Re: SABERKAS RH Marathon 2006

Dear Jason Tai,

Thanks for offering medals to those whom completed within the qualifying time but no medals. I was lucky to get one since I came in early for the half marathon. Some suggestions I would like to put forth so that we runners will continue to come again next year. Afterall there was quite a number of participants from Kuala Lumpur running in your Kuching event for the first time. So I guess whether my pacesetter friends come again will depend on this outcome.Kuching is a clean city and for me it's first time to be taking part in your event. I understand that some of my friends skipped KL International marathon just to participate in your event.My suggestions are:

1) Segregate the medal giveaway tents away from each other like your full marathon. Having the 10 and 21km medals tents side by side will create chaos due to too many people crowding the tents.Thus medal was incorrectly given out.

2) Or give away medals as the runners come in at the finishing point within the qualifying time. Or medal claim voucher.

3) Having 5, 10, 15,20,25,30,35 & 40 km markers at refreshment stations. There was none or lack of it when I ran. It's good motivation to us running first time since we do not know how far to go. Doesn't cost much anyway.

4) I understand from my friend that the drinks station wrapped up before the full marathon ended thus with the hot weather on that day it was a torturing run for some.

5) Rope in more sports accesories booths offering special discount to runners.

6) Have accomodation packages for outstation participants from KL for example. Just a tie up with some hotels offering discount for runners only. With reasonable packages we can look forward towards extended stay thus promoting Kuching tourism.

Hope you will look into some of my suggestions and make it such that it will be worth for me and the rest of the runners to look forward to your event every year which I am sure you can. Anyway thanks to you and your organising committee for this successful event. I definitely had my first taste of Kuching.

Rgds,
YF Chong
C3039

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Hi Chong

Congrats on finishing the Race! On behalf of the organising committee, my apologies for the hiccup on the finishing medals! and thank you for your comments and suggestions on improvements for the next one!

We have made arrangements with the supplier to make additional medals and will be sent to all who missed out!

Segregating the categories or giving out at finshing point is definitely the way to go next time. I am surprised to hear that the drinks station closed earlier as the person in charge of the stations called me at 12:30pm to ask whether he can close. Will defintely investigate further.

As for the hotels, we did offer packages but there were no many takers. perhaps the packages were not attractive enough but we will bargain for better packages next time.

We did want to put together a sports and fitness expo but due to lack of a hall and the location of the Start & Finishing point, we could not this time round. For the next one, we hope to hold it in city centre.

Your suggestion on km markers at drink stations noted.

Once again, my apologies for the shortcomings! and thank you very much for joining us at the Tropical Race!

Happy Running,
Jason