The start and finish venue of Hanoi Marathon – Heritage Race is located right by Hoan Kiem Lake, the symbol of Hanoi. It’s famous for the Turtle Tower, a small, ancient and quiet tower situated on an island in the middle of the lake. Right nearby is Ngoc Son Temple, situated on a different island and connected to the mainland by a small, red, wooden bridge that highlights the fresh green lake water.
2. Hanoi Opera House
Was built in 1901, the Hanoi Opera House is a miniature copy of Opéra Garnier Theater. The Opera House is characterized by the French New Age and is one of the most important cultural centres of Hanoi.
3. St. Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi
St. Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi was built in 1884, in the medieval Gothic architectural style, with an arched dome facing the sky, much like the Notre Dame in Paris.
4. The Flag Tower of Hanoi
The Flag Tower of Hanoi was built in the early 19th century, by the Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. This is also the most preserved historical landmark of Hanoi.
5. The Temple of Literature, the Imperial Academy
The Temple of Literature is a collective of complex monuments built in the 11th century in the ancient East Asian architectural style. This is also a monument that symbolizes the cultural development process of Vietnam with 82 steles honouring its graduates from the 15th century to the 18th century.
6. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the resting place of President Ho Chi Minh, the first President of Vietnam. It is located in the Ba Dinh square, where the President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, inaugurating the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is also a unique architectural work, built by leading Soviet engineers and talented Vietnamese craftsmen.
7. Tran Quoc Pagoda
Tran Quoc Pagoda is a Vietnamese Buddhist centre from the 11th to the 15th century. It is an 11-story-tall tower with a height of 15 meters. Each floor has six fenestras and in each, a statue of Amitabha (the celestial Buddha) made from mineral stone.
8. Quan Thanh temple
The Quan Thanh temple is one of the four ancient towns of the antique Thang Long Citadel, built in the 11th century.
9. Cua Bac (The Northern Gate)
Cua Bac is one of the few remaining traces of the ancient citadel of Hanoi. With traces of destruction from bombs and bullets, Cua Bac is also a marker of French colonialism and the First Indochina War in the mid-twentieth century. Opposite to Cua Bac is the Cua Bac church, built in a unique Asian–European fusion architectural style.
10. Long Bien Bridge
Was built in 1898, Long Bien Bridge is akin to a witness to one of the most turbulent periods of Hanoi’s history. It was built by the French and considered their pride of in Indochina, and was also where French troops finally withdrew from Hanoi after the Dien Bien Phu victory. During the Vietnam War, the Long Bien bridge was heavily bombed by American planes but remained standing, as if firmly representing and instating the spirit of the Vietnamese people during the war. Today, Long Bien Bridge has become a favourite place of Hanoians. From the bridge, you can admire the entirety of the modest and rustic charm of the outskirts of Hanoi: small green rice paddies by the tranquil river.
11. O Quan Chuong
O Quan Chuong is an ancient city’s gate situated in the middle of modern Hanoi. It used to be a security checkpoint for the commercial district of ancient Hanoi, what is now known as the Old Quarter. O Quan Chuong was named after a chief of the army to honour him and other Nguyen soldiers who fought in the war against the French.
I will be contributing 20km at the Relay Majulah coming this November. Relay Majulah is a ground-up initiative to form a 200-runners team to conquer 2,000km over 200 hours (2-10 Nov 2019) to raise funds for President’s Challenge and its 67 supported charities; and to commemorate Singapore’s 200 years. It also aims to unite the community, for the community; and tell the inspiring stories of people with an indomitable spirit, who live life to the full and live life without limits.
What motivated me to take part in this relay?
I’m proud to be a Singaporean and honoured to be displaying this through the sport which I’m most passionate about.
What am I most looking forward to in the participation of this relay?
Coming together with the 200 like-minded runners and completing the feat together.
Do I think this relay is a challenge for me and in what way?
It is not a challenge physically to me as an individual. It is more of a challenge for everyone to work together as a team to achieve the goal as one.
Does being a Singaporean/PR have a special significance to me?
Yes. I am grateful for the people who put in lots of commitment, determination and sometimes sacrifices to bring Singapore to where it is today. It motivates me to contribute in every little way I can to make it a place where we are proud to call Our Home.
Have I overcome any challenge which I would like to share?
My challenge may be immaterial compared to many people out there. However, my sharing is as such:
Challenges may come in many forms, be it physical, emotional, spiritual and social. Physically, I used to be an obese kid, which in turn leads to low self-esteem and was always bothered by how people around me see me. A common thought which used to ring in my head was “I am not good enough” or “I do not deserve this”.
It was through the desire and determination to achieve a Silver National Physical Fitness Award before enlistment in the army which changed my life. My fitness improved tremendously when I put my heart into the run training before, during or after school hours with a few classmates. My self-confidence also improved along the way, which allowed me to be more sociable and to have the ability to take on more demanding roles throughout National Service, University and work life. I also became more positive and open-minded and developed the willingness to do things for others, the country and the greater good.
Have I overcome any challenge that I can share that could inspire the community?
The constant pursuit of health and wellness as only a healthy mind, body and soul will be able to do wonders.
What is my favourite sport/choice of healthy activity and do I have any special relationship with it?
Running, and it is where I find solace and sanity in life.
Do I have any healthy tip to share?
Be consistent in your actions in achieving your goals. Results will come naturally when you turn actions into habits.
One of the reasons why I am participating in Relay Majulah is to help raise funds for President’s Challenge and its supported 67 charities.
I hope that through my fundraising efforts, I will be able to spread positivity and open-mindedness through the passion for running and fitness.
If you feel relatable to my story and motivation, you may check out or support my fundraising efforts here.
Life mirrors the runs or is it the other way, when you become a runner. What exactly is a runner ? I checked on the internet and the simplest definition is a person who runs for sports or pleasure. I didn’t know if I qualify but I just like to run, especially testing myself initially in races. Then in some ways as with many things in life, it became costly. So I have to be more selective (about races) and run mainly for ‘pleasure’ at my own time and pace/place. Then it changed to another P, Purpose. I wrote about that a year or so ago. It kept me going even when I was down. (I started writing this thinking I would review a run event but it turned into something beyond… hence the title.)
Near the end of last year I decided to participate in the 86 km category of the 50 hours non-stop run organized by Tampines West Community Sports Club (CSC). Into its fifth year, the venue for the Run is Bedok Reservoir Park with start / end point at the floating platform near Sheng Siong Supermarket.
This Run is to challenge participant to push their limits in achieving the running distance of 5 laps (21.5km), 10 laps (43km), 15 laps (64.5km) and the maximum 20 laps (86km) at their own pace and time within the 50 hours duration. This is a non-competitive event and times are not recorded. Participants can choose any time to start, stop and continue within the 50 hours. I chose 86 km and I planned to finish in one ‘go’.
I chose to run this to raise funds for the Singapore Cancer Society. It was my second ‘big’ official campaign to run for funds for the society. There had been a few persons in my life – my good friends and my mother-in-law who passed away due to cancer. I was quite ‘angry with cancer’ when my mum-in-law was taken away too in 2012 after losing a friend earlier on. Cancer doesn’t just affect the patients but the circle of people around them. While my wife had not shown much external emotion at the loss I know she missed her mum a lot when she passed away after a short discovery and treatment period.
I was aware that I was a very ordinary runner who started a bit late in running and would be past 56 years old when I attempted the 86 km ultra. The furthest I had done was 50 km non-stop.
And I had not kept in touch much with my usual social circle since leaving my career back a few years ago. And the current group had no interest in running except for one. Coincidentally the previous campaign I had done was completing 500 km (exceeded that distance finally) in 86 days, hence I decided to set the target of raising $8686 with this ultra 86 km mission.
At Race Pack Collection (Photo Credit : Tampines West CSC)
I decided to run every day to train for this ultra so I started that on 29th Dec last year. (And walked everyday too with my average total number of steps I took per week usually exceeding 100,000.) Initially it was still fine. As the weeks grew into months it became a challenge… When it rained… When life’s schedule became complicated… But I persevered and on days when I couldn’t do much, I just made sure that I did run 1 mile (at least 1.6 km) besides doing my walks. Most times the runs were about 3-4 km. Longest was a half marathon. I didn’t attempt more, as I didn’t want to get injured and aggravate my back injuries.
Slightly more than a month to go before the event, bad news came. A dear friend, a female classmate of mine, also ex-colleague of mine and one of the strong supporters of my previous campaign had passed away. Struck down by a relapse of cancer just late last year. She had kept her illness private and so it came as a shock to most of us. My last interaction was a couple of months before. I decided to dedicate the campaign in her memory too. At her wake, I met ex-colleagues and former course mates who then brought me into the cohort’s whatsapp group.
Then, about 2 weeks before the mission, one of my younger brothers was hospitalized, initially in ICU due to a sudden heart attack. I went in and out of hospital to help him out. He had an emergency bypass and then another bypass within a few days. I was feeling a bit of pain on my back of my right hip. I ignored and carried on life and squeezing running into the tighter schedule. Till about a few days before the actual date when things settled down for my brother and I went to the polyclinic to check on my pain. Was asked by the female doc to come back the following day as the x-ray section had closed for the day and she gave me some painkillers. Next day it was a male doc who then examined me physically. He discovered a mass on the right abdomen. I had noticed the swelling but didn’t think too much of it as my pain was behind, not on the front. It was about a finger length firm mass which can be felt physically on the right abdomen.
