22nd Seremban Half Marathon 2009

THE 22ND SEREMBAN HALF MARATHON 2009

The Seremban Half Marathon is a yearly open running event jointly organised by Seremban Municipal Council, Syarikat Pesaka Antah, Seremban Hash House Harriers and Negri Sembilan Amateur Athletics Association. It consisted of 2 runs namely, 21.1 Km Run and 11 Km Run which are open to various categories of runners from junior to senior veteran. Since its inception, my partner Wonder Woman and I had participated in 6 of them the last of which was in 2003.

Come last 12th July, 2009 it was its 22nd Run which attracted a record number of some 9,000 runners who were made up of locals and foreigners from Kenya. Through Ku Ka, Mary Josephine, my partner and I from Malacca Hash House Harriers had registered for this run. Except Ku Ka who took the 21.1 Km Veteran Run in Category B (For men aged 19 to 40), the 3 of us took the 11 Km Senior Veteran Run in Category F (For women aged 45 and above) and Category J (For men aged 50 and above).

It was a fine Sunday morning. On our arrival at its run-site in an open field in front of Seremban Municipal Building at 5.30 am after some 1-hour’s drive from Malacca, it was already crowded with a big pack of early birds with a number of drinking stalls being set-up. As time passed by, more runners who were made up of students, hashers, amateur and professional runners trickled in.

It was at 6.45 am that the 21.1 Km Half Marathon Run which was participated by a big pack of energetic runners, was flagged off by Y.A.M. Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Ja’afar, the Tunku Laxamana of Negeri Sembilan. It was followed by a smaller pack of Women Veteran and Senior Veteran runners at 7.00 am and Men Veteran and Senior Veteran runners 5 minutes later for the 11 Km Run. Led by a big pack of energetic runners, the run headed westward on the wide tarred road towards the old Seremban – Malacca Road for some 5 minutes before turning southward. It then continued to lead south for another some 20 minutes before turning left eastward towards Kuala Pilah Road. After going up and down a gentle slope for some 10 minutes, it turned left northward at a T-junction. From then on, it was another some 24 minutes’ zigzagging through a couple of housing estates before arriving back at the run-site at 7.59 am together with Mary Josephine. The time taken by Mary Josephine to complete the run was 59 minutes with the position of 11 and myself 54 minutes with the position of 16. As for my partner, she had completed the run in 1 hour and 33 minutes with the position of 45. And as for Kuka, he completed the run in 2 hours and 3 minutes with the position of 93. For our achievement, each of us was awarded a medal and a certificate which were limited to the first 300 runners for the 21.1 Km Half Marathon Run within the time of 2 ½ hours and first 50 runners for the 11 Km Run within the time of 1 hour and 35 minutes.

It was a well-organised and enjoyable 22nd Half Marathon 2009 Run. We were happy with our achievement which rules out the wrong perception that hashers are drinkers with a running problem. Hope to join it again next year. On! On!

Scribe: Drug Buster Date: 16th July, 2009.