening this weekend on 20 May. Evan Chee and Soh Hua Qun would be representing Singapore in the event.

Time to Run As One

As the time drew nearer to the arrival of the baton arriving, we had to get into formation. The group was led by none other than Dr Mok Ying Ren (double gold medalist in 2007 and 2013 Games), and then followed by the athletes managed by RunONE , Evan Chee and Soh Hua Qun. The rest of us formed up behind them. This is the formation that we had to keep while running to the next checkpoint.

Minister Grace Fu and her contingent soon arrived and the baton was passed to Dr Mok. Off we started out journey to the Somerset Skate Park. Truth be told, I was a tad nervous as I’m not a fast runner and I’m on the team which is led by some of Singapore best runners. I was worried that I could not keep up but that all that changed when we started running. During the run, all of us were chatting with each other and it was enjoyable to run because the group encouraged one another to keep going. My nerves just dissipated. The pace that we were running at was slightly faster than my normal but since it’s a short distance, I was still enjoying the whole experience.

We ran past places like Raffles City Shopping Center, Singapore Management University (SMU), Istana Park which you never would during a normal day/event. It was a surreal feeling to have the police mobile squad driving alongside the team and to have them stop traffic so that we can make our way to the Somerset Skate Park. It felt like we owned the road and you can run freely. It was a great feeling also to have people along the route cheering us on as we made our way to the other checkpoint. Talk about being the centre of attention!

We ran for about 2.5 KM before we reached the Somerset Skate Park. Dr Mok handed over the baton to Rio Paralympic Games triple gold medalist in swimming, Yip Pin Xiu, who then proceeded to complete the 16.5km run. It was an awesome feeling completing the short but fun run.  All of us headed back to the SCAPE Youth Park for the closing of the event.

You can click here for the press release on the Singapore leg of the “Rising Together – Baton Run”.

What a Saturday! Big thanks to RunOne for the opportunity! This experience would definitely a highlight of 2017 for me and it would be engraved in my memory for a very long time. Not only did I get a once-in-a-lifetime experience running alongside a team of elite runners but at the same time Run together as One to represent and promote Singapore as part of the SEA Games. Till my next write-up! Let’s Run as One!

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Race Review: Mata Amazing Race, Edition 1 2017 (by ‘The ReAwakenedRunner’)

By
The ReAwakened Runner
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Credits : Tony Ton Ton Fun Shots / Digiplex Studios

This Race Review was written from the Race Directors’ perspective
The Race Directors are : Eugene, Tony, Steven, & Jason

The Mata Amazing Race Directors (L-R) : Jason, EuGene, Tony, & Steven (front) with Bee Choo, & Lily

The Mata Amazing Race is a FOC, no-frills, self supported (BYO hydration), integrity based, team event with a unique twist
The race has a 4-hour cutoff time with a typical distance of 12km
The race requires teams to identify their checkpoints, and then plan their own route

RACE DYNAMICS :
Teams are given 12 clues each
Each team is made up of 1 leader and 2 fellow members
Teams are allowed the use of smartphones (to Google), as well as taking any shortcut through buildings, and underpasses. That said, the use of any mode of transportation is strictly prohibited !
Each of the 12 clues has been deliberately cropped / zoomed in to minimize its location from being compromised by the surroundings
All 12 clues must be resolved as each is the location of the CP (checkpoint) of the race
Teams must make their way on foot to every one of these 12 locations before heading back to the Finish Line as a team
At every CP, teams must take a wefie with all 3 members in a single shot with the corresponding CP clearly visible in the background
a +1 hour Time Penalty (to be added to the finishing time) is awarded to teams who :
1) Get the CP wrong
2) Do not have all members of the team in the wefie
The maximum time penalty for any given CP is +1 hour regardless of whether the team fails one or both tasks at a particular CP

The Birth of The Mata Amazing Race :
RD Eugene first brought up his idea of a Mata Ultra Amazing Race during the trial run of my (Jason) Run-To-Eat event back in late November of last year.
The concept of Run-To-Eat is somewhat similar to this race except that it is not a team based run. The CPs are food centres, and runners are required to take selfies at these CPs. The idea of Run-To-Eat as a race has since been shelved, and is now more of a fun get-together run
Fundamentally, The Mata Amazing Race is a scaled-down version of Eugene’s Mata Ultra Amazing Race. The clues though are not as straightforward as his original concept. They have been tweaked to be more challenging for this Mata Amazing Race

For the first Mata Amazing Race, the CPs were based on sculptures and statues located in the CBD area (Participants are kept in the dark as to the theme of the race till after flagoff on race day)
An on-site recce was carried out about 3 months ago
Many details were ironed out, and meticulously scrutinized. The time penalty system only came about during this process.
The race was based on a 3-member team to promote team spirit, and camaraderie.
A team is only as fast as it’s slowest runner !
We’ve also tweaked the clues to make it more challenging during this period, and increased the number of CPs from the intended 9 to the final 12
A ranking system was also formulated for teams that starts off with less than full strength, as well as teams that finishes with a man or two short

