Drafting a helpful article about upcoming Malaysia running events isn’t a hard job. You visit our Malaysia running calendar expecting an easy process and manageable list. But, wait! There are so many running events. What should a runner do? Pick the most compelling ones so the word “boredom” never passes your lips!
1. Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run 2017
Date: 22th July (Saturday)
Details: If you could bottle the enthusiasm of the MHWH Night Runs that usually are held 3 times a year across the country, then head down to the first race at Selangor which is an epicentre for running that even attracts Kenyans. See what all the fuss is about by signing up for 21km, 12km, 5km, 3km or 700m courses that soon flag off at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
Why you should run: Organisers set a goal of 20,000 runners for Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality 2017. Who knows who you could run into if you’re one of them? Compete with folks from around the world just by crossing our border.
2. Electric Run Malaysia
Date: 29th July (Saturday)
Details: Experience the awe of becoming part of the light and music show with the ELECTROBAND, an exclusive LED technology that connects you to thousands of your new best friends at the world’s premier nighttime 5km run. Experience the excitement, energy, and soundscape of the finish line party where runners dance to a live DJ, becoming a pixel in the crowd. This is your nightlife, amplified. This is Electric Run.
Why you should run: If you love pop music, illuminating lights, awesome party and fabulous fun and we mean lot of them, this is your most electrifying night race of your life.
This inaugural trail race through Port Dickson’s lush forest promises bragging rights, breathtaking scenery and a flat trail with no technical elements so you get a straight shot to the finish line.
3. 2XU YOLO Run KL
Date: 6th August (Sunday)
Details: You Only Live Once (YOLO), Singapore’s reputed run event which is also Asia’s largest shirtless run has reached Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Free yourselves from labels, stereotypes, body types and inhibitions. Connecting your body and soul at the 2XU YOLO Run KL, 5km or 10km race and end the day on a high note with Manduka Yolo Yoga, a rejuvenating mass outdoor yoga session of mindful stretching led by renowned Malaysian music personality and Yoga Instructor from Yoga One that I Want – Atilia Haron.
Why you should run: You Only Live Once, but doesn’t mean you should only run in this event once, but you must participate at least once and what’s the best time to join the race when it’s the first ever edition in the country!
4. The Magnificent Merapoh Trail
Date: 4th to 6th August
Details: It’s year three for the marathon professionals call “peninsular Malaysia’s hot newcomer on the trail calendar.” Include this one on your Malaysia Running Events calendar and spend three days proving to yourself that you can test the limits of endurance by tackling both the 100km and the standard 70km.
Why you should run: This race benefits the area’s Merapoh cave system, a priceless treasure that could disappear if commercial interests have their say. If you’re looking for an idyllic place to accomplish your first long trail run and support ecological restoration efforts, you owe it to yourself to run the Magnificent Merapoh.
5. Hulu Langat Marathon
Date: 9th July (Friday)
Details: Skip work to join “a new boutique road marathon” staged in a part of Malaysia that is so gorgeous, you’ll think you’re on a movie set: Hulu Langat. This area is home to indigenous Malaysians who may pop up to see what all of the fuss is about. The 10-hour finish requirement will hold your feet to the fire as you attempt to do 42km within that time frame.
Why you should run: Any runner worth her singlet loves a new marathon experience, and this one is such serious business, there are no kids events to lighten things up. Simplicity is the name of the game at the Hulu Langat Marathon: There are men’s and women’s open categories for both younger runners and veterans. Figure out where you fit and show up prepared to do battle on this gorgeous turf.
6. Back 2 Endurance
Date: 10th September (Sunday)
Details: Worried that you couldn’t possibly survive a 12-hour-long run if you dare to add Back 2 Endurance to your Malaysia Running Events schedule? Of course you can do this and enjoy every moment of this Perdana Botanical Garden challenge. Run. Walk. Mix it up–just as long as you finish in 12 hours. For moral support, friends are invited to set up support stations along the route, so bring your posse.
Why you should run: This is the perfect event for free spirits. Make your own rules within a party-like atmosphere. Food stations and the carnival atmosphere tend to be distracting, so 12 hours fly by quickly. Medals are awarded to top finishers in three categories: 85km; from 50km-to-82km and from 2km-to-48km.
7. Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon
Date: 15th to 16th October (Sunday and Monday)
Details: Stop talking about climbing Malaysia’s highest mountain and do it. This 23km invitation-only run is wild, but isn’t that the thrill you seek when determining which Malaysia running events you’ll prioritise? If you’re in top shape, sprint to the summit in hours rather than the two days it takes mountain climbers to get there.
Why you should run: No race comes close to matching the grit competitors must exhibit to survive the Climbathon. 2017 marks Mt. Kinabalu’s 30th run—why not show up at Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site to help make 30 more years of history?
What do you like most about running competitively in other countries?
