Every race gives competitors the chance to do something unusual. Whether it’s running the night away at the Puma Night Run, competing for charity at runs dedicated to cancer eradication, promoting international relief efforts or just having some good, old-fashioned fun, there are still adventures that await you.
One of the most exciting happens to be the upcoming Chapman’s Challenge, a unique biathlon experience flagging off on 13th May at Pangkor Laut Island, Perak, Malaysia. If you don’t already know the story behind the hero for whom this event is named—Colonel Spencer Chapman—you should.
Chapman’s Challenge: Celebrating victory over adversity
During the dark days of World War II, the Japanese military occupied Malaysia. Members of the English military’s occupying force returned home to the UK ahead of the invasion, but Colonel Chapman couldn’t get out in time. He hunkered down in Malaysia’s jungles and survived by instinct, his military training and with the help of local people. Here’s the miracle: He survived like this for more than three years!
On 13th May 1945, Chapman and fellow officer Major R. Broome took the biggest risk of their lives: After getting word to the British Navy that they were still alive, the two made the decision to swim for their lives, traveling 45m under cover of darkness from Emerald Bay at Pangkor Laut to a waiting Royal Navy submarine. They made it and were free at last. No work of fiction could be more exciting than this true tale.
It’s Year 2 for Chapman’s Challenge
To commemorate this rescue on its 72nd anniversary, the second annual biathlon dedicated to Chapman and other wartime heroes will be staged at YTL Hotels’ Pangkor Laut Resort. Keeping the heroism of Colonel Chapman in mind, you can test your own mettle by running the 6.2km path through the private island’s network of roadways (part of which runs through the area’s rain forest where Colonel Chapman hid out) before finishing your event with a 1km swim.
Unlike the HMS Statesman awaiting Chapman, you won’t finish your swim at a waiting submarine; instead, you’ll gather with other finishers at Chapman’s Bar on resort property to celebrate your own victory.
And while this iconic survivalist won’t be on hand to mark the date of his daring escape, his youngest son—Christopher Spencer Chapman—will. He has accepted an invitation to wave the start flag that sends competitors on their own adventures in his father’s name.
Not just a race—it’s your runcation!
Even if you don’t need an excuse to turn an athletic event into a full-blown escape from the stressors of work, opportunities like this don’t show up every day, so take advantage of this one. Everything that surrounds this 2nd annual event has been meticulously planned by Pangkor Laut Resort professionals who know a thing or two about staging events that go above and beyond the ordinary.
If this taste of the 2016 inaugural event doesn’t whet your appetite nothing will.
RunSociety will be on hand to remind you that we are heavily invested in your success, so be on the lookout for two runners we’re sending to represent our publication and gather memories from this event: Audrey and Lucy, members of Singapore’s popular F1 Runners Team.
They will be our eyes and ears on the ground during Chapman’s Challenge, so introduce yourself if you have the chance and feel free to cheer them on, too.
Ready to join the Chapman’s Challenge?
Register here to take advantage of the full package that turns this biathlon into a relaxing weekend experience: speedboat transfers, accommodations, meals and post-race festivities that include everything from cocktails to a succulent barbecue dinner plus two adult admissions to Chapman’s Challenge. Special pricing for two-night minimum packages start at just MYR943++ (approx. SGD301++) per room per night.
If you ran the 2016 Chapman’s Challenge, expect to be reunited with friends you made last year and enjoy every aspect of your getaway. Snag a goody bag of treasures courtesy of YTL Hotels and the firm’s esteemed partners and if 13th May turns out to be your lucky day because you place among the top three winners in your category, you could win a stay at a YTL luxury property in the future.
That’s reason enough to run your heart out while honouring a man whose life was a living monument to the qualities every runner admires: strength of character and a “never give up” spirit.
Do you need an excuse to take a runcation or are you cognizant of the fact that you work hard and deserve as many opportunities to get away as you can squeeze into your crazy schedule?
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