KPJ Healthcare Berhad

Rat Race bigger & better than ever

Strings of multi-hued balloons added colour to the bustle and cheer of the 12th The Edge-Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Rat Race last Tuesday.

Strings of multi-hued balloons added colour to the bustle and cheer of the 12th The Edge-Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Rat Race last Tuesday.

Strains of bagpipe music blended with the drumbeats that pounded in time with the prancing lion dance troupes of Maybank and Ireka.

Whistles, vuvuzelas and cheering greeted participants and supporters who used the prerace time to mingle, do warm-up jogs or just have a blast on the bouncy castles.

First-time runner Jude Lopez of Oracle spent his pre-race minutes jogging and admitted to being very excited about the race, calling the concept interesting.

Racers congregated outside Bursa Malaysia as early as 2pm, accompanied by enthusiastic cheerleaders and fellow workers. The bright decorations and general high spirits turned the road outside the building into an impromptu street festival of sorts.

Banners with corporate logos flew high and the weather itself seemed caught up in the mood of the race, bringing cool breezes and a refreshing drizzle that heartened the runners.

Each team had its own gimmick to differentiate itself from the others, from YTL Cornmunications live-streaming the event to the Cube outside Lot 10 by strapping a camera on runner Asrar Makrani to creative outfits and accoutrements like Mickey Mouse ears adorning the heads of Genting Malaysia’s runners.

This years Rat Race saw the participation of 131 teams of five runners each from 90 local, foreign, private and public-listed companies who got together not only to compete in a healthy fun event but also to work together for the good of others by hitting the streets.

The CEO Race saw the heads of the participating companies do a wild 1km dash after being flagged off at 5pm by Bursa Malaysia Bhd chairman Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah and Rat Race adviser and The Edge editor-in-chief Dorothy Teoh.

Fifteen minutes later, the team runners were let loose on the roads of Kuala Lumpur for the 4.5km race.Cheah Per-Li of Accenture Solutions, who won the CEO

Race in the female category for the second time running, observed that the event was getting bigger by the year while Koe P K of S P Setia running for the 10th year noted wryly that the participants were getting younger a good sign for charity.

Maybank did exceptionally well this year, producing the Male Champion in the Open race, the Female Champion in the Mixed category and both Male and Female Champions in the Senior category. Looi Mei yan,who won the Mixed race, said she was thrilled about her win. "I was one minute faster than last year, she said with a pleased grin.


Maybank’s yellow-and-black-clad cheerleaders also scooped up the first prize in the Cheering and Team Spirit category, wowing the crowd with their slick moves.

Modelled after the Carey Wall Street Rat Race in New York, the Kuala Lumpur Rat Race was inspired by the fact that businesses must remember their corporate social responsibilities despite being caught in the proverbial rat race, dashing desperately to the finish line or climbing the corporate ladder of success.

This annual event provides the platform for that and with each passing year, it is gaining more recognition from Corporate Malaysia.

Since its debut in 2000, the Rat Race has seen more than RM13 million donated to 150 charitable organisations. This year, it brought in a record RM1.93 million, which will be given to 20 beneficiaries, including National Kidney Foundation Adopt an NKF

Patient; Native Youth Institute, Sarawak; Pertubuhan Asuhan dan Didikan Anak-anak Yatim Islam Daerah Sik, Kedah; Persatuan Kebajikan Rumah Grace Klang; and Pusat Jagaan Orang Tua Jireh.

The Edge-Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Rat Race is organised by The Edge and Bursa Malaysia and supported by Yayasan Bursa Malaysia. The federal Territory Amateur Athletic Association (FTAAA) provides technical support.

The official sponsors of this year's event were 100PLUS, Astro, Coca-cola Malaysia and LiteFM.
 
Celcom Axiata Bhd and Sapura The Federal Territory Amateur Ath- Group of Companies were the Gold letic Association (VFAAA) provides Sponsors, Kenanga Investment Bank technical support. Bhd and Malton Bhd the Silver Spon-Theofficialsponsorsofthisyears sors while Hong Leong Bank Bhd, event were 100PLUS,Astro,Coca-Cola Sunrise Bhd and Top Glove Corp Bhd Malaysia and LiteFM. were the Bronze Sponsors.