Run 7km at 17:17 on 07.07.07

What? 7th Sutera Harbour Sunset Charity Run

Where? Parking Lot 77, Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

When? 17:17 on 7 July 2007 (07.07.07)

How long? 7km

Qualifying Time: 77 minutes

I called up my friend, CK in Kota Kinabalu to sign me up for this event as soon as I came across this event while I was surfing the Net. It would a once in a lifetime to do such a run on such a unique date. Run 7km on 7 July 2007 (07.07.07). You only get to do that once in 100 years!

It was the 7th Sutera Harbour Sunset Charity Run. (Yes…there it is, the number 7 again).

I arrived at Kota Kinabalu Terminal 2 Airport after a 2 ½ hour “bumpy” ride from Kuala Lumpur. The weather blew. Dark cloud was looming in the sky above. This is no good, I told myself and prayed that with some miracle, that some wind would blow the clouds away.

After taking a short rest at CK’s house, we made our way to Sutera Harbour around 4:00pm. The main road was closed and we had to park quite a distance from the start point. The sky? Still grey. I could felt droplets of rain falling from the sky as I walk to the start point.

Wowow! I was surprised with the turn up at Sutera Harbour. I saw a sea of people at the start point. There was a bunch of kids who were eager to start the race. I was told 10,000 people would participate in the run.

The proceed of the run would benefit Sabah Thalassaemia Society and Special Olympic of Sabah.

There was a brief warm up session to the tune of Crazy Frog. Ding! Ding!

The run was set off by Assistant of Youth & Sports Minister.

What's that falling from the sky? Rain? Nah...It's confetti! And it is really pretty....

We ran along the road in front of the Sutera Harbour. It was nice running along the beach area.

Then, we made a U turn back, collected the check point 1 ticket and then ran towards the country club before we entered the main road.

I have seen parents taking their babies running in strollers, but this father is in his very own league. Father of all piggyback rides!

Is this guy having the elusive runner's high?

Scenic view near the golf course.

The photographer being photograph! Heheh!

Yippie! The closed the main road for us! We are the kings of the road....

Notice the dark clouds in the sky.

Second check point - near Plaza Wawasan.

Due to the rain clouds, there was no postcard-worthy sunset. The sun went hiding. Boo Hoo!....I was expecting this....(from last year's run, picture courtesy of CK)

But all we get this year was a piece of grey sky. Well, at least it didn't rain, I consoled myself.

Swaggering towards the FINISH line.

Since the run was for charity, there were no prizes for the fastest runners. Whoever completed the 7km run in 77 minutes were entitled for a lucky draw coupon each.

The run was over but the fun was just beginning.....

I have to salute the organiser for coming with such innovative way to announce the lucky draw winners! The lucky numbers were projected to the ceiling of the canopy! We do not have to sit through the annoying number call-outs - they had hundreds of prizes to be given away!(Insert applause here!!!)

I walked around the "fiesta" ground, helping myself with the free IndoCafe coffee, 100-plus drinks and green tea. There were foodstalls set up by the club house selling local cakes and meals. All proceeds would go to charity! Wowow!

No sunset, nevermind....the harbour looks gorgeous no matter what!

Pacific Sutera Hotel

Sitting on the dock of the bay....

Birdie looking towards the sea.

Meanwhile on the stage, Sabah leng lui (pretty girl) was coaxing the crowd to do the Y.M.C.A!!!

There were many fun games played while waiting for the final lucky draws. These boys were stripping in order to get 10 T-shirts in exchange for a prize!

There was dancing too. Sumazau style interestingly blended with rap! (Courtesy of The Kinabalu Kings)

These two teen drama queens simply just love attention. Notice the fashionably modified event T-shirt?

Akademi Fantasia 4's Velvet belting out Ella..Ella...Umbrella...

Velvet being mobbed a crowd brandishing mobile phones.

A star-struck kid...

We quickly left Sutera Harbour after they announced the Grand Draw - a 29 Inch Flat Screen TV! Nope...My number is not that lucky.

Overall, the 7th Sutera Harbour Sunset Run was a great fun run. The atmosphere was great! We got live bands and local celebrities to entertain us. The official radio station DJs worked the crowd well. Lots of free drinks. Charity food fair. Love it! 07.07.07 is indeed hard to be erased from the memory!

The downside: Rain clouds -> no sunset! But there was nothing that the organiser can do about!

The run was reported in one of the local dailies on the next morning....

My "Eat and run" report will not be complete without reviews of some eateries in Kota Kinabalu.

On the next morning, we had dim sum for breakfast at Four Seasons. No this is not the famous hotel chain. The steamed bun with egg yolk is a must try! The sweet savoury filling oozes out as you sink your teeth into the bun. It is simply heavenly.

Before I leave KK, CK took me to the Tun Mustafa Tower.