RD Jason laying out the clues for the teams … Photo Credits : Tan Kim Lai

GOALS AND TARGETS :
Our original target was to have 20-25 teams, given that none of us had previous experience as a Race Director.
Once we had attained the minimal target number, we decided to fund the inclusion of trophies for each member of the Top 5 winning teams, as well as providing 100Plus for finishers, and prizes for the Lucky Draw to be conducted at the end of the event
We would eventually have 35 teams when registrations was closed

D-DAY :
The day started with a pre-race registration (attendance), a race briefing, group phototakings, before the race was finally flagged off at 7:37 am
Teams headed for their clues that had been laid out in alphabetical order on the floor
After a momentary lapse of shock and disbelief, teams made light work of their clues and slowly at first one, then a couple more .. streamed off from the staging area to execute their plan and their preferred routes
Most importantly, teams understood that this race was based very much more so on planning than just running fast

teams at work …

moving out …. Photo Credits : Dave Poh (Pictureart Gallery)

Team Wefies at CPs :

team JEJ Mochi

PODIUM & RANKINGS :
Unbelievably, just when we were expecting teams to take at least 2 hours to complete … the first team returned after 1 Hr 31 Mins ! These included time spent on online search engines, as well as planning the route.

The Champions; team B1 Runners covered 14 km, had to backtrack once or twice between CPs, but otherwise nailed all the CPs without the dreaded time penalty !
They were possibly the team that covered the longest distance of the race.
3 more teams returned within 9 minutes after team B1 Runners, with the last podium slot all but wrapped up in 1 Hr 52 Mins since the race was flagged off
Incredibly, all 32 teams that towed the line at the start not only completed all the 12 CPs given, but amazingly not a single team had incurred any time penalty at all !

1st – B1 Runners
2nd – Random Heroes
3rd – YaoGui
4th – Pocanhontas
5th – Bank Robber

Champions : B1 Runners … one word best sum up this team, Elites ! … Photo Credit : David Tan (Mythos Photography)
2nd : Random Heroes … 11th Hour inclusion ! losing out on first place by a mere 6 mins
3rd : 要鬼 (Yào Guǐ) … the first team to register for this race. narrowly missing out on 2nd by less than 2 mins
4th : Pocahontas … third team to register for the event, their secret weapon : teacher
5th : Bank Robber … “misfits” ! Leader has never met his sidekicks, and one of them was robbed from RDs. he was supposed to help with logistics (no, he has no inside knowledge of the clues), had to stand-in for another robber who had cold feet 😛

RESULTS / E-CERTS :
Compilation of the teams in ranked order
E-Certificates, done up in under 3 days by RD EuGene

FEEDBACK FORMS :
The responses we received filled us with a sense of pride and joy.
We knew this event was going to be different, going to be fun, but at the same time felt it might be challenging to some teams, and for that we were a little apprehensive before the race was underway.
By the end of the event, we felt a sense of relief as every team got all 12 CPs correct !
We’ve had a few participants thanking us more than once for organizing this event.
The online survey reassured us of these positives, but most importantly, we needed to know if there was any area we needed looking into, needed working on.
Alas, the comments we received were simply awesome !
It made us rookie Race Directors feeling very humbled and satisfied.
A big Thank You to each and every participant !

WHY WE DO THIS RACE ?
We wanted to give something back to the running community; to bring friends together, to promote team work and camaraderie, and to provide the platform for strangers (runners) to become friends

THE FUTURE (EDITIONS) :
Buoyed by the feedback of the first edition, we (race directors) are certainly keen and looking forward to getting work on the next one started
We’ve been gathering ideas and hope to soon recce on site
As to when the race will be, we hope it’ll happen soon
Our goal remains the same. Keep it FOC, yet provide trophies for Top 5 teams … and hopefully Lucky Draw prizes, and drinks at the end of the event
Our ultimate goal is to attract sponsors for each edition, naming the edition in their honour, and raising awareness and increasing the exposure of their products or services
We seek sponsors for the trophies, lucky draws, and drinks (not monetary benefits)
So please help spread the word. Thank you
We can be reached via our FB page (link below)

LINKS :
Mata Amazing Race Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/MataAmazingRace2017/

MORE PHOTOS :

LUCKY DRAW

Recap of the Top 5 Teams

CREDITS AND THANKS :
We also like to thank our fellow RD Tony Goh of Digiplex Studios for the Printouts (clues sheet), the Mat designating the Finish (spot), and Photography
The photographers who have so generously volunteered and sacrificed their Sunday morning shooting, and thereafter the time to review, process, and upload their work.
We would like to thank the following people :
Photographers; David Tan (Mythos Photography), Dave Poh (Pictureart Gallery), Tan Kim Lai, Tony Goh (Tony Ton Ton Funshots / Digiplex Studios), Tay Guan Kiat, Wilson Ong, Shiok Runner (Running Shiok)  [in no particular order]
Bee Choo for a mammoth effort in recording the finishing times of the teams, especially during the bunch up midway thru
Lily Bimmo for your help and company
and, Nel for co-sponsoring the lucky draw prizes

And last but not least, The Runners !
… for there cannot be a race, without the runners !

credits : David Tan (Mythos Photography)
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Electric Shocks – Could It Help You Perfect Your Running Technique?

