For the upcoming tenth anniversary edition of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon (SCKLM) on 8th April, Official Apparel Sponsor Brooks is returning, providing more than 38,000 registered runners with Running Tees and outfitting the Official Pacers with a complete set of running gear – from top to toe.

Pacers received their bright yellow tops

At a handover ceremony at the flagship Brooks outlet at MyTown in Cheras, 18 out of the 29 Official Pacers were on hand to receive their bright yellow tops, which they will be wearing on the day of the race.

Said Victor Tiew, Brand Manager, Paragon Vest (Brooks), “This is a special year for SCKLM as it celebrates its 10th anniversary so we are very happy to partner yet again with SCKLM, the premiere running event in the country.”

He added, “We are committed to providing the best possible running experience for SCKLM participants through our innovative apparel and running shoes like the Adrenaline GTS 18 and the new Levitate range with its energised cushioning, quick transforms and intuitive fit. We wish all SCKLM pacers and participants the best of luck on race day.”

The Brooks pacer singlets, which the pacers received, have been designed with Equilibrium technology. Running shoes and shorts were also given to the pacers.

23 pacers in the Full Marathon and six in the Half Marathon

Altogether, there will be 23 Pacers assisting runners in the Full Marathon and for the first time in SCKLM for the Half Marathon, there will be another six pacers, to help runners to complete the run in an expected time as they play a vital role in ensuring that runners keep to the required pace.

Pacers encourage the runners and get them back on track to meet their personal goals

In a long race, expert pacers can provide the right encouragement and motivation to get runners back on track to push themselves to keep the pace and complete the race in their desired timing.

This is because when completing a long race such as the half marathon or the full marathon, runners may fall off the pace due to factors such as inexperience and fatigue.

I have experience of how important pacers are too – I still remember that soon after I had started running, I would feel very tired at the latter stages of a half or a full marathon, and seeing the pacers, provided me with energy and adrenaline that I didn’t realise I still possessed, to keep on pushing myself – in order to help me reach my timing targets.

SCKLM pacers are usually returning ones

Most of the pacers offering their services in the 2018 race, are returning pacers from previous editions of SCKLM.

And said Gloria Ng, Director of Dirigo Events, the SCKLM Owners and Organisers, “We have been fortunate that our Pacers are usually returning ones. They are all exemplary runners who have a great attitude and sacrifice their own race to assist others in reaching their time goals.”

She continued, “We started our Pacing programme for SCKLM 2010 and we have Pacers who have been with us since then, so we are grateful for their continued support.”

Malcalm Chew (centre)

Two runners who have been pacers since the 2010 edition of SCKLM, are Malcalm Chew and Kelvin Ng.

Said Malcalm, “From the first time I became a pacer for SCKLM, I received encouraging feedback from my friends and social media followers. SCKLM was also on of the better organised running events and kept getting bigger and better, so it has been an easy decision to come back every year, except for 2014, when I decided to be a runner instead.”

And Kelvin on the other hand, has not missed a single edition of SCKLM since its inception in 2009. So this makes him part of an elite club of runners called the SCKLM Juggernauts.

Said Kelvin, “I have been running for a while now and I feel that I have gained a fair amount of knowledge and experience over the years and I have always wanted to share and make my own contribution to the development of running in Malaysia. That’s why I have been coming back to SCKLM as a pacer every year.”

First-time pacer feels that the time is right to give back to the running community 

On the other hand, first-time SCKLM pacer Munitaran Sundram has decided to give back to the running community this year, after being a serious competitive runner for the past three decades.

He said, “I have a strong passion for new adventures and feel that the time is right to embark on a new one. I want to do my part in giving back to the running community by being a pacer at SCKLM, to encourage and motivate other runners to achieve their personal running goals.”

Visit www.kl-marathon.com for more information on SCKLM.

All photos in this post are courtesy of SCKLM.

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