Runners receive tips and expert advice - Twenty First Century Sports, organizer of BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon helps participants prepare for night run

Ahead of the BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon 2012 scheduled to be held on 20^th October 2012, the organizer Twenty First Century Sports (TFCS) has been actively helping runners to prepare for the only sanctioned night marathon in Malaysia. Gauging from the encouraging response of the Putrajaya Night Marathon forum last year, TFCS decided to organize forums in various states this year to help participants prepare for the marathon.  TFCS had completed three forums held at The Zon Hotel, Johor Bahru on 16^th of June 2012,  Sunway Pyramid, Selangor on 30^th of June and at MS Garden Kuantan on the 28^th July 2012. The forum in Kuantan received encouraging response from the Pacesetter Running Club, Kuantan.

 Among the panels who had fielded the forums were Dr Aparajitha Krishnan (Sports Physician, Hospital Sg. Buloh), Dr. Stella Chai (Consultant Podiatrist, Family Podiatry Centre), Chai Wen Jin (Nutritionist, National Sports Institute of Malaysia), Dr Syed Nashraf Shah (Orthopedist, Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital), Azimah Zakaria (Youth and Sports Officer, National Sports Institute of Malaysia) and Sidamparam a/l M.Periasamy (National Marathon Coach).

According to Nithiaseelan Vegayathunam, Director of TFCS & Race Director, “The right kind of training is very important especially as running a day marathon and one at night is very different. We do not want the participants to experience any mishap or injury during the run. The panelists that we have gathered at the forums are the best people to answer queries on diet, hydration, injury, footwear and training.”

Coach Sidamparam the first and only Malaysian to have won the KL Marathon, gave advice focusing on the mental aspect of the preparations as well as the training routines. He insisted that runners must focus on improving their own capabilities by having a disciplined training schedule. Coach Sidamparam also highlighted the need to be patient as everyone has a different body and limitations.  

On footcare, Dr. Stella Chai, Consultant Podiatrist said that there is no one true way to run, just as there is no one set of way to enjoy coffee. “There are multiple elements that can affect the way we run effectively. By recognizing and addressing the areas that affect this, we can improve performance. The type of feet that we are born with will determine our gait pattern and subsequent suitability for a certain running style and shoe. What is most effective for one runner, may cripple the other. Therefore, it is essential to consult a podiatrist for an expert assessment of your personal condition so that you can choose a running style and shoes that is compatible to your personal condition,” she added.

Having worked with TFCS for more than 6 years in all their runs, Dr. Aparajitha’s deep insight of the marathon scene was invaluable. “Blisters, sprains, strains, lacerations and heat illnesses are some of the usual conditions treated in the medical tent. Runners should actually aim to avoid the medical tent during the marathon. Hence, preparation is very important – warm-up routine, training, injury rehabilitation and self care are key elements that runners should look into before the big day,” said Dr. Aparajitha. 

When it comes to eating and drinking right, during the forum in Johor Bahru and Selangor, nutritionist Chai Wen Jin stressed that runners must prepare for a marathon at least a month before. Diet must be adjusted to incorporate high carbohydrate, low fat and a balanced protein intake. Meanwhile, to keep well hydrated, Chai advised runners to drink small doses frequently.

 “Having the forums in various states and giving participants from all around Malaysia and even Singapore the opportunity to exchange views and receive professional advice from these experts is one of TFCS’ efforts to ensure that the standard of BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon is elevated every year. The fact that so much is done even before the run itself shows how passionate we are for this much awaited running event!,” said Nithiaseelan.   The next BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon forum will be held in Pulau Pinang on the 1st of September 2012. For those interested to attend, visit www.bsnpnm.com or www.facebook.com/bsnPutrajayanightmarathon for updates and information. 

Panel of experts at the forum in Johor Bahru  

Forum in Selangor held at the Centrecourse, Sunway Pyramid

Participants of the forum in Kuantan

And the winner is....

From the 2nd of April till 16 April 2012 Facebook users submitted their best ideas and taglines for the BSNPNM 2012 Online Tagline Contest based on their experience in running marathons. Five taglines were shortlisted for voting from hundreds of taglines submitted by the online users. The taglines were The Night My Life Changed by Kenneth Christopher Lim, Sleep Can wait, Run First by Jimmy Lim, Freedom through Endurance by Nazreen D Neuromancer, Experience the Run of Your Life by Asri Syahrol and Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits by Sze Jun King. These taglines were published in Putrajaya Facebook Fan Page for voting from 27 April till   7 May 2012.
  

The tagline, Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits by Sze Jun King was voted as the winning tagline which entitles. As the winner Sze Jun King received a free entry on any category of BSNPNM 2012 (non- transferable), a cash voucher of RM500 from BROOKS and a plaque. All were presented to him during the launch of BSNPNM.  As the Title Sponsor, Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) also gave away Sijil Simpanan Premium (SSP) worth RM500 to Sze Jun King. The winning tagline will be used as the official tagline for BSN PNM 2012and will be printed on all collaterals and promotional items. Congratulations to Sze Jun King! 