By
Mel
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Elite runners slash trained professional runners tend to land on the front of their feet in contrast with recreational runners who have a greater tendency to land on their heels. Landing on your heels have been linked to a higher chance of injury due to the impact (however this still remains a debate). However, it is always tricky when it comes to changing your first natural instinct as to how you run. Changing your form would mean having to be conscious about going against what you are used to. Perhaps a jolt of electricity could do the trick?

“SWITCHING FROM LANDING HEEL-FIRST TO FOREFOOT-FIRST IS MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS PRONE TO INJURY,” SAYS FLORIAN DAIBER AT THE GERMAN RESEARCH CENTER FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SAARBRÜCKEN.

The Footstriker

Behold the mighty Footstriker – a brand new device that uses electric stimulation to move the runner’s foot to the right angle right before it hits the ground. Early tests suggest that this has a great effect on altering a runner’s style.

How It Works?

The FootStriker uses a pressure sensor placed in a shoe’s insole to detect which part of the foot lands first. Whenever a bad step is recorded during a run, a pad on the back of the calf jumps into action. With this little burst of electricity, the muscles are stimulated and the position of the foot is corrected on the next landing.

The Test

In an early test, the device were tested on 6 runners. During the initial 1 kilometre run without the assistance of The Footstriker device, the percentage of heel strikes was over 95 per cent. After that, runners were instructed to run a further 3km with the device turned on. The percentage of a heel landing plummeted to 16 per cent – showing some promising results. For the final kilometre, the device was switched off and the percentage of heel landing further plummeted to a mere 8 per cent. This suggests that the foot has learnt the new technique. In the testing, the device was only worn on one foot, but improvement happened in both.

In contrast, a control group received coaching on landing on their forefoot. However, the improvement statistic was only a reduction in in 17 per cent from 97 per cent to 80 per cent.

The Solution?

It is difficult to break bad habits, so could the new Footstriker be the solution?We hope so.

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Exercises That Help You Live Longer / Better: Do They really exist?

By
Joey
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Anybody will know that any form of exercise or movement that gets you moving and sweating will keep you in good shape to live a better, fuller, healthier life. It really doesn’t matter whether you are doing 10km sprints or taking it easy with a slow walk every day. As long as you are constantly on the move, you should be in the best shape of your life.

But as time progresses, we find ourselves asking if there are ‘special’ exercises that we can do to keep us even healthier so that we can live longer lives. Are there such exercises and will they really help to extend our lives? Apparently, there are and yes, they do help in keeping us living longer and healthier.

#1 Climbing The Stairs

Photo Credits: Livestrongcdn

It may seem like such a small thing but deciding to take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator can do your body loads of good. According to a small Swiss study conducted in 2008, sedentary people who switched to taking the stairs cut their risk of dying prematurely by 15 percent. And of course, you can lose those excess pounds in the interim too!

#2 Exercising For Just 15 Minutes A Day

There’s really no need to work out for 30 minutes or more each day to get the full benefits, especially if you are a busy individual and are already struggling to set aside time for everything else in your life. In fact, it’s interesting to note that a study in 2011 showed that as compared to people who lead very inactive lifestyles, just 15 minutes of daily activity like brisk walking, added three years to life expectancy.

#3 Intensify Your Workout

Basically, this means that whatever exercise that you have been engaging in, all you need to do is increase the intensity of it to lengthen your lifespan. Imagine being able to live an additional 3.5 to 3.7 years just by sprinting for half an hour, five days a week. I would do that!

#4 Go For A Swim

Probably due to the nature of the sport where you don’t have to suffer the consequences of impact, it seems that swimmers have a lower mortality rate as compared to those who walk and run for their exercise. And if you didn’t already know this, swimming can also help you to relax by drowning out your thoughts, stresses and surrounding noise which adds to its longevity powers.

Read More:

  1. World Marathon Majors: When, Where, Why
  2. My Race In Review: Kyoto Marathon
  3. 5 Local Food To Try In Thailand For Your Next Race
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Stinky Running Clothes – How To Take Care of Them

By
Joey
-

To those of you who work out regularly, you will know the smell on your workout clothes that come with it. And it may seem like no matter how much you wash them, you still catch that musky waft each time you put them on again for the next session.

If you find yourself getting caught in this conundrum once too often, these tips below for getting rid of the stink (consisting mostly of your sweat!), on your exercise clothes may be highly useful for you.

#1 Wash Them Immediately When They Are Really Sweaty

Photo Credits: Today

This is especially for those who always seem to return from a workout session drenched in sweat, with your workout clothes soaking in it too. Make sure you wash them immediately because when sweat gets a chance to “marinate”, it literally does that to your clothes.

