Can you believe that the long-awaited Electric Run in Malaysia came and went by so quickly, despite the change of date?
First announced earlier in May, the Electric Run is a creative, neon coloured nocturnal 5km fun run where the participants are an integrated part of the show. Featuring immersive “lands” of light and sound, it aims to transport participants into an electric wonderland. All around the world, the Electric Run is known to bring the running experience to a whole new level.
In not so many words, the Electric Run is an illuminated global movement that brings “fun” back into “run”. And we got our first taste of the event over the weekend (Saturday, 12th September) at the first ever Malaysian extension of the Electric Run, held at the Selangor Turf Club in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Did it live up to our expectations? Was it as fun as we would’ve liked it to be? Here’s what really went down at the inaugural Electric Run Malaysia:
1. Unbearably long wait for flag off
What we weren’t told upfront was that there would be a staggered release during the flag off. Most of us were told to be there by 6pm and that the flag off will start at 7pm. What they forgot to tell us was that people will be let off in waves, with about 10/15-minute intervals. With a turnout of over 10,000 people, and 1,000 people per wave, you do the math. I personally waited in the crowd at the starting line for about an hour (I was in the 5th wave). Enter, lethargy.
2. Let there be music, lots of music
That having said, as soon as the Electric Run curtains “opened” for my wave, some darkness greeted us as we trudged along feeling a little disoriented (must be due to the waiting prior to it), before the course opened into the first of its lands, “neffmau5 Land”. Complete with the pulsating beats of music. We were also pleased to find that music was spread out quite evenly throughout the course lands, never once with one overlapping the other. In fact, in between “lands”, there were areas of silence and no lighting elements, allowing runners to “reset” before entering the next land.
3. The neon-coloured water station cups
It wasn’t long before we reached the first water station. And I have to say that it was very organised, with ample helpers shuttling between the station and the crowd of walkers/runners, handing out cups of water in neon-coloured cups. Oh yes, the neon-coloured cups. One cannot go without talking about them. Our friends from Livescape had them specially made for Electric Run Malaysia and we like the added touch. I was about a step away from nicking some home for myself. But don’t tell Livescape I said that 😉
4. Various colourful, ethereal course lands
Every Electric Run event is as unique as each city because no 2 venues or communities are the same. So every race experience is tailored to the location and the crowd. We loved the various colourful course lands as they created a vibrant atmosphere full of colour, energy, and of course, sound. For Electric Run Malaysia, we identified a total of 6 course lands – neffmau5, Electro Rainforest, Rainbow Road, Under The Sea, Candy Lane, and Power House. My personal favourite was the Candy Lane because not only did it have lit up giant inflatable candies – it smelled like candy. The course lands also make for good distractions as you know how long-drawn and boring some runs can be. What’s that? The Electric Run Malaysia was a 5km run? It didn’t feel like it!
5. Finish line rewards & goodies
While waiting out the adrenaline rush and allowing our bodies to cool down from the 5km run, we were treated to the finish line rewards and goodies. This include an Electric Run Malaysia medal, a bottle of Evian water, and freeflow ice-cream! There were also some finish line celebration performances from the likes of Malaysian artistes Jin Hackman, Kyoto Protocol, Enterprise, DJ Nesh, and Paperplane Pursuit. The epic night then ended with a beautiful display of fireworks that I didn’t actually manage to witness up close because I was stuck in an equally epic traffic jam out of the Selangor Turf Club carpark. True story.
Fun fact: The inaugural Electric Run Malaysia also officially made its entry into The Malaysia Book of Records for the largest participation in a neon run. Congratulations, Livescape!
For more pictures from the event, check out the gallery below:
*Pictures courtesy of Livescape.
It’s no wonder why the Electric Run is one of the world’s most popular, if not most popular, fun run! We can’t wait to go back again when it comes back bigger and better than ever next year 🙂
For more information, visit Livescape’s Facebook page or Electric Run Malaysia’s Facebook page.
