Race Report: Hat Yai Nature Run 2010

Location: Prince of Songkla University , Hat Yai, Thailand

Date/Time: 8th August 2010

Category: Half Marathon (M35-39)

Bib: 35 024

Distance: 20.72 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1'47:08

Average Pace: 5:10 min per km

Rank: Over 10 in M35-39, about 105 overall

My first race in Thailand. As the name "Nature Run", we really run in the nature enviroment from 6 km to 15 km, surrounding by rubber estate and the killing hilly road.

Started run up to the hill from 6 km at 35 m above sea level to 7.8 km at 115 m above sea level, then all the way down hill to the U-turn point at at 10.35 km with 25 m above sea level, run reverse route back again, the second uphill was really killing, run with almost 8:00 ++ min pace, and almost give up.

Drink stations every 2 km, served water, without isotonic drink, traffic control very well, Thai driver are very patient while waiting for runners across the road, not like what happend during SCKLM, many local driver always horn while we run across the road.

After U-turn from 10.35 km and run up to the hill, I estimate I shall able to finished the race with 1:48, after turn out from the "nature route" and run all the way back, overtook some 10km runners, turn in to the Prince of Songkla University, run a bit uphill until the roundabout, turn left and towards finishing line, as my estimation, finished with 1'47:08.

Many food and drink at the finishing, got porridge, koay teow goreng, bihun goreng, soya bean, leong fun, Thailand style 油条, watermelon. Eat a lot as recovery meal. Hat Yai Nature Run, really a good event, I'll run again in 2011.....

The 21 km route

The hilly route elevation

LLC runners at the finishing...

Race Report: 1 Malaysia National Charity Run

Location: Dataran Tanjung Emas, Muar, Johor
Date/Time: 1st August 2010 @ 6:30 am
Category: A - Men's 21km
Bib: A 21071
Distance: 20.34 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1'40:11
Average Pace: 4:55 min per km
Rank: 26th


My first ever race in the town/state (Muar, Johor) where I born and grown...

Don't know why the organizer change the starting time from 5:30am Malaysia time to 5:30am Thailand time, don't know and also don't want to know.

Rain before and during strating of the race but not heavy, nice and cool weather, fresh air after rain in the early morning.

From Tanjung Emas run across Sg Muar towards Melaka direction and U-turn back to Tanjung Emas again, totally a new route for me, and also for all Muar runners, I think.

All the way flat, except crossing Sultan Ismail bridge across Sg Muar. Organizer try to created some "man made" hilly route for runners, that is crossing two pedestrian bridge at about 8.8km and 13.7km.

Few drink staions along the 21km route, organizer just prepare plan water for runners, but lucky Camel Marathon Club provided 100 Plus isotnics drink for runners, thanks a lot to Mr Yew and his gang (Camel Marathon Club), you all really Pro Runners, know what runners need during race ....

Thanks to Terrence to pace with me from 7km onwards, and force me run faster, else I think I'll not able to completed with sub-5 min pace....

The 21km route

No pia photo during this race, only this photo with finishing medal snap by Ben Swee.

and nice to meet you, Ben...

with runners from Camel Marathon Club, Muar.

Race Report: Taiping Heritage Run 2010

Location: Padang Esplanade, Taiping
Date/Time: 25th July 2010 @ 7:30 am (late start)
Category: A - Men's Open
Bib: A 074
Distance: 14.22 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1'12:04
Average Pace: 5:04 min per km
Rank: 59th

Nice route, nice weather, and beautiful scenery around Taiping Lake Garden route for the first 3 to 4 km......

Slightly hilly from 4.6km to 5.3km route, 2 drink station, at about 5.7km and 13km, second drink station is a bit far from first drink station, prefer 5km one drink station. Distance marker are clear along the route.

The bad experience during this event is started late, just because of waiting for some VVIP to flag off the race.

Taiping Heritage Run 15km route

LLC Runners at the starting point.

Exhausted piaing face....

Jump, jump jump.....

Race Report: Seremban Half Marathon 2010

Location: NS Padang, Seremban
Date/Time: 11 July 2010 @ 6:45 am
Category: B - Men's Open Half Marathon (21km)
Bib: B8
Distance: 20.46 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1'43:44

Average Pace: 5:04 min per km
Rank: 26th

Another sub 1:45 "Under distance" half marathon. Drove 140km, run 21km, drove 140km again, within 8 hours...

The 21km route

The up and down route elevation.

Suffering face pia to finishing. pix by run2chuah

SCKLM 2010 Finishing Photos

Finishing photos snap at Dataran Merdeka during Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010.

Camera: Nikon D200 + AF 80 - 200 mm F/2.8D

There are total 6 albums snap from 8:11am to 11:22 am are available as following:

Album 1 : 8:11am - 8:27am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part16
Album 2 : 8:28am - 8.52am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part26
Album 3 : 8:53am - 9:34am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part36
Album 4 : 9:35am - 10:08am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part46
Album 5 : 10:09am - 10:36am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part56
Album 6 : 10:36am - 11:22am http://picasaweb.google.com/khokl74/SCKLM2010Part66

Hope you all enjoy the photos, sorry for those I missed out.........

Race Report: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010

Location: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Date/Time: 27th June 2010 @ 6:15 am

Category: Men's Open Half marathon (21km)

Bib: 6133

Distance: 21.41 km (by Garmin FR405)

Timing: 1'44:28 (Gun Time) / 1'44:14 (Chip Time)

Average Pace: 4:52 min per km

Rank: 91th

SCKLM 2010, a well organized event. Drink stations are sufficient enough, water every 2km, isotonic drink every 4km, few sponge station along the route for full and half marathon, distance marker every km. Full and half marathon route not clash with 10km and fun run route, avoid congestion for all serious runners.