#2 Soak In White Vinegar Before Washing

This is a rather interesting solution and adds to the notion that white vinegar is good for so many reasons. Soak your exercise clothes in the sink or a bucket with a cup of vinegar and some cold water for about 15 to 30 minutes, before throwing them into the washing machine. Of course if you feel like your clothes may need a little more of the vinegar solution, there’s no harm putting some in the wash too.

#3 Add Baking Soda

Baking soda is another one of those miracle items that is used in almost everything to get rid of stink. All you need to do is out one cup of baking soda into your washing machine with your smelly clothes and voila! Clean, fresh smelling workout clothes for your next gym session!

#4 Lemon Juice

Photo Credits: Natural On

It’s interesting how the simple lemon can not only add an immense amount of flavour to our food and drink, but can also help to get rid of the stench on our clothes. All you need is the juice of one large lemon, pour it into the washing machine with your clothes, and let it do its magic. If you are wondering how lemon juice helps, it’s basically because of the citric acid that breaks down the oils in the materials, leaving your clothes bacteria and funky scent free.

#5 Stick Them In The Freezer

If you need to use your workout clothes very soon after, the next best alternative to washing them will be to stick them into the freezer. The cold air will destroy the smell but do remember to chuck them in a plastic bag though. You don’t want to have to deal with frozen clothes especially when you need to use them again so soon.

#6 Hang Them Outside To Dry

Photo Credits: Smart Thing Blog

This tip is a no-brainer. Although there are detergents that are made specially for indoor drying for laundry, it’s always best to let your stinky clothes dry naturally outdoors. For one, the sun will help to get rid of the bacteria in your clothes and two, you won’t risk having to put up with that weird mildew smell throughout your home. Win-win situation.

Read More:

  1. 6 Dinner Ideas to Help You Sleep Well Throughout the Night
  2. Onion And Garlic Are Good For you. Here Is Why.
  3. 3 Substitutes For Rice That Are Healthy And Help You Lose Weight
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4 Ways Running Improves Your Brain Function

By
Andrew Cheong
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You probably already know, or heard that running does your body good. Perhaps you also know running does wonders to your brain too. The benefits are both mental and physical. In fact almost every aspect of brain function can be improved with running – here’s how.

1. Running improves your memory

Various studies done on various groups of people, especially older adults have shown that memory test of subjects improved much more in the test group that went running instead of other forms of exercise like lifting weights [1].

Those who did cardiovascular exercise like running produced an increase in growth of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF. The effect was not only healthier brain cells but actually caused an increase in new ones.

2. Running protects against brain aging

New research has proven that our brain is constantly reshaping itself. Your habits, behaviour, thoughts, emotions and daily experiences all combine to change the shape and connections in your brain. Called neuroplasticity – that means your brain cells are always forming new connections with each other, thanks to BDNF.

The world renowned Salk Institute in San Diego reported that all forms of physical exercise, as little as three hours a week helps generate new brain cells. Running can even reverse brain shrinkage in older adults.

3. Running helps you fight stress

As a runner, I get a small sense of accomplishment every time I finish a run because I set out to do something and I feel satisfied I did it. During exercise, the body releases more cortisol, the stress hormone, but regular exercise at the right intensity teaches the body to adapt and produce less cortisol each time [2]. Overall, active people have lower cortisol levels and feel less stressed. Exercise also makes neoplastic changes mentioned earlier that can make permanent changes in mood, self-confidence, promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety. I have a big mug on my desk that says ‘Keep Calm and Go for a Run’ – the best advice ever!

4. Running makes you happier

Well most of the time it does, but the sedentary person might not agree. Scientifically, running produces ‘happy chemicals’ like endorphins which reduces pain and increases positive emotions. These are the body’s natural painkillers and create feelings of pleasure. You may have experienced the ‘runners high’ – a feeling of happiness, less pain during the early part of your run or race.

Running helps build Mental toughness

Thanks to these positive changes to the brain due to running. Overall this leads to building better mental toughness – Composure, confidence, concentration, Cope-ability and Cohesion – all can be improved with running. As a running and a mental toughness coach, I see a connection – successful athletes who bring their self-discipline and Mental toughness from sport and apply it to their life, work or play – helps them become a better athlete and a better person [3].

References:

[1] Chan, Davis, Lindsay, Nagamatsu et al, ‘Physical activity improves Verbal and Spatial memory in Older Adults…’ Journal of Aging Research 2013

[2] Hill, E.E., Zack, E., Battaglini, C., Viru, M., Viru, A. and Hackney, A.C., 2008. Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity threshold effect. J Endocrinol Invest, 31(7), pp.587-91.

[3] Weinberg, Robert. Mental toughness for sport, business, and life. AuthorHouse, 2010.

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It’s Flu season. How To Keep The Sniffles Away Besides Consuming Vitamin C.

By
Joey
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Image credit: appletozebra.com

The weather hasn’t been very kind to us lately. One minute it is hot as heck and the next thing you know, it starts raining cats and dogs and the temperature in the office gets so low, you think you are in some wintry country having a holiday.

