Testing the limits, 200km marathon sees winner

HULU LANGAT: Pushing it to the extreme might seem an understatement after the annual TiTi100 Road Ultra Marathon concluded after lasting for three consecutive days from March 6 till today.
Considered the toughest road ultra challenge in Malaysia, over 500 local and foreign runners took part in the physically demanding running event organised by Endurance Nature Sdn Bhd here at the usually quiet Batu 14 town.
The ultra-marathon consisted of three running categories, 50km, 100km and 200km, with winners bagging a trophy and a certificate of participation.
Overall winner of the marathon with a time of 31:25:40, Alex Koh Liang Yeong expressed his excitement at winning the 200km event and said that he did not expect to emerge victorious.
The 39-year-old project manager from Singapore said he had only participated in runs up to 100km previously and it was his first time participating in a 200km distance run.
When asked about challenges encountered, Koh said he had to brace the unpredictable Malaysian weather during the run but reminded himself to continue pushing forward despite the setbacks.
"The first loop was excellent but during the second loop, I sweated a lot after dawn as the temperature rose to about 35°C or 36°C in the day,"
"There was also a downpour on the second night as I made my way through checkpoints and these slowed me down," he said.
Koh was however uncertain of his participation next year saying that the race itself was tough and he respected the course.
The entire race route ran through a natural landscape along the Hulu Langat Batu 14 villages, lush rainforest jungles, orang asli settlements and the Semenyih Dam Reservoir.
Spokesperson for the organiser, Cally Ng, said there were 31 runners for the 200km, which was added this year to meet the appetite of runners who craved for greater challenges.