As much as 3,500 runners from Johor as well as other countries such Australia, USA, Great Britian, Nepal, Indonesia, Singapore, China, France, India, Iran, Japan, Macau, Netherlands, Philippines and South Africa, had the opportunity to run through the night under a blanket of stars at the EduCity Sundown Marathon Iskandar 2017 which was held on 11 November 2017.

The race was flagged-off by Tuan Haji Adib Azhari, Chairman of Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council, at 8.30pm accompanied by Ms Joanne Oei Wen Li, Managing Director of EduCity Iskandar Malaysia, at the EduCity Sports Complex. Also present were Tuan Haji Noorazam bin Osman, Chief Executive Officer of SUKMA Johor and various government officials.

The flag off for the 5km, 10km, 21.1km (half marathon) and 42.195km (full marathon) race categories were 8.30pm, 9.30pm, 10.00pm and 10.30pm respectively.

A Revitalizing Night

Inspired by the theme “Sleep Can Wait,” runners were determined to push through the night. Various pacer groups holding different colours of helium balloons were guiding runners to complete the race at certain targeted finishing timings. At the end of the competition, a total of more than RM10,000 in cash prize were awarded to the winners.

Both finishers and their supporters enjoyed exciting activities in the Race Village, such as band performances and overnight movie screenings of blockbuster favourites. There were also various food trucks at the Race Village that add carnival feel to the event.

Mohd Bukhari Ismail, Race Director, said: “As over 4,000 people flocked to our race village this year, we are certainly thrilled to see such a great turnout. It goes to show that the night run is still a favourite amongst the marathon enthusiasts as well as those who are embarking on a fitness journey and engaging in activities that uplift their health in general.”

Founder of Sundown Marathon, Adrian Mok, was also at the event. He was thrilled to see the success that Educity Sundown Marathon Iskandar has achieved.

Winners of EduCity Sundown Marathon Iskandar 2017

The winner for Men’s Full Marathon category was Mohamad Izam Shah Bin Zainal Abidin from Malaysia, who finished the race in 03:23:03. He said,

Running at night amidst such passionate runners truly makes this a night marathon to remember. I must say that the Race Village was filled with exciting activities and it was easy to make our way around it as it was well organised. Participants and supporters could have fun with ease. It was an enjoyable run, and I will definitely be joining Sundown Marathon again.

Winners for the Full Marathon Men’s Category
(L-R): Henry De Renzy-Martin (2nd Place), Adil Mohd, Vice President of EduCity, Mohamad Izam Shah Bin Zainal Abidin (1st Place), Christopher Timms (3rd Place), Ramli Bin Yusof (4th Place), Tang Song Hua (5th Place).

Malaysian Esther Yong Keow Lee, who won the Women’s Full Marathon category, with a time of 04:20:11, commented,

The race route was exhilarating and it gave me the motivation to keep up. Also, running in the cool night air helps keep the mind calm and focused on the end goal. The race village, on the other hand, gives runners a sense of belonging as it is a place the runners can mingle at the end of the race and have a good time. That feeling of camaraderie amongst runners is important as it keeps you fuelled to keep going the distance in the long run!

Winners for Full Marathon Women’s Category
(L-R): Esther Yong Keow Lee (1st Place), Tang Hong Wee (2nd Place), Adil Mohd, Vice President of EduCity, Aileen Ho (3rd Place), Yong Yoke Mei (4th Place).

Men’s Full Marathon Results:

1. Mohamad Izam Shah bin Zainal Abidin (Malaysia) – 03:23:03
2. Henry De Renzy-Martin (Great Britain) – 03:24:22
3. Christopher Timms (Great Britain) – 03:43:02
4. Ramli Bin Yusof (Malaysia) – 03:43:45
5. Tan Song Hua (Malaysia) – 03:48:43

Women’s Full Marathon Results:

1. Esther Yong Keow Lee (Malaysia) – 04:20:11
2. Tan Hong Wee (Malaysia) – 04:26:57
3. Aileen Ho (Singapore) – 04:41:51
4. Yong Yoke Mei (Malaysia) – 04:45:54
5. Low Huei Shyan (Malaysia) – 04:48:18

Men’s Half Marathon Results:

1. Benedict Neo Shun Jie (Malaysia) – 01:25:52
2. Eng Hup Boh (Malaysia) – 01:28:02
3. Mohamad Zahriel bin Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) – 01:28:12
4. Brian Angwin (Singapore) – 01:30:14
5. Mohamad Fadzil Bin Ab Karnim (Malaysia) – 01:39:36

Women’s Half Marathon Results:

1. Danielle Anderson (Australia) – 01:55:46
2. Zunita Bte Ramli (Malaysia) – 01:57:47
3. Sii Duang Hie (Malaysia) – 02:04:10
4. Wai Thing Law (Singapore) – 02:04:33
5. Siti Khadijah Binti Shaaban (Malaysia) – 02:04:56

Men’s 10KM Results:

1. Marcus Ong Ming Wei (Singapore) – 00:34:45
2. Yazid Harith Bin Syahrul Anuar (Malaysia) – 00:36:33
3. Dinesh Varma A/L Selvam (Malaysia) – 00:36:46
4. Phong Tong Yee (Malaysia) – 00:36:53
5. Muhammad Zaqwan Bin Mohd Yusof (Malaysia) – 00:41:53

Women’s 10KM Results:

1. Asha Niven (Malaysia) – 00:40:05
2. Low Yip Meng (Malaysia) – 00:54:34
3. Sharon Brown (United States) – 00:55:33
4. Gan Siau Yen (Malaysia) – 01:00:58
5. Tamilzchelvi Ramasamy (Malaysia) – 01:01:23