He asked me a few question relating to cancer history. Nope, I didn’t know of any cancer history in my family. It sounded ominous. He asked about the level of pain. It was quite intense on the back, the hip. He decided to refer me to the emergency department in a hospital of my choice. I took the referral letter and asked him if it was alright to run in another few days’ time. He said better not, what if the mass were to ‘burst’ in the worst scenario. I left the clinic, thinking hard. I had to complete my ‘mission’. I also wanted to run for my friend who had just left.
I shortened the distance I planned to run that day, and the day after and then decided to take a break just to be ‘safe’. It was just two days more to the ultra start. I decided to start the ultra in the evening, a few minutes before 6 pm, though I went down to the site for a recce in the morning. I took half a dozen packets of the running gel, thinking that there would be some energy drinks, banana and water provided. I also took a couple of salt tablets since I rarely tried them in my short training. But had read that salt tablets would be good for long endurance runs. And of course, I said my usual morning and night prayers for a good day. And that day was Good Friday too.
I went at my slow jogging pace. And just went round and round Bedok Reservoir. I had dreaded the sandy terrain. I was wearing my black UA Hovr Sonic shoes. After just two or 3 loops, they didn’t look black anymore. Met a good friend whom I got to know from one of the races I did in the past. Jogged along with him for a lap or so (and had him as a familiar face round the loops through the night and morning). Chatted and during that conversation I did share about the recent events. And as I talked with him, my mind did go to what the doc said about ‘bursting’. But it was that few seconds and in that conversation. I pretty much shut out the thoughts after that and went on, jogging with small steps and occasionally into brisk walks.
The night was long. Start and finish of each loop, we would just hand over our run cards for the stamps – 2 stamps per loop. I took water and the energy drinks after each loop. There was no bananas. But milk packets were provided after attaining some checkpoint mileage – see the circled ones. Though the milk did make a few of us go to the nearby toilet somehow. After 64 km, my Garmin watch got tired too and slept off (no battery). The next 22 km was taking a long time. I had targeted 15 hours originally but finished within 17 hours. Disappointed but happy with completing without stopping.
In the early morning it drizzled a few drops and then for a short stretch towards the end – my last loop or so. It was a baptism of sorts with water from heaven. I had slowed down to walking then. (That was also where my thoughts went back and forth between past events and I tried instead to focus on my physiological state.)
I had felt the feet swelling after 6 hours or so, reaching the marathon distance and the pain on the toes as they seemed to push against the tip of the shoes, and felt blisters coming after another loop. I just told myself it would be over with another marathon distance to complete ! For the last 5 loops, it became easier for me to ignore my feet.
I had to stop and emptied out the sand particles that went in now and then, about 3 times in the journey. I had slowed to a walk, brisk initially and then slowing down. With a couple of loops to go, I also had to change my 2XU tights into my spare running shorts. I found that the amount of chafing at the groin was just getting difficult for me to even move. I told myself I was near the finish. Then it rained. The shoes got wet and the socks seemed to shrink further constricting the feet. Extremely uncomfortable with the water and sand particles. Just two loops – 8.6 km to go. Which actually took me almost 2 hours by then.
Finally completed just before 11 am. After I collected the medals and finisher tee, I went to look for a chair to rest my legs at the tent. After 15 minutes, I changed my shoes and started walking to the car park, feeling hungry but satisfied I accomplished the mission! Thank God!
I drove back home and took my well-deserved lunch cum breakfast. It was just duck rice with extra duck meat from the KouFu, so about $6. I didn’t think about the mass on my right flank till I was reminded several times in the weeks after by the pain and my good friends. (Photo Credit is due to Tampines West CSC photographers.)
I have to sort out my mum’s appointments for her eye issue the days after before attending to my own ‘mass’. She turned out to have cataract. The wait went on to weeks for the follow-up because I was getting my mum ready for her eye surgery as she lives alone and waiting for the appointments to be scheduled. And the week after the ultra, I went on to do the half marathon race which I had already signed up.
A few good things came out of this long drawn-out wait :
1) my younger brother recovered slowly and stopped smoking after decades of the habit (and my nagging him for years) on the doctor’s advice. As the doctor said, it was touch and go that afternoon when he was brought in by his colleagues semi-conscious.
2) my mother’s cataract eye surgery was successful though she had a short period of infection with extra follow-up.
3) I went to the polyclinic early July, to get another referral since I couldn’t very well go to the emergency with a referral backdated so many months ago. The second doc did the same examination and wrote the referral after confirming the mass was still there. A week passed by before the specialist could see me. The specialist would only confirm diagnosis after I went for a CT Scan. Another week later. Due to some administrative issue at the hospital end, the scan was postponed. After I called up, they managed to place the appointment back. The CT Scan took place in the morning with 4 hours of ‘starving’.
The miracle ? See the specialist in the afternoon for the results. No mass detected and organs, all body parts visible in the scan, all looked ok. They could see the lumbar (backbone) fracture but nothing else. I asked what could have caused the initial swelling and the pain. Don’t know. Only a MRI would be able to tell more which was more costly and more wait. Maybe it was something to do with the nerves when I asked further. I was given a referral to the Orthopaedic for follow-up on the fracture though.
Well, as folks who followed my blog, I had done a few more races, a half marathon about a week after the ultra and even the Sundown Marathon in between the final diagnosis. I would attribute it to my faith that I went on despite the initial diagnosis. I had believed then it was not time for me to go yet. After a number of good friends had advised me to seek the doc’s opinion, I had thought it prudent I should at least just get an expert opinion.
Whatever it was, it had been a good miracle that I went through another slightly testing phase. I had just completed the Runninghour 10 km and then the Singtel-SCS Race Against Cancer 15 km over this weekend. I had started running every day again in June. Hopefully, the remaining days before this coming weekend (I had extended the campaign to include the recent Singtel-SCS Race since it was for SCS too instead of opening another campaign), I would be closer to the fund’s target.
Photo Credit : Ang Chi Song (Terence) – RaceAgainstCancer
Whatever it is, the fight against cancer must go on. The statistics on cancer seemed not to abate even with the advances made in past years. I can only do what I could with the little I have at this point. Hope kind and generous souls would contribute to the cause. Till the next round, run happy, run safe.
(Post Event Note: I closed the loop two weeks after the event with my dear friend’s sister who then sent me these words (parts of the whole message): “Everything is good. It’s awesome that you ran 86 km to raise funds for cancer society in memory of my sis. I’m sure wherever she is now, she’s probably feeling pretty smug that a good friend of hers actually RAN 86 km (that’s more than doubled the regular marathon !) in her memory and for a great cause! …” After reading, I felt good and more settled and know that my friend is probably in a better place now and I had said goodbye to her the way I know.)
Like the title reads, the world’s most delicious race and I have to agree that Meiji Run 2019 definitely fits that description! It’s been almost a month since this event took place and I got a chance to savour all the goodies that I got from completing the event. There were soooo many of these goodies that I dare say it had to be the highlight for me.
The Meiji Run took place on the 29 June 2019 at the State of Fun, Sentosa and the event’s location was at Palawan Beach. The Meiji event had 2 major components; the Meiji Yoga session which was the morning half and the Meiji Run which had 2 categories the 10KM Competitive and 3.5KM Fun Run.
My bestie, Cheng Yee and I took part in the 3.5KM Fun Run category which started at 16:30 hrs. We arrived early and got to explore the race village which had a small carnival going on. There were lots of game stores, photo booths etc. Unlike most of the runs we attended, this was not a competitive run and the participants that were there were not your typical run event crowds; there were lots of families with children. The atmosphere at the event site was super chillaxed.
We were flagged off in the 2nd wave and we tried to brisk walk but sadly, that wasn’t possible as it was really crowded. We decided to take it easy and soak in the fun run atmosphere. We don’t normally get to explore Sentosa and it was really pretty exciting walking the route. The 3.5 KM fun run took us around some famous Sentosa attractions like AJ Hackett Sentosa (where Bungee Jumping or taking a ride on the Giant Swing are some of the things you can do), Sentosa Skyline Luge, ifly Singapore, Kidzania etc.
We also noticed that this route also had a bit of slope which made it challenging even though we were walking but hey I’m not complaining because we got to enjoy some chilled isotonic drinks from YOU-C1000, both the orange and lemon flavours ones at the hydration stations. Those drinks were soooo refreshing that both Cheng Yee and I decided to have a short break to enjoy them.
We completed the fun run in 47 minutes (that included our drink breaks) and we headed to collect our medal and the Meiji hamper which consisted of both yummilious Meiji confectionary products (like Hello Panda, Yan Yan, Plain Crackers etc.) and dairy products (like Milk, Yogurt, Bulgaria etc). The hamper was definitely the crowd favourite! No other races treated their participants to such an awesome hamper!
