look for orange cloud

Foreword
After participating in all kinds of runs offering all sorts of new thrills & worthwhile causes for the participants, I know that selecting a good event to run in is a complex decision; There is a certain amount of pressure involved in registering yourself for a run because there is no refund if you’re not satisfied with the end result. 20 years ago, the decision was very simple because you only had two categories available, 10km and 42km. Moreover, the registration fees were fixed at RM10 for 10km & RM30 for a full marathon. In return, you were able to run in a FTKLAA sanctioned event, and for your efforts, you were a cotton T-shirt. Fast forward to today, you can pay up to RM60 for a 5km run which promises to give you an out-of-this-world experience. For full marathons nowadays, you don’t pay less than RM70. I guess with more at stake, runners are cautious and weary about registering for a new event with an unproven race organiser, and by my own estimate, 20% of all events are really good, and for the remaining 80%, they are unsatisfactory in one way or another. Yes, it is difficult to satisfy all of the outrageous demands, but I’m not even talking about that. Surprisingly, many races still flop because of their failure to meet the basic needs of the runners such as punctual flag-off, proper road marshalling, adequate water supply, effective medical assistance, and not forgetting those cases where the organisers neglect to deliver on all of the promises outlined in their sales pitch. 

My advise to you before you sign-up for any running event :-

1) Due Diligence: Research the background of the race organiser to make sure that they have the financial & technical capability and the willingness to properly organise a run.

2) Small Print: Read carefully the event’s terms and conditions. There is no use crying and saying after the event is over that you did not know about certain inclusions or exclusions because you will not get any sympathy from anyone that way.

3) Long-toothed Blogger: Read the online reviews of the event. There are many blogger/runners out there who will recommend any good running events & for any good blogger, their word is their bond.

  Happy Runner’s Pick
Are you fed-up of the over-commercialised & jazzed-up running events who pretend to look after the interest of the runner but in fact, they  leave you with an empty feeling inside plus empty your pockets too?

Well, I will recommend that you sign-up for ‘Run With Us’ which is happening on 16th August 2015 at Putrajaya because this run aims at restoring runners’ faith in running events by using all of their budget to give you a rewarding experience for both the elite contingency, as well as, the weekend fun runners. How do I know all this? No, I don’t own a crystal ball, but when you know what questions to ask the right people, you can paint a relatively accurate picture of the outcome of the event in question.

 Here are the 12 Things About Run With Us which will help you decide if this is going to be that next gem which will make you want to say, “This is why I love Running!”

1. The event owner is AstiRunners who are a group of runners from Alumni Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan.
2. The race organiser is 21st Century Sports of the BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon.

3. AstiRunners started in 2012 with only 5 school friends have grown to 60 members and still growing fast.

4. AstiRunners is organising this event to give back to the Malaysian running community in return for sharing & supporting AstiRunners’s positive and life-changing experiences. 

 5. They are adamant that their event must offer a nice Tee, a good medal & a quality experience for all finishers. Heck, they themselves know how disappointing it felt when there are not enough water or when medals are not presented at the Finish Line.

6. Registration Fee RM55 for 12km & Limited to 3,000 participants. 

7.  Registration Fee RM40 for 5km & Limited to 1,000 participants.

8. There is RM20,000 cash to be won for the 12km winners!

9. Lucky draw includes SONY 40″ LED TV, High-End TREK Mountain Bike, Garmin watches & vouchers.

10. AstiRunners embodies the many attractive merits of running, & for them, everyone can & should run!

11. Youngsters from 7 years old are encouraged to partake in the 5km Fun Run.

12. Having meant up with their founding members recently, I must say that their energetic enthusiasm for running is undeniably real & their genuine passion for running should be encouraged & supported for the betterment of not only the running community, but also for the good of society as a whole.

Bravo boys! I wish you all the best in realising your noble vision, and wish great success in your inaugural event 🙂
HOW TO REGISTER? Go to HooHa Asia!