Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia Homepage

2003 September - October

President's Column | Announcements | Articles | Results

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Helping Nil Kamal
For the last 5 consecutive years, I got to see Nil Kamal Sen Gupta seated in the front row during the club’s Annual General Meeting. I understand he seldom miss the club’s AGM along with his pal, William Teng who is the “permanent” scrutineer to ensure a fair election. This year I noticed a sluggish Nil Kamal seated in front of me. He looks sick after an unsuccessful treatment of his tumor. Despite that he tried to look cheerful and came to support the club’s AGM. Although I never knew Nil very well, he was one of those old members from the 1984 era (PACM 193) when the club was first formed. In his hey days, he clocked below 1:20 for the half marathon and up to a few years ago, he was tracking in Nepal each year. According to a letter to us, he is diagnosed with brain-tumor, a disease that is difficult and expensive to cure. He has been seeking treatment and was helped by another old-timer from the club, Dr. Lyou Yen Tian. As Nil is now unemployed, he is facing great difficulty in continuing his treatment. He has wanted to give up but the support of his friends around him, both financially and otherwise has kept him going. The Exco has discussed his plight in the August Exco Meeting and decided to help him by sending out this appeal to all our members and to people we know to solicit funds to help in his treatment. In order to keep this whole exercise transparent and orderly, Nil has agreed to the basic conditions to this donation drive as follows :

1. All donations shall be made direct to the club, Pacesetters Athletic Club, Malaysia

2. The club shall keep an account of all monies collected and pay out from this account for only medical treatment direct to the hospital or medical service provider.

3. Should there be any surplus from this account, the club shall retain the balance to be used for other needy members at the club’s discretion.

At the end of this issue of the Footloose, we have a copy of an appeal letter with a donation slip. We would urge that members help by giving a donation via the Exco or the Group Leaders. Official receipts from the club will be issued. Please donate generously to help a fellow member.

Running Couples
I notice a clear trend that the club is moving towards a family of runners’ club. While we do not have a family category, we see many couples and families joining the club together and participate actively in runs and the club’s activities. This is a healthy development as it is believed that families that play together, stay together. Just to name a few active couples; we have Lim Siew Cheng & Lee Cheng Chuan, Law Lai Huat & Chong Yoke Fong, Lok Chan Chuen & Agnes Tee, Choy Weng Oon & Lai Li Li, Peter Mueller & Gisela, Jenny Lim & Lee Akau, David Lee & Goh Enkar, Jason Thiang & Foo Sook Ying and lastly yours truly & Clara Bong. I may have missed some names but this list itself is quite impressive. Next month we have another couple when Yew Chee Chung weds Chong Yoke Shu, the elder sister of Chong Yoke Fong. It is such a common sight to see these couple going for their outstation run trips together that makes the club such a family oriented club. In the case of the two Chong sisters, they actually found romance in the club itself.

Cheating in Races
A member has been bringing to my attention that cheating by younger runners running in senior categories is getting rampant. It happened recently at the Shah Alam Run, the West Port Run and even the Ipoh Road Runners 10km Run. Basically, the runners just over-declare their age to run in the veteran or senior veteran category to get an undue advantage for a prize or even just a finisher medal. The point is that someone is cheated of his rightful position and prize. Lately, runners are getting more intolerant and have been openly protesting such foul play. If the organizers are diligent, the cheaters normally do not get away with it. However, some organizers are not very thorough in their verification process and allow the cheaters to get away. This has affected the integrity of the event and the reputation of the events/organizers. We had a couple of attempts in our recent Nike Pacesetters 15km as well and we would tighten the surveillance next year. We urge that runners on your part report such deeds to the organizer early to allow time to correct the situation. It was even suggested that confirmed cheats should be barred from future races by the AAAs.

Changes in Area Groups
In business we need to have suitably located premises and in running we need to have suitable local bases. Since the opening of our Kelana Jaya base we did not achieve the desired increase in members base. After consulting the group representative, Stanley Ngooi we decided to move the base from Kelana Jaya to Lembah Kiara at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail. As the Gasing Hills Group has somewhat claimed “territorial rights” to Lembah Kiara because they run there every Thursday evening and has been successful in recruiting new members there, we have decided to name Lembah Kiara as a sub-group to Gasing Hills. Stanley would be at Lembah Kiara more than just Thursday. There are also some changes in the Sabak Bernam group with Tan Swee Nel taking over from Henry Chua as group leader. It was suggested that we publish the pictures of all the group leaders in the Footloose and I have to ask Munning to co-ordinate it and we could even post them at our web-site. We would like to accord our thanks to Henry Chua who has built up the group from a zero base to more than 30.

Malakoff Powerman Duathlon
This event has taken off very well and I was at Putra Jaya last Sunday as an “active spectator”. I ran the first 10km with the rest of the participants before settling down to watch the biking leg. This run-bike-run event has drawn more than 300 participants and we have more than 40 of our members taking part, both in individual events and team events. We made our debut in the team events and came in second in the mixed relay and fourth in the men relay. The mixed team was represented by Chong Yoke Fong, Lee Wai Yuan and Nanchappan while the men team was represented by Ong Chin, Chan Yew Wah and Melvin Lawrence. Syabas to them! Congratulations to Iwata Takatoshi and Greg Lyons for winning their respective categories. Joyce Leong and Agnes Tee finished second and third in their respective categories. Agnes’ effort was especially creditable after having fallen off the bike twice in the cycling leg and she has the battle scars to show for it. There are others who have done well in the individual events and I hope the editorial team can extract the results from their web-site for the Footloose. Lok Chan Chuan who came in third has successfully transformed into a tri-athlete with good results and also managing his injuries. He used to suffer from injuries from too much running. With a cross training program of running, biking and swimming Lok has managed to cut down the risk of injuries. I too have added twice weekly swimming into my fitness program. We can see more of our members moving to multi-sports.

Kampar – A Food Paradise
Our visit to Kampar 2 weeks ago is an enjoyable trip for us. It helped us to rediscover the charm of the old town that had been by-passed by the North South Highway. I discovered that the locals love eating out and for a small town, it has an unbelievable number of eating places. I like to put on record my thanks to YK Wong who coordinated the trip and also the Kampar runners who provided us a good breakfast after the Sunday morning run.

