When international readers opened newspapers on 15 April 1912, they were shocked to read about the previous day’s tragedy: On 14 April, the Titanic struck that infamous iceberg and sunk to the ocean depths on her maiden voyage. On the same date in 1865, America’s beloved president, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.

National shock marked both occasions, but in time, sports helped heal the world by turning 14 April into a day of celebration: Runner Ahmed Salah won the very first World Cup Marathon in 1985 with an impressive finish time of 2:08:09. Can running save humanity? We think so—and we offer you a chance to make your own mark on 14 April by achieving success at Iskandar Puteri Night Marathon 2018.

This marathon is “in the neighbourhood”!

Whether you live in Malaysia or you just need an excuse to visit, travelling to Iskandar Puteri and the State of Johor offers you an opportunity to understand more about this nation’s fascinating culture, customs and people. Take a plane, train or drive to this exotic destination. Given this location’s equatorial climate, things could be a bit humid, but that won’t matter once night falls and excited participants from around the globe queue to run their events.

The Iskandar Puteri Night Marathon 2018 offers eight category choices; two for each gender that include a 5km Fun Run, 10km, 21km and 42km. Runners sprint past the start line in four waves that begin in the cool of the night at 8 p.m. and continue to 9:15 p.m. when Fun Runners take off.

Obviously, the most daunting distance is the 42km, which is why it’s the first event of the night to launch. You’d better get good sleep on the night before the race because the last competitors of this event may cross the finish line as late as 3 a.m.

It’s worth missing some sleep to achieve success

Do you require incentives to motivate you when it comes to prioritising your marathon schedule? Head to Spacebib to see what’s in store for you once you sign up.

From race t-shirts to finisher t-shirts and from medals to E-certificates, there’s no shortage of perks for contestants in each category, but it’s the excitement behind the full night of events that is likely to compel you to book your travel arrangements.

At around 5:30 p.m. that evening, the marathon emcee and special performances are set to entertain nervous competitors and the carnival atmosphere will pervade as motivational speakers encourage runners to shine before those flag offs. Regardless of your skill level, you’ll want to take part in the 7:40 p.m. warm-up session conducted by a top-notch fitness trainer and if you’re a religious person, you’ll be pleased to know that prayers will delivered at the start line, so whatever your faith may be, you get an extra boost from above!

Nobody goes home disappointed

As international night runs go, Iskandar Puteri is a beacon of hospitality for anyone and everyone desirous of a world-class experience where runners from around the planet put their passion for running before their politics and prejudices. You’ll meet athletes from places you’ve never visited (but hope to), so in addition to picking up a goodie bag and other race memorabilia, you could also collect contact information from those with whom you want to stay in contact once the race is history.

In the open category, runners finishing in from 1st to 10th place will be handed cash prizes, but those amounts pale in comparison to prize money given to those who run the longest races where the top six finishers hit the jackpot. There’s a 9:30 p.m. appreciation dinner before accolades are handed out and you won't want to leave before 12:30 a.m. if you want to learn whether you or a friend are winners of the Lucky Draw.

Have we whetted your appetite?

Good! But there’s more for you to consider if you’re sitting on the fence. You’ll run a gorgeous route that shows off this area’s splendour; from the newly-built EduCity and Johor sports hub to lush, natural stretches of beauty. Sites you’ll pass include the fun Legoland Malaysia, but you may not care as long as you’re assured of flat running surfaces along the route that can help you achieve better clock times once your race is run.

But you can’t witness these all of this if you don’t run--and you can’t run if you haven’t picked your category and committed to being part of this night run via Spacebib, the only conduit you need for event information, registration and maps to help you plan your strategy. One visit to Spacebib does it all. You know you want to be there, so get off that fence. See you at the start line!

Are you superstitious about dates? Do you follow your horoscope or plan your running calendar around auspicious days? You’re not alone!