Just as marathon running came into its own during the 1980s as a mass participation event around the developed world, the silent foot-slogging revolution has come to Asia. The marathon is chic in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore if not more.
On any given Sunday thousands of Indonesians, Malaysians, Thais, Filipinos and Singaporeans will don their running gear and participate in any number of available events happening every weekend in a murderous tropical sun all across the region. Just over a week ago more than 50,000 did so at the Bangkok Marathon, with a similar number on the same day at the Penang Bridge Marathon in neighboring Malaysia. There was also a major run in Bali that same day with a host of smaller runs in places like Chang Mai, Phuket, and Surin.
Asia has discovered the mass running phenomenon.
The typical stereotype of elderly Asian people as passive couples sitting at home, perhaps going for a short walk or practicing Tai Chi, has been broken. The over-50 category make up 30-40 percent of most mass marathon fields. This group are joined by the 30-something generation who travel to marathons around the region in groups and go through the ritual each week of torturing themselves through a quick 10km or 21km half-marathon, or dragging themselves out through the full 42.1 km full distance, making them fully-fledged members of the "I've finished 42.125 km" group. Full story...
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On any given Sunday thousands of Indonesians, Malaysians, Thais, Filipinos and Singaporeans will don their running gear and participate in any number of available events happening every weekend in a murderous tropical sun all across the region. Just over a week ago more than 50,000 did so at the Bangkok Marathon, with a similar number on the same day at the Penang Bridge Marathon in neighboring Malaysia. There was also a major run in Bali that same day with a host of smaller runs in places like Chang Mai, Phuket, and Surin.
Asia has discovered the mass running phenomenon.
The typical stereotype of elderly Asian people as passive couples sitting at home, perhaps going for a short walk or practicing Tai Chi, has been broken. The over-50 category make up 30-40 percent of most mass marathon fields. This group are joined by the 30-something generation who travel to marathons around the region in groups and go through the ritual each week of torturing themselves through a quick 10km or 21km half-marathon, or dragging themselves out through the full 42.1 km full distance, making them fully-fledged members of the "I've finished 42.125 km" group. Full story...
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