Wan Yew Leong - 16th October 2003 | wanyl@alliancebg.com.my

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

E-Bulletin
We have sent out our first and second edition of the e-bulletin on 21st September and 26th November 03 respectively to more than 300 members. We notice we have a number defunct email addresses or over quota as the members did not clear their mails. The objective of the e-bulletin is to complement the Footloose as a source of latest information on coming events. We shape the contents as we go along. At the moment, we have 316 members or 30% of our members with email addresses. We believe the actual percentage is higher as some may not have notified us through the renewal process. If you have an email address but did not receive the e-bulletin in September, please notify Munning Jamaludin, at ceimj@pc.jaring.my quoting your name, PACM No and your email address.

Purchase of New Balance Products
Stream Enterprise (M) Sdn Bhd via their New Balance specialist shop at Bukit Bintang offers 30% discount on New Balance products at their outlet in Bukit Bintang Plaza (LGF 007, Lower Ground Floor, Tel:03-2148 9671). Please produce your membership card for identification.

Purchase of Brooks’ Products
We have arranged for Brooks to issue Loyalty Cards to all our members. The Loyalty Cards holders shall be entitled to 30% discount for Brooks’ products in designated outlets. If you did not receive your Brooks Card, please notify Jenny Lee, our Secretary.

Purchase of adidas Products
adidas is offering 40% discount on their products, except sunglasses and watches at their new outlet at;

· My.running.shop at Lot T046 3rd Floor, Mid Valley Megamall (Te/fax – 2283-5878) Please produce your membership card for identification.

P/S – adidas has made further refinements to their rules; you may buy up to RM3,000 worth of products a year. The two previous outlets, KLCC and KL Sentral do not offer discount from 1st January 2004. This further refinement of the rules is to facilitate better service and control.

Purchase of NIKE Products
NIKE is offering 30% discount on all NIKE products (except promotional items) from 1st to 7th March 2004 only at :

· NIKE Factory Outlet Store at Wisma Conplant, Subang (12noon to 9pm, Monday to Sunday except Public Holidays)

Sale of Power Bar & Gel
The club has been appointed an official stockist for Power Bars. We are selling at 15% discount from the approved retail price (Protein Plus Bar at RM7.60, Energy Bar at RM6.00 and Gel at RM4.60). As these are items with expiry date, only Jimmy Tong and Phoon YH are keeping them. We would normally bring them to sell after our Sunday runs. Area Groups may order them via Jimmy.

Renewal Notice
We have 254 Members with their membership expiring on December 2003. The renewal notices will be sent out individually in November 2003 and you should be receiving them soon. You are requested to renew your membership with your respective group leaders or direct to the club by mail. Members with their membership expiring December 2003 would have their Footloose discontinued after March 2004 if renewal is not received by then. It is not necessary to send your existing card for renewal.

Card Replacement
Members who lost their cards or want a new card during renewal instead of a renewal sticker label are required to pay RM5 for a new card.

New Membership Cards
There are several members that we have not produced their new cards because we have not received their photographs. Please send your photographs with your name and PACM number written at the back of the photograph to Jenny Lee, 3-8-1, Phase 5, Pantai HillPark, Jalan Pantai Dalam, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Club’s Socks
We have limited stock of the club’s socks (men and women) for sale at RM6 per pair. The quality is comparable to the popular brands made from spandex material. They are available from Ken, Phoon, Jimmy and Lai Huat.

Nike Pacesetters 15km Shorts
A small quantity of the white shorts is still available at RM10 per piece (marked down price). Stock is with Sonny Ng/Ken.

Club’s 2003 Yellow T-shirt
The club’s yellow T-shirt for 2003 is for sale at RM12 per piece. Limited stock left, with Sonny Ng and Jimmy. We would like to see all PACM members wearing the club yellow T-shirt after the run and during prize giving.

Club’s 2003 Vest
The vest is bright yellow in color from Brooks (Dupont material) and retail at RM25. Limited stock left.

Water Bottle Belt
We have ordered 200 pieces of bright yellow color water bottle belt with the club’s logo (to fit 500 ml water bottle) to enable you to run up to 15km without worrying about dehydration. Cost RM13 per piece, available from Jimmy.

Advertisement in the Footloose
In order to earn some income for the club, we are soliciting advertisements for the Footloose. Our rates are;

· Cost of production plus RM160 – full page color

· RM200 – full page black and white

· RM120 – half page black & white

For advertisers who advertise a full page, they shall be given one opportunity to market their products during our functions such as breakfast runs. Interested advertisers may contact the editor. (The club reserves the right to reject any advertisement without disclosing the reasons) Those interested, please contact our Editor Munning Jamaludin (7982 8757 office) or Ms Lee Kim Ying at the same office.

Photographs for Sale
Chan Wing Kai has been taking photographs of the club’s activities and members during races. These photographs are available for sale at RM1.00 each for 4R size. Please contact Chan to view the photos and to order from him, or your Area Group Leaders if you are picking any photos from the Footloose. Chan can be contacted at 012- 399 0766.

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PJ Half Marathon 2003 - Race Report by Ronnie See

This is the 5th time i join the PJ Half...1999-2000 in 21km, 2001-2002 in 10km...this year so pening! don't know which wan to enter lah...so i register both at that moment lor...until the very last dying minute only i can decide my destiny...since all my penguin fren's oso going for the 21k...I pon join the fun lah and oso wan to try the new route (gatal-lah)...

Tang! tang! tang!... the race day...Cis! actually i dowan to talk about this unhappy thing wan...but, me don't like to keep secret wan mah...scare one day it will bomb me down lah...

5:15am i was oredi there, with a very nice parking space...oso have to wait my other fren's from klang wan...coz their running bib is with me...wait and wait make me very...the nervous liao...it's oredi 6:15am, why they are still not here wan...until 6:25am they all baru sampai, arrggfff...geram lah!...so quickly rush to the registration area, damn!

wrong reporting card...so quikcly rush back to the car and get my reporting card...then quickly rush back again to the reporting area, to register myself...after that Jimmy Tong told me "they have gone oredi"...wat da@#^%...so i rush the starting point, Waaahhh!!! satu olang pon tarak...i feel like wanted to menangis lor :-(

From that time on, i have to start with 5th gear (no choice oredi)...chase and chase, that's all i have to do from that moment...until the 2nd min, i only saw human...phew!...happy abit liao lah...but still not in the medal position, after the u-turn...walamal! so many human arr?...s**tlah, mati lah gua...so jealous lah me, saw all my penguin fren's in front of me...before coming out to the federal highway...i saw Mickey, Mickey is my track meet team partner...then he say "wah! your article very hebat lah"...he..he..he..my ekor pon naik lah, feeling like flying without wings...so tambah lagi turbo lah, wat to do...happi mah...

