Race Review RunWild Chamang Falls 10k Trail
EVENT. NAME: RunWild-Chamang Falls 10k Trail
VENUE: Chamang Falls, Bentong
DATE: 09 Dec 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 3/3] [Updates 4/4] total 10/10.
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.
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 68/70
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: [Sufficient but unfortunately there was no water 7/10] total 7/10
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 35/40 Running total 103/110
Care of Competitors:
Starting time, race & safety briefing and control:
[Briefing 6/6] [Start time 4/4 >1min, 2 >5min, 1 >10min] total 10/10.
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 25/30 Running total 128/140
THE RACE.
Organisation:
Course management:
TRAIL [Safety: emg # 0/4, kit insp* 8/8, Enforcement** 7/8] [Signage 10/10] [Environmental impact*** 10/10] total 35/40. At 10.7km although slightly over distance this was advised well in advance of the event. Note:
* Organisers set their own mandatory items, on occasions I comment if I feel they are inadequate. There were no mandatory items at this event. It was recommended that everyone needed to start the event with 500ml of hydration.
** No plastic bottles allowed on the course, I did notice one person who ignored this and was not picked up.
*** Not just zero impact but a positive impact. An illegal rubbish dump was cleared and the organisers planted saplings in the regained area.
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 88/95 Running total 216/235
POST RACE.
Finish line: [Control 2/2] [Ease of medal/shirt 3/3] [choice of food and hydration 3/5] total 8/10.
Resting and cool down areas: Good – Sufficient – Lacking. Subjective total 8/10.
Finishing information: [Placings posted 2/2] [Announcements 2/2] [Prize ceremony 5/6] total 9/10.
Section total 25/30 Running total 241/265
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 2/3] [Event video/write ups 4] [Participants stories 3] total 2/10.
Section total 22/30 Grand total 263/295 giving an overall score for this event of 89.2% unsurprisingly the highest score I have yet given, surpassing the organisers previous highest ever score.
COMMENT: 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.
Again I have to mention the course directions. There were: marshals at every major turn, do 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 up to the standard of their previous offering.
For fear of repeating myself I would just say that the RD, Mike Grover’s love of his sport and his care for his participants shines through.
I don’t as a rule recommend events but I have to make an acception here, look out for RunWild Events throughout 2019.
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, thanks to: Royce Cheah, RunWild Events and Hannah Kamaruzaman
My personal race.
1:06:34 Masters champion [66 plus]. 13th. of 132 Overall.
To run or not to run, there was never a question. Having just returned from Ecuador, with six weeks of very little running, it was more a case of turning up and seeing what happened.
My first visit to Chamang Falls was no disappointment, the whole area has so much to offer.
The course was laid out brilliantly and the previous weeks incessant rain ensured that the surface was slick and that there was plenty of mud around, which added to the enjoyment.
What was essentially a jetlag shake-out run very soon became a straight forward trail race, jetlag and a bad night’s sleep was completely washed over with adrenaline.
Even the three-kilometre road section was quite enjoyable with it’s stiff uphill start followed by two and a half clicks of twisting downhill until we turned off into the trail-head. I enjoyed the downhill section which allowed me to run the stiffness out of my legs. The trails were interesting as they developed in type and interest, from wide open soft ground tracks to tree-lined, rock strewn pathways, a short knee-deep river crossing and finally onto some narrow more-technical forest trails. The best was certainly saved till last on this one.
And as an age-graded race it meant that I was competing within my own age group as well as against the field of runners. I was really pleased with my run.
Some fun facts and the ups and downs of age grouping. My time would have given me second place in the Senior Veteran category (56-65), third place in the Open (19-35) and the Junior Veteran categories (46-55) but only sixth place in the Senior category (36-45).
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable run in a thoroughly enjoyable event.