The 21km route

I was follow closely by a lady runner behind me since 5km onwards, good weather on the race day, and also pacing / pushing by Peter, I manage reached completed first 16km within 1:19++

Pix by QQLai

After crossing jalan Tun Perak to Jalan Raja, finishing arc is infron of me, timer show 1:44:00, pia with my maximun speed and heart rate boost up to 175 bpm for the last 100 meter, crossing finishing with 1'44:28.

Pix by Winnie Wong's daughter

Piaing pix by Tey

My aim to completed another AIMS certified half marathon with sub 1:45 realised during this race, although not my PB compare with SCSM 2009, and also failed to achieved 1:40 target set by Dan Low.

Glad that I manage to completed my 30th half marathon in my entire running life with sub 1:45...

Race Report: Setia Eco 1/2 Marathon 2010

Location: Setia Alam Welcome Centre

Date/Time: 5th June 2010 @ 6:30 am

Category: Men's Open Half Marathon (21km)

Bib: A306
Distance: 20.94 km (by Garmin FR405)

Timing: 1'43:28

Average Pace: 4:56 min per km

Rank: 20th

Another run in rain half marathon. Saw overcast sky while I was ran about 5km, felt rain drop at about 10km, when reached to 12km, heavy rain for about 15min, enjoy the run under heavy rain.

Saw the first two elite leading runners ran back from opposite direction while I am at 7km mark, started counting runners infront of me, I was in 40th when reached the u-turn point at 8.5km, but can't see most regular elite runners in this race, maybe most of them still rest after last weekend Sundown or Hatyai Marathon.

Cold weather make me run with easy pace for first 12km, completed with sub 58 min. Keep on maintain average sub 5 min pace for the last 9km. When reached 20km, my timing was 1:39++. Turn on my turbo and pia for the last one km with 4:26 min pace, crossing finishing line with 1'43:28, but actual distance just 20.94km according to my Garmin FR405. Anyhow average 4:56 min per km pace still my PB pace for half marathon race at Malaysia, but not my overall PB.

The route

Pix by Tey

Pix by run2chuah

Race Report: adidas Sundown Marathon 2010

Location: Changi Exhibition Centre (Aviation Park Road), Singapore
Date/Time: 29th May 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Category: Men's Open Half marathon (21km)
Bib: 06964
Distance: 21.0 km (by Garmin FR405)
Timing: 1'52:41 (Gun Time) / 1'51:32 (Chip Time)
Average Pace: 5:21 min per km
Rank: 162th

Official results, click here.

My first oversea night race, first time join adidas Sundown Marathon after the 21km half marathon event have been introduced this year, good news for me !

Reached the starting point less than 20 minute before flag off, all because of spent 1 hour 15 minunte long queqe waiting for shuttle bus at Pasir Ris MRT station, 40 minute travel in the bus. Once reached, change shoes, change vest, baggage deposit, toilet and warm up, quickly squeeze into the starting area.

Too crowed at the starting, not able to run fast, only start to run with my own pace after 700m away, almost 5 minute gone....

All the way flat, not hilly route at all, should be easy to run, but the weather is humid, no rain at all on Saturday, can felt the heat although we are running at 9:00pm.

Distance markers are clear, almost every km. Hydration station every 2km, and isotonic drink was served every 4km, good enough. But unfortunately no sponging station for 21km route.

After the U-turn at 12km++, I felt that my stomach condition was bad, learn from Energizer Night Race experience, I dare not to eat my Power Gel at all. Just run only, although I got a gel with me.

When reached the last 500m, my watch shown 1'50++, I know that this will be my PB again, not Personal Best, but Personal BAD !

Three timing mat before finishing line, one is about 50m before the finishing line and another two below finishing arc. The MC can know runners identity when we cross the timing mat at 50m away, he annouce most runners' name when we reached finishing line. I just heard Malaysia Boleh, follow by my name when I cross finishing line with 1'52:41.....

Get the nice and unique finishing medal, as a rewards after pia for so hard..... ;)

The adidas Sundown Marathon (21km) route.

1 Malaysia National Charity Run

Date : 01 Aug 2010 (Sunday)
Starting Time : 5:30am (21km), 6:30am (10km)
Finishing Time : 10.30am
Venue : Dataran Tg. Emas, Muar, Johor.
Entry Fee : RM30 (Include T-shirt & Certificate)
Closing Date : 25 July 2010

Payment by cheque payable to:
MCA YOUTH BAKRI DIVISION
A/C No. : 3134029106 (PBB)

Or hand in entries to:
Pusat Perkhidmatan JPMM Bentayan,
31-B, Jalan Ali, 84000 Muar, Johor.
Tel : 06-9539927 Fax : 06-9523636

For Further Information, please contact:
Mr. Lee (012-6387831)
Miss Coco (012-3532611)
Mr. Yew (012-6355500)

Entry form, click here.

Race Report: New Balance Pacesetters 15km 2010

Location: Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur

Date/Time: 16th May 2010 @ 7.00 am

Category: A - Men Open

Bib: A1045

Distance: 15.17 km (by Garmin FR405)

Timing: 1'16:29 (Gun Time)

Average Pace: 5:02 min per km

Position:

Unofficial results, click here. My unofficial results:

Rank: 31 (Category) / 61 (Gender) / 65 (Overall)

Time: 1'14:28.87

Pix by run2chuah.

The route.

As usual, double hills is killing, see the elevation chart !