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Penang Bridge International Marathon

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Penang Bridge International Marathon
Penang Bridge at sunrise
Datelate November
LocationPenang, Malaysia
Event typeRoad (mostly on a bridge)
DistanceMarathon
Established1984 (40 years ago) (1984)[a]
Course recordsMen: 2:19:47.1 (2014)
Kenya Alex Melly
Women: 2:46:44.9 (2017)
Kenya Margaret Wangui
Official sitePenang Bridge Marathon
Participants25,000 (all races) (2019)[1]

The Penang Bridge International Marathon (Malay: Maraton Antarabangsa Jambatan Pulau Pinang) or Penang Bridge Marathon is an annual marathon event held at Penang Bridge in Penang, Malaysia, since 1984.[a] It is organised by Penang State Tourism Development office (PETACH) and fully supported by the Penang State Government. It is known as the biggest run in the country.[citation needed] During the competition, participants run over the bridge and along a scenic coastal highway.[3]

History

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The event started in 1984[a] as a road race from Esplanade to Gurney Drive. With the completion of Penang Bridge in 1985, it is usually held there in late November annually since 1986 with the exception of 2014, when the event was held at Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge which is also known as the Penang Second Bridge.[3]

In 2006, after a break for a number of years, the Penang Bridge International Marathon was revived as "a combination" of the Penang International Marathon, which was last held in 1999, and the Penang Bridge Run, which had been held from 1992 to 2003.[5]

In 2020, the competition was rebranded with the introduction of the new logo as well as the tagline "The Asian Challenge", reflecting the vision of making it into an internationally acknowledged marathon run event.[6]

Controversies

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In 2016, the event was rescheduled in order to accommodate requests from the parents of schoolchildren, causing trouble for runners who had already booked flights for the race.[7]

In 2017, there were a number of issues, including issuing shirts of incorrect sizes, running out of water, handing out expired chocolate bars, delaying the reporting of results,[b] and denying some podium finishers an onstage presentation.[c][8][7][9] In addition, some runners waited for two hours for finisher medals, and over three hours for food.[8][9]

Cancellations

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In 2018, the 10k race was cancelled for the first time "due to heavy rain and lightning", with all registered runners given finisher medals as a consolation.[10][d]

The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all entries automatically transferred to 2021, and all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to another runner.[11][12]

Course

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External image
image icon Course map of full marathon in 2019[13]

The current version of the marathon runs on a loop course that begins and ends at the outdoor car park of the Queensbay Mall.[13][14]

The course first enters Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, which runs along the eastern coast of Penang Island, with runners first running south and then back up north before turning back south to cross the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) bridge.[13][4] Shortly after crossing the bridge, runners turn around and run across the bridge again, before heading south to finish back at the Queensbay Mall.[13]

Other races

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The Penang Bridge International Marathon also incorporates a half-marathon event and a 10-km run event. The competition also had an 8 km fun run event, but it was removed in 2018 as part of rebranding exercise.[15] The organiser originally planned to remove the 10-km run competition as well by 2020, but chose to continue due to popular demand.[16]

