Everyone Gets the Same Medal
By Dr Evelyn Chen, Director of Education

This past Sunday, at the Garmin Run held in Putrajaya, a man aged 42 running the 21km half marathon collapsed at the 19km mark. Just two kilometres from the finish line. He was rushed to Putrajaya Hospital and despite the doctors’ best efforts, he succumbed at 6.54am.

I could not stop thinking about him.

When I started running in 2019, all I wanted was to finish. Time meant nothing to me. I was not in a rush; I just ran. Since then, I have run many 10km races, even more 21km races and two full marathons. That is 42.195km each, in case you were wondering.

So I get rather annoyed when someone comes up to me after a run and asks for my timing. Let us be honest here. Unless you podium, meaning you finish in the top three or five, everyone gets the same medal, the same finisher tee and the same goody bag. No more, no less. So why the obsession with finishing under two hours or three hours? Or shaving two minutes off your last run? We are all built differently.

I am not obsessed with running. I run because my friends use me as their motivation; when I run, they feel they should exercise too. I run so I can eat everything and still stay pretty and thin. I run because it keeps me accountable for living a relatively healthy life. And I also like buying beautiful running skorts. I do not push myself.

When I ran my first full marathon, the Borneo Marathon in Kota Kinabalu, I went without training or a plan. My goal was simple: talk to God and see as much of KK as I could. After that, I would find the most expensive Italian restaurant in town and order spaghetti carbonara and angel hair bolognese. So I went and did my thing.

When I reached the finish line, an ambulance had just left. Just left. I asked what happened and was told a man had died just before reaching the finish line.

Adrenaline is a funny thing. I am a fairly chilled person, so I doubt there is much of it in me. But my friends tell me that when they see the finish line, they feel the need to speed up. I suppose this is the norm and this is where the problem begins. By then, you have run a substantial distance and your body is tired. You see the finish line, get excited and push your already exhausted body even further.

And BOOM. Problems.

It saddens me that people die doing what they love. Running is such a harmless sport. So, like everything else in life, perhaps we need to take it easy. Everything in moderation. Trust me, the few minutes you save mean nothing if you end up injured or, worse, dead.

Chasing a personal best is futile if it costs you everything else.

Run your own race. Enjoy the view. Then go and have that carbonara.

 

Vocabulary for the Long Run

Succumb: to die from, or give in to, an illness, injury or pressure.

Podium: to finish in one of the top places in a race and stand on the winners’ platform.

Obsession: an idea or interest that fills a person’s mind all the time.

Accountable: responsible for your own actions and ready to answer for them.

Adrenaline: a hormone the body releases when excited or scared, giving a sudden burst of energy.

Substantial: large in amount, size or importance.

Moderation: avoiding too much of anything; keeping things within sensible limits.

Futile: pointless; producing no useful result.

Every runner crosses the finish line at their own pace. Learning is no different. True progress is not about racing ahead of others, it is about steady steps, the right guidance and the confidence to keep going.

At the Ipoh Learning & Training Institute (ILTI), we believe every learner deserves to grow at a pace that suits them. Our courses focus on emotional intelligence, professional etiquette and effective communication.

Learn to communicate with impact, grace and purpose and run your own race with confidence.

Your English learning journey starts here. Call/WhatsApp: 010-395 3067 or email us at info@ilti.edu.my

Transform your English skills—one word at a time.