Down to federal highway, then i saw John Tan "hi John"...i think John still not filly recover lah when came to the first water station, tot wan to drink some water...oh my gosh! izzit a big sale kah?, so many people wan...i think if i go in arr, cannot come out lah...so no choice lor, have to skip this water station lah...then come to this sponging station, oso the same...damn! @#$%^ so i just continue my journey saja lah...

At 8km point, ahhaa! water! water! water station..barulah lega sikit, not so crowded oredi mah...then way way way up to the motorola bridge...many people are start slowing down liao...but me still going strong like energizer lah...

Reaching to 10k point, wah! no trafik control lah...very dangerous lor, the bus kilang like wan to race with me lah...the kilang girls oso cheering at those runner lah...but i got no time for that lah, i'm only concentrating on chasing ppl...after that, i saw alot of elite runner oredi...ha..ha..in medal position, but don't know wat my placing is...slowly, i potong sayur one by one lah...saw Ong Chin younger brother, say hi to him...but he like 'tak da apa' saja, mungkin dia mahi pancit oredi kot...

When turn left to Kelana Jaya near to the stadium...guess who i saw, Mr.Munning (the editor of pacesetters)...actually i wanted to say hi and thank you to him...coz he's the one who published my article...but i'm in a rush lah, sorry ya! Mr.Munning (nanti belanja llolipop)...

Heading to subang road at kilometer 12...saw another water station, didn't have enough time to grab the cup...damn! i miss it dowan to run forward to get it lah (leceh betul)...so continue my potong sayur lah, then got one fella try to follow me,so irritating me lah, dia ponya breathing so kuat lah...so i try to loose gap from him after a few minute...at 14km sponging station, my body still need water...no choice, have to drink sponge ponya water lah...

Coming out from the federal highway...woo hoo! i saw Adam Loh with the japanese style ponya kapala...but that is about 800m ponya gap lah...
Until before the motorola flyover ponya bridge...only i manage to potong sayur on him...then he calling me "oit...olang giler"...i pon tak peduli lah...

Around this 15km, i saw this malay fella...macam pernah nampak this guy lah...hand moving pon satu macam wan, ohhh! ini mesti Azwar lah...manage to speak a few @#$%^&*&^%$# word with him...then continue my turbo..

At 18km, suddenly my engine out of gas liao lah...damn! i think must be the starting i turbo too fast lah...water pon tarak, all sapu by those 10k runner...until the 19km, i nampak Mr.Lee (my training penguin)...woo hoo! he is my main target lah, saw him walking oredi...so i try to get closer and closer, macam magnet lah...then just wave hand sajalah...no more energy liao lah to say @#$%^&* word...

With 1.5km to go, so happy can see the PJ Hilton oredi...becoz i really cannot tahan anymore...somemore got one chinese fella want to challenge me...i potong him, he potong me, i potong him again...ayo, this sayur almost mahu hancur liao lah...with few hundred meter to go...wah! so many category A runner in front of me lah...but really cannot liao lah, a single drop of energy pon tarak...then just tahan sajalah until the finish line...watching my time 1hr 38min. 29.56sec (position 61st)...

Uuuwaaa!!! so sad lah, my target is to finish top 50th ponya...well i guess it's not my day lah, tadak ONG lah...

After that, looking for some milo & 100 plus drink...cilaka! milo ponya van pon tak nampak, ini mesti sudah cabut...phew! lucky i still got my own back-up water...i think next year i wan to shift to 10k lah...more water can get, someone oso can 'ta pau' mah...

Overall : PJ Half this year...very the susah for me lah...

THE END...

Cheers,

Ronnie Rock PJ

Race Cheating by Oon Eng Hock
A runner was disqualified from the first ten winners of the Senior Veteran (55+) category in the Shah Alam 10K on 28 Sept for being underage. There were 60 finisher medals. Pity finisher no. 61, because as far as I know, there was no attempt to take away the cheat’s medal to give to him.

This case came to light because he has been prominent for being among the top finishers in the other races where Senior Vet starts at 50+, so people know him. What did him in was that the disgruntled no.11 felt cheated of a cash prize, and backed by his running mates, pressed the complaint. Let's say, the cheat had the misfortune this time for being among the top ten and so deprived a legitimate runner of his due.

But then, what about the finishers from no. 12 to no. 60? Who checked them? If there had been more than one cheat among them, then we pity not only no. 61, but also no. 62, no. 63, etc.

A small victory was struck for sportsmanship that morning. We should highlight this case in members' communications. Isn't there some kind of database kept by AAA or similar body of the regular runners, which can be used to track the age of the regulars? I remember, years ago, some runs used to send entry forms to individuals, so they must be keeping some record.

Oon Eng Hock, PAC1961

President: It is good to hear some justice was done as he was in the top 10. As for the finisher medals, one could get away with it. Some Race Organizers like Penang Bridge insist on a photostat I/C as a deterrent. As for the database, maybe a few organizers like Star and Penang Bridge keep the recorsd as they key each
entry into a database. Most of them just throw away the whole file of entry forms after the event. Too much to keep in their tiny office and too tedious to key in each entry!

I did write something on this, captioned " Running in the wrong category" in the April 2001 issue of the Footloose under my President Column. Looks like we need to publish a reminder.

Nike Pacesetters 15 km 2003
Thank you for the certificate with all the relevant details. It's the most detailed I've ever seen in 13 years and 124 runs. Certainly it will be a treasured momento.

I enjoyed the run and the sumptuous breakfast afterwards. It was without doubt a "runner's run" and distinguishes itself from the crowd of runs organised by the likes of businessmen or politicians. Please accept my belated congratulations on a job well done!

It has come to my notice lately that some runners "cheat" by entering themselves in categories for which they are underage. This was something unheard of in my early days of running, and I wonder whether this is a result of societal values changing for the worse over the years of rapid economic development.

This is not a practice any honest runner will want to condone. It strikes at the very heart of sportsmanship, and I feel our club should take a stand against this scourge spreading.

Some years back, the police checked every prize winner's IC, including the medal-finishers, in their run. Can we press for this practice to be adopted as standard in all the runs for which the prizes/medals are limited and in which the AAA renders technical assistance?

Oon Eng Hock, PAC1961

President: You must have a very good record of all your runs and we are proud that we have set such a high standard in our first attempt. Next year, if we could get an official camera sponsor, we would take pictures for all the finishers and attach the picture to the cert along with the usual details.

