ALTHOUGH she is suffering from a slipped disc injury, local celebrity and columnist Xandria Ooi was ecstatic that she managed to finish the 10km run at the PJ Half Marathon.
“It was really a great feeling to complete the race. I ran and power walked,” she said. But Ooi wasn’t the only celebrity who ran the 10km run. Her friends, columnist Jojo Struys and TV host/emcee William Quah, also joined in the race. All three received finishers medals.
It was the first time that all three of them participated in the PJ Half Marathon. For Quah, this was also the first time he participated in a major marathon event in Malaysia. “I usually do a an 8km to 10km run on a weekly basis around KL city or at the gym. But the PJ Half provided an opportunity for me to catch up and hang out with Jojo and Xandria,” said Quah.
I did it: Chermaine Poo finished the race despite the lack of rest. Struys said she used to run competitively in long-distance running in Singapore but now she enjoyed playing squash and hiking in FRIM.
“All these activities are real calorie burners. I always feel energised after a good workout.
“I was even happy to power-walk during the PJ Half. We were walking past those who were jogging. I will sleep well tonight,” jested Struys.
The three of them managed to clock in at about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Despite staying up till wee hours in the morning attending a Halloween party, Quah managed to make it for the PJ Half yesterday.
No sweat: (from left) Struys, Quah and Ooi are glad that they managed to complete the 10km run. The most enjoyable part for him was being able to see so many enthusiastic runners from all walks of life.
“We met a 70-year-old man who is apparently an avid marathon runner and he just whisked past us three. This just goes to show you are never too old to run, whatever the distance,” he said.
Being a fan of trekking in Gasing hills, Ooi said she was happy to see many Malaysians partaking in the marathon. “It’s a good thing that people, be it those who are thin to those who are plus-sized, are now getting fit and doing more exercise. It was also nice to see a good mix of people from different races,” said Ooi.
All three personalities, however, felt strongly that the Petaling Jaya City Council needed to do something about repairing the potholes and repaving the pavements.
“During the marathon we noticed a lot of potholes on the road. Some of the drains were also not properly covered which can be dangerous,” said Ooi. “There needs to be a more conducive environment for marathons around the Klang Valley and KL,” said Quah.
Actress, TV host and emcee Chermaine Poo barely had a few hours of sleep before the run as she had just touched down from Jakarta, Indonesia, at 2am yesterday.
Nonetheless, Poo who had slipped disc twice, completed 10km and was rewarded with a finishing medal.
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