Race Review RunWild-RunDeep Chapter 2

EVENT. NAME: RunWild-RunDeep Chapter 2 10k Trail

VENUE: MAEPS - MARDI Serdang

DATE: 09 Sept 2018 Time: 07:30 [07:31] COT None

Headline Event Owners: RunWildEvents PLT

Event Organising Company: RunWildEvents PLT

Race Director: Mike Grover

Timing company: MyLaps by Checkpoint Spot

Registration company: RaceXAsia

PLEASE NOTE: This review is based on my personal observations and experience of the event and is intended to be helpful to other runners for their future event selection and also to aid the organisers by giving a honest and unbiased opinion of both the good and the not so good elements as I found them. Where, on the rare occasion I have used information other than my own it will be clearly stated as such and will have been from a trusted source and corroborated by others.

THE EVENT

EVENT SCORE CARD SUMMARY

PRE-RACE.

Entry and information:

Initial event information and updates: [Reg detailed and easy 3/3] [Social media pre-registration 2/3] [Updates 4/4] total 9/10.

Contact: [Facebook, Web-site, Phone, E-mail 2/4] [Usage 6/6] total 8/10.

Catagories: [Male/female 2/2] [Vet 3/3] [Age groups 5/5] total 10/10. Hip-hip hooray!

Value of entry: At RM80 it can only be described as great value for money total 20/20.

Race registration and kit collection: Collection point, ease of collection: My usual call for postal delivery was unnecessary as the pre-event day bib allocation and bib distribution on the morning of the run covered everything. Simple and perfectly organised. total 20/20.

Section total 67/70

Race site Facilities:

Venue, space and amenities: [Venue 5/5] [Space wu/cd 3/3] [Pre race water 0/2] total 8/10.

Toilets facilities: [For once not used, therefore unable to comment]

Start area: [Staffing 5/5] [Information 5/5] total 10/10.

Parking and transport: [Space 5/5] [Alternatives 4/4] [Free 1/1] total 10/10.

Section total 28/30 Running total 95/100

Care of Competitors:

Starting time, race & safety briefing and control: [Briefing 5/6] [Start time 4/4 >1min, 2 >5min, 1 >10min] total 9/10.

Medical facilities. Start/finish and on course: [Start/fin 8/8] [Ambulance 7/7] [Mobile/Aid stations 0/5] total 15/20. Note: In addition to the onsite ambulance crew RunWildEvents PLC have their own trained first aider on site and a motorbike on hand should there be need to get anyone in/out in a hurry. Also any doctors who are running in the event are notified by bib number to all marshals should there be a need for medical attention. Also a list of the runners declared ailments, by bib number, is provided to the first responders.

Section total 24/30 Running total 119/130

THE RACE.

Organisation:

Course management: [Safety: emg # 0/4, kit insp* 0/8, Enforcement** 8/8] [Signage 10/10] [Environmental impact 10/10] total 28/40. Note: * Organisers set their own mandatory items, on occasions I comment if I feel they are inadequate. The only mandatory at this event was that everyone needed to start the event with 500ml of hydration, this was either not or badly checked. ** No plastic bottles allowed on the course.

Course design and enjoyment factor: Excellent – Very High - High – Med – Low (subjective) total 18/20.

Marshaling: [Quantity 5/5] [Quality 7/7] [Friendly 3/3] total 15/15.

Feed stations: [as advised 5/5] [Number guide: TRAIL: /8km 5/5] [Staffing # & quality 4/4] [Stocking 5/6] total 19/20.

Section total 80/95 Running total 199/225

POST RACE.

Finish line: [Control 2/2] [Ease of medal/shirt 2/3] [choice of food and hydration 4/5] total 8/10.

Resting and cool down areas: Good – Sufficient – Lacking. Subjective total 8/10. Note: I am not sure that this would have scored so well if it had been a really hot or inclement morning.

Finishing information: [Placings posted 2/2] [Announcements 2/2] [Prize ceremony 5/6] total 9/10.

Section total 25/30 Running total 224/255

AFTER EVENT

Course clean, policy and implementation: [Guaranteed total clear-out within three days] total 10/10

Results: [Timely 24hrs 5/5] [Full results 3/3] [Age Grouped 2/2] total 10/10.

Post event communication: Good – Limited – None. [Organisers photo 3] [Event video/write ups 4] [Participants stories 3] total 0/10.

Section total 20/30 Grand total 244/285 giving an overall score for this event of 85.6% unsurprisingly the highest score I have yet given.

COMMENT: This was my first RunWild event, having heard many good reports I just had to try one for myself. Next year I expect they will feature throughout my calendar.

This is what I would call a ‘boutique event’, small and very well designed and fit for purpose. Nothing fancy but everything a true athlete would ever ask for. I would strongly recommend any of RunWild Events offerings to anyone, of any running standard, from beginner to elite, all of which were evident at this offering.

I have to mention the course directions. There were: marshals at every major turn, don not cross tapes at intersections, direction signs, and flags [about every 25mtrs], you could have done away with the marshals and direction signs and it would have still been impossible to get lost, it was almost certainly the best marked course I have ever run.

I feel that the RD, Mike Grover, who runs these events for the shear love of doing it could teach much to some of the so called professional organisers out there.

I don’t as a rule recommend events but I have to make an acception here, look out for RunWild Events next offering, it’s a 10k Chamang Waterfalls run in Bentong, 9th. December 2018.

Would I return to this event: No – Unlikely – Possibly – Yes

Happy Running

When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

Photographs curtesy of: Daniel Tan, Li Leen Ang.

My personal race.

1:02:18 Masters champion [66 plus]. 32nd. of 158 Overall.

My race was almost a nonstarter. Returning to race following an ankle injury, which had already seen me miss [DNS] the Cameron Highlands Ultra, this was to be my first event back after treatment and would be a test run following just three slow ‘recovery’ runs during the preceding week.

Soreness in my ankle the previous day had me believing that a DNS was likely or worse still a DNF. Not to be, morning arrived free of pain or soreness. So I started and, most importantly, finished pain free and very happy.

I didn’t know the actual course, although I had run at the venue with friends in the past, but it transpired that I had previously trodden every inch of the course although not as it was presented to us on event day.

The whole area is a real pleasure to run, and is open to the public daily, with great views across the surrounding area and just twenty minutes from down-town Kuala Lumpur.

The course was laid out brilliantly and the inclement weather of the previous week ensured that the hills were slick which added to the enjoyment, for those who like their climbs as tough as the can be.

What started out as a recovery test run very soon became more of a full-on challenge, although I did walk part of each of the two steeper hills.

I enjoyed the downhill sections as they were less than technical and offered the opportunity to open up a little more than in recent events.

And, an added bonus. My first age-graded race in Malaysia also meant that I was competing within my own age group as well as against the field of runners.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable run in a thoroughly enjoyable event.