As for the cheats, it is normal for the race organizer to check the winners’ identification before giving away the prizes. How well it is done would depend on the organizer of that event. However, we do know of some petty cheats, just to get a finisher medal as the organizer normally do not check beyond the top 10 finishers. At the Nike 15km, we even have one runner sharing numbers with another just to qualify for 2 medals. We would put a stop to this next year. On another side is veteran runners running in open category as there are more medals in the open category; this is legitimate.

One of the reasons we are organizing the Nike 15km with such meticulous details is to set a standard for others to follow. The Awana Tri-terrain is an example of an event very much modelled from the Nike 15km. Of course we had a hand in that event as well. We believe runners would slowly demand higher standards from race organization once they are exposed to better services.

Editor: I have given up running local races because of this. I’m a slow runner and those who cheat by making short cuts make me feel that the finisher medal is not worth the time and money spent. They have no pride in doing it the right way, they just want something the easy way and to boast about it. Giving away blank certificates at the end of the run is convenient but is of no value. Having taken part in overseas races I wonder why only in Malaysia we have this rampant in our races. Being part of the organising committee for the 15K, I try my best to make it fair for all participants. Still, a few get away with it, and we intend to tighten up more for next year. It’s a lot of hard work to organise a race properly and fairly, but with comments like yours, it makes it worthwhile in the end.

The 22nd River Kwai International Half Marathon 2003 by S W Low
Ever since I got myself hooked in running events in Thailand, I had spent much time, effort and money on them but the pleasure and satisfaction derived from each of them never fell short of my expectations. For one, I feel most welcomed by the Thai organisers and officials even though some of them could not converse with me in English but their facial expressions, warm handshakes and hospitality extended to me say it all and still linger on well after those events were over. After each run, I came home without empty handed but with a nice finisher medal (what a beauty...mmum... kiss..kiss !) and lots of pleasant memories to cherish from running in a foreign land.

Without any doubts, one of my most memorable runs in Thailand this year is the 22nd River Kwai International Half Marathon on 21 September 2003 in the province of Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Geographically, Kanchanaburi is the 3rd largest province in Thailand and it shares the border with Myanmar (Burma as it was then known) to the west of Bangkok. Like any other provinces in Thailand, it has its very own uniqueness and picturesque sceneries with rolling hills in the distance.

The run prided itself to be “The Oldest Annual Run In Thailand” and the run held this year was the 22nd edition. It was first organised by the expatriates who were the staff of BOA (now known as British Airway or BA) based in Bangkok way back in 1982. An American named Jack F Angel, 50, was the first winner of the inaugural run. In the late eighties, a local organiser, World Actions, took over the run as the original organisers were dispersed and BA was no longer keen to be the sponsor. Presently, the run was co-ordinated by a local sports outfit called Amazing Field Co Ltd and entries for participation were limited to 1,500 runners.

Torn between taking part in the PJ Half Marathon which I have never missed (even during those hazy days of 1997) since its inception in the early eighties and the 22nd River Kwai International Half Marathon with both being held on the same day, I finally chose to run the latter as I had already made up my mind since last year to take part for “it is the race that I should at least run once in my lifetime!.”

As many of us are aware of, the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, is the historical site where many Allied prisoners of war perished while forced to construct the Bridge over it as part of the “Death Railway” to link Thailand with Myanmar under the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The Bridge was, however, tactically bombarded during one of the air raids with the Allied prisoners of war lining up the entire length of it and waving franctically, in a vain bid, to stop the aircraft of their motherland from dropping the very bomb which killed them. The Commander of the Japanese Imperial Army had wisely thought that by assembling the Allied prisoners of war on the Bridge, the pilot would not bomb it and execute the death warrants on them but it was not to be as he (the pilot) had been ordered to follow his superiors’ instructions. And for days, thereafter, the river was coloured red with blood and was clogged with stinking decomposed human bodies. When the war ended, the Bridge was somehow rebuilt and the curved spans of the black iron Bridge which still stand there today are the original sections which were dismantled and brought from Java by the Japanese Imperial Army. Needless to say, the Bridge is now known the world over and it has since been immortalised in many books and motion pictures such as the “The Bridge over the River Kwai” which had bagged several award winning Oscars.

After having arrived in Bangkok around 8.50 p.m. (Thai time) on 19 September 2003, Mr K C Ong (my running “kaki”) and myself boarded a local blue bus to Kanchanaburi some 189 kilometres away to the north-west of Bangkok. We reached the town in Kanchanaburi slightly after a two-hour-or-so journey and there we had our dinner cum supper before checking ourselves into a nearby hotel. Feeling very exhausted, I knocked off into cuckoo land after I had taken my bath while my running kaki enjoyed himself with some authentic Thai TV programmes into the early wee hours.

The next day around 9.00 a.m., we were up and about and had our breakfast before we strolled around town to feast our eyes on the sights and sounds on what Kanchanaburi had to offer. One cloth banner strung across an overhead pedestrian bridge greeted us with “Welcome to Thailand, the Land of Peace and Love”. Fascinated with it, my running kaki spontaneously took out the digital camera from his pouch and took a shot of it (possibly two or more) for remembrance.

Capitalising on what precious time we had, we ventured to the site of the Bridge over the River Kwai some 4 kilometres away from town. There were many tourists on that particular day and most of them were seen clicking away their cameras with the Bridge forming the background. Not wanting to be left out, we walked from one end of the Bridge to the other (about 100 metres or so) under the blazing sun and took turns to photograph ourselves against the backdrop of the Bridge and the River Kwai flowing beneath it. Seen written on one of the sign boards is “You could not say you have been to Kanchanaburi if you have not been to the World War II Museum.” As we both wished to proclaim ourselves as having been there, we each paid 30 Baht as maintenance fee at the gate entrance before we stepped into the World War II Museum and the Jeath Museum (spelt as it is) where we spent a good 2 1/4 hours browsing through the many pictorial images and reports of captured Allied prisoners of war and of each phase of the construction of the Bridge and the “Death Railway” besides numerous interesting war paraphernalia. You could have never imagined how miserable those conditions were for the Allied prisoners of war had to work under the supervision of the Japanese Imperial Army on 2 rotating shifts throughout the days and nights to construct that Bridge and how railway coaches, with no bare necessities inside, were used as prison cells to confine them. Apart from the harsh conditions, many of them also succumbed to diseases, notably, cholera, which took its toll.