Overall, I would give this event two thumbs up! Not only was it well-organised but it also had that WOW factor especially with that awesome Meiji hamper at the end of the event! I would definitely recommend this event to anyone looking for a combination of a workout and awesome goodies! Till my next review! Run happy and keep smiling!
It’s my first Cultra Cameron Ultra-Trail ?. They say it’s the most scenic ultra trail run in Malaysia. The trail isn’t really my type of vegetable after the super exhausting and scary experience in Gopeng Ultra Trail. Also, I have Khmer Empire Marathon which I’ll be running half marathon category next week, so I did 15km for Cultra Cameron. 15km seems like a super cute distance and category as compared to 30km, 55km and 100km ?. But seriously, this 15km also not easy due to the elevation hor, and it’s one of my toughest race ever. It’s sibeh tough.
We joined a group with two buses of Cultrarians heading over from Singapore and paid SGD$260 for the accommodation and coach to ferry us from Singapore to Cameron Highland. It also included some sightseeing tour and two meals but exclusive of race fee. The bus driver Abang must have thought that we are penguins and polar bears because it’s freaking cold lah! ? Fortunately, it’s a smooth and comfortable journey. Once I woke up like magic and realized we’ve miraculously arrived in Ipoh, super near to Cameron Highland.
It was the 4th edition of Cameron Ultra Trail this year and the tickets were selling like hotcakes, for some distance categories. It’s so popular that a ballot was needed to get a slot. I like the slogan, “Be prepared. Be very prepared,” but honestly I didn’t prepare leh. Hurhurhur ? I didn’t go trail training or stairs training at all and suffered big time during the race.
We reached Cameron Highland on Friday afternoon. We stayed in Century Pine Resort, conveniently it’s the site for Cultra Race pack collection and it’s also just a less than 5 minutes walk to the race site. Firstly, it’s the verification counter for our identifications and race registration confirmation. It was a long queue but it was also a fast-moving one. Then, we proceeded to another counter for mandatory items check. For 15km, the mandatory items are our handphone, hydration of at least 500ml and a cup. For other categories, mandatory items include headlamp, blinkers, raincoat, first aid kit etc.
Verification of documents
Mandatory Items Check
Only after these two counters, we were then able to proceed to collect our bibs and race pack containing a very chio duffel bag, a wrist band for a tea party on Friday afternoon, a temporary tattoo of the elevation map and a super nice Salomon Tee with Malaysia flag on it. It was my first event tee with Malaysia flag on it. I was a Malaysian ? Till now, I only have ONE event Tee with a Singapore flag from The Great Relay Singapore 3 years ago and another Vietnam flag on the event tee from Vietnam Mountain Marathon. Maybe I should start a new hobby, collecting race tee with flags ?. Love my race bib, it has Singapore’s flag on it and I have a super nice bib number O001 ?
The elevation map was printed super accurately and it tallied with my GPS watch and I can expect the ascending and descending. My name was printed as “???” because I gei kiang, I typed in my Chinese name during the registration ?
Explored the area around and discovered a lot of the shops there sell many trail running-related stuff. I also bought an official merchandise cap ?. Though the cap is rather expensive, selling at RM100, it’s very chio I have to buy it! ?
We didn’t know there’s a tea party for participants! ? It’s awesome, there were performances by the local kids and most of all, I enjoyed the food! There was soya bean curd, cakes, roti prata etc etc and I eat fat fat ?
Flag off for the 15km race was at 7.30am on Saturday and the longest distance 100km was flag off earliest at 3.45am. The hotel was so sweet to accommodate runners with buffet breakfast starting at 2 am in the morning ?.
It doesn’t feel very cold, maybe about 20 degrees when I was waiting in the start pen, but I wore a jacket to run. It was better to be warm than cold. But also, it was to protect myself from getting cuts from branches and rain since the weather forecast predicted rain. Lesson learned from GUT is to wear long pants to avoid bruises and cuts and I’m glad I wore my compression tights. There were occasions during the race that I accidentally brushed my legs at protruding branches and without the compression tights, I would have gotten huge cuts. Flag off was on time at 7.30am after Malaysia’s National Anthem.
The first km or so was tarmac, I tried to chiong and have a fast start because I heard of human jams at the ascendings into the trails. It was a tough climb so it’s really expected to have caused a jam. Some paths are only wide enough for 1 person. It was due to nature and we should respect that and we shouldn’t do much more to destroy it. It’s muddy and slippery as the path was already stomped through by hundreds of participants from the other categories earlier. I was careful because safety is utmost importance on my list. I even brought whistle along with me as well just even though it’s not a mandatory item for 15km category.
And luckily I chionged and luckily, throughout my entire course there weren’t any bottlenecks. I heard that there were quite a long jam and had caused many runners their precious time that they almost could not make it to the first checkpoint within the cut off time. I had a pair of leather gloves with me, but I took them off after 2km because it was starting to get too warm and I had to continually remind myself to be alert where I place my hands. A friend of mine received a DNF at the first checkpoint at 7.7km with a cut off time of 2 hours. They had to cut her race bib and she was not allowed to carry on the race and was ferried back to the race venue. The race crew were very strict at the cut off time at the checkpoints. No matter how much you cry, beg, or argue with them, they still cut your bib ?.
Credits: Cultra Cameron Ultra Trail
It was like experiencing Gopeng Ultra Trail again. But this Cultra was actually much tougher in comparison. Gopeng’s elevation for 25km was 600+ metre but Cultra’s 15km’s was almost 800 ?. I had to climb on all fours, pulling tree roots and holding onto tree trunks to climb up and down, rolling over fallen tree trunks, slide down on butt, many near falls and luckily just two very light fall on my butt. Felt like I was in a survival/obstacles course. It’s also pretty stressful as I’m not very fast at the ascending and descending, the stress felt machiam like there’s a shark behind chasing you, so after a few climbs, I kept standing by the side to let people overtake.
At the 2nd ascend, it’s like I’ve entered the Mossy Forest (I came before about 8 years ago with my family), but I’m not very sure whether it’s the Mossy Forest. All the trees and surrounding were so mossy and pretty. Wanted to take out my phone and snap a few pictures but I decided to forget it lah since my hands were all wet and muddy ? My face was itchy want to give it a scratch but I also don’t dare to use my hand to scratch ?
I felt that the 2nd ascend was much tougher than the first one ? It’s all muddy and it was drizzling. Some runners said they encountered heavy rain but maybe I was just blessed. I was getting a little more alone already as many runners already were at the front. The sky was dark, the forest was dark and it was cold. It’s pretty scary as well. I was going slower and slower as I was getting very breathless and tired. Legs were getting jelly and arms were getting heavier. I paused many times to catch my breath. I also started praying to complete the race safely as I had really too many near falls. Praying really maybe did help as I successfully completed the race safely after all ?. Also, over here I had a record-breaking of 1km at 44 minutes pace ?
Finally reached checkpoint 2, then I realised that for the first 2 checkpoints all participants will pass through here. Really idolise the other distance category runners, 15km already felt so tough to me and they are doing so much more. There was a first aid station and a waterpoint which has 100 plus, coke and cold ice water ❤. At this checkpoint, there isn’t any cut off time. I took a while to clean my hands, ate some oranges and bananas then carry on.
The only few photos I took in the trails
At the later part of the route I thought if I walked all the way I could still manage before the cut off time. I was already all wet, muddy, smelly, super drained and grumpy. I met a Singaporean zeh zeh who I just met for the first time and we completed the last 3km or so together. I’m sure the distance would be much gruesome and torturing without her. It’s only then I realized 5hours cut off time for 15km is not really generous like I thought it was at all. I managed to complete in 4hours and 27minutes. It’s not just a 15km. It’s not a walk in the park and definitely not for people who don’t run/train regularly.
I didn’t download GPX file into my watch as I still didn’t figure out how to ? But the route for 15km was well guided with a wrong-way sign planted, there were blinkers and also ample red and white tape around to guide runners along the route.
Heard from one past participant that it was tougher this year because of the wet weather and the trails were so much muddier and slippery this time. Out of 450 participants for the 15km category this year, only about half, finished the race within the 5 hours cut off time and the rest were either DNF, DNS or finished after the cut off time. To run Cultra again? Maybe if it’s with Willis, was hoping he would be by my side while I’m on the trail, then something torturous and gruesome would actually become something sweet and romantic ?
Punggol SAFRA saw over 2000 participants earlier this evening at Singapore’s only integrated race where participants ran alongside visually, intellectually, physically, hearing and mental health challenged runners and walkers – Run For Inclusion 2019. Organised by Runninghour, the fifth edition of the race was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong, Minister of State, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Foreign Affairs.
There was a total of 2043 participants at RFI2019. Starting at Punggol SAFRA and stretching across the Punggol Waterway zone, a record 638 Persons with Special Needs (PWSN) attended this year’s event, from 571 at last year’s event.
This year’s event marked the debut of a new category – the 20km Cycling (non-competitive), where participants cycled alongside PWSN on single bicycles and together with them on tandem bicycles. This new category aimed to showcase more activities suitable for special needs participants.
