Runners Blaze New Trails at Energizer Night Race

A steady stream of white lights marked the route for the 5,000 participants of the Energizer Night Race as they made their way around the streets of Cyberjaya.

One Buck Short thrilling the crowd with their punk rock favourites

The lights came from the personal Energizer LED headlights worn by each runner, a unique feature of the groundbreaking Energizer Night Race format which has already seen global action in South Africa, South Korea and Argentina with overwhelming response from international participants.

“Energizer Malaysia is proud to bring the Energizer Night Race to Malaysian shores for the first time ever. Participants of this year’s inaugural event had the opportunity to experience running at night in a safe, controlled environment – not something we as Malaysians have the chance to do regularly!” said Mike Foong, Managing Director of Energizer Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

The race saw veteran and amateur marathon runners from all over Malaysia converge upon Cyberjaya to participate in the race which is the first race of its kind in Malaysia with headlights and only the second night race on local shores.

Some participants in the Energizer Night Race came as far as overseas including Ghana, Australia and Singapore’s famous “Blade Runner”, an amputee who competes with a specially-designed prosthetic leg.

The race, which was organised by Pacesetters Malaysia, tested the endurance and determination of the 5,000 runners in 42km, 21km, and 10km distances over the CCTV-monitored streets of Cyberjaya, providing something for every fitness level. There was also a 4 x 10km relay race for teams.

“Because of the sheer number of participants, the race employed the D-Tag system from ChronoTrack systems to ensure that everyone had a fair run. We also provided drink stops and sponging stations at regular intervals including a surau at the 15th kilometre for the comfort and convenience of all participants,” said Joshua Leong, Brand Manager of Energizer Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Participants of the 42km and relay categories were flagged-off at 6pm, followed by the 21km categories at 8pm and the 10km categories at 9pm, transforming the Cyberjaya Lake Gardens Community Clubhouse into a flurry of running shoes and sweat bands throughout the night which saw the last of the determined participants crossing the finishing line around 1am.

There were 15 categories for various age groups, offering cash vouchers sponsored by Celebrity Fitness and products for the top five winners of 42km, Relay and 21km categories and the top 3 winners of the 10km category; who also took home a trophy each. Participants were also awarded medals for those who crossed the finishing line and each one received a certificate of participation. All 42km runners received a Finisher T-shirt upon completion.

En. Ir. Hafidz Hashim, Managing Director of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, as the venue sponsor, said that as part of its community pillars that covers LIVE, STUDY, WORK, PLAY, Cyberview takes on a proactive role in developing leisure and sporting facilities for the community. This includes building amenities like the Kelab Komuniti Taman Tasik Cyberjaya (KKTTC) which was the main venue for the run.

Cyberjaya’s green landscape with sound urban infrastructure makes it ideal for events just like the Energizer Night Race, which other central-urban or high-density venues may find hard to match. Cyberjaya’s low-density contrasted with its high level of development is ideal for logistics and security considerations when planning an event like this.

Cyberjaya is the first city in Malaysia to have integrated citywide closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) that is linked to the Malaysian Emergency Response Service (MERS) 999 system.

Cyberview implements green initiatives in planning the cybercity and as part of its support for Earth Hour, the streetlights on Persiaran Semarak Api were switched off from 7:30pm – 9:30pm so the participants for the 21km and 10km runs flagged off in the dark with their headlights turned on.

At the main event stage, Celebrity Fitness performances showcased slick gym class moves incorporating cheerleading, body combat and even belly dancing. Malaysian rap-rockers Pop Shuvit and punk rock veterans One Buck Short followed through with energetic performances that welcomed the finalists of the race shortly before the prize-giving.

Khor Ngee Leong of Powerbar Team Elite and veteran of the local competitive marathon scene blazed in at first place in the 42km Men’s Senior Veteran category, clocking in at three hours, three minutes and 40 seconds making him almost an hour faster than runner-up Tan Wah Sing and second runner-up Koh Yong Heng.

Julie Foreman dominated the 42km Women’s Senior Veteran category with an equally impressive three hours, 24 minutes and 29 seconds, half an hour before runner-up Tan Man Hua and a full hour before second runner-up Lim Lee Ping.

Guests for the night include En. Ir. Hafidz Hashim, Managing Director of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, Mr. Shaheen Shah Mohd Sidek, General Manager of Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa, ASP Tuan Jaafar Ahmad, Ketua Polis Trafik, Daerah Sepang, YDP Tuan Azizan Bin Mohamad Sidin, Sepang Municipal Council and YDM Prof. Tengku Dato’ Dr. Jamaluddin Bin Tengku Mahmud Shah Al Haj Tengku Orang Kaya Maha Bijaya Sepang, Pejabat Orang Besar Daerah Sepang.

While the event was not without incident from participants who were constantly pushing their limits, the prompt response of the medical doctors from Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences, St John Ambulance and the police ensured that runners who encountered difficulties were quickly attended to.

“The presence and participation of the runners tonight has truly taken the Energizer Night Run to a whole new level in-line with the race motto of ‘Keep Challenging, Keep Going’. With their continuous support, we hope to make this an annual affair and a permanent fixture on local and international marathon diaries, giving runners a race experience quite different from the rest!” said Mike Foong.

Sponsors for the event include Schick (co-sponsor), Cyberview Sdn Bhd (official venue), adidas (official apparel sponsor), Gatorade (official sports drink), Celebrity Fitness (official gym), Salonpas (official pain relief patch), PowerBar (official energy bar and gel), 2XU (official compression), Pristin, NacoX (official pain relief supplement), Breathe Right (official congestion relief), Cyberview Lodge & Spa (official hotel), Majlis Perbandaran Sepang (supporter), Snap Attack (official photography).