And our humidity isn’t helping. With all these rapid weather and temperature changes comes a slew of illnesses that can attack any of us if we allow our guard to be down. Flu is the one that most of us seem to be suffering from so keeping it at bay, especially during this period, will be awesome. But besides consuming Vitamin C, are there other ways to keep this nasty bug as far away from us as possible? Yes, and here are some ways to do it.

#1 Lots Of Sunlight AKA Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, so optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold or flu virus packing, it will also prevent them from invading your body in the first place. The best source of Vitamin D is sunlight so go out there and get as much as that as you can! This is one of the perks of living in a country as sunny as Singapore.

#2 Consume Loads Of Green Tea

It is good to know that green tea makes a really fragrant and comforting hot drink on a cold day, it also contains antiviral properties that can be helpful against a flu infection. Load up on your stock of green tea and try consuming one tea bag a day (with multiple refills), to keep the nasty flu bug away.

#3 Mushrooms

Photo Credits: Mushroom Group

Probably something you didn’t expect but apparently, consuming mushrooms can help to fight the flu by supporting your immune system. This is also a good time to let you know that while most people will think of just eating the fleshy part of the mushroom, the magic lies in the section that grows underground. Simply put, all you have to do is consume the mushrooms in their entirety and you are all set to combat the flu bug.

#4 Supplements Besides Vitamin C

While Vitamin C may be the most favoured choice of flu prevention, there are a few other supplements you can take as alternatives such as propolis, oregano oil and olive leaf extract. These are all natural so there shouldn’t be any worry about any negative side effects on your body.

#5 Sleep Well And Exercise

While all of the above can help strengthen your immune system, the best ways to make sure you are keeping your body fighting fit is by giving it enough rest and getting a good dose of exercise regularly. Depriving your body of sleep, being overly anxious and stressed, and being too sedentary, can cause your immune system to weaken and that’s where all the trouble starts.

Read More:

  1. Sensitive Skin And Exercise
  2. Should You Exercise When You are Sick 
  3. Always Eat 75% Full
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Race Review: Runninghour 2017 (by blizzy8)

By
blizzy8
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FEAR the final frontier, to boldly go where no runner has gone before!

Runninghour 2017 is a unique run where you get to experience what it’s like to run without sight. As this run required a buddy, I roped in my running buddy Christina to join me. She was pretty excited about it as it would be a novel run experience. She collected our race packs as I was busy that weekend and could not pick it up. I think this is the only race pack where besides sponsored stuff and a run tee, you get a lanyard and blindfolds in the pack. The run was held on Saturday 13 May at Bedok Reservoir, flag off for the 10k event was at 5pm while the 5k and 3.5k events were flagged off later.

We arrived pretty early and had a chance to catch up on some of the activities there. For the 10k event, it would be 2 rounds the reservoir with a small loop on the first lap. It was a fun run to create awareness for the visually impaired. What happens is that you and your buddy will take turns running with the blindfold on. After the first 500m there is a change over area and then another 500m, after which you are free to complete the course in any fashion you wish.

We got off to some heart-pumping aerobics exercise led by these 5 very enthusiastic and coordinated young people. Me with my 2 left feet usually do not fair well in these types of warm-ups.

5pm and the horn sounded and we were off. I decided to start with the blindfolds first and by buddy would guide me with the lanyard. Now at these runs usually you would go through a few emotions like anxiety, the adrenaline rush, the exhaustion, pain, exhilaration of completing the event etc. etc. but for the first time a new emotion was felt … FEAR ! Once the blinds went down over the eyes, it was not easy just to even take the first steps. You can hear the voices and shuffle of feet so near you. There was this illogical fear of bumping into someone and I even felt that there would be a tree or lamppost right in front of me and I would bump right into it. But all you got to do is trust your running buddy. So with that after the initial fear (well it did not actually go away) I felt more comfortable and picked up the pace a little. Falling over was not so much of a worry it was the bumping into someone which was the main fear … for me anyways. We changed over at the changeover point and this time it was me who lead and you had to be aware of your surroundings as you guide the runner through. We made it through the first km and then we took off our blinds and ran the rest of the way. On the 2nd loop, we tried again the blindfolds and it did not really get better, same old fear was there. It truly gave me a greater appreciating of visually impaired runners.

As we completed our run we ran through the finish point lanyard in hand. We collected our medal .. only the medal as the lanyard was already given and proceeded to make our way home. As you can see from the medal above, the reverse side had braille characters. Now I think that was an excellent idea as it got me curious and so I googled braille and managed to read out the word and it said “Runinghour” and that was with a capital “R”. All in a really interesting event and it was an eye opener to run blindfold, well at least 2km of the 10km route. If you ever want to try something different, this would be it !!

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Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017: Flag-off Times, Road Closures and Last-Minute Information

By
Mel
-

It’s happening this weekend! Malaysia’s BIGGEST marathon is back!

This year’s Standard Chartered KL Marathon once again is set to be the most iconic running event in Malaysia! Once again, more than 35,000 runners will descend into Dataran Merdeka at the 9th Edition of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. There will be 6 race distances- Kids Dash (3km and 1km), 5km, 10km, Half Marathon and the Full Marathon.