Making its return at Run For Inclusion 2019 was the popular Empathy Run segment, where participants took on challenges to experience the everyday difficulties faced by PWSN, including Runninghour’s signature ‘Blindfold’ run – where participants ran in pairs, with one of them guiding the other along while he or she runs blindfolded.
As with the previous year’s runs, Run For Inclusion 2019 continued to offer complimentary slots to PWSN and their caregivers (limited to one caregiver per PWSN), to encourage them to join in the run and to promote an active lifestyle among the community. This year, 1000 complimentary slots were extended to special needs participants and caregivers, up from 700 in 2018. This year’s race route was also wheelchair friendly.
Mr John See Toh, Co-founder of Runninghour shared, “Integration for the PWSN community has always been Runninghour’s goal since we came together 10 years ago. We also believe that fitness is something for everybody regardless of ability. It is heartening to see more people join our run and we hope that this number continues to grow in the years to come as we educate more people about what inclusivity is truly about.”
To conclude the event, Runninghour guides and PWSN members put together performances to entertain participates, this included performances by Delta Senior School and Metta School students.
The Great Western Ride has always been in my ‘to cycle’ list. Although I had run a ‘part’ of it during last year’s B.I.G Farm Run, cycling at the farm estates and literally to the far end of Lim Chu Kang (LCK) is yet another different matter.
Preparation
The preparation work was the same as any other rides, such as ensuring that I have the necessary accessories like helmet, hydration, hand gloves and seat cushion. Researching and planning the route, including where to start and end, places of interest and identifying any potential risk is mandatory.
It is akin to my North East Cycling Expedition in March this year, where I cycled from Mandai to Bedok and along the way visiting the many places of interest such as the Mandai Zoo and Seletar Aerospace Park.
However, the glaring difference between the 2 Rides is that the Western Ride is mostly on roads. There is literally no park connectors and few pedestrian pathways. So cyclists who want to embark on this Ride should be mindful of the risks of cycling on the main roads.
Expedition Day
My friend Lian Chye who took part in the OCBC Cycle joined me for this ride. We arranged to meet up at Choa Chu Kang MRT at 9.30 am. Before setting off I ‘tabao’ lunch, intending to consume later at one of the rest points as I know there is hardly any food stall selling food at LCK, unless we purposely detour to Kranji Farm Resort.
As a non-resident here, it is not easy to navigate even with online maps on hand. Nevertheless, we got it right cycling along Choa Chu Kang Ave 4 to Brickland Road. This area should shed some light to me as I had run here and also visited the nearby Hai Inn Temple just last month. We crossed the KJE Flyover and turned left to Old Choa Chu Kang Road.
We passed Home Team Academy and temporarily stopped over at Keat Hong Camp. 2 AMX-13 tanks flanked the entrance. It was relatively quiet here at almost 11.30 am. Perhaps the national servicemen were preparing to book out, or had they already done so?
We rode on after a short rest, passing Tengah Airbase. I must have not travelled this road for 8 years after completing my last in-camp. There are quite a number of camps in this part of Singapore, and you can actually still find some old-school bus stops along this road.
After a short ride, we came to the cross junction where we turned right to LCK road. I had travelled along this road countless times – by car and bus. Ever since I rekindled my interest in cycling, I had told myself that someday I will cycle along this road. This is one of the widest roads in Singapore and military aircraft use it as an alternative runway for emergency takeoff and landings during exercise.
The afternoon sun was hot and there was no wind. Cycling along this stretch of road can be daunting. We passed the cemeteries and turned into Murai Farmway. Rows of chicken farm houses greeted us. There used to have organized public visits to the chicken farms before the bird flu outbreak many years ago. Since then, the authorities had banned such visits.
We turned back into LCK road from Jalan Murai. The roads here were narrower and we had to cycle especially careful, keeping to the left due to the presence of heavy vehicles. A short ride brought us to Sungei Gedong Camp, my second home from my national service days. I had many fond memories here – the staying in, the camaraderie forged and the training ground. It was definitely surreal to be here again after so many years. The leopard tank displayed in front of the camp entrance looks simply awesome.
We resumed our journey after a short while and the old Neo Teow estate came into sight. When I was serving my NS more than 20 years ago, this estate was still occupied by residents. Now it has been gazette as an urban warfare training venue for the SAF.
We reached Hay Dairies and consumed our lunch with Hay’s goat milk. The farm assistant told me Hay’s goat milk can also be purchased at Cold Storage. The stopover would not be complete without visiting the goats and watching families having fun feeding them.
After a 45 mins rest, we set off once again towards LCK end. The Police Coast Guard Base is here, though I recalled many years ago this place was actually a small bus terminal. There were some fishmongers unloading their catch at the jetty. Otherwise, the place was quite deserted and dusty due to construction.
We retraced our way and turned into LCK Lane 8, passing Vishnu Dairy Farm. Readers may know Vishnu cow milk can be purchased at NTUC Fairprice. We continued on to Lane 6C before turning left to Lane 6, briefly stopping over at the Jurong Frog Farm. Subsequently, we cycled along Lanes 5 and 3 before turning into Neo Teow Road and Neo Teow Crescent. There are quite a number of ornamental fish farms here, such as Dragon Fish Industry, Sing Arowanas and Pang Long. I used to keep arowanas and would have stopped to visit these farms if not because I was afraid we may be running rather late.
We arrived at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. I didn’t see many birds in the wetland. Perhaps they were taking shelter from the hot weather? There wasn’t a lot of visitors either, probably because the location was too far away and there is more interest in visiting the Zoo.
We didn’t stay long and continued to cycle to Kranji Way. I had always wanted to visit Kranji Reservoir and was glad I made it here today. There was nothing further of interest here in Kranji Industrial Estate. We turned into Kranji Road and directly headed to Kranji MRT Station. We ended our western ride here at 3.30 pm and had ‘ice kachang’ before parting ways.
After Thoughts
This ride is not suitable for the risk-averse as the majority of the ride is on roads with heavy vehicles. You have to play it safe, keep to the left at all times and dismount to push your bike where necessary.
However, the rewards are tremendous as you visit places of interest where many will not do so on a 2 wheeler. It is definitely a refreshing change from cycling park connectors.
Most people will also tend to feel cycling a road bike is a better choice. I am not here to dispute that but just to add that a good foldable bike, coupled with good planning and physical fitness, will allow you to enjoy your ride too.
Whether you’re new to the workout scene, or you’re a fitness fanatic, it’s important that you keep your body in good shape. When it comes to endurance, nutrition is a key factor, so keeping control of your calories and taking several factors into account such as your body weight, how fast and long you run, as well as your training frequency is crucial. Here are five nutrition tips for boosting your endurance.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
If you tend to exercise first thing in the morning, make sure that you get up early enough to have breakfast at least one hour before beginning your workout. Not only will this give you the energy you need to succeed, it will raise your blood sugar too. If you don’t eat, you may feel lightheaded or sluggish when working out, making it harder for you to stay on track. We all know how important it is to follow a balanced diet, so getting your day off to a good start with a healthy breakfast can help to boost endurance.
Size Matters
It can be all too easy to overeat before exercise, however, you may not realize the impact it can be having on your health. To help boost endurance and stamina, make sure to eat large meals between three and four hours before you exercise. If you are having a small meal, make sure to eat two to three hours before. If you eat too much, you may feel sluggish and rundown, which will have an impact on how much energy and endurance you have for your workout. It’s also important to stay hydrated throughout your fitness regime. Dehydration can cause you to lose focus, so make sure to avoid carbonated beverages and instead, swap them for plenty of water.
Choose Your Carbs Wisely
What you may not know is that carbs aren’t all the same. The two groups that you must keep in mind are complex carbs, and simple carbs. Complex carbs are broken down in the body throughout a long period, helping to provide you with energy and endurance throughout the day, whereas simple carbs are absorbed straight away, helping to boost your glucose levels. If you want to increase your stamina straight away, simple carbs can be quite beneficial.
Avoid Caffeine Before Running
Many of us drink cups of coffee to get us through the day, however, when it comes to running and fitness, it’s best to avoid caffeine as much as you can. While caffeine increases your blood sugar and heart rate, which in turn can help you go faster, it will wear you down faster. It’s better to have caffeine after working out, rather than having a quick burst of energy at the beginning of your workout.
Try Natural Energy Boosters
There are various natural supplements that may be able to help when it comes to improving your general physical performance. You can purchase nutrient rich products from Basik Nutrition, helping to provide you with natural energy while supporting your overall health. Whether you’re wanting to improve your fitness, prepare for a marathon, or boost your stamina, natural supplements can be a huge help.
Whether you’re working out in the gym or going for a long run, it can be all too easy to fall at the first hurdle, especially if you’re running out of breath. To help boost your endurance, make sure to eat a healthy breakfast before you start, pick your carbs wisely, as well as try out natural energy boosters such as supplements which can help you on your fitness journey, giving you the endurance and stamina you need to stay moving.
It was a thrilling accomplishment with approximately 9,000 participants who took part in the very first leg of the IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge 2019 on an early Sunday morning. With the event taking place on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) Highway, the challenge had participants running a distance of 10KM and 21KM.
The IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge has attracted international participants since it opened an international category two years ago. This year was no different and saw the organizers welcoming runners from countries such as Singapore, Kenya, Nigeria, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Brunei, Thailand, and Sweden.
The early morning run, which is the first leg of this year’s IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge, began with scores of runners gathering at the main entrance of Sunway Pyramid. As part of the experience, the main entrance of the mall had been transformed into an outdoor Race Village, complete with a winner’s podium, VIP room, locker facilities, partner booths and a line of food trucks. Many arrived as early as 4:30 am to warm up before the first flag off.
Flag-off began first for the 21KM run at 5:30 am. Then, at 6:10 am for the 10KM run respectively. Both runs went smoothly with racers making it to the finish line sporting little to no casualties.
Post-race, race participants and their supporters were treated to the winner’s award ceremony and a Zumba session held within the Race Village itself to top off the fun. They could also fuel and hydrate themselves from a line of food trucks from Milo, Nestle, Fitness Breakfast and more.
The IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge was held in partnership with IJM Corporation Berhad (IJM) and Allianz Malaysia Berhad as the title sponsors. There will be an upcoming second leg held on 24 August 2019 which will be the first-ever night run organised by the series. The Besraya Highway Challenge is expected to attract 7,000 participants across three events which is a challenging 26KM run, 13KM run and a 13KM relay run challenge.
Organised by Besraya (M) Sdn Bhd (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway Sdn Bhd (NPE) under IJM’s toll division and EC Pixels, the organizers took extra measures and precautions to ensure in making sure the safety of the runners by providing a fully closed highway and most importantly, making sure the participants have a great and memorable run.
IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge 2019 is supported by our Title Partner: IJM Corporation Berhad and Allianz Malaysia Berhad, Platinum Partner: EXSIM & Touch N GO Digital, Gold Partner: Magnetic Control System & Nivea Men, Silver Partner: System Builders, Official Timing: Coros, Official Isotonic and Drink: 100 Plus & ICE Mountain, Official Online Portal: Justonline & Partners: Affin Hwang, Beaute Library, Fitness First, IJM Land, RockTape, Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Velocity, Nestle MILO, Nestle Fitnesse and Movement First.
Orienteering is the sport of navigation where you combine running, map reading and decision making all in one single activity! The sport can take place in any urban built-up area or forest terrain overseas. Runners will be given a map/route according to their age/gender and they will need to clear the different checkpoints. Without a set route or signs to guide them, participants have to plan the quickest way to get to the checkpoints pre-marked on a physical map, which may sometimes come with clues and the person/team that returns the fastest and in the correct sequence wins!
The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) governs four orienteering disciplines: foot orienteering, mountain bike orienteering, ski orienteering, and trail orienteering. The IOF was founded in 1961 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977.
Who is it for?
Orienteering is a fulfilling sport for all ages who want to keep themselves fit mentally as well as physically, or simply for anyone who wants to add a variety to their leisure activities. It does not matter how young-old or fit you are as the progression will be planned against your own pace to suit you.
Types of Orienteering
Classic Orienteering
Classic orienteering involves a race between controls in a preset order. The winner is the person who completes the course in the shortest time. You must visit the controls in the sequence shown in your map, different categories have a different map, so do not follow any other racer during the course.
Score Orienteering
Competitors visit as many controls as possible within a time limit. There is usually a mass start (rather than staggered), with a time limit. Controls may have different point values depending on difficulty, and there is a point penalty for each minute late. The competitor with the most points is the winner. Control points are placed on features on the map that can be clearly identified on the ground. Control points are marked in the terrain by white and orange “flags”.
Learn The Orienteering Symbols
Triangle: The start location
Circle: The control location
Double Circle: Represent the Finish location, in some instead START and FINISH could be at the same location
Purple Line: This is a classific orienteering format, You must visit the control in this order but it does not show you how to run to the control.
Sample Of An Orienteering Map
Find out more about orienteering in Singapore here
We bet you are intrigued, so why not try it out yourself? There are a number of orienteering events in Singapore, and the next one will be happening soon!
Join O-Training 4 @ Bishan / Get Active Singapore
Date/Time: 3rd – 4th Aug 2019, 9 am – 12 pm
Location: Bishan Community Club, Singapore
Race Category/Price: – Single Race ($7.50) – Student ($5.00) – Team of 2 ($12.50) – Team of 3 ($19.00) – Team of 4 ($25.00)
Sesame Street, the famous and well-loved children’s television program in the world, turns 50. As part of its golden celebration, Heroes has partnered with Sesame Workshop to introduce Sesame Street Fun Run Tour Asia. The Sesame Street Run will make its appearance on our sunny island, Singapore, on 17th November at Our Tampines Hub.
Entitled “Sesame Street’s 50 Years and Counting Run”, the run is not just your ordinary run but a run to celebrate five decades of Sesame Street and Counting! This historic running event features a five-kilometer family fun run across all ages. Relive your childhood as you meet your favorite Sesame Street characters like Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and the gang at the starting line.
The running tour kicks off in the Philippines. The revelry continues as Sesame Street goes to other Southeast Asian countries – Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Witness Sesame Street Giant Birthday cake blowout before the flag off with a special countdown by Count Von Count and get showered with Abby’s Magic Dust before running into a fun-filled 5KM Sesame Street Run.
The festivity remains after the Sesame Street Run. Dance, play and learn with your family and friends at their interactive booths featuring Sesame Street’s furry friends.
Race Details:
Date/Time: 17 November 2019, 07:00am Location: Our Tampines Hub, Singapore Categories: 5 KM Fun Run
Asia leading multisport brand TRI-Factor had attracted more than 3500 triathletes across 2 triathlon weekends in TF Indonesia, Belitung (6-7 July 2019), TF Malaysia, Putrajaya (13-14 July 2019) and TF Singapore (14 July 2019). The mega triathlon festival attracted a diverse group of athletes from more than 37 different countries racing across various duathlon and triathlon categories.
The Inaugural edition of TRI-Factor Triathlon in Belitung, Indonesia was graced by 2019 Presidential candidate Mr Sandiaga Uno emerge 3rd position in the TF Standard Category among other athletes in his age category.
The 11th edition of TRI-Factor Triathlon in Singapore was flagged off by top government officials from the Republic of China, Quzhou along with Orange Room executives. Top 3 male and female were awarded direct qualification slots for the World Championship in China. Australian Mr. Michael Cassinides and Vietnamese Ms. Thuyvi Pham emerged overall champion for Singapore TF Standard Category with a time of 2hours 12minutes and 33 seconds and 2 hours 38 minutes and 07 seconds.
The 3rd Edition of TRI-Factor Triathlon in Putrajaya, Malaysia saw a surge in participation in the newly introduced TF Standard distance category in 2019. The all-inclusive event included categories for those with special needs for the Mighty Star category.
Overall TF Top Female ranking Indonesian athlete Ms. Nethavani Octaria took the top spot across 2 consecutive weekings in both the TF Enduro (1.5km Swim-80km Bike-20km Run) category in Indonesia, Belitung and TF60 (2.25km Swim-42km Bike-15km Run) category in Singapore with a time of 4 hours 31 minutes and 41 seconds and 3 hours 23 minutes and
1 second respectively. She qualifies to race in the elite wave with the professional athletes in the TF World Championship on 22nd September 2019. Ms. Octaria, says, “I am happy with the win today as there are many strong athletes racing and I want to thank TRI-Factor for putting up another well-organized event”.
Mr. Elvin Ting, Managing Director of Orange Room Pte Ltd., says, “I am proud of the TRI-Factor team in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia who successfully executed 3 major triathlons across 2 weekends. The culmination of this movement will be held in the beautiful city of Quzhou, China for our World Championships – this will certainly be our greatest event yet as our global community comes together to reimagine limits.”
For further information about the TRI-Factor Asian Championships and T.A.C.A. status, visit www.trifactor.asia
Due to last year’s saga with a running coach misappropriating funds collected from runners for a running vacation, Willis and I like many other runners affected couldn’t get to run the Gold Coast Marathon.
Last year, Gold Coast Marathon organiser was kind to offer runners who had the issue with that running coach some last minute assistance with the air tickets and accommodations but to us it was very last minute and air tickets wasn’t cheap to purchase just a few days prior to travelling date and we decided not to go last year. Luckily they also offered last year’s registration slot for runners to defer to this year, so we decided to go this year in 2019 ? Race fee wasn’t cheap, it’s $190 for international runners ?
Though honestly, Willis and I didn’t train enough/well for this marathon and my longest run was 16km only prior to the race ? But I still think that we did quite well for the 42.195km together ?
From Singapore, there’s only a couple of airlines that fly directly to Gold Coast such as Scoot is one of them. But we decided to take Singapore Airlines for a more comfortable flight to Brisbane. The flight duration about 7 hours flight, and the transfer to Gold Coast by taking train then tram used approximately another 2 hours. Flight tickets cost about $700 per person by Singapore Airlines but budget airline tickets wasn’t much of a difference so we rather pay a little more to have a more comfortable seat with in-flight entertainments and meals ?
