Borneo International Marathon 2009—Photos

Here are some photos of the Borneo International Marathon 2009 as seen from the cameras of Harry and his girlfriend, Buddy.

Yours truly, but running solo most of the time. Maybe it would have been slightly different had there been more people around me all the time so that I could pace my run.

I wasn't as strong by the time I emerged from Sutera Harbour. I was basically focusing on the ground in front of me. I don't know about other people, but all those talks about "focusing the pain away" don't really work on me. It's just a matter of how much more pain one can endure.

And this is Master Hunter, Alvin Wong, running his first half marathon in KK. He ran the Penang Bridge Marathon ages ago, and only seriously started training less than 2 months ago for this event!

Alice Mathew, running with a beautiful smile, minding her own business running to the tune of her favourite music. At this stage, she has about 8km to go to the finish line. This was her second half marathon, having joined the same event last year.

Mia, approaching the Sutera Harbour intersection (KM9 of the half marathon route). Still looking strong.

And of course not everyone was overly concerned with time. Vivian and her friend were all out to have an enjoyable half marathon.

As you can see, a few kilometres later, emerging from the Sutera Harbour, they're still very cheerful as ever! Vivian is even showing thumbs up here! Way to go, Viv! I want to see you do that for the full marathon! Let's have a date in the Borneo International Marathon in April next year!

I have no idea who this fellow is. Apparently, he's an advocate of running barefooted, and I'm not too sure what's the regulation on running without a shirt on. Perhaps some of the women should run in bikinis. I'm sure that would be something which we can all talk about for years to come! Anyway, I overtook this guy at around KM30 within the Sutera Harbour area.

Update (6:34pm, 12 October): I have since been directed to the blog of the above barefooted runner named Jason Ong.

Dr Joseph running strong with about 8km to the finish line. A strong young man. But last night he mentioned that this would be the first and last full marathon for him. We're gonna try to make him change his mind!

Alvin, coming into the stadium, about 200 metres to the finish line, clearly exhausted, but must be relieved to know that the torture will be over within the next few seconds. He finished within an impressive 02:30:09. But he will feel very much more at home on this coming Saturday in my KK Challenge 5!

Mia entered the stadium still feeling quite strong. In the Singapore Marathon in December last year, she felt like fainting and had to walk for quite some distance within the last several kilometres. Not this time round—she finished within 02:35:28.

Alice, too, was happy for another successful half marathon. Her time: 02:49:48.

And this is me as I was approaching the stadium (Nicholas Teo in the foreground). I'd say it's about 400 metres to the finish line. Notice that I was still focusing on the ground immediately in front of me. My legs were just about to stop, but I somehow kept them moving anyway.

The final 200 metres to the finish line. I have no idea how I got this far, but well, in my pathetic condition I did finally find my way back to the stadium and indeed to the finish line!

Such a big relief that it's finally all over. Four months of training; all those sacrifices of waking up in the wee hours of Sunday mornings; the pains of suffering blisters upon blisters during the many long runs; running into the nights after office hours. And in the end, it all boils down to this...