Photo credits to Hon You, from pacesetters/KC's blog site.
Pic 1 : Sieh Kok Chi, Olympic Council, with supposedly an "original torch". Everyone was quite hyped to be standing so near the "torch". Apparently Sieh ran as well...
Pic 2 : Starting line for the run...
Pic 3 : Me, with some "pia" spirit at the end, trying to speed up to potong someone...
Pic 4 : My buddy Wai Fun, also most loyal to the Olympic spirit, greeted by the samsung supporters on blades.., she is not a regular runner, but bravo to Orange Run last week and Olympic Torch Fun Run this week - great achievement...
Pic 5 : The finishing line, a bit informal but quite rah-rah as well.
Location - Dataran Merdeka, distance, around 5.82km (as seen from pacemaker blog)
This was the fun run I was not about to miss. Although it was hardly advertised and boasted a distance of only 5km - this was a good and relaxing run and also a great spiritual run for me as I uphold the Olympics as the greatest sporting arena for the modern world.
Probably two lines of strict opinionated thoughts - the Olympic Torch Relay has been to many countries and disrupted many times by pro-Tibet or human rights activists on China's stand and treatment on the Tibet issue. I am, and I think very much all whom I know still stand strong on that the Olympics is a great sport - do not mix politics with the Olympics. The effort of the athlete and also the spend on staging the greatest event for 2008, and for Asia to hold this center-stage in Beijing, this itself is a testament of the meaning of sport. I support the Olympics meaning and uphold its principles, and this was what the fun run was for. I hope the real Torch Run tomorrow will not be disrupted, and from what was advertised, we are targeting 80 key Malaysians who has contributed to sports and sponsorships to take the 16.8km Torch Relay, starting at Dataran Merdeka and ending in KLCC.
Despite a small crowd, it was very heartening to see people of all ages, young and old, take on this race, have the spirit to wave the sponsor's flags at the finishing line and also having a great simple sunday run.
Footnote - As this was just a 5km run, and also incredibly unfit, I had a first hand experience in dashing to the finishing line. I was racing this girl, for the last 50m, and we "sayur" one other lady - in the end I lost to her, I think I was running like it was 100m race - it really brought a smile to me as it was just plain fun to put on the speed and run like no tomorrow, even if it is just to the finishing line. I wish I had run a bit harder along the way, I probably missed a medal (top 20 only) by one or two minutes, finishing around 39:00 min at very easy pace.
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