Soon we left the place with some kind of nostalgic feelings and only to be thankful that we did not have to go through the horrors of World War II.. As time was catching up, we hopped on to the motorbike (“iron horse”) which we had earlier hired for 200 Baht a day (and with our passports as collateral) from a downtown hotel (not the one which we had checked in) to go to register ourselves for the run at the River Kwai Village Hotel, a small hotel bordering the river, which served as the venue for the start and finish of the run - some 75 kilometres away! As our stars were not as bright as the sun on that day, we lost our bearings after having travelled some distances (as the navigator, myself, had missed the road signboard to the SaiYok waterfall) and we went off tangent from the main route some 5 kilometres to a place god knows where! We wasted much precious time in backtracking our journey and trying to ascertain the route leading to our destination. As lady luck was with us, we came to a road junction and noticed the road sign that eventually led us to the run registration centre.

By then, my bottom was sored and lips patched dry after having to endure about 1 3/4 hours riding pillion on the iron horse under a cloudless sky. Well at least, it was not that bad for me while my running kaki’s thighs were scorched like steamed red lobster. Being a scout during my school days, I told myself that the circumstances we were in then were nothing more than a pin prick.

For a registration fee of 450 Baht per participant inclusive of buffet breakfast after the run at the River Kwai Village Hotel, we were each entitled to a good quality T-shirt, running bib and real time champion chip. After collecting our race pack and booking our beds for 350 Baht each for the night with buffet dinner at the same hotel, we rushed back to town in Kanchanaburi so as to return the iron horse by 5.00 p.m. (expiring time) as it had already been booked earlier by another hirer and also to check ourselves out from the hotel which we had stayed the previous night on arrival from Bangkok. Some 35 kilometres on the way back on the highway, the sky turned gloomy and was about to pour out its sorrow on us. Silently, I prayed for it not to open up so soon although it began to drizzle because should I get drenched, I had no spare pant to change as I had travelled light. For safety reasons, somehow, my running kaki, did not engage the full throttle of the iron horse as the road was wet. Eventually, and safely with each of us in one piece, we reached Kanchanaburi town with nothing more than beads of sweat on our foreheads arising from our anxiety to touch home base.

Seizing, however, the little time we could spare and not willing to give up the opportunity, I urged my running kaki to drop at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery on Saeng Chuto Road which is just opposite the railway station. The War Cemetery was immaculately maintained and is the eternal resting place for the remains of 6,982 Allied prisoners of war who perished during the construction of the “Death Railway”. In all, it has been estimated that some 16,000 Allied prisoners of war and about 49,000 forced labourers died during the construction of the “Death Railway” and the Bridge over the River Kwai. Most of those who lost their lives were in their early twenties to early thirties and they held ranks such as artillery, signaller and gunner. An epitaph which I reproduce here reads like this: “The sound of battle is no more, A hero lies at peace, his fight is over.”

Soon, as it became dark, we were back in the hotel to check out after having packed our personal effects and settled the room rental for the day. We chartered a van for 500 Baht after some bargaining over the fare with the driver for the trip back to the River Kwai Village Hotel and we reached there in time for the buffet dinner. Although we retired early after dinner, I did not have a proper rest as I had started to cough incessantly throughout the night. Alas, my greatest fear was confirmed that I was not feeling well and I had a fever. At level best, I closed my eyes and counted sheep to sedate myself to sleep and to be ready for what I have come so far to do - run. An armchair critic would certainly say that I have gone crazy! Say what you like but for all intents and purposes, I am just merely programming and enriching my life in my own special way.

The next morning when I woke up at 5.00 a.m. to prepare myself for the run, it was pouring heavily outside. My body quivered from the cold air as I stepped to the front of the hotel lobby where a truck, arranged by the run organisers, was waiting to pick us up together with some other runners to the starting point about 2 kilometres away. At the starting point, there were already many runners including foreign ones limbering and warming up for the run. Soon, the sky begun to brighten and clear up, and the rain had miraculously stopped. Just before the air horn was sounded to start off the run, the MC made a short speech and welcomed all the foreign runners from USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, Japan and Malaysia (only the two of us Malaysians out of a population of 23 million) over the PA system.

At the starting line, I psyched myself to just run a good run and to cross the finish line with a creditable time. Being a mid-pack runner, my timing for finishing a 1/2 marathon run normally dipped below 2:00. As I was still coughing and having to bear with a slight body temperature, I would be more than happy if I could complete, if at all, the run under those trying circumstances. As though that was not bad enough, my breathing apparatus malfunctioned, that is, my nostrils were blocked !

Off the starting grid at 6.00 a.m. sharp, I run at a steady pace for the 1st 3 Km before I engaged 1st gear on approaching a steep incline along the Kanchanaburi - Thongphaphum Road (“the route 323”). Then, I run on a fairly straight stretch and, as far as I could see, the elite runners were battling up front for lead positions until they curved the route 323 and were out of sight. The route 323, in fact, took the runners up 4 steep inclines and then it was down and straight with some curves amidst the surrounding greenery and mist shrouded hills. By the time I crossed the 7 Km mark, the 1st male runner had already made the U-turn and was galloping past me at a blistering pace towards the finish line. Seen some short distances away from him was a pack of 5 runners hot on his trail. Not to be beaten, the first female runner (a white) was cruising about 200 metres behind from the 1st male runner. Pushing myself throughly, I hissed and puffed as I run my lungs out and as fast as my legs could carry me. As I had to breathe literally through my mouth, the water stations at intervals were indeed a welcome relief to quench my thirst. To eliminate the running pain from me and to sustain my enthusiasm for the run, I paced with a female Thai runner until I could not maintain my running position beside her. Never mind, I consoled myself, as I could notice that there was another one coming to overtake me but, as you may very well guess, I stuck to her to inspire my run and to unilaterally share with her the running pain overcoming me. I passed the U-turn with my chip registering a rather slow time of 1:05 and from then onwards I fired myself up to run as if I was after a pot of gold at the end of an elusive rainbow. In the process, I gradually “abandoned” the 2nd female runner and there was no looking back. I switched gear from 2nd to 3rd and then on to 4th and then back to 3rd and 2nd. for the return leg of the run. Eventually, I could hear the race announcements being made over the PA system and I knew then that I was running on a final stretch towards the finish line. I tried to lengthen my strides but could not do so as I felt my legs were rather heavy. So, I maintained my pace and started the countdown towards the fiinish line, 100 metres, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5 and, bingo, 0 . Yes, I had finally crossed it with a finishing time of slightly over 2:00 and, in exchange for my running chip, I was awarded with a finisher medal by the race officials. Rightly so, the silver finisher medal bore an imprint of the Bridge Over the River Kwai and the wordings “22nd River Kwai International Marathon.” I waited awhile for my running kaki to complete his race before we adjourned to the hotel for our buffet breakfast. We did not stay long to witness the prize giving ceremony as we had to embark early on our journey home to Kuala Lumpur.

finally, it was time for us to wish “La Gon” and “Laew Phob Gan Mai” to our Thai friends and, as we walked away from the River Kwai Village Hotel to the main road, I instinctly turned my back to savour a last glance of the place which we had fondly set foot on the previous day, knowing and fully knowing well that we had left our footprints, 21 Km of them, on the route 323. It would be an understatement, to say the least, that I had also left a piece of my heart behind!!!

