8,000 people feel the beauty of Putrajaya

A few days ago, there was an event in Putrajaya. Putrajaya's Night Marathon was held for a few objectives and one of them is to let people view the beauty of Putrajaya at the night time.

I've been to Putrajaya a few times at night and all I can say, you'll regret it if you don't bring your camera. The view is spectacular and you won't find such scenery anywhere else.

8,000 Runners Participate In Putrajaya’s First Night Marathon


Feb 8, 2010

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 7 (Bernama) — Putrajaya’s inaugural Night Marathon saw the fervent and rapturous participation of more than 8,000 runners from 15 countries, including Malaysia, at the event Saturday night.

Participants from Europe, Africa and Asia gave each other a run for the money in the 15 categories, ranging from the full Olympic distance of 42.195km to the 5km fun run.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, his wife and daughter took part in the latter category.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek flagged off the full marathon amidst a fanfare of blazing lights and modern club music.

During a press conference, Raja Nong Chik noted Putrajaya’s suitability for such night activities due to its design and architectural beauty.

“The runners would enjoy the marathon because of its beauty and this could be one of the ways we promote Putrajaya’s beauty to tourists.

“If Singapore can have an F1 race at night, why not we have a night marathon?,” he asked.

Cash prizes amounting to RM297,700 were given away, including RM20,000 for Men’s category winner Alex Melly, from Kenya, and RM15,000 to Women’s category winner Amutha Arumugam from Malaysia.

Mention must be made of disabled Md Shariff Abdullah, 42, dubbed the ‘Singaporean Bladerunner’, who took part with a specialised prosthetic leg designed for running.

Shariff, who was born with only one foot and plans to scale Mount Everest in 2015, said he began competitive running to disprove his doctor who had said he could not run or walk anymore.

“In 2008, I underwent another surgery which removed another five inches of my left leg. My doctor told me I would not be able to run anymore but I wanted to prove him wrong.

“Now, I’m on a mission to call upon the disabled and amputees in the world that even with such a disability, you can still run, you can still walk. If I can do it, why can’t you do it,?” challenged Shariff.

The Night Marathon was Shariff’s sixth competitive race, and the second in Malaysia, the first being the Penang Bridge Marathon last year.

– BERNAMA