WINNERS CIRCLE: (From left) Mohd Saddam, Mohd Shah and Cheng pose for a photo call after the Larian Hijau 1Malaysia race last Saturday. All three winners are keen into participating at more marathons in the state after their latest achievements.
KUCHING: Seasoned campaigner Mohd Saddam Mohd Pittli was in his element when he triumphantly crossed the finish line first of the Larian Hijau 1Malaysia which flagged off at Kuching Waterfront Esplanade last Saturday.
After the race, he too announced that he is very keen to participate in more runs in the state.
The Armed Forces personnel is a self-professed avid runner and was glad that the top three finishers are his team-mates.
“I moved to Kuching a few months ago and I want to be known as the man who stamped his name in the running folklore of the state. To all organisers, please contact me if there’s a run organised and I will gladly participate in it,” he said.
It took Mohd Saddam less than 10 minutes to finish the race. He defeated a field of 546 enthusiastic runners.
Second place goes to Mohd Shah Faidrul Ahmad who finished only two minutes behind Mohd Saddam.
Mohd Shah commented that although it is a fun run, he too agreed that he wanted to win the race to grab the attention of running associations in the state. Like Mohd Saddam, he is also an army personnel who wants to participate in more races across the state.
“Me and my friends have participated in many runs here before. We hope that more full marathons will be organised here in Sarawak,” commented Mohd Shah.
For the record, a full marathon is for a distance of 42 kilometres.
Cheng Yen Boon was third and finished only a minute behind Mohd Shah. He commented that his only objective in joining the race is to stay fit and is also keen into participating at more marathons in the future.
“I had a great time during the run. I thank the organisers for their good effort in organising this run,” he added.
The race was organised in conjunction with the launching ceremony of the state-level 2012 Malaysian Environmental Week Celebration (MASM). It was organised by the Malaysia Environment Departmental with the help of the Sarawak Marathon Association (SMA).