It’s quite easy to travel around with Google Maps app indicating the travelling mode from Brisbane International Airport to Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast, we booked online train and tram tickets which cost about $50 per person for return tickets and it’s $10 cheaper than purchasing the tickets on site. Taking the train and tram doesn’t feel much of a hassle at all as well.
Though our accommodation isn’t near Race Expo nor the start/finish point of Gold Coast marathon, we stayed in an awesome apartment in Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise just 3 minutes walk from Cavill Avenue tram station. Travelling in Gold Coast is very convenient with the trams and buses ? Staying in Cavill Avenue would be a better choice than staying in Southport that is near the race venue. Cavill Avenue have more food choices, nearer to some tourist attractions and it’s a more vibrant place. I eat fat fat and drank bubble tea, Gong Cha everyday there ?
This was one of the most relaxing runcations to Willis and I other than the runcation we had in Phuket last year. We wasn’t really interested in theme parks and so I did some homework online and purchased the Iventure Card. It’s paying a fee for a few activities or meals out of a list to choose from and it’s quite worth it! You may want to consider purchasing Iventure Card for your runcation/vacation in Gold Coast next time ?
We arrived on Friday the 5th of July, 2 days prior to race day. Temperature was between about 16 to 20 degrees on the days we were there. Once deposited our luggage, we took a 30 minutes stroll to and fro our accommodation to the race expo at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre unintentionally passing by the race route on our way back. Though it seems like a long queue for the race bib collection, but it was fast and we didn’t wait long. There isn’t any race singlet or tee unfortunately and we collected our race bibs. It’s a small expo with about 50 or so exhibitors selling sports apparels etc and event merchandise and well as showcasing other marathon races.
We are able to print our personalised pace wristband on the spot for free to help runners in their pacing ?
On race day, displaying our race bibs would give us free tram and bus rides to the race venue during a certain time range. We took the tram to Southport station on race day morning, it’s a cold morning about 18 degrees. Willis said I had survived the 4 degrees Tokyo Marathon so this temperature will be nothing to me ? But I was worried of getting a sun burn actually so I wore a windbreaker. I’m glad I wore it as while in the start pen, it suddenly rain! ? It’s damn cold lah! Then a guy behind me opened his umbrella, so quite a few of us stand under his umbrella eh ?
Luckily the rain was just a short one, maybe for just 10 minutes. But it’s still quite cold for me though temperature wasn’t that low. The good thing was that Willis and I had enough sleep and rest before the race plus we wasn’t exposed out in the cold for long and arrived at the start pen at most 20 minutes top prior to the flag off time at 7.20am.
Flag off was on time. As soon as we reached somewhere about 5km or so Willis and I both stopped for a toilet break at the public toilet along the beach area then continue our run together. After a while, we saw a pretty sight! It’s double rainbow! ? It was the first time I saw a rainbow with such vibrant color. It was so beautiful! ? Willis manage to take a photo of me with one of the rainbow ?
Anyway, it was as if the whole of Singapore contingent was out here running in Gold Coast Marathon. Saw quite a couple of familiar runners while on the way ? It was quite a relax run for us and I really enjoyed the run.
Though supporters and spectators wasn’t like the marathons in Japan which line up the entire 42.195km, the supporters here was awesome as well. My race bib was hidden but Willis bib was displayed and his bib got his name, we counted at least 20 or 30 over supporters along the way shouting his name, cheering for Willis and giving him encouragement ❤ Some of them were giving runners sweets and gels as well ? There’s many kids around super enthusiastic for hi-5s, I can see some disappointment when their hands were stuck out in the air and runners just ran pass them ?
Some supporters was holding sign boards super lame boards with words like “I trained for a week to hold this board”, “If you think running is tough, my hands were aching holding this board”, “I like your stamina, call me”, “They built the tram, so you don’t have to run this”, “This way for short cut”, and of course if you follow the direction of short cut it means DNF lah ?
Really salute the wheelchair category participants, great effort for not giving up! Saw them at the start line when they were about to flag off and saw a few of them along the way while we were running. I can see that it’s not easy. I saw one of them using a lot of strength and effort while steering up a bridge ?
There’s total of 17 hydration points along the course according to their official website, with water and some with Endura Rehydration performance fuel which I think is some sort like isotopic drink and to me it’s quite bland and salty. But I still drank it because I don’t eat gels and I need some energy or whatever. Luckily I brought some sweets with because along the way there’s no fruits. Only at 30km or so there’s a station giving out gels. Then I saw the water was actually tap water, the volunteer was using a hose to transfer the water from a tap, maybe it’s safe to drink?
It’s only about 26km or so when Willis felt pain on his foot. Willis asked me to go ahead as I can still chase a PB, though I was still feeling good with energy then, I decided to run with Willis. It’s just the equation, Willis > Running ❤ I love running, but my priority isn’t running ❤
I love the route as we were running along houses and the beach as well and there’s not much slopes at all. Only some parts when it drizzle for quite a while and it was super cold. When Willis felt better to start running, I got the urge to go to toilet but I missed it a while back ? Must be drinking too much of that performance fuel, I thought I could run but with some exertion I feel like it may gonna leak ? Noooooooo! It’s only a few km left and so I would rather take it easy and walk ?
When we were approaching the finishing, I heard the commentator comment that
there’s a lot of couple finishing the run together. Well, Willis and I held hands crossing the finishing line together ❤ We went to the tentage to collect our finisher entitlement, the finisher tee and medal as well as a towel. It was a surprise to me as there were finisher towel ? It’s so nice!
There’s also fruits station after finishing ?
Overall, it’s a good race, it’s a flat course with not much slopes at all. Just that need a pair of sunglasses or a cap to block out the sun or the rain. Luckily I’m comfortable to run in the windbreaker as I was just trying my luck to run in something which I didn’t try wearing for a run before ? Would want to come back Gold Coast Marathon again if I have the chance in a few years time maybe! But for the time being, would want to try other marathons or explore other parts of the world first ? Where to next? ?
Simply enjoyed my Iventure card, we used it for a nice 3 course meal at Hard Rock Cafe with free T-shirts, entrance tickets for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Whale watching, Glow Worm Tour and a Springbrook National Park Tour ❤
Singapore, July 2019 – The world’s famous character – Hello Kitty, celebrates her 45th anniversary with Hello Kitty Run Singapore – Moon Walk Edition! Created 45 years ago by Sanrio, the legendary icon, that is well-liked by both young and old. The fan base is no less in Singapore, with the Hello Kitty craze beginning as early in 2000.
For the 4th edition in Singapore with the global phenomenon, Hello Kitty will be joining us for a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival in our garden city on 7th September 2019! Fans can look forward to receiving exciting festive essentials, such as Hello Kitty LED Lantern and a must-have Mooncakes – a traditional Chinese pastry that best represents the culture of this moon festival. All registered participants will also be entitled to an exclusive Hello Kitty Moon Walk t-shirt, goodie bag with sponsored goodies and a finisher medal upon completion of the fun run.
Experience the lunar appreciation with many interesting traditional games and activities at Hello Kitty Moon Town. Participants definitely can’t miss out the Tea Appreciation Session that goes perfectly well with our yummy mooncakes!
One of the walk’s highlights also includes the first-ever 5KM mass fun run through Gardens By The Bay. Perfect for Mid-Autumn Festival, participants get festive as they walk along the flower field and admire the beauty of the garden while enjoying bonding time with family and friends. Of course, there will be Hello Kitty photo points along the race route and carnival town for fans to snap some memorable shots with Hello Kitty for their Instagram update with our official event hashtag #HelloKittyMoonWalkSG
Race details at a glance
Date: 7th September 2019 Time: 7:00pm Venue: The Meadows, Gardens by the Bay
Get your tickets now at $60 to Hello Kitty Run Singapore – Moon Walk Edtion 2019!
PROTON HSN21KM stands as one of Malaysia’s best half marathons and is set to make its return this 13th October 2019.
As Proton continues to be the title sponsor for its 4th year, this running event pledged to take runners on an excursion through the scenic and inspiring nations’ administrative capital, the Federal Territory of Putrajaya. HSN21KM 2019 edition offers three distances – 21km, 10km and Yakult 5km. 16,000 registrations and counting, you can bet this will be one of Malaysia’s biggest running events.
As PROTON HSN21KM 2019 is set to remain one of the nation’s prominent running events, all registered participants can expect a multitude of attractive prizes during this event. A large pool prize of over RM100,000 is set for the elite runners while other participants are entitled to a Lucky Draw where everyone will stand a chance to win the Grand Prize – A new Proton Iriz! A wide range of other included prizes adds up to over RM60,000 in total.
Take note, exclusive 10% discounts are available for all Proton owners who registered for PROTON HSN21KM at roadshows and showrooms. Additionally, for all registered runners and your immediate family, you are entitled to a cash rebate of RM1,500 if you purchase and successfully register a new Proton Car. This promotion is on top of any current offers by Proton and it is limited to the first 33 cars.