From afar it look like a space-shuttle with the tip sawed off. This structures is the tallest building in the whole Borneo Island.

The base.

Little that I know, there is a funky restaurant called Atmosphere (@mosphere) at the 18th floor of this building. It was supposed to be revolving but I didn't feel it. From here, you get to see the surrounding the buildings and the beautiful seasides.

Yummy snacks - Risotto balls and mocktail.

For detail reviews of Four Seasons and Atmosphere Restaurant, please click Runwitme's KK Virtual Tourist Restaurant Guide

My trip to Kota Kinabalu was a memorable one, even though it was one night only - 07.07.07.

My gratitude goes to CK for being airport pick-up, hotelier, tour guide, food guide, driver, running partner, photographer etc.

Read about CK's race report here.

Bye Bye Land below the Wind

p/s Next year, there will be another auspicious date 08.08.08...Time to run 8km at 8pm at night? Please put me in your email list if you are the organizer of such run! Cheers!

A Weekend of Pop Tart and Warm Milk

The itinerary of my trip to Singapore is kinda predictable. I will take the night train, so that I arrive in Singapore fresh in the morning and then make my way to Borders. (They open at 9:00am). After Borders, I will comb the CDs shops around the Orchard Road area – That CD Shop, Sembawang and HMV before check into the hotel by noon. By then, my shopping bags will be filled with all sorts of CDs and DVDs. Heheh!

This trip, I booked a hotel out of the usual Orchard Road area. Hotel 1929 is a chic refurbished old building located near the Outram (pronounced Oo-tram; not Out-Ram) MRT station.

Click here for runwitme’s review of Hotel 1929

I like the hotel. The room was kinda small but it was elegantly designed. What I like most is that they also have a CD player in the room. I can play my newly bought CDs…and do not have to wait till I got home anymore.

After a quick shower, I took the MRT to Tiong Bahru to register for Milk Run. Initially, I didn’t plan to participate in this run. But since I was in town for Christina Aguilera concert, I might as well do it. Furthermore, this would prevent me from burning a deeper hole in my pocket, shopping for CDs and DVDs shops.

I felt a little let down when I was told they ran out T-shirt and Goodies bags due to overwhelming response. I looked with envy at the orange coloured goodies bags collected by pre-registered runners. (Insert whimper here).

I registered for the run anyway. It was for charity and the children…. (Insert halo over the head here heheh!).

Before I left the race kit collection center, I decided to try my luck and asked the girl at the counter for a T-shirt as a souvenir. I told her that I am from Malaysia and came all the way for the run. After discussing with her boss, I was given a race T-shirt. (Insert happy face here).

I took the MRT to Novena Square to go to the Saucony Passion Run expo to collect my race kit. I registered on-line about a month ago before I knew about Christina Aguilera concert. The run is actually this coming weekend. So, I guess I will be giving the Saucony Run a miss since I was already there last week. Going to Singapore is not a cheap trip, you know.

It was my first time coming to Novena Square. I was impressed with the variety of sports articles for sales. But I do not have much time to hang around. After collecting my race kit, I went to The Running Lab, a specialty store for running (what else?). There, I bought a race bib belt. Set me back SGD 18.90 but this means no more unsightly holes on my favourite running vests.

Then, I went to HMV at CityLink Mall and Gramaphone at City Hall for more CD shopping before I finally took a MRT to Kallang and prepared to get BACK TO BASICS with Dirrty Pop Diva – Christina Aguilera.

What? Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics Tour

Where? Singapore National Indoor Stadium

When? June 30, 2007 (Saturday)

How much? SGD100/ ticket (The cheapest of the lots)

The show started at 8:30 sharp. Good. No annoying opening acts. It went straight to Christina Aguilera. The crowd went berserk to the sound of Christina belting her signature “Heeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy” as the stage lit up.

Set list

1. Ain't No Other Man

2. Back in the Day

Costume Change

3. Understand

4. Come On Over Baby (Jazz Version)

Costume Change

5. Slow Down Baby

6. Still Dirrty

7. Can't Hold Us Down

8. Video Montage: I Got Trouble – Christina playing silent movie actress with her legs spread up in the bath tub and some other self-stimulation scenes.

Costume Change

9. Makes Me Wanna Pray - She made us wanna got down to our knees and pray!

10. What a Girl Wants (Reggae Version - remixed beyond recognition)

11. Oh Mother – a tribute to Christina’s mom

Costume Change

12. Enter the Circus/Welcome – Very nice entrance, complete with trapeze artistes, fire handler, stilt walker and carnival dancers.

13. Dirrty – See picture below.

14. Candyman – A crowd favourite. Can’t stop tapping my feet with it.

Nasty Naughty Boy – This song was NOT included in her Asia tour. I heard it was pretty raunchy and too hot for the Asian audience to handle. Damn!