As we are psyched for the flag-off the night, here are some important last minute information for all runners.

Flag Off Times

Routes and Hydration Information

Log your time at JustRaceLah! – The Free App for Runners

Keep track of your results and progress by adding any of the 1000+ races of our database to your own portfolio. Keep your running memories organised and see your timings improving!

Download for free of iOS and Android via: www.justracelah.com

Road Closure Advisory

Public Transport

Selected stations at the Ampang, Sri Petaling, Kelana Jaya and Monorail train lines will commence operations from 2:00am and will run at intervals of 10 minutes. Please refer to the map below for the selected stations that will be open. You may park your vehicle at stations with park-and-ride facilities. Parking fees may apply.

Courtesy of Dirigo Events, the LRT service will be complimentary from 2:00am till 6:00am. Normal operations and standard charges will apply thereafter. All you need to do is to purchase your MyRapid cards for your trip home.

Parking

We hope you have a great race experience! Don’t forget to tag your photos with #justrunlah on Instagram!

See you at the finish line!

Source / More info: www.kl-marathon.com

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More Than 20,000 Runners Already Signed Up For SCSM 2017

By
Team JustRunLah!
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The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) today announced that more than 20,000 runners have already signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2017, seven months before the start of Singapore’s biggest running event. The number is more than double the registration numbers at the end of the same promotional phase last year, and close to half of the 46,000 runners who participated in 2016.

Press Release

More than 20,000 runners have already signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2017, seven months before the start of Singapore’s biggest running event. The number is more than double the registration numbers at the end of the same promotional phase last year, and close to half of the 46,000 runners who participated in 2016.

The runners that signed up took advantage of Super Early Bird rates, which ended on 7 May. Interested runners however can still benefit from Early Bird rates until 30 June with up to S$15 discounts off the race.

The increased numbers is believed to be a positive response following organiser IRONMAN’s lifting of the Super Early Bird and Early Bird cap this year and their application for the World Marathon Major status.

IRONMAN also announced the start points and wave start timings for its race categories. Similar to last year, the Half and Full Marathon, and Ekiden Race will again flag off at Orchard Road, while the 10KM Run will flag off from Esplanade Drive. All race categories will finish at the Padang.

Responding to the increased demand and the latest race announcements, Geoff Meyer, Managing Director of IRONMAN Asia said, “The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is the premier running event in Singapore and earlier this year, we set a target to become a World Marathon Major event. We had said that we need the communities in Singapore to support us in this quest and we are thankful for the strong support in the first registration phase. We are constantly looking to improve and beyond bringing back waved starts for the consolidated Half and Full flag off which has been used to much success at global marathons to ensure a smooth run, we will also look at other amenities enhancements to give runners the best possible marathon experience.”

Upon registration, runners will be allocated a start pen based on their estimated finish time and will be flagged off in waves. For Half and Full Marathon participants where the first wave starts at 4.30am, chartered bus service tickets are available with race registration online till 15 November at S$6 per ticket. The chartered bus service will start at 2am with 39 pick-up locations (refer to Appendix A) around Singapore to take runners straight to the start line. All details for bus service are available here.

Flag-off Times Announced

Kids Dash
2 Dec – Orchard Road
First Wave: 6PM
Last Wave: 8.30PM

Half and Full Marathon, Ekiden Race First Runner
3 Dec – Orchard Road
First Wave: 4.30AM
Last Wave: 5.30AM

10KM Run
3 Dec – Esplanade Drive
First Wave: 7.15AM
Last Wave: 8.00AM

Going to the race?

Bookmark SCSM 2017 at the all-new myRace Dashboard at JustRunLah! and upload your own photos, e-certificate, finisher time and thoughts after the race. Click here to learn more!

Early Bird slots still available

Registration for the SCSM 2017 is available at www.singaporemarathon.com.
Early Bird registration ends on 30 June.Standard Chartered Cardholders enjoy 15% off registration fee across all categories.

JustRunLah! is proud to be an Official Partner of SCSM2017

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Race Review: STAR WARS Run Singapore vs Disney Light Side Half Marathon

By
blizzy8
-

May the 4th Be With You! and its my 4th Star Wars Run of the year. How appropriate! Singapore’s Inaugural Star Wars Run was held on 6th May at Gardens by the Bay, it was preceded by 3 days of Star Wars related festivities. I was in California in January to participate in Disney’s Light Side Half Marathon, which also featured a 5k & 10k run. So I guess I might just do a comparison and review both the Star Wars Singapore Run and the Disney Half Marathon. You get 2 reviews for the price of 1 !! 🙂

Event Details

In Singapore basically the race pack was collected 1 week in advance, 3 days of festivities culminating in the 5k and 10k Star Wars Run on 6th May. You could choose light or dark side so in essence 4 runs on the day. I choose the Light Side 10k.

