Chung Ling Cross Country - re-running the race 24 years later !

Another Sunday, another race. This time, it was a race not like any other. First, it’s a race for the Chinese only.. Well, as long as you have a valid Chinese names !  It’s also called the All-Chinese Annual Cross Country. This is the 55^th year Chung Ling has been hosting this, kinda unbelievable – 55 years ! Still, I think this is a racist race J  I do hope they open up to all Malaysian soon. Secondly, this race starts and finishes at Chung Ling, my alma mater ! It’s been 22 years since I last returned L  The building and structure are pretty much the same except there are more fences now – for security reasons I guess.

This race is kinda a redemption race for me. I used to really hate the annual cross country run which was compulsory as part of the co-curriculum requirement. I used to walk and jog and really toiled across the finishing point. Well, 24 years later, I am back, and ready to re-run the route with much better confidence and above all, enjoy the run !

Prior to the race, met up with the usual suspects of local running scenes. Mostly i-Run, the Forward Club and other club runners. The race started at 7.30am. The sky cleared up right before the race. Well, it drizzled a bit 30mins at 7am, so the cloudy skies, minus the rain, was a welcoming sign. The race took us through the Thean Teik area, the Sunshine, and then the dreaded uphill run at 4^th km. I still recalled the whole area was an estate 20+ years ago. It was called the Thean Teik Estate, but now it’s a big Then Teik township. We then moved into the Cheesman Road area, looped outside the State Mosque, moved back into TI School, then St John HQ before finishing the run at the school. It was stated as 9km but turned out to be 8.13km. Well, not that I am complaining J  I had a split of 5:04 and 5:01 roughly half the split. Ended the race at position #59 in the Men’s Open (they do not have junior veteran. The veteran group is >50years old  I think). Not bad for a Sunday morning’s workout !

Distance : 8.13km

Time : 41mins

Pace : 5:02’/km

Running along the St John Ambulance HQ (behind State Mosque). Photo courtesy of Cupido Kelvin

Photo courtesy of Cupido Kelvin

with Mr Choo before the race, photo courtesy of Uncle Alex Ong

Towards the finishing point. Photo courtesy of Chris Neilson

Before the race, photo courtesy of Chris Neilson

My Chung Ling High School - Glad to be back after all these years !

The Seni Perusahaan Building, where the race started

Position #59 in the Men's Open Category. No complain lah...