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The Belaga Rainforest Challenge 2007 a success
26 August 2007
The foreign participants in the challenge.
Billy and Hang Tuah Merawin (with flag) flag off the participants.
Madang Meli holds Jalur Gemilang with Billy.
BELAGA: `The Belaga Rainforest Challenge 2007` - the first such event here – held at Giam Pasang earlier in the week was a great success.
All the 51 participants in both the men and women open categories completed the run except for two who withdrew after the first check point.
Madang Meli from Uma Sihan who earned himself the title `The Flying Sihan` emerged champion in men`s open category.
He finished the race in one hour 30 minutes and 13 seconds.
`Madang` in Kayan – Kenyah language means flying.
According to the locals, under normal circumstances it would take them about five to six hours to cover the route taken during the Rainforest Challenge, but several participants from the Sihan community (Sihan is one of the Orang Ulu tribes in Belaga) completed the race in less than two hours.
The first runner-up was Balan Chan (1:31:27) and in third spot was Nawan Tabai (1:31:32).
The champion in the women`s category was Biling Naga (2:20:41), also from Uma Sihan.
Ara Chan finished second (2:21:56) while in third place was 50-year-old Lee Ai Chuo from Marathon Club.
The oldest participants in the race, Belahang Utu, 58, from Uma Daro, Sungai Asap also completed the race.
The men`s category saw a total of 35 participants while in the women`s category there were 16.
Four tourists from France and Spain, who love nature and adventure, also took part in the event.
The four foreigners are Martelet, Hernandez Moya Ferran, Grenard and Aleu Bover.
The Rainforest Challenge to some is a test of endurance and physical fitness, running though the thick rainforest encountering various obstacles such as mountain terrain, slippery tracks and rocky conditions of the trails.
The champion in each category received RM1,400, first runner-up RM1,000, third RM700.
There were seven consolation prizes of RM200 each for both categories apart from certificates of participation.
Present to flag-off the race at Giam Pasang were Hulu Rejang Member of Parliament Billy Abit Joo, Kapit Resident Hang Tuah Merawin, Belaga District Council secretary David Upe, who is also the race director and some committee members and technical officials.
Earlier, before proceeding to the starting point (located about 12 minutes by boat from Belaga town) all the participants took part in a 20-minute mass aerobic exercise.
Source: The Sunday Post (26/8/2007)
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