People always say you can't judge a book by its cover because you will never know 'the ordinary office guy' next to you could be a trained runner. Yes, that's right. The guy we are referring to is the Master Of The Streets Online Race ambassador, Anwar Afifi.

Anwar had developed a deep passion for running, and he wants to share the passion with others.

Running keeps him going and he would like to share with you how it can also help you.

RS: Master Of The Streets is an online race that challenges runners to conquer the place that they run in. So can you share with us your favourite place to run?

Anwar: Bukit Kiara is one of my favourite places to run. I love to run around the lake, which is the hilly road and the elevation is quite high (good for training). Bukit Kiara is also known for the trail. But in order to get in, you may need assistant to guide you, because you might get lost on the trail.

RS: What drives you to include running in your daily life?

Anwar: I started running since March 2018. Last year, I went to my first 10km event. My colleague influenced me to join running, because perhaps I looked chubby at the time. But before that, I did join Futsal during my university period. So, I would say I have the foundation for my stamina as I have not much issues in running. But that does not mean I don't go for training, I still do train lots for my marathon and ultra runs.

RS: What traits do you think a runner should have?

Anwar: The key is to be humble, friendly and smile all the time, even if you are tired. I met people who run, normally they could not talk when I greet them. Maybe they are fatigued or tired after their runs. So, just smile to the people you meet, because this might motivate others to run.

RS: What do you enjoy the most throughout your running journey? 

Anwar: It gives me a positive outlook in our life. It matured my thoughts, change my perspective in seeing people and reacting to a situation.

Be humble and friendly, this is what is an athlete should have.

RS: How do you motivate yourself when you encounter a challenging race?

Anwar: If you hit rock bottom, definitely you will need lots of support from positive friends. I remembered when I ran in an event, I was the last one to cross the finish line and after that they just closed everything. This really hit me hard, but my running friends give me lots of support and encouragement during that time.

RS: How trail running impacted your life?

Anwar: You can be with nature. I would say solitude as you have alone time to reflect on our life.

RS: During trail running, what are you thinking?

Anwar: I would just indulge in the nature, as I just want to connect with the nature itself.

RS: What does running means to you?

Anwar:I think it means a lot to me. I enjoy running alone and with my friends. Running has already incorporated in my life. I can't seem to run away from it as I enjoy it very much.

Anwar believes that running can boost your mood and give you more energy that's why he recommend Master Of The Streets to everyone who wants to start running.