Disney had a 3-day event too, race packs collected a day before and the 3 days had 5k, 10k, Half on each of the days. Me being a sucker for punishment and since I had travelled so far, I took part in all 3 events and included the Rebel Challenge (you run 10 & Half) as well.

Race Pack Collection

I was busy on RPC day so a buddy of mine went to collect the Race pack at City Square Mall. They had a small expo there as well and I did go down on one of the days to visit the expo. Collection was pretty smooth for my buddy as I guess it was early and not much of a crowd had formed. Pretty nice pack actually, with the Yoda Doll and the Star Wars Towel besides the sponsor’s product.

Over at California it was a huge affair, big event since there were 3 races. You entered the RPC via the basement carpark where you did verification and submitted your waiver (I did not print mine so I had to make a detour to get it) which was compulsory. You collected your bib there and then made your way up to the 1st level to get your tshirts, there was not much of sponsor stuff. But they did have an expo which had everything from gels to photo frames. Plus the added section of disney run related products. That section you had to queue to get in and the queue was long .. very very long. So I pass on that. I picked up my 3 run tees and the 4th Rebel Challenge tee.

Race Day

For the local run I like the concept of the Dark and Light side running together, I just wish there would have been some friendly competition like having a counter at the end and as each running completed it goes up just to see which side could have say 1000 runners finishing 🙂 All in 15,000 had signed up for the 4 runs. I brought along a camera for pics and my trusty 20+ year old torchlight lightsabre .. for fun, but it came in useful to light up those dark areas and at least 1 ther competitor knew it was Luke’s Sabre design. Did not see many people dressed up for the 10k but I think the 5k had more people in costumes running.  The starting Fireworks display was awesome I managed to get into the race pens early and took up a nice spot to video the fireworks. Interestingly they had Kylo Ren and Chewbacca flag us off at 7pm the 5k was an hour later.

In California each day there were massive amounts of runners and we were allocated corrals (pens or waves locally) based on a previously run time or in my case just randomly assigned a corral as I did not really bother to submit a time. I was there mainly for the atmosphere and experience … and to have FUN. All the runs were held in the morning and standing around in 8 degree celcius was not a really fun thing to do. This was the only run I have ever run in long track pants to keep warm. There were lots of people in costumes I guess all were there for a good time and it takes a very brave man to wear the Slave Leia outfit in near freezing weather (yes I said man, its not a typo) The race started on time at 6am and the corrals were released one after the other. Both events had I think the best starts with the Star Wars theme blaring away. But I enjoyed the local fireworks display more.

Route

I think the Singapore run had a good idea with the 5k run, the light and dark starting at the same location but heading in different directions and then merging at the end. The 10k dark and light had the same route, rather disappointing. If it was opposing routes it would have been so much cooler !! Maybe have the light and dark intersect at the Marina Barrage Ramp or in Gardens by the Bay as there are some over head walk ways and the light could go up while the dark went under and if the run tees had XWing and TIE figher designs… I think that might have been an awesome thing to see. They had pacers but I was not sure why they were all carrying the same colour ballons which made it harder to differenttiate them but then again I don’t think many were going for PBs. Also running in the evening meant a lot more people and the route was not closed which resulted in some congestion as there was some jostling with tourist and pedestrians. A lack of cosplayers along the route and maybe I think there were opportunities for more Star Wars Theme music along the route would have made it better.

Over in California, the 5k and 10k runs were held within Disneyland itself and as such the full light show and sound was there for all even the backstage areas were lit up. Ample photo ops including BB8 (longest queue) and many other Star Wars characters. The Half was held partly in Disney and Partly along the surrounding roads. They had crowd control and a very cool way of moving people across the route if they needed, using a rope to control the path of runners. It ensured a smooth run for the runners and also the ability of pedestrians to cross. I saw a pacer or what I think was a pacer as it was just a solo runner carrying a placard with the timing on it. Cosplayers and high school bands and cheerleaders were out in force and the spectators were everywhere cheering you on. It was an experience running it. I had to stop for photo ops of cars deck out in Star Wars painting and the various cosplayers especially one of my favourite’s the Emperor’s Royal Guard.

Finishing and Medals

Well, the local finish was a little different as the medals and drinks were at different locations but there was food which you can buy and also free yoghurt and vitagen which was refreshing! The free movie and exhibition plus the light show (which was amazing) made it a real treat. I wish I could have run all the races and get the 4 medals. I was most disappointed with no eCert for the race. That was a real let down. Have not check out any photos yet as it is usually hard to find mine if the number is not tagged.