PROTON HSN21KM is also proud to announce New Balance as its official apparel for its 2019 edition! With that, PROTON HSN21KM is the only running event in Malaysia which has New Balance onboard.
PROTON HSN21KM’s ‘GUESS & WIN’ Contest
Runners can participate in a ‘GUESS & WIN’ contest by attending the upcoming PROTON HSN21KM Roadshow at AEON Mall, Shah Alam happening 30 July-4 August.
How to take part: 1) Visit the roadshow 2) Register at the location and scan the on-site QR Code which will directly link to a Google Form. 3) Take a look at the car that is filled with Ballpit Balls and make a GUESS 4) Submit up to 5 (five) guesses and your details at the Google Forms. 5) WIN!
The contest is open to all individuals aged 18 and above, Malaysians holding a valid MyKad and foreign residents with a valid passport. Winners will be announced via HSN21KM’s Facebook and Instagram.Winners of all Prizes will also be contacted on their mobile phone number provided by the Winner.
All you need to do is to GUESS how many Ballpit Balls are inside the car and WIN! Up to RM70,000 worth of prizes to be won. Are you lucky this weekend?
Register for HSN21km with JustRunLah! and enjoy exclusive 5% OFF! PROMO CODE: HSN21KMJRL5 Click here to find out more
IT is already close to 6am and I shouldn’t be deciding right now whether to wear my thermal top. But you usually do in a cold-weather country, a part of my subconsciousness must have been debating with me.
That’s a good point: I did so for past races in Hong Kong and Japan, and now here in Katoomba within the Blue Mountains region of Australia’s New South Wales, it’s a logical choice for a temperature of around 10°C.
Then I consider the perils of getting my base layer soaked in sweat during the daytime of the race, risking hypothermia in the cold night due to wet clothing. The top finally gets sealed in a zip lock bag and kept in my hydration pack.
My concern, though, is more than just about a piece of fabric. With two hours before the start of my wave for the 100km category of Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA), I wonder if I am prepared for this odyssey.
Big deal, which ultramarathoner never have to grapple with his trepidation prior to gun off? But I wasn’t exactly the most methodical of runners, and unlike most of my peers, had almost never gone to Bukit Timah Hill in the last seven months-plus to prepare for a trail race. I life-hacked my training up, running most distances on flat ground and climbing for hours at a 19-floor HDB block near my home.
I expect I could still finish the race but I wonder if I can do so under 20 hours – for that, UTA participants can still get a bronze buckle, if they are not able to complete under 14 hours (silver) or, better still, win the race (gold).
I’m neither going to run any faster or beat all my competitors, so the goal of obtaining the bronze buckle is somewhat realistic.
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WE are flagged off at 7.54am at Scenic World Blue tourist center after the previous six waves of faster runners have been launched in the past 94 minutes. Almost immediately, we take a left turn to Cliff Drive, passing by suburban houses before u-turning after about 2km to run back the same stretch and through a line of cheering supporters on both sides of the lane.
Before long, we enter a park and head towards Katoomba Cascades, moving on the Prince Henry Cliff trail path en route to Furber Steps which is just at the doorstep of Scenic World facility.
Runners flagged off for Ultra-Trail Australia’s 100km race. Image: Sportograft.
Until we reach the 10km mark, the terrain, with its relatively gentle elevations, has been rather kind to our legs. While the rocky sections of Federal Pass track require some cautious footing, I’m otherwise feeling lighthearted as Aussie runners – with their famous, laid-back approach to life – chit chat with each other.
The first test of mettle comes at about 10km, at what’s euphemistically called the Golden Stairs – a very steep 200m climb. After more than an hour since gun off, my body is rudely awakened by this intense, quad-burning push to the first checkpoint, supplemented by a courtesy bump on the head by a boulder on the trail slope.
At 9.36am, I quickly put that episode behind, having arrived at Checkpoint 1 in a still-fresh condition.
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AS soon as I depart the checkpoint, I begin to struggle to resume my momentum, my body feeling like a troubled car engine starting up. I switch to doing a little more walking at the Narrow Neck Plateau Trail and hope to conserve and shore up some energy for a decently-paced run.
After all, there lies a distance of a near-half marathon 20.2km between Checkpoint 1 and 2. It is not good timing to hit the wall this early.
Lovein Heng, a petite compatriot from Singapore, catches up, exchanges pleasantries with me and gets ahead with her consistent pacing. As it was in some of my past paces, I have found my hare to pace with. Soon, we would be inadvertently overtaking each other several times as we adjust our speed to the changing elevation.
By the time my body overcomes its little turbulence, the Blue Mountains region starts to reveal its signature vista of mountains and escarpments blanketed by verdant swathes of forests. Although an avid photographer myself, I have chosen, in recent times, not to be distracted by my shutterbug tendencies during a race and instead enjoy the spectacle without yanking out my iPhone.
Blue Mountains region. Image: Sportograft.
At the end of the track, we clamber down between boulders, with one runner being seized by a cramp. A local racer, whom I earlier talked to while running, helps prop the man against a boulder before lifting and stretching his affected leg.
The rest of us descend to Tarros Ladders, where we join a queue of people waiting to climb steel ladders to the base. “I just want to be sure that I’m not winning [the race],” one lady in the queue jokes with a volunteer taking care of the ladders.
From there, we take an undulating route through a forest at Tarros Ladders Medlow Gap Walking Track. Via W7a Mitchells Creek Trail, we go down smoothly on Bellbird Ridge Firetrail and reach Checkpoint 2 – Dunphys Campground at the 31.6km mark.
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BY the early afternoon, I continue through the countryside of private land and on course to the foot of Ironpot Mountain. There, patience is the key – in a laborious manner, we navigate up a slope which rises from 600m+ to close to 800m within a span of around a kilometer.
As we are about to crest Ironpot Ridge, we are cheered by an elderly female volunteer seated on a field chair.
Reaching the top of the ridge, we meet three Indigenous Australian men, one of them blowing a didgeridoo windpipe. The solemn drone emitting from that instrument evokes a sense of peace that exists between man and nature; and here we are now, respectfully enjoying the trails in occasionally painful moments.
We move carefully along a narrow neck of raised rocks on the ridge and shortly turn around to go back the same route. This time, we head down a different path, pounding one of those precipitous slopes that demands ninja footing. Feeling like skiing, the descent is one of the fun parts of the race so far.
It is not so delightful after that – following what’s too hard a run down a gentle, grassy declivity, the wall strikes. Almost suddenly, I’m drained of energy, my pace reduced to a tired walk in a matter of minutes.
Lovein has passed me by then, but now I’m coping with a bad patch which feels more overwhelming than anything I experienced before. I try to remedy it with a food bar but my body refuses to up the tempo.
Ultra-Trail Australia 2019. Image: Sportograft.
It is now about 8km left of the 14.4km distance between the last checkpoint to the next at Six Foot Track (46km). A slow climb up Megalong Road takes us on a forest trail path and through a plain where farms or ranches of sorts are situated.
Every few minutes, a runner would run past me as it seems more so that I’m left further in the rear.
At this point, it’s difficult to feel any hope that I could finish the race. I wonder about the high possibility of a DNF, the subsequent wasted effort after having undergone months of training coupled with other life challenges, and the post-race shame. By the time I reach the next checkpoint, I assume I will probably come after the cut-off time.
That pessimism aside, the friendliness of the Aussie trailer runners does not go unnoticed. Seeing my weakened state, many of them ask about my well-being as they overtake, expressing the kind of community-spirited care that I did not (or would not have) experience in other races. If I fail this time, at least this compassion is something good to remember from UTA.
Nevertheless, there is some drive in me to just fight through the wall.
Making a right turn off Megalong Road, I advance to a ‘surprise’ mandatory items inspection booth – where the volunteers check runners for a mobile phone in their possession – and then head to Checkpoint 3 which is at a field.
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THE sun is starting to set at 4-plus in the afternoon as the weather begins to chill. The break at Checkpoint 3 is much needed for me to gradually put the idea of a DNF behind.
A Coke fill-up in my soft flask and a dress-up in my thermal top, and I’m ready to venture into the coming night. By then, I have come across a few people whom I saw in the morning, including the guy who helped another runner with his cramp and a Japanese couple.
What matters now is that I’m regaining my morale. “Yeah, man,” I holler at a cheering volunteer and exit the checkpoint.
At 11.3km, the distance from Checkpoint 3 to Checkpoint 4 at Katoomba Aquatic Centre (57.3km) is the shortest between UTA checkpoints so far. With the darkness slowly closing in, I switch on my headlamp just as I’m entering a narrow trail through the forest at Six Foot Track.
Soon, we will embark on an arduous climb that rises steeply to around 1,000m within about 5km. The only consolation I can find in this grinder is that the trail and steps here are not too rugged and technical – unlike those at Malaysia’s Cameroon Highlands Ultra where climbing really means scaling the slopes with both feet and hands.
Steps climbing at Ultra-Trail Australia 2019. Image: Sportograft.
It gets easier after we pass that hurdle. It’s all trail till we hit a road, but not before I catch up with – guess who – Lovein herself. After helping her to extract a safety vest out of her hydration pack (all runners must wear a safety vest at certain parts of the race), we continue the most of the remaining distance to Checkpoint 4 on roads, Lovein moving ahead of me.
