Running In Distress?

Let's see... why is the title like that? Because the race organisation for this so-called Taiping "International" Marathon was a mess. Big one. There are plenty of hate comments abound over at FB and I won't get into too much detail about it.

I prepared and braced for the worst coming to this race, especially as I've read Doc Julin's post about last year's event a few times over. Despite that, I still registered for it and went to Taiping. Why? Because I wanted to visit Taiping for a "Cuti-Cuti Malaysia". Zaini is rather free this month so I took the opportunity to schedule this trip. If you know us, you'd know that it's hard to see us vacationing somewhere local other than the few places we always visit. KL, PD and Cameron Highlands. That's about it. @.@

Anyway, back to the race.

Let's start with the +ve first :

• extremely well behaved Taiping drivers who are very patient waiting for us runners to pass through. Not a single honking was heard.
• friendly people. The traffic police, the "letchumis" waiting for their bus to work, the race marshalls at check-points and the volunteers at the water stations.
• They dished out nasi lemak to everyone. I mean everyone... except the later arrivals runners la.

Just three +ve? How about the -ves?

• Chaotic race organisation. Took me like 15 minutes to get my race kit and there was only 2 runners in front of my queueing! Bored looking race officials to who told me I needed to be at the field at 4am when I asked the time for half-marathon flag-off time! 
• They got my name a bit wrong and I think despite putting up a few categories for female runners during registration (I was supposed to be in Women Jr Veteran), they just lumped everyone over 35 into the Women Veteran category. So I was (and a few more other runners too, I bet) in the over 45years old category! Crazy! Crazier that they put the age category on the bib! I so do not want to advertise that I am anything over 45! Especially when I'm not! 
• Late flag-off. Very late. Full marathoners were supposed to start at 4.30am and they were only flagged-off at 5.30am! Us half-marathoners were flagged off one hour later than what was advertised on their website. At 6.00am.
• Water stations - instead of pouring drinks into cups, we were handed the 500ml mineral water bottles. Earlier runners got Pop drinks. I got mineral water. Later runners got nothing. Such wastage. Again, I fault the organiser and not the volunteers.
• Absolutely no portable toilet available along the route. NONE. Wanna go pee? Run to the nearest petrol station lah. I thank my lucky stars I didn't need to pee at all before/during/after the run. *wipe sweat*
•  Never was it mentioned that they are giving out limited medals so those late arrivals crossed the finish line and get... NOTHING. To make it worse, later arrivals full marathoners didn't even get their finisher tee!
• Not even goodie bag because they put the goodie bag counter somewhere else and I saw that even the Ah So wearing floral blouse (and looking so obviously not running) got goodie bag(s)!
• No road closure. NONE AT ALL. Good thing Taiping drivers and bikers are all a decent lot so unlike KL drivers so I somehow didn't feel like I was dicing with death running that day.
• Traffic police presence were only at major junctions. When you see them, they are doing a pretty good job. Friendly too. Encouraging this "Rabbit" to run faster and not lose to "kura-kura" LOL
• Crazy speech by the head race official blaming everyone for the fiasco that day except himself.

But despite all that, I had to admit that I had fun. I didn't have any expectation and with that attitude, I just had fun. Also, this run was just like my SCKLM run way back in June. Same kind of weather (overcast and not too hot) and lucky me - I had my first day of period on the day of the run... AGAIN! Boohooo!!!

At the starting line. We were sheperded to the MPT building and somehow was "locked-in" there. Can spot me, right?

I started off easy. Can't run fast anyway since the first few KM was congested with us half-marathoners and the road was dark! But despite the darkness, few guys (one in a tiger cap) hollered hi to the "rabbit" an urged her to run faster. muahaha

Immediately faced an incline not even into the first kilometre and was silently cursing those who said the route is relatively flat. An "ayam" - well, he's a barefoot runner wearing the Chap Ayam runners vest said hello at KM5 while we were climbing a flyover. *pant pant* I didn't stop at the first two water stations because I ran with a Gatorade drink. Maintained a 7min pace for about 10K, I think.

I was running with a strong wind pushing from the side before the KM10 (IIRC) and it rained a bit. It was rather hard to run when one was wearing something as un-aerodynamic as a rabbit's ears! Decided to took it and the cap off for a bit, but put it back on because I can't see with all the rain on my specs.

Took a bottle of mineral water at the water station near Giant, threw my empty Gatorade bottle and ran with the mineral water bottle all the way back to the finish line. I was looking forward to isotonic drinks after KM12, but they served Pop drinks. I didn't know Pop is an isotonic drinks. @.@ Such a waste though giving runners full bottle like they did for this Taiping International Marathon. I saw plenty of unfinished bottles strewn all along the road.

Decided I was going to have fun despite the chaos of the run and went all stupid, disturbing unsuspecting people. Took photos with these ladies at a water station because they said I was cute! Bwahaha!!!!

Arrived Taiping's prison at 8.00am sharp and was greeted with a very loud siren. That very ugly photo of mine was the first attempt to take my photo with the Taiping prison signboard. I really need to learn how to camwhore. LOL

Second attempt - without me in the photo proved to be a much better success.

Found this en-route the run. It wastaken because of nostalgic reason. I was an MRSM student. Not Taiping's but my bestfriends (who are all smarter and more hardworking than me) went to Taiping after finishing their SRP (younger people now sits for PMR. Me old already). The creme de la creme of MRSM students all over the country were selected to go to MRSM Taiping while the rest of us continue on studying at our school. 

Trivia : I went to three MRSMs, all in different states! No... not because of indiscipline, wokay! What's MRSM anyway? It's short for Maktab Rendah Sains MARA or MARA Junior Science College. I was in one from Form 1 - Form 5. 5 years of boarding school and I had enough!

Anyway...

After the second flyover climb, we turned left (a police traffic encouraged me to run faster as rabbit cannot lose to tortoise. Thank you Abang trafik!) and it was shady route all the way and on to Taiping Lake Garden.

Met more friendly race mashalls giving out the second check-point ribbons and bantered a bit with them. Also had nice support by the nice lady over at the mat check-point. Thank you for saying I'm cute! Muahaha And encouraging us to go faster. ^^

Hollered hi to a few dog owners walking their dogs... because the dogs are on leash! Dog owners at my place just let their dogs loose to chase me, while they talk on their handphones. Yikes!

It was during the final kilometre that a Kenyan lady marathoner ran past me... leisurely. By this time, I was already run-walking but perked up and made a semblance of running upon reaching McDonald's as I saw many photographers there and they are all pointing their lenses (perasan!) at me! Heard people cheering for "rabbit" and I can't help but smile and pickep up my pace.

And here's the finish line photos. Happy!

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First two photos - unprepared for photogs. LOL

scripts for this interactive photo album is sponsored by
[SK] @ http://sk0617.blogspot.com [LINK]

A cramped-up face. Senggugut on full force! Ugh.

All in all, despite possibly running in the worst organised running event; not that I entered a lot though - I had plenty of fun going to Taiping for this. I told Zaini I definitely want to return to Taiping again next year but for another race and not this one!

We stayed at the field until almost 12.00pm, cheering for full marathoners making their way back to the finish line. There were a group of runners who bought drinks for the later arrival full marathoners seeing that there is nothing for them at the finish line; not even race officials! Respect!

Full marathoners, despite their timing deserve respect and of course cheering, clapping and all the support to make it to the finish. It's a pity the race officials didn't see it thay way. I was glad that Zaini humoured me and let me stay and lingered to cheer. ^^

Later, I got another fun! I met with the super generous, exteremly friendly Y & Y sistas! That... soon! :)