Finishing in California was very orderly, you pass the end, they will have volunteers place the medal over your neck, get a heat blanket, you collect water, have a photo taken, seek medical help if needed, collect your food pack, more photos (which you can bypass if you did not want photos) … before you leave the end zone. All very slick process if you ask me and orderly too. Not much at the end zone, I had to hurry back to the hotel as it was another 2k walk back. I got the 3 medals for the 3 runs plus an extra rebel challenge medal. I think the medals really beat the 4 of our local ones. 2 of their’s had moving parts … a rolling BB8 medal obviously beats any other medal outright 🙂 They had eCerts but very bare nothing flashy .. of course you could buy the full package with a frame, bib, timing and medal etc. But I guess any eCert was better than NONE !! (I am still soooo disappointed with the local event on this) Even a participating eCert would have been cool just print name and said that I had completed the inaugural Star Wars Run Singapore 2017 would have been enough. I would have printed, laminated and framed it up !! Disney had their own photographs and the bibs were tagged so I could logon and see all photos of me, I even decided to buy them all since it was a once in a lifetime event. But for some reason I could not make payment on the Disney site. So I emailed them and their technical people tried to help me with some instructions to follow. But still I could not get it to work and before I had to send a 3rd email to them they replied that they have given me complimentary access to all my photos … now that is awesome service from Disney!

All in both runs were enjoyable and I had a great time on the routes with my lightsabre. Thanks for reading this far and … May the Course Be with You !!

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5 Things You Should Look Out For At SCKLM 2017

By
Mel
-

The BIGGEST marathon event in Malaysia is happening this weekend – Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017! We have logged in the miles, put in the training, now it is time to do the best part of marathon running – tapering and carboloading! Let the feast begin! It’s time to put our training to the test! Here are 5 things to look out for at SCKLM 2017!

#1 Happy Ending – NO, Hilly Ending – Yes

The entire marathon route is pretty hilly – along the AKLEH highway (10km – 19km) and even hitting the DUKE highway (20km – 30km). But if you think the first 30km in hilly, boy are you in for a suffering ending! At the 33km point, you run through Kenny Hills (Bukit Tunku), and if you’re thinking again this is bad, it’s really just uphill all the way from here! After coming out from Kenny Hills, you hit a long climb along Jalan Parlimen – and this is the real silent killer! So remember, save your strength and pace yourself well to embrace the ending!

#2 42.195km Slight Change In Route

There will be a slight change in route after coming out from Bukit Tunku. There are 2 minor changes after coming out from Kenny Hills. There are 2 additional U-Turns. We are not saying it is definitely going to be overdistance, but based on last years 42.5km GPS distance, with the additional 2 U-Turns, it seems that it may be some what overdistance.

#3 10km & 5km Flagoff Venue is Different From The 42km/21km Flagoff Venue

Please note that the 10km & 5km flagoff venue is not at Dataran Merdeka. The 10km & 5km flagoff is at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman – some 1 kilometre away from Dataran Merdeka. The norm is to park at the Finishing Line and take the 1 kilometre walk /jog to the starting line as a warm up. This is because the baggage storage is at the finishing area. You wouldn’t want to walk to the finishing area to store your baggage, then walk all the way to the starting point again – this would be necessary if you parked at the starting area.

#4  Race Pack Collection

In contrast with other years, the race pack collection will be at a different location. This year, the RECP will be held at the KL Convention Centre, Hall 6.

Date:18, 19 and 20 May 2017
Time:18 and 19 May: 11 am. – 8 pm. and 20 May: 10 am. – 6 pm.

#5 Start Times

Also note that the Marathon flagoff time is at 4am. In years prior to 2016, the flagoff time was at 430am. But to allow for the more than 4 hour runners to not be in the sun for too long, the start time is bumped to 4am. Please also note the starting times for the other categories below.

Remember, you’ve done all the preparations – now it’s show time! Good Luck!

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About 1,000 Runners Went the Gracious Mile at Singapore Kindness Run 2017

By
Team JustRunLah!
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[Press Release] On Sunday, 14 May 2017, Singapore’s first ever Kindness Run saw about 1000 signups where they practiced good running etiquette at Pasir Ris Park. Through racing and engaging in various fringe activities, graciousness was advocated by participants as a whole community.

This race is a ground up initiative by Runners’ Heart-Reach, in collaboration with Singapore Kindness Movement, aimed to help build a kinder running community.

The event commenced with the arrival and opening remarks of the Guest-of-Honour (GOH), Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and MP for Tampines GRC, Mr Baey Yam Keng. Thereafter, the runners recited the kindness pledge and started the race.

Elite Kindness Ambassadors like ‘Mr Singapore Blade Runner’ Md Shariff Abdullah Peters and Singapore’s only Ironman Triathlete, Choo Ling Er were also present to provide encouragement and run alongside the participants. Tilija Suresh and Jasmine Goh emerged first for their respective 10km Mens’ and Womens’ Open.

The winners including Tilija Suresh (second from left) and Jasmine Goh (fourth from right), taking a photo with Singa and Ms Rachel Lum, Associate General Secretary, Partnerships from Singapore Kindness Movement (fourth from left). // Photo credit: Singapore Kindness Movement.

As the cultivation of kindness starts from young, onsite booths and activities were specially designed to facilitate educational opportunities and quality family bonding time. Many participants braved the heat to be a part of a human daisy formation while others were seen at Singa’s Runfie Zone snapping selfies with the well-loved Kindness Lion.

Kids rearing to go at the start point of the 800m Kids’ Dash // Photo credit: Singapore Kindness Movement.
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