Winners

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Full marathon

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Key:    Course record

Year Men's winner Time[e] Women's winner Time[e] Rf.
1984  Budd Coates (USA) 2:29:59  Leslie Watson (GBR) 3:02:43 [2]
1985  Hiroaki Oyagi (JPN) 2:27:52  Fung-fan Wong (HKG) 3:01:08 [2]
1986  Shin Yen-ho (TPE) 2:28:14  Satsuko Hanafusa (JPN) 2:58:00 [2]
1987  Jimmy de la Torre (PHI) 2:29:52  Satsuko Hanafusa (JPN) 2:54:58 [2]
1988  Doug Kurtis (USA) 2:29:40  Satsuko Hanafusa (JPN) 3:10:24 [2]
1989  Amaram Raman (MYS) 2:35:09  Sunita Godara (IND) 3:03:02 [2]
1990  Trevor Scott (AUS) 2:34:13  Sunita Godara (IND) 3:00:56 [2]
1991  Hsu Gi-sheng (TPE) 2:29:29  Sunita Godara (IND) 3:01:29 [2]
1992  Trevor Scott (AUS) 2:31:15  Sunita Godara (IND) 2:55:06 [2]
1993  Daniel Shungea (KEN) 2:26:12  Karen Moir (AUS) 2:55:12 [2]
1994  Daniel Shungea (KEN) 2:28:59  Franca Fiacconi (ITA) 2:56:49 [2]
— not held from 1995 to 2002[f]
2003  John Kelai (KEN) 2:29:56  Yuan Yufang (MYS) 3:09:19 [17]
— not held from 2004 to 2005 [5]
2006  Samuel Tarus (KEN) 2:37:11  Devamani Sothie (MYS) 3:21:02
2007  Sammy Kurgat (KEN) 2:26:00  Devamani Sothie (MYS) 3:16:02
2008  Benjamin Metto (KEN) 2:24:50  Doris Chepchumba (KEN) 3:14:04
2009  Kennedy Melly (KEN) 2:23:55  Doris Chepchumba (KEN) 3:08:37
2010  Alex Melly (KEN) 2:24:30  Rose Chesire (KEN) 2:59:14 [2]
2011  Charles Kigen (KEN) 2:21:56.9  Margaret Wangui (KEN) 3:06:38.6 [2]
2012  Isaac Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:31:02  Monika Fischer (GER) 3:25:10 [2]
2013  James Cherutich (KEN) 2:24:42.8  Naomi Wangui (KEN) 2:53:03.7 [2]
2014  Alex Melly (KEN) 2:19:47.1  Fridah Lodepa (KEN) 3:04:09.6 [18][19]
2015  Julius Seurei (KEN) 2:22:04.9  Fridah Lodepa (KEN) 2:47:46.2 [18][20]
2016  Bernard Muthoni (KEN) 2:27:42.0  Margaret Wangui (KEN) 2:53:07.3 [18][21]
2017  Josphat Too (KEN) 2:23:30.2  Margaret Wangui (KEN) 2:46:44.9 [18][21]
2018  James Tallam (KEN) 2:24:22.0  Peninah Kigen (KEN) 2:46:52.9 [18][22]
2019  Moses Kiptoo (KEN) 2:20:05  Peninah Kigen (KEN) 2:51:50 [23]
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic [11]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c The Association of Road Racing Statisticians believes 1982 was the inaugural year, but does not have any details regarding the winners of that year.[2] Also, the first time the run was held on the bridge was 1986, since the bridge was completed in 1985.[3][4]
  2. ^ Runners complained that full results had not been posted by evening, with one runner complaining that the results had incorrectly stated that the runner had "withdrawn during [the] race".[8][7]
  3. ^ One 17-year-old girl, who placed second in her category, was left "sob[bing] uncontrollably" when she learned that she had to collect her prize at a booth.[9]
  4. ^ Yeoh Soon Hin, the organizing chairman, stated that the 10k race could not be postponed as the bridge had to be reopened by a certain time.[10] The full and half marathons, however, had begun hours earlier.[10]
  5. ^ a b h:m:s
  6. ^ The Star reports that the Penang International Marathon was held until 1999 and the Penang Bridge Run was held until 2003.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Penang Bridge International Marathon 2019 attracts 25,000 runners".
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Penang Marathon".
  3. ^ a b c "About - Penang Marathon".
  4. ^ a b "Penang Bridge turns 25 this year".
  5. ^ a b c "Bridge run returns as marathon event".
  6. ^ "Launching of new logo for Penang Bridge International Marathon". Penang Bridge International Marathon.
  7. ^ a b c "Handling of Penang Bridge International Marathon continues to draw flak | New Straits Times". 29 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Penang Bridge marathon continues to draw flak, participants vent anger on Facebook | New Straits Times". 28 November 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Nambiar, Predeep (27 November 2017). "Penang Bridge run 'sia-sui', runners complain as medals run out". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Kenyans dominate Penang Bridge Marathon; 10km category axed over rain | New Straits Times". 25 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Penang Bridge International Marathon Turns Virtual".
  12. ^ "Exco: Penang cancelling year-end activities, celebrations | Malay Mail". 5 September 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d "Site Map & Route Map". Archived from the original on 19 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Full Marathon (42.195 km)".
  15. ^ "No more fun run for Penang bridge marathon".
  16. ^ "Yeoh: PBIM will omit 10km run from 2020". 28 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Malaysian Yufang and Kenyan Kelai come out tops".
  18. ^ a b c d e https://web.archive.org/web/20200908231251/https://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Marathon-2019-guidebook-web.pdf
  19. ^ "Kenyans in top form".
  20. ^ "Fridah Chepkite LODEPA | Profile | World Athletics".
  21. ^ a b "ARRS - Runner: Margaret Wangui Njuguna".
  22. ^ "Runners weather the storm".
  23. ^ "Married couple wins 2019 Penang Bridge Int'l full marathon | New Straits Times". 24 November 2019.
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