KUALA LUMPUR, 1 FEBRUARY 2015 – A field of 8,000 athletes raced toward their personal bests at Nike’s We Run Kuala Lumpur 21K. For the first time, the race featured a 21K distance, making it one of three cities to host a half-marathon distance in the global Nike We Run Race Series, which aims to inspire athletes to push themselves beyond their limits and unleash their potential.
“Running has long been a popular sport in Malaysia, and we recognize that runners were looking for new challenges, to go faster, farther and better,” says Robin Kok, Country Marketing Manager of Nike Malaysia. “The Nike We Run Kuala Lumpur 21K enabled runners to do just that, and we are ecstatic to see the overwhelming support and participation of the runners from the time they registered, to training with us and completing their race today.”
The course, which routed through Malaysia’s most historical points including Stadium Merdeka, was designed to allow runners to pick up their pace as they rack up the distance. At the 13K mark, halfway through the race, runners could rev up their speed on an eight-kilometer stretch of unhindered highway.
“Many distance runners forget about the need for running fast but to improve as an athlete, you need both strength and pace,” said Jean-Pierre Lautrédoux, a running coach based in Kuala Lumpur.
Registered participants of We Run KL 21K also experienced training sessions with Lautrédoux, and Shaharudin Hashim, Malaysia’s fastest marathoner, over the course of five months leading up to race day. This included an elevated training run held at Sepang International Circuit where runners underwent coaching specific for gaining speed in their runs.
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