The roads are welcome by this time, even with the occasional passing cars. Cruising past a quiet neigbourhood of suburban houses, I’m somewhat relieved by this fragment of civilisation after hours toiling in the desolating darkness.
Entering the Aquatic Centre at the 57km mark several minutes later feels a little surreal; I walk into a brightly lit sports hall where tables are set up to offer a buffet of refreshments to starving runners.
Many participants are taking a break or short naps on the floor while some of us head to the center of the hall where drop bags are laid and looked after by a volunteer.
I don’t need much, so I just withdraw one or two energy bars out of my drop bag. I’m also thankful that the volunteers are patient enough to cater to our needs as I have one of them to fill up my soft flask.
But there isn’t much time to waste.
About 15 minutes later, I depart from the hall and back to the trails.
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BY 7pm, the vibe of running for hours has settled into serenity. It is nothing more than the darkened landscape while my headlamp exposes the grass, trees and dirt ahead of me.
A half-marathon distance of 21.1km stands between Checkpoint 4 and Checkpoint 5 (78.4km) near the abandoned Queen Victoria Hospital. Fortunately, it is not an all-out push to the aid station; a water point is established in the middle of the route at 69.4km.
The next highlight would be Echo Point, a lookout that overlooks the Blue Mountains range and the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Since it is already night anyway, there is not much luck seeing the scenery in perceivable lighting conditions.
After passing a visitor center at Echo Point, we soon come to the Giant Stairway, a 200m descent via some very steep steps. Running is virtually impossible here, but the slow climb down in the company of fellow runners is a good time to catch my breath. Given that we are descending near Echo Point, one of the runners decides to test its namesake by shouting “Hello!”
The lighthearted moments would eventually fade as we go through Leura Forest and contend the endless, ascending flight of steps near Lila Falls and Marguerite Cascades.
The tedious trek up the steps is an exercise in anguish, but we have been warned enough that stairs will be our bane at UTA. On the riser part of a step, a cryptic message was scrawled in chalk across the rocky surface: “Why?”
An inquiry to the runners for choosing to partake in this act of masochism, most likely.
Minutes later, another message appears: “What would Lucy Bartholomew do?” Lucy is Australia’s ultra-running girl wonder who is racing UTA’s 50km category and will compete in the legendary Western States 100 trail race in June.
Despite having now clocked 60m+ in the race, I’m still maintaining a ferocious pace through some aggressive speed-walks – an effective tactic judging by the number of runners I passed.
Along the way, I tail another runner whose plump form would have one fooled that she isn’t capable of mustering tremendous horsepower to fast hike the slopes and overtake many runners. We have a brief chat and I remark that the steps in this race seem as many as those in Hong Kong’s trails.
Once more, we pound the roads until our arrival at the midway water point located at the backyard of Fairmont Resort. The site does not provide as much food and beverages as the main checkpoints, but it offers just enough. With some chips and water to sustain myself, I quickly leave the vicinity to complete the remaining 9km to checkpoint 5.
The uneventful minutes that follow are what happens when you cannot see much in the dark. The official UTA course description states that we are supposed to head to the 14th tee of a golf course, and if that’s the case, I do not have the slightest idea about my location.
Night running at Ultra-Trail Australia 2019: Image: Sportograft.
It’s a near mind-numbing trip of ups and downs, with two key descents at Lillians Bridge and Wentworth Falls before approaching close to the roads leading to Checkpoint 5.
I catch up with Manny, a Filipino runner and, as with some runners I met, strike a conversation with him. As we laugh at our willingness to endure our current predicament, Manny shares that he had to downgrade his initial goal of obtaining a silver buckle after determining he may not be fast enough to reach the finish line. Sensing that I’m picking up speed, he wishes me well before I proceed to take the lead.
A 2km portion of Tableland Road would be the final stretch prior to a right turn towards the checkpoint. I come face to face with a fleet of cars moving slowly on the opposite lane, with some honking in support as they drive past. Meanwhile, my eyes are feeling uncomfortable from fatigue, sweat and the blinding lights from the cars’ beam.
What a sight for sore eyes the big tent of Checkpoint 5 is with its tables of food and portable heaters. Finally here, I’m hungry and cold and in need of both of those things.
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AT 11pm and 78km later, it’s hard to feel any more energetic compared to the earlier part of the race. My stomach – not used to the spartan amount of food ingested over the last 15 hours – is uncomfortably processing the sandwich that I ate and it would not help much to be taking a bigger portion.
My legs are in a near battered state and the cold is intense at the vicinity of the checkpoint. Before the idea of surrendering to comfort gripes my mind, I decide to end my 15-minute break and leave the tent – I have slightly more than a half-marathon to eventually reach the finish line.
I move off on Kedumba Valley Road and into the twilight zone of the night. Unlike other races, UTA, with its more than 1,300 runners, is seldom a lonely race in darkness. Most folks would not be running with no company or no soul in sight for what feels like an hour. In this race, you will soon catch up with someone else (or be caught up) in less than 10 minutes or so.
Evening at Ultra-Trail Australia 2019. Image: Sportograft.
It’s now the going down part that kills – I descend carefully down a very long and steep dirt road, well aware that one sudden acceleration could have my calves seized in a merciless cramp.
And after that, a very steep ascent. There’s no way of going any faster and I’m getting rather irritated by the coughing of the runner who just overtook and is climbing much ahead of me.
A fatigue-induced crankiness aside, I have been doing some serious estimates since leaving Checkpoint 5. It’s a goal that I didn’t think was possible to achieve since my drastic energy drain in the afternoon: could I make it to the finish line at Scenic World in under 20 hours?
Departing from the last checkpoint, I would have close to five hours to complete 22km of the remaining distance. If I could push myself a little harder, I might just be able to finish this race a few minutes shy of the 20-hour mark.
In other words, the coveted UTA bronze buckle may still be within my reach.
How am I going to do that with all these quad-busting slopes, though?
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THE emergency aid station – a simple water-point at a saddle – is the final place of our respite before the end. With only 8.8km left from here, the single digit is but a minor relief. The UTA race course is not about to cede the rest of its territory without throwing in a slew of steep slopes and steps for the finale.
It’s one more long climb up the dirt road with its killer gradient after I left the aid station. This route would lead to the cliff lines of The Three Sisters rock formation and then take us to a part of the road which levels out. At last, walking normally or doing some form of running is possible from here.
Concerned that I may not have much time, I take advantage of the more leveled sections of the trail and start to transition to a slow run. Moving swifter than my pace in the past hour, I’m able to maintain the momentum until my gut is disturbed by a strong sensation of hunger. It’s not worth the risk to continue without food – even with the short distance left to tackle – so I lean by the trailside and consume an energy bar.
At this moment, the rush to make it to the finish in less than 20 hours has turned into a knife fight with time. I have now around 3km and less than 45 minutes to do it – a tight deadline in trail running terms.
Finish line gantry at Ultra-Trail Australia 2019. Image: Sportograft.
I scramble as fast as I could, becoming less mindful of tripping on the rugged terrain. In good time, I arrive at the last hurdle of the race: the slope at Furber Steps with its 951 steps and around 220m of elevation gain.
In the next 21 minutes or so, the race to the Scenic World facility at the top has transformed into a white-knuckle sprint over slightly less than a kilometer of uphill. One flight of steps is followed by another, culminating in a seemingly endless climb which only frustrates me further and threatens to break my pace apart.
I’m getting nearer but my mind appears to be playing tricks with me: have I done a kilometer more to the overall distance of 100km with all these dastardly steps?
I hold onto my momentum fiercely. My legs are increasingly strained. My anguish is rapidly building up. I’m surprised that I have not swear given the intensity.
And, then I catch sight of faint light on a concrete wall – the external perimeter of Scenic World. It’s now around 3.50am.
Turning around a corner, the sound of human chatters becomes more audible as the facility’s facade comes into view. Ahead lies the short lane to the finish line, and without a second thought, I launch into a blistering dash to the destination.
The run suddenly ends in a joyous collapse onto the ground, the concerned event volunteers surrounding and checking on me. They understand what had just happened, and though I did not glance clearly at the clock on the finish gantry as I passed through or have yet to look at my watch, I know I have done what I doubted could be possible. Somewhere deep within my subconsciousness, I know I would one day reflect and think this race is the best ultra-trail I ever ran.
As I receive a pouch containing the bronze buckle from a volunteer, my assumptions are confirmed: I finish Ultra-Trail Australia in 19 hours and 58 minutes that early morning.
The author crosses the finishing line (100km) at Ultra-Trail Australia 2019. Image: Sportograft.
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The IJM Allianz Duo Highway Challenge was held in partnership with IJM Corporation Berhad (IJM) and Allianz Malaysia Berhad as the title sponsors. There will be an upcoming second leg held on 24 August 2019 which will be the first-ever night run organised by the series. The Besraya Highway Challenge is expected to attract 7,000 participants across three events which is a challenging 26KM run, 13KM run and a 13KM relay run challenge.
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