Costume Change

16. Hurt – One of Christina’s best songs.

17. Lady Marmalade – Whoa!...So many Ah Kuas (men in drags) on the stage. Complete with gloves and pink boa. Lots of wiggling and jiggling. Very camp!

18. Video Montage: Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)

Costume Change

Encore Tracks

19. Beautiful – A sing along chorus. You are beautiful no matter what they say, Words can't bring you down, you are beautiful in every single way Yes, words can't bring you down, So don't you bring me down today...

20. Fighter – a rousing performance leaving the audience gasping for more. But too bad, it was time to go home....

Aguilera using a carousel horse as a stripper pole for a performance of "Dirrty" on the Back to Basics. Wouldn't you want to be that horsey? Heheh! (Photo taken from the Net because my camera can't zoom that near).

It was a very entertaining show. Love the voice. Love the songs. Love the dazzling show. Love Christina. Just one down side - she didn't do Genie in the Bottle, the song that catapulted her to pop stardom.

What's next after Christina? I heard Gwen Stefani is coming to Malaysia! Can't wait to get the ticket...Holler!

Conversation heard in Singapore only....

"What you wanna drink hah?"

"Whatever lah...Anything will do"

"OK...One Whatever and one Anything coming right up!"

What? Milk Run 2007

Where? Zouk, Singapore

When? 1 July 2007; 4:20pm

How Long? 4km Community Run

More Info? Milk Run Website

MILK stands for Mainly I Love Kids.

FYI, it is not a run organized by Michael Jackson. No...Hee! Hee!

Instead, it is an annual fund-raiser and a youth day celebration held on the first Sunday of July every year. It draws a 10,000 strong crowd from schools, youth organizations, corporates and other community partners. The MILK Run comprises a competitive quarter marathon, a community run, a concert and a post-race carnival.

Just like the year before, this year run started at Zouk, a very popular dance club in Singapore. Instead of seeing scanly clads disco babes in heels and drunken beer guzzling men, we get to see runners in their skimpy shorts guzzling isotonic drinks.

Nice number, eh? 9099

After spending my whole Sunday morning in bed (too tired), I had lunch at Food Republic in Vivocity. Took a cab to Zouk from Vivocity. The cab ride cost me SGD7. I didn't know that they had free bus shuttle from Outram MRT Station to Zouk.

I signed up for the 4km Community Run. Too lazy to do the 8.3km.....Anyway, there was nothing extra too see as all the runners in that category had to make a loop of the course.

Cone head?

The weather was great. Clouds in the sky shielded us from the sizzling afternoon sun. The atmosphere? Carnival-like. Everybody was having fun and getting ready for the run.

Kudos to the organiser! Crowd control was excellent! They actually used little kids dressed in orange as barrier to prevent late runners from getting to the front of the line. If you are late, you just have to get back in line. No heart to trample on those kids. Heheh!

The Lonely Runner (TLR) was brought to the stage to show off his great running fashion sense.

FYI, TLR is the founder of a Singapore Runners Web Community SgRunners which will celebrate its 2nd Anniversary this coming 07.07.07. Congratulations!!!

Yours truly is also quite active in Sgrunner forum, especially when it comes to running events in Malaysia. Heheh! Visit Malaysia Year 2007! Must promote Malaysia-lah

What the hey are those Stormtroopers doing at Milk Run? Is that Davy Jones...and Captain Jack Sparrow?

This is Milk Run, not Chicken Run...Heheh!

It rained lollypop for a while. Courtesy of Park Hotel staff. I got one. Strawberry flavoured. Yum!

Honk if You're Horny.....1.2.3...Blast off!

The route took us along the scenic Singapore river.

My spirit is never too small to fill up the event T-shirt!

Run through the bridge.

Boats

Who's coming for dinner?

The Ultimate Bungy in action seen from across the river. Wow..Would love to try that.

Turning point at Elgin Bridge.

Bridge Over Singapore Water

Crusing by the river

Interesting building with rainbow coloured windows.

Hooters - Is this why they called it the MILK run? (OK! Sorry for the baaaaaad joke!)

What do you expect to get when you go to a place called 1 Night Stand?

Nice running through the beautiful shoplots.

Colourful Alkaff Brigde

Closer look at Alkaff Bridge design. Arty, eh?

Okay...Almost done. (Insert panting here!)

The final sprint!

Swaggering to the Finish line.

Phew! Took a couple of bananas and a can of 100-plus drink. Didn't hang around much as I got a bus to catch. Didn't have time or place to shower. So, I just change my shirt. Wiped my body and applied some deodorant....Thank God, nobody in the bus fainted in the five hours journey back to KL. Heheh!

It was a fun run. A fantasic way to see the Clarke Quay and a section of Singapore river. Sorry, no goodies bag shot this time. If I ever go again next year, I will make sure that I register early to avoid out of stock!