Sze Jun King with the Minister of Youth and Sports and Chief Executive of Bank Simpanan Nasional at the launch of BSNPNM 2012



BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon 2012 - Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits

Marathoners, set yourself to the ultimate night run as the BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon 2012 (BSNPNM 2012) returns! The world-class sporting event held against the beautiful and majestic landscape of Putrajaya had successfully attracted about 10, 000 runners last year. In line with its new tagline “Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits”, the marathon to be held on the 20^th October 2012 is expected to be even better. Registration for the marathon will open by end of June 2012.

A launch ceremony to kick-off the awareness campaign for BSNPNM 2012 was held at The Westin, Kuala Lumpur. The launch was officiated by Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister of Youth and Sports. Also in attendance were Datuk Adinan Maning, Chief Executive, BSN, Datuk Abd Ghani Bin Ahmad,  Corporation City Service Director (Perbadanan Putrajaya) and Nithiaseelan Vegayathunam, Director of Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn Bhd.

After the success of Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011, BSN is again on board as Title Sponsor for the unique event. According to Adinan Maning, Chief Executive of BSN, “As Title Sponsor for a second year running, we are proud to be associated with this prestigious running event in the Malaysian running calendar. I trust we all share the same aspiration with the race organizer in that we aspire for BSNPNM 2012 to be a race for everyone in the community. We are enthusiastic this event will also serve as a platform for BSN and its corporate partners to contribute towards its social obligations in raising funds for the community in need.”

Other partners for the event include Perbadanan Putrajaya, Brooks, Siemens, 100 Plus, Power Bar, NTV7, Rohto-Mentholatum and Pullman Putrajaya. The official beneficiaries for BSNPNM 2012 are the Women’s Aid Organization (WAO) and Persatuan Glaukoma Malaysia. All registration fees collected from the corporate organizations which run as a team in the Corporate Team category will go to these beneficiaries.

Director of TFCS and Race Director of BSNPNM 2012 said, “The endurance and success that runners experience are exceptional. Mental preparation is one of the key elements for a good race. With the tagline ‘Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits’ we want to help the runners in challenging their inner strength to achieve even more for the marathon. Hence, this year we would be organizing informative forums at selected states and plan to bring the experts on nutrition, injury prevention and psychological barriers at all of these forums. We want the runners to be stronger – both in body and mind.”

For runners who need more information as well as those interested in the sponsorship opportunities, enquiries can be sent to enquiry@twentyfirstcenturysports.com.

BSNPNM 2012 officially launched!

Sponsors for BSNPNM 2012

Cast your vote for BSNPNM 2012 Official Tagline!

Five taglines have been shortlisted from hundreds of taglines submitted for this year's BSNPNM 2012!

The taglines are:

The Night My Life Changed - Kenneth Christopher Lim

Sleep Can wait, Run First -  Jimmy Lim

Freedom through Endurance - Nazreen D Neuromancer

Experience the Run of Your Life - Asri Syahrol

Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits - Sze Jun King 

Cast your vote now at https://www.facebook.com/pages/PUTRAJAYA-NIGHT-MARATHON-2011-OFFICIAL-FAN-PAGE/259062260776392

The winning tagline will be chosen based on the highest number of 'Likes'.

Voting closes at 5.00pm on 7th May 2012.

History of a Marathon

Why is it called a marathon?

Why not just ‘a really long run that only insane people do’?

Yes. That has a much better ring to it, don’t you think?

Well, it all began in Greece, in the year 490 BC. (That was almost 2,500 years ago!) Here’s how the legend (which has many renditions) goes: A massive army from Persia crossed the Aegean Sea and landed at Marathon, a city in Greece about 25 miles from the city of Athens. The Persians had come to capture and enslave Marathon, then move on to capture and enslave Athens. The Persians had 50,000 highly trained warriors. The defending army at Marathon had only about 9,000. The Greeks were outnumbered 5 to 1.  At that time,the way people communicated between cities was either by sending a messenger on horseback, or by sending a professional runner.

The Greeks needed help, and due to the rocky and mountainous terrain (which is slowgoing with a horse), a runner was sent to get reinforcements. The runner’s name was Phillippides (or, by some accounts, Pheidippides). Phillippides ran from Marathon to Sparta (a city in southern Greece) to ask the Spartans for help and the Spartans (for religious reasons) would only come when the moon was full. So Phillippides ran all the way back to Marathon with this disappointing news. (The round trip from Marathon to Sparta was 150 miles, so let’s be glad that’s not the “marathon” part of this story!)

Unfortunately, the army at Marathon needed help instantly around to Athens to conquer it leaving the other half to take down Marathon. But the Persians at Marathon were facing a smart Greek army, and to make a long battle short, the Persians were defeated, losing 6400 warriors to the Greeks. Phillippides, the legend goes, was one of the men who battled the Persians at Marathon. (This after running the 150 miles to Sparta and back!)

When the battle was won, he was then chosen to run the 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to relay the news of the victory. He made it, but was so exhausted (from running to Sparta and back, battling the Persians, and then racing to Athens) that he collapsed after shouting “Rejoice, we conquer!” and then died. He lives on, though, in the heart of runners as a symbol of commitment, endurance, and willpower.