Now back home, I am diligently training and gearing up for my next running assignment, if you could call it, and it is the 16th Bangkok Marathon, the King of all the road races, on 23 November 2003. Following after that, and wrapping up the year, I will be at the starting line of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on 7 December 2003.

Cheers to running!!!

S W Low

Spring in Sydney by Viviene Kartsounis
Well, spring has finally arrived in Sydney, and with it the much needed rain that we have all been waiting for. The days are beginning to lengthen and it is now light at 5.00 in the morning, eliminating all excuses to stay in bed and go back to sleep. We had one week of lovely warm sunny days, with temperatures between 18 and 30 degrees C, making it so easy to jump out of bed, slip on the running gear and bound out of the door. Unfortunately that only lasted a week and we are now back to cold mornings of 8 degrees C, and there is a definite hesitation when the alarm jolts you awake for a run. Fortunately the sun quickly warms up the air and there is no need for long sleeves and gloves any more. Daylight lasts until about 6.30pm, and at the end of October we will be switching to daylight saving time, when Sydney will then be 3 hours ahead of K.L., instead of two.

Life here is presently centered around the World Cup Rugby, and there is no escaping it. England is the favourite, but here in Australia my family and I still support South Africa, our home country. There is another month of competition still to go and then life will return to normal once again. It's a favourite topic of conversation for the males during a run and you can catch up on all the scores that you may have missed from the past couple of games. Ladies talk is quite different and that's what makes running with different groups so interesting.

A couple of months ago the need for a new pair of running shoes arose, and as my weekly mileage is above 60kms a week I decided to treat myself to a very good shoe. I was very thorough in my preparation and eventually bought a pair of Asics Gel Kayano IX ladies running shoes. I wore them in slowly and finally decided to test them on a long run, incorporating road and bush of all gradients. It started out well but by 12km my toes were tingling and by 15km my feet were burning with every step. I was forced into walking (a long way home), something I never do on a run, arriving frustrated and
absolutely furious. What was I going to do with shoes that still had 700kms left of wear in them? I immediately e-mailed Asics in Sydney, who suggested I return them to check for any faults. Eighteen days later a pair of similar shoes, but 2 years old, were returned to me. As the shoes had obviously been swopped, the store reimbursed me and I started the search again, only this time buying what I already knew, New Balance or Nike. As they had no NB in my size, and I needed the shoes immediately, I bought the Nike. Nike and I go back a long way taking me through my first marathon.

There is just no key to buying new shoes. The Asics I bought were so comfortable and fitted me like a glove, but while running they were obviously too tight hindering circulation in my feet, something I could not have predicted. Running shoes here are very expensive and discounts few, and I have learnt my lesson and shall stick to the shoes I know. While reading the July-August 2003 Footloose I noticed there are discounts advertised for many brands of running shoes, so if you wish to make a change, use this opportunity while you can.

The upheaval of changing shoes and getting the feet back to normal working order all happened just before the Sydney Half Marathon, so I did not run in that race. Despite no races in the near future, the running is going very well and my new shoes are great. My running schedule remains almost the same. The first run of the week is on Tuesday morning with an hour of speed training. The 5.30am Wednesday bush runs have now resumed and it's wonderful to be back in the bush again. Unfortunately my toughest competition no longer comes but it's still a good workout running against the clock. Bush flowers line the track and it's so beautiful in the early morning light. The Wednesday night ladies running group continues, as does the Thursday morning challenge. I am now able to keep up with the Thursday runners, especially when we incorporate bush trails into the run. My Friday morning run is temporarily on hold as my running partner has torn a ligament in her ankle and will be out of action for a while. Another day to sleep in. The long Sunday run continues to be a time of solitude and I find myself running alone more often than not. It gives me a chance to think and plan and I really look forward to those two hours alone in the early morning light.

The Sydney Marathon was held on the 14th September.The weather was good and the male winner was Oswald Revelian in 2:26:03, and the female winner was Tausi Jumi in 2:26:25, both from Tanzania. Let me remind you that the www.coolrunning.com.au website has all the Australian running information you need when planning your trip to Australia. It is very comprehensive and lists all the upcoming marathons in Australia, gives the racing calendars for each state, and also includes triathlons. What more could you want? The main events coming up for 2004 are:

13th March - Six-Foot Track. 45km of very tough bush running. A good challenge?
14th April - Canberra Marathon. A double loop on a very flat course. Good for a P.B.
27 - 29th August - Oxfam Trailwalker. 100km of cold bush walking. Teams of 4 to be completed in 48hrs. A real challenge.

The Six-foot track looks like a good one to tackle before the cold of winter sets into Sydney, and for those who love the bush, well there is just no excuse. Plan your holiday now and let me know how many of you will be visiting this part of the world. An issue that has been on my mind of late is what sport to do when cross-training. I am getting to that age when I feel that I need to run less but wish to maintain my level of fitness. We have all heard how this can benefit one's running, but which is the best other sport to do and what are the benefits? The runners that I train with seem to either cycle or swim, with only a few spending time in the gym. When you love running so much it's hard to imagine doing any other sport, but it obviously has its place. It will so be difficult to drop a run, as you feel sure that you will loose your level of fitness, and then which run should you drop, as they all seem so important? For those runners who have already ventured out into the world of cross-training it would be very beneficial to those of us who are searching to hear of your experiences and trials and errors. Tell us your story so that we can become more informed. Runners love to share their stories, and running has been a major icebreaker for me here in Sydney, as it was in Malaysia. Most of my friends here are runners, ranging from 30 to 70 years of age and they come from all walks of life with so many experiences to share. Knowledge gained while on these runs has been so helpful in the settling in process, and I am slowly building up a network here in Sydney. It has taken a while but it's been a real pleasure meeting all these people in such informal surrounds and at least we all have the common desire to run. So, never be too shy to invite someone along to a run, it only takes one phone call. To those running the Singapore Marathon in December, whether individually or as a team, have a great run. And to all those ladies training for the Round the Island Relay, hang in there and keep the dream alive. You never know what may happen in the future. We are looking forward to the end of the calendar year and the children are already writing out their Christmas lists. I am only asking for some warmer weather. We hope to spend a week in Brisbane during the holidays, as we will have no family to celebrate with this year. To those who are fasting this November, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Time to finish this off and start the day. Once again it's on the chilly side, and cloudy with predictions of rain, and I am sitting here all bundled up to keep warm. Oh how I miss the predictably warm weather of K.L. Good luck with your running for the remainder of 2003 and don't forget to start planning that holiday in Sydney!

