There has been a running craze in Malaysia in recent years. More and more Malaysians are joining marathons and runs across the country as people become more health-conscious. This is probably because Malaysia has one of the most perfect places to run with the best weather and environments. Besides that, unlike other sports, running requires very little investment.
If you have seen runners ‘do their thing’ in the mornings or evenings and have been thinking about joining this sport, here are some of the best tips to start.
Your best Running Guide in Malaysia
Start slow – There is no reason whatsoever to start with a bang. Like any other sport, you need to get a taster before investing more time and money. Start with short runs around your residential area or the gardens. See if this is what you like. Then, slowly increase frequency and distance.
Gear – This is the same with any other sporting activities. Having the right gear is a good start but you need not have to go all out to buy the most expensive pair of running shoes or clothes. Invest in a standard running shoes (or any sporting shoes will do). Then, if you decide to do this rigorously, then buy a more expensive pair and keep this as a spare.
Support – Running alone can be quite boring and even risky. Try to find a group who can give you the encouragement and support you need. This is usually done with a group of friends or family. Apart from that, you can always join the running groups that comes out each week.
Clothing – Light clothing would be best used. Avoid wearing cotton t-shirts or shorts because you are bound to sweat a lot and cotton apparel tends to get really drenched.
Belongings – Bring water when you run but never carry too much personal belongings. Invest in a basic phone that can play music (or radio) for emergency purposes. Never bring too much money with you.
Where to run in Malaysia?
The best places to go for short runs would be the gardens near to your residential areas. On weekends, you could go for longer runs at places like Lake Gardens, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, the Botanical Gardens and such.
Malaysia has some of the top marathons like the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, the Penang Bridge International Marathon, the Colour Run Malaysia, the KL Tower International Towerthon Challenge and many more.
Once you have built your fitness and confidence, start with the 10km races. You might not want to go for the win yet but to gain more experience. After that, work your way up to the 21km and 42s.