Some interesting tidbits

The length of a marathon was not fixed at first, since the only important factor was that all athletes competed on the same course. The marathon races in the first few Olympic Games were not of a set length, but were approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi), roughly the distance from Marathon to Athens by the longer, flatter route. When the modern Olympic Games were inaugurated in Greece in 1896, as part of Greek heritage, the legend of Phillippides was revived by a 24.85 mile (40,000 meters) run from Marathon Bridge to Olympic stadium in Athens.  

So why would a marathon be at 26.2 miles now?

Fast forward to the1908 Olympic Games which were held in London, England --- You may not believe this but it is actually because the royal family wanted the marathon’s finish line to be in front of the royal family’s “viewing box”, the course was lengthened to 26.2 miles. (The king and queen wanted the end of the race to ome to them, and so the runners had to go even farther!)

Anyway, after years and years of extremely heated discussion, this 26.2 mile distance was established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France as the official marathon distance.

26.2 miles is equal to 26 miles plus 385 yards, or 42.16 kilometers.

It’s also, by the foot, equivalent to a long, long way.

But as history and records have shown, it is not impossible to achieve!

Source: Wikipedia and http://www.exercisetherighttoread.org/

Note:  For PNM 2011, Peter Kipleting Keter from Kenya won the men's marathon after clocking 2 hours 26 minutes while Chesire Rose came out tops in the women's marathon in 3 hours 20 minutes.

If the shoe fits

Dr Mark Reyneker from Johannesburg, South Africa who has spent 10 years in Malaysia as a podiatrist is often asked to recommend the best brand for running shoes. For Dr Reyneker, there is no best brand rather, "getting the right shoes and the right fit to save you from a lot of pain".

Dr Mark Reyneker, Chief Podiatrist and Managing Director of Family Podiatry Centre

When it comes to foot care, Dr Mark Reyneker said, "Use the marathon to communicate to your body. If you want to try a new style of running, introduce it to your body to condition. Slowly adapt to it. Dont't jump into it."

He added that, the surface, our bodies and the Malaysian heat affect the gear that we choose. Runners should learn about the type of shoes and also the soles, which are just as important to meet one's biomechanical needs.

There are a few things that a runner should consider when selecting a pair of running shoes. The first consideration involves what foot type the runner has (high arch, flat foot, or normal arch). Next, it's important to analyze the runner's foot strike (heel striker, forefoot striker or mid-foot striker) and stride pattern (pronater, supinater, or neutral).

Knowing your foot (source: Brooks Malaysia)

Your foot type can be seen by doing the wet test, or by simply stepping on sand with your bare feet. Your foot type may one of the following:

Normal arch

Normal arch – Perfect footprint, with a curved middle region. Biomechanically ideal.

High arch

High arch – Very faint middle region of the foot can be seen. Typical for women’s feet.

Flat foot

Flat foot – Full footprint from top to middle to bottom region. Typical for men with large built.

Other Tips

The chances of you ending up with a pair of comfy running shoes that you love is higher if you shop at a running specialtyshop rather than the huge multisport centre. The shop assistants/employees of most running specialty shops typically are people who run themselves. If they know their stuff, they would even encourage you to take the shoes for a 5-minute test run in the shop.

By the way, if you plan to shop for your running shoes today, shop in the afternoon. Why? Because your feet tend to swell slightly throughout the day. Your feet also swell slightly during a training run.

Happy finding the right fit and 'sole-mate'! :)

Why do you run?

Imagine if every step you take is a heartbeat to another..

Wouldn't you want to run?

People run for a variety of reasons. For some, it could be health or therapy...to challenge oneself or for a charitable cause.

Every runner has a story

Last year, when hooHa.asia, the online partner for PNM 2011 held an online reality show called 'Make That Change' in conjunction with the run, it received submissions from runners who ran for inspirational causes. Among them were Grace Tabitha and Jiana Jimain. Grace Tabitha ran in hope to win RM6000 from the online reality show for her best friend who has lupus (SLE). The disease had attacked her skin, joints and brain. Meanwhile, Jiana Jimain joined the race for her friend who was suffering from cancer, already in stage 4 then. Her friend missed her own convocation for a diploma because of the chemotheraphy treatment that she was undergoing for at that time. Though she was suffering from the illness, she continued to pursue her degree and Jiana hoped that the prize money would assist in settling her medical and study fees. 

Running for a cause

For BSN the title sponsor for PNM 2011, the event was also a platform for the Bank to sustain its social obligations towards raising funds to assist the community in need. As a community bank, BSN urged the public and its partners to participate in the Corporate Run to raise funds for the National Cancer Council Malaysia (MAKNA), the official beneficiary for the event. Through this initiative, more than RM 100,000 was raised and donated to MAKNA. 

What motivates you to run?

We look forward to hear more stories from the runners of BSNPNM 2012. Of course, while the reasons for why we run may vary, the most important is that our passion for the sport unites us runners! :)