Viviene Kartsounis (Sydney)

State of Road Racing in Malaysia by Jamie Pang
I was browsing the Internet, visiting all the running related websites in my Favorites list and came upon this rather useful marathonguide.com site. I did a search on the Singapore and Malaysia races and the search pulled up the marathon events of both countries.

Being a newbie to this distance and will be running my first in Singapore this Dec, I was curious on how the other runners see the event. Suffice to say that the 2001 Singapore race was crap - traffic, route, drinks are among the common problems stated. But the 2002 one was awarded much better reviews and praises. One thing is clear - the Singapore organizers took to heart the brickbats from the runners and improved their organization. You can read about it here.

Which brings me to the state of running events in Malaysia. I'm not an elite runner. Nevertheless I consider myself the ultimate mid-packer (the try hard, no holds barred-give-all-you-can-but-limited-by-my-genes kind), so I think my views represent the average but serious runner trying to achieve another personal milestone out there. OK, here goes: The race organization here is real backward.

We have seen improvements - the best event I've run this year is the Nike-Pacesetters 15K. Superbly organized for a maiden event, quality setup and not surprisingly, put together by people passionate about running. There are cheerleaders, adequate water station (adding another water stop would be nice), challenging route and well-placed finish area (small but suffice for the crowd size). A bonus is the finisher's certificate complete with the finishing time sent to the home.

Which is more than I can say about the other 10K races. I've ran a few races which promised the mailing of the finishers' certs but I've still to receive them after all these years. The sad thing is that these races are annual events and sponsored by established corporations, and yet year after year, there seems to be no improvements.

The recent 10K held recently in KL was sponsored by a giant sports company and yet the bib is a badly produced cloth-type (the ones that reek of kerosene smell). A further browse thru marathonguide.com for the KL Marathon serves to confirm the state of affairs. I'll let you read one of the comments for yourself.

==quote==

KL International Marathon, March 4, 2001

- Registration: location impossible to find for a stranger to KL; unfriendly staff, not helpful, unknowledgeable (on water/replenishment stops, aid stations, route map, etc.); race number printed on cloth bib (was it a kids' race?); too much bureaucracy.

- Official 'Guidelines': printed on 4 flimsy pages which disintegrated in the rain; route map was illegible and useless (the Web-map was just as bad); some instructions were laughable: 'must wear official t-shirt', 'drinking at unofficial stations will not be entertained'

- Check-In: Given a 'report card' to hand in at starting area - don't know the purpose when running no. bib would do; another bureaucratic fumble.

- Check-Out: 'Luggage cards' were issued for checked-in belongings - don't know the purpose when running no. bib would do; would have had to carry it for 26 miles! I threw mine away.

- Check Points: marathoners were supposed to be given two tokens on the course for hand-in at finish; this didn't happen, instead a piece of string/banner was tied round one's neck and collected at the finish...strange, maybe I could have hung myself if I didn't finish!

- Transport: to use LRT, pay only 75% fare with running bib - where in hell am I to carry my Ringgits for the fare?

- Replenishment Drink: I choked on the CARBONATED drink provided on the course; I think it was called Isotonic 100 and should be BANNED from races - get me some Gatorade!

- Course: It was pitch-black on part of the course on Jalan Lapangan Terbang (near the old airport) and I tripped twice in potholes! Worse, the downtown traffic jams near Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Raja Muda with fumes spewing out of cars, buses and trucks into the face of runners - I had seriously considered abandoning the race at this point - it was too dangerous.

- Finish Area: couldn't find any replenishment drink which I needed in my dehydrated state; luckily, I had a bottle of saline solution in my checked-in baggage (when I found it).

- Baggage Pick-up: had trouble finding it; when I did, it was unattended and I could have walked away with some nice stuff!

==unquote==

I've not run the KL Marathon before but I personally take to heart at how people view our Malaysian events. I feel proud when we're praised for our achievements, angry when with just a little forethought, investment on time and research, something promising would have turned out better or even great. Imagine what potential runners think of our "International" runs when they read the above kind of remarks.

This pretty much sums up the state of road racing in this country. This sport needs to be led by people who are passionate about the sport and not by folks who just want to keep an event going just because it's an annual one. The organizers need to learn from foreign races (without sounding "Malaysia Tak-Boleh", God forbid if we ever have a NYC Marathon scale event of 30,000 plus runners if those deficient areas are not addressed!), cut the red-tape and put some quality into the events. Things have to improve, for the runners and for the sport.

Jamie Pang

Editor: If you are not a runner and if you haven’t raced overseas to see what kind of organization can be provided, you are going to be satisfied with what is given here and consider it as “normal”. That’s the “kampung vision”. I’ve given up on races which start 2 hours late and where officials take away the drinks and goodies while I suffer from dehydration at the end (and this seems to be prevalent in various degrees in almost all the races here).

The KL International Triathlon Race Report by Alden Yap

The KL International Triathlon ended recently, and I have not thought much about the race after stepping home. Though my time had improved relatively for the shorter distances in the 3 events (swim 1.3km, cycle 36.5km, run 9.6km as opposed to 1.5km, 40km, 10km), there is nothing much I could bring home with in terms of experience, except a few good memories. Actually I'm not writing a post-mortem of this event. But what I intend to tell this time is the profound heartfelt gratitude I have to some Pacesetter members (and some who are not, but mostly from the Permaisuri group) who appeared on race day to give their fullest support.

Moral support began via SMS even before the race, with encouraging words. I've received a few from some of you. Thank you.

