|
11th August, 2008
The Borneo International Marathon (affectionately known as BIM) which will be held here in Kota Kinabalu is a mere 9 weeks away. Participants are lacing up their skids and various training programs are well under way while people ask themselves if they can take up the challenges of the 42 km Full Marathon, the 21 km Half Marathon and the more genial 10 km run. It is fascinating to take note of the type of people who are interested in running as there is no uniformed spectrum or strict category specifics.
In short, there is no real mould or formulae towards what makes a runner, or what motivates people to run.
Some of the more elite and experienced runners immediately gravitate towards the mighty 42km; a real testament to that age old adage “mind over matter”. It should also go without saying that to attempt a full marathon one must be in prime physical and mental condition. You can’t just wake up one morning and decide that you’d want to run a marathon.
Well, okay, you could. But it would be safe to assume that you would be in a monumental amount of pain for weeks afterwards. On top of being labelled a ninny by family, friends and anyone else within earshot of your groans of agony.
Then there is the half marathon. Long term runners and fans of middle distance endurance runs will earmark this route as their preferred race of choice as it still requires a serious level of training commitment but is more feasible and easier for those who are not able to fully train for the full marathon. A respectable distance of running nevertheless.
And then we come to the 10km run which is considered to be the ‘gentle run’. While it may still sound like a feat in itself, many of us would be able to easily complete this distance with an intelligent and careful walk-run strategy. In short, most could do this with their eyes closed. Yes, even me.
The popular comment given by most laypersons when asked why they’d forego participating in the BIM is that they are unable to run and various reasons given are usually to do with bad levels of fitness or that running was not even a blip on their respective radars as a proactive approach to a sporty lifestyle. A majority of us may already have preconceived ideas as to what makes a runner. And for the most part, we’d be way off mark.
Lets take for example Singaporean runner Mr. Chan Meng Hui. Mr. Chan will be making his way to Kota Kinabalu along with a stronghold of Singaporean runners and will be participating in the 42 km full marathon. While this is a true challenge for even the most regular of long distance runners, what makes Mr. Chan stand out from the rest is not only his zest and enthusiasm for running, but the fact that he will also be the oldest participant at a whopping 78 years old.
When I telephoned Mr. Chan to speak to him, I was greeted by a convivial and charming individual who stated that he was truly looking forward to returning to Sabah for his first marathon on our shores. This well-travelled septuagenarian participated in the 10K Road Race here in Kota Kinabalu back in 2004 and won gold for his category.
Throughout my conversation with Mr. Chan, he stressed the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and that age should never be a barrier to senior citizens looking to improve their fitness levels. He expressed his delight that Sabah was finally having an event of this calibre and was keen to promote running amongst the silver haired.
I had initially assumed that Mr. Chan was someone who had been running for a large part of his life and that to say that I was proved wrong was a good understatement. Mr. Chan only began running at the considerably ripe age of 55 when he retired. An ex-smoker and drinker, Mr. Chan re-evaluated his health habits upon the passing of several close friends. He now runs around 7km a day and does a 25km run around MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore with friends every Sunday morning.
Since he began running actively, Mr. Chan participated in his first marathon when he was 56 years old and has travelled overseas to Norway, Switzerland, Japan and China to run. Having already done 76 marathons, Mr. Chan’s goal is to participate in 100 marathons – a feat that seems almost unthinkable to a large majority of us.
It’s also interesting to note that several teenagers from Sabah’s Special Olympics team are participating in the Half Marathon (21km) and the 10km runs respectively. Special Olympic advisor Mr. Simon Koh stated that the runners would be aged between 14 years to 17 years of age. And while these individuals may fall under the category of being intellectually disabled, this in no way affects their physical capabilities and performance.
Mr. Koh also expressed how important it was that these runners be given the chance to participate in an international event, running alongside others and being able to showcase their athletic abilities.
Another participant I would like to mention is a 25 year old local lass who is going to run in the half marathon. What impresses me about this young lady is that even though she has been diagnosed with early stage Lymphoma (a form of cancer), she is pleasant, chirpy and eager to tackle the 21kms. Whatever health issues she has been dealing with, I’m left with the impression that she is not prepared to allow it to hinder her in her attempt to complete her chosen race category
In summation, it is almost impossible to impose stereotypes as to who can run and who should run. It would be safe to say that ideas and notions as to what makes a good runner is hard to lock down. All you’d need is a good pair of running shoes and the road. I have personally been in contact with quite a few participants who, in my humble opinion, stood out as they sincerely want to give it a shot and are looking forward to what BIM has in store for them.
And in all honestly, I’m left with a healthy level of respect and admiration for people like these.
The Borneo International Marathon will be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on October 12th 2008. Routes offered are the Full marathon, Half marathon and 10km run.
Interested parties may get more information and register online at www.borneomarathon.com or email info@borneomarathon.com
Entry forms may also be collected and registration fees paid at all Coffeebean & Tealeaf outlets throughout Sabah and Sarawak.
The writer can be contacted at ssmanifesto@yahoo.com and is counting down to BIM.
|
