​Ice Watch Light Up The Night Run 2016 

Event: Light Up The Night Run 2016 #IWLUTNR16

Distance: 10km and 5km

Date: 3rd December 2016

Flag-Off: 8:00pm (delayed 15mins)

Venue: Plaza Shah Alam 

10km Participants: 2,000

5km Participants: 4,000

Editor’s Note 

If truth be told, no one, including Event Organiser The Marathon Company (TMC), had expected the number of registrants to virtually double to 6,000 for this second edition of IWLUTNR compared to the 3,500 runners at last year’s debut.

This exceptionally large sign-up rate can be attributed to :-

• the giveaways of 2,000 Ice Watch timepieces which gave each registrant a favourable 1-in-3 chance of winning a fancy Ice Watch worth Rm599.
• the availability of 6 different T-shirt colours from which to choose rather than having the Event Tee colours determined by the Event Owners.
• many runners, having enjoyed themselves enough during last year’s IWLUTNR, had decided to return for more fun.

The Marathon Company is building quite a good reputation for itself as a reliable organiser who balances well the interest of the participating runners with the requirements of the Brand Sponsors.

For my second Light Up The Night Run, I was enlisted as one of the Fun Pacers which had proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience…read on to find-out why?

A Colourful Picture 

By giving a choice of 6 different striking T-shirt colours, the runners are able to personalise their night running experience. At the same time,it is more likely that the runners would wear the official Tee during the event when they have chosen the colour themselves. This is also good for the Sponsors in terms of brand exposure. The combination of all the runners wearing bright blue, green, red, yellow, purple and pink T-shirts made for a bright and spectacular display. Although, the Tee colours were different, their same designs still helped maintained semblances of uniformity and unity.

Run With Purpose 

One of the universal appeal of running is the fact that we can all run for our own individual reasons. For my sister-in-law, Marina, who is a two-year Cancer Survivor, she was running for health reasons. While my wife, Maryati, was keen to regain back her running prowess. On this night, I was running for the satisfaction of helping other runners find their pace.

So, if you ask any runner why they like to run, they’ll tell you their personal stories of how running became an integral part of their lives. Once, we are bitten by the Running Bug, it is difficult for us to imagine a life without running after that.

10km Fun Pacers 

One of the elements which make Light Up The Night Run unique and fun is the presence of the Fun Pacer Team who are entrusted to run at a constant pace of 6 to 71/2 minutes per kilometre which is distinguished by the respective Pacer’s different balloon colours.

My Pacer Team of 5 runners were assigned a pace of 8 minutes plus per kilometre, and our main duty was to ensure that there were no 10km runners being left behind alone as a safety precaution.

Labour Of Love

As the last Pacer or Sweeper, my team had to push those runners who were running below their true capabilities, and at the same time, accompany those runners who could not run faster than 8 minutes/km.

To my surprise, there were a few runners who were unlucky to have injured themselves or had to undergo operation only after they had registered for the event. Rather than forfeit the run, they gallantly decided to join the run anyway. It didn’t matter how slow the runners were, our gang of 5 Sweepers still managed to  patiently accompany them right to the Finish Line.

Making Some Progress

In only my second stint as a Pacer, I realised that being a Pacer is more than being able to run at a constant pace and motivating others. You also need a large dose of patience and empathy, especially if you are a the last Sweeper.

Judging from the feedbacks of the runners, the Pacers did a splendid job and they were much appreciated by many of the runners, even for a short distance of 10km.

I still have much to learn about the art of pacing, and given more such opportunities, I know that I can improve on my pacing performance overtime. 

Bigger Crowd, More Fun

From my standpoint, the venue space was better utilised and the human flow at the Finish Line were better managed than last year. Some people may have found the venue overcrowded, but to me, the crowd adds more buzz and excitement to the post-race party which in turn, gives the atmosphere a carnival-like feel.

Better Route, Smoother Run

The route was straighter and less complicated than the previous year. The stationary and mobile marshals, volunteers and Medics should be congratulated and rewarded on a great job looking after the runners welfare.

Learn From The Past

It is obvious from the many improvements undertaken that The Marathon Company had listened to the critics of last year’s event and subsequently, TMC has made the necessary adjustments and modifications in order to make this year’s event EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE than last year. Furthermore, from what I read in Race Director Benz’s post analysis, TMC has already identified more areas for improvement which is good news for its supporters. I am sure that many runners, like myself, are looking forward to an even GLITZIER RUN in 2017…

📹Exciting Live Videos :-

REPC With Benz, Collection Engine Room, Turning Off Jalan Kewajipan & Last Runner…

*Disclaimer*

To the best of my knowledge, all of the information provided herein is accurate at the time of publishing and the views expressed are based on my own personal opinions and findings, and they don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Product Manufacturer, Event Organiser or any Third Party unless explicitly specified otherwise.

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.