Well first of all, Don was there for the wife, and some Chin Woo members (Soon, Meng, the only two whom I know) were there for their compatriots. They did not participate and were there merely to give support. Well, perhaps their absence this time in the race was due to exhaustion from the previous triathlon in Desaru, except for Don who opted out this time citing health reasons. Anyway, the race started. Swimming was ok, cycling was smooth, running was plain. One thing that kept it mundane was the loops! Many lost count actually.

Come the cycling part. I was really happy to see many people I was familiar with giving moral support, cheers and advice. Asoka was there, Meng was there, Soon, and Don. I was a bit exhausted after the 7th loop, but all the cheering and advice from Don to push and Meng to "draft" people in front of me, kept me going. And everytime when you see this people cheering, you get this surge of energy to push forward and show them you really are "pushing". Then David was also cheering and saying good words though he had to look out for his son, Barry. I don’t know, some say moral support are purely psychological, but to me, it kept my strength up. So, for 10 loops, though very boring and easily losing count, I must say it was made lively and cheerful with this group of people. One BIG Thank You!!

Then on my final loop, I saw Han taking shots with his digital camera. I guess he must have taken the trouble to wake up in the morning to come over to Titiwangsa just for that and perhaps, to give moral support as well. One more familiar face, there you go again, you can imagine how much better you feel when these people are around to witness the few of us participating in the event. It was only a handful of us - Cherie, Fai, Chung, Lily, Jenny's husband, Peter, SCM, Barry and myself (sorry if I left out any).

Come the running part. On my 1st loop, I was really really surprised to see Phoon and Tong Ko, giving their support to us. Because I've never seen them before in any triathlon races, their appearance took me by surprise! And you know what, there was a race before they came, the Shah Alam 10km Run. So it was really touching. All my 3 laps, I got funny messages and encouraging words from the two of them. It was very uplifting. David was always at the boardwalk area and everytime he had some encouraging words too. Then, there was Jackson. Oh yes! Jackson was there too and I was surprised! I met Nancy Kong on the start of my 3rd loop and Jenny Lim took a camera shot when she said, "Alden, look here, smile". Thanks.

In all my other tri-races, when I do the running event, I would run-walk-run most of the time; but this time, I can even laugh and joke with these people and continue running without walking except at drinking stations. Is it mere coincidence that it was my tip-top condition or the obvious effects of moral support, you judge for yourself. I would think it is the latter.

After finishing, I was basically walking around, icing the imminent cramp on my right thigh that could trigger anytime. Han was there again to take shots of me crossing the line. Then I was doing stretching, when suddenly, the cramp set in. Gosh, you can imagine the utter “dumbfoundedness” on my face. I needed help badly, but didn’t want to cause alarm either especially with people around me I don't know. Would have been very embarrassing. When I saw Cherie, who had just came back and hardly recovered from breathlessness, I called on her and she was very forthcoming with her help. Sat me down, stretched my right leg from toe up. Then one guy, Freddy (I guess), passed me the Deep Heat cream and I applied, massaging the cramp area.

As I was recovering, I heard Han calling Lil Khoo. I looked over, and he was also with Ah Houn. I was of course very happy again for their presence. Two of them are my compatriots! Houn came over to congratulate me on some "syarat" (condition) that he asked me to achieve, which I did. Then Lil Khoo was asking about the race a little, just like his name ;)

At night, I went for a drink near my area with Asoka, SCM, Kel, Cherie, Kit, Kong, Meng, Han. Browsed through some tri photos. Then Kit, who learnt about my cramp this morning, put up a Kinotakara on each of my foot (sponsored by Cherie). **Kinotakara is a herbal pad that is believed to detoxify and heal the body system**

I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to all you people whom I have mentioned in this article and that I'm very touched and moved by all the gestures that have been rendered before the race, during the race and after the race to the participants including and especially myself. Permaisuri people always have a place in my mind.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not promoting a group or a few people in particular, in relation to other groups, which I have not known. To cut it short, I am writing what I feel, and like I said, I'm just expressing my heartfelt gratitude. For now, I know what I have to do and that is to give due credit to all Permaisuri Pacesetter group members, in particular those who are mentioned here.

Alden Yap

Victorian 10k Run, England by Robert Bradley

Whilst visiting the UK on our summer holidays this year, we thought that we would put all our regular Lake Gardens’ sweaty workouts to good use and take part in a local road race that was being held close to where we live. We entered the Victorian 10k race organized by New Marske Harriers on a Sunday morning in July. The entrance fee was equivalent to RM45 each for which qualifying finishers would receive a commemorative 150 mm ceramic plaque (no T-shirts or goodie bags here!).

Marske is a small seaside town just south of Middlesbrough on the north east coast of England, about 50 km south of Newcastle. The run started at 1030h in the grounds of the local school and the course was dead flat around a housing estate then on a wide pavement alongside the sea to the next town of Redcar and back. The weather was fine with patchy sun and cloud and not too cold for that part of England, about 20°C.

About 250 runners took part, ranging in age from 16 upwards. The organization was very good, only one road crossing after about 1 km which the police closed to traffic until all the runners had passed. The course marshals all wore bright yellow reflective jackets and were positioned at every junction and corner, traffic cones were used to funnel the runners where necessary. Each km was clearly marked in paint on the pavement. Water was available in small plastic bottles at about 3.5 and 6 km. As usual, St. John Ambulance volunteers were on hand if required. All the marshals and family members of the runners encouraged the runners with shouts and clapping, so unlike our races in Malaysia, it really makes a difference.

134 runners came home within the qualifying time of 65 minutes. The winner. Rickie Wilson of Scarborough Athletics Club finished the 10 km in 32:40, in fact the first 18 runners were all under 40 minutes and 56 completed in less than 45 minutes. The quality of the participants was really high, but since about 90% of the participants were from local running clubs, including high-profile ones like Gateshead Harriers, that was perhaps not surprising.

We were the only “overseas” entrants and we did manage to qualify! I managed 53:09 (111 overall and 23 in my over-50 category). Kate did 54:24 and was 118 overall and the 16th woman to finish.

Any lessons learned? There are a lot of good runners in the north of England and full race results are posted on the club’s website on the same day as the race!!!

Robert Bradley

RESULTS
Click on the races below to view. Categories stated below are recorded:

Hatyai Nature Run 2003 - 3rd August, 2003
Men 21km | Men 10.5km | Women 21km | Women 10.5km

Last Updated: April 21, 2004