Race Report: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009

Location: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Date/Time: 28th June 2009 @ 6.15 am
Category: Half Marathon (Men)
Bib: 0878
Distance: 21.40 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1:50:01 (gun time)
Average Pace: 5:08 min per km

I am worry before the race, very tension due to my left leg injured after Malakoff 26 km Penang 3 weeks ago. I was stop running on Tuesday and rest for 4 days before the race.

Reached Dataran Merdeka about 5.40am, after streching and try to run for warming up, I feel that my left leg pain was reduce to minimun, this give more confidence to me for today race. After warming up and looking for toilet, I saw a lot of runner already at the starting line, try to squeeze into the crowed but not manage to go to the front, about 30 m behind.

Flag off about 6.12 am, a bit slow at the starting, block by front runner. I still manage to maintain sub-5 min pace for the first 2 km. Start to speed up after turn in to Jalan Kinabalu. The road from Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Loke Yew is not so tough for me, even though the is abit up down hill, maybe still early.

I try to maintain my sub-5 min pace from starting until 11km, after pass by Hang Tuah monorail station. I hope to maintain this pace and run 12 km within 1 hour, but mission failed and end up with 28 sec over.

After Jalan Dewan Bahasa and uphill to the flyover to Jalan Istana, saw the crowd of 10 km runner after 12.5km, the road become very congested and running zig-zag become the only way for me to overtook them. I've skip the water station at 14km, not able "access" to get the water.

The rolling hill road along Jalan Damansara to Lebuhraya Mahameru is abit tough, not able to speed up my pace even though during downhill. When run into the flyover to Jalan Salahhudin, the path was not wide, become more congested before downhill road to Bank Negara. After came out from Jalan Salahhudin and cross Bank Negara roundabout, at distance 19.3km and my timing is 1:39++, I know that mission for 1:44:59 was failed.

Turn in to Jalan Raja Laut and make u-turn at Jalan Semarang, beside Pertama Complex and turn into Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the last water station at Jalan Semarang is only for 21km runner, full marathon and 10km runner need to u-turn at Jalan Sultan Ismail.

After turn in to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, my GPS show 20.3 km, try to speed up my pace run towards Dataran Merdeka diirection, after crossing traffic light at Jalan Tun Perak, run to Jalan Raja at Dataran Merdeka, saw the timer at finishing line show 1:49++...... Speed up with my best pace and cross the finishing line with 1:50:01.........

The Half marathon route for SCKLM 2009