Runwitme? I woke up at 5:30am. Did all my morning ritual Just drink a bottle of water for breakfast and took the BTS to Saladeang and took a short walk to Lumpini Park. I was greeted by a towering King Rama VI statue at the entrance of the Lumpini Park. Many people were already in the park, doing their aerobic exercise, jogs, tai chi, dancing and other healthy activities. Walked around the starting zone and took some pictures. Mineral water was being served at the start zone – something unheard of in Malaysia. Toilet? No need for porta-john as there is a public toilet nearby.

Timing Chip with Velcro Strap 

Henry Wanyoike - Seeing is Believing! The 3km event was scheduled to kick off at 6:30am. I choose a good spot to take pictures. Saw Henry Wanyoike at the starting point. Wanyoike who? Henry is a Kenyan who loves running. On April 30, 1995, Henry went to bed as usual after dinner. He woke up the following day completely blind and has never seen anything again. He was 19 years old. Henry continues to run. Today, Henry is a world track champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and now a global Goodwill Ambassador for Standard Chartered Bank's "Seeing Is Believing" campaign, which will restore sight to one million people in the next three years. 100% of the entry fee will go to the Thai Red Cross Eye Bank to support Standard Chartered Bank's "Seeing Is Believing" campaign. By running, all of us will help someone see again. (Insert applause and salute to Henry here)

See No Evil...Run No Evil Next to Henry is another African runner, Henry’s guide. I also saw some few local blind runners at the event. The runners in the 3 km event ran in pair. One blind-folded and the other one act as a guide. Tough? You would never know unless you try it. Many were seen peeking from the blind fold. Chit! Cheaters! The 3 km runners were set off with the drumbeats, courtesy of some local drum troupe. Henry and partner disappeared into the crowd.

11km - A Lost Mummy at the Start Point I scurried to the 11km starting point after the 3km crowd dissipated. I waited patiently for the blast off. While waiting, I saw the 3km runners arriving on the other side. My, my, my….these people can sure run…even with blindfold. A saw a couple in Tarzan & Jane costumes. Hmmmm...(Erase naughty thoughts here! Hahah!) Elites runners were requested to be in front of the line. No pushing. No shoving. No shouting. No pesky race officials shouting over the megaphone (a very common scene at the start of any race events in Malaysia.) or annoying fat announcers “nagging”at the runners at every given opportunity. Everything was well written in the brochure and website. The announcement was made politely though the PA system. The Holding Area and Start Point were well marked so everybody did not scramble like headless chicken. I could go on and on praising the organizer hehe. Our local run organizers should do educational trips to learn from the neighbours – Thailand and Singapore.

Kaboom!!!! The 11km literally was blasted off at 6:45pm. We ran through some fog (which was actually some foam like substance) sprayed from each side of the starting arch. It was surreal like something had exploded there. Indeed a “blazing” start!

Run Around The Lumpini Park Off I went with my camera in the beautiful Lumpini Park. I slowly jog with the crowd. The crowd was so big that we had to jog carefully. I was mildly surprised that they have placed distance marker every 500 meter in some stretches - something unheard of in the Malaysia running scene. I felt slight tightness in my left ankle. It was not completely healed yet. So, I told myself to go very easy.

Out from Lumpini Park The route took us out from Lumpini Park into the King Rama IV Road. Traffic was smooth. Still not many cars on a Saturday morning. The air was still fresh, occasionally I could a whiff of sweet aroma of food being cooked when I passed by many hawker stalls along the way. I jogged pass Suan Lum Night Bazaar, The Stock Exchange of Thailand and Queen Sirikit Convention Center before turning into another beautiful park in Bangkok – The Benjakiti Park.

Check Point 5km The middle checkpoint (5km) and water station were located at the entrance of the Benjakiti Park. There is a lake in the heart of the park. The weather was sunny and the sceneries there were beautiful – rainbow created by the water droplets at the fountain, greeneries, flowers, high-rises peeking out from the green landscapes, interesting art sculptures and meditation area. What perfect place for running! We made one complete round around the lake before he exit the park, back to the tar road.

Postcard Perfect - Benjakiti Park 

Sukhumvit - 7.5km From the Benjakiti Park, we made our way to one of the busier roads in Bangkok – Sukhumvit Road. Passed by some big hotels like The Sheraton, The J.W. Marriot and a shopping mall called Times Square (Hmmm…. Why would anyone name a shopping mall “Times Square” is simply mind-boggling). Passed underneath Asok and Nana BTS stations.

Baby Cheerleaders 

The Only Way is Up! At 9.5 km, we had to move up a ram to an overhead bridge – Sky Walk Bridge. The overhead bridge cut across some housing area. We could look down on each side of the railings and see the residents doing their daily chores like cooking, gardening and laundry. The houses are built so close to each other. I jogged on.

Sky Walk Part 1. 

Sky Walk Part 2. 

Final 1km and then some 10km. One more km to go. I was quite happy to see that I still have one more km to go. I quickly went down the stairs. The road led back to Lumpini Park where there were some spectators cheering at the finished line, including the Mummy and the jester. “Chariot of Fire” theme was secretly playing in my mind. The Championchip was immediately removed from my ankle after I walked passed the timing mat. Very efficient. I was presented with a medal there and then. The medal was gleaming and I was gleaming with pride. I felt great! That was my first run after my ankle injury. I am thankful to be able to run again. How I missed running! (Insert a single tear here..Hahah!).

I Scream, You Scream, Everybody Screams for Ice Cream! After the run, the runners made a beeline to the breakfast counter where breakfast was served packed in a box. What was in the box? A Thai orange, a tuna sandwich, a small cup of orange juice, a serviette and a toothpick. Yes. A toothpick. The attention to detail impressed me so much. Last but not least, the highlight of the event (at least for me hahah!) was the The Swensen Ice cream Breakfast Buffet. So many flavours to chose from. Mocha. Mango. Lime Sorbet. Chocolate. Macadamia Nut. Etc etc. Again, the queue was long but that didn’t bother me at all. I just go back to the end of the queue after I got my ice cream. By the time I reach the booth again, I would have finished my ice cream and all ready for another one. I surrendered after my forth scoop. (Insert burp here). Wonderfully soothing! I think all run events should make ice cream a “must have” item apart from the normal water and isotonic drink in a run event. Heheh!

My First Medal in Bangkok I rate Standard Chartered Run 2005, Bangkok, one of the best runs I had ever participated in. It won hands down in terms of the generous goodie bag, not to mention the mighty fine looking medal, free ice cream buffet and flawless organization. May be I should try running blindfolded next time. Who want to be my partner to hold my hand and guide me along the way?

Seeing is Believing Wrist Bands Kop Khun Krub (Thank You) to my Thai fellow runner, Khun NT, for giving me this gift. The “Seeing is Believing” wristbands come in a pair in blue and green (Standard Chartered corporate colours). They were purchased for 200 Baht from the booth set up at the run. All donations go to “Seeing Is Believing” charity campaign. Now, I can join the legion of rubber wristband fans out there, be it the original yellow Livestrong or the cheap rainbow coloured McDonalds ones.

Front Page News Never before in my life seeing a run event being featured on the main page of a national daily. Here is the write up: Hands-on experience (Bangkok Post; 30th Oct 2005) About 3,000 runners took part in a charity run organized by the Standard Chartered Bank at Lumpini Park yesterday. The runners ran in pairs in the event, with one runner blindfolded. Proceeds from the run will go to the Thai Red Cross eye center to help people with impaired visibility. (Note: Actually, the journalist forgot to mention the 11km run).