KUALA LUMPUR: SCORE, a full-fledged sports and fitness event management company, is using its recently-organised marathon to underline its commitment to supporting Malaysians from all ages and abilities to lead healthy, active lifestyles.
The SCORE Marathon 2022, which took place at Dataran Putrajaya on Oct 23, was presented for the first time by AIA Vitality, an innovative health programme of insurance giant AIA.
The marathon saw over 12,000 running enthusiasts from not just Malaysia but from across the globe gathering in Putrajaya to compete across a range of distances from 5km to 42km under the theme "Resume. Recharge. Recapture the Glory".
Patricia Tan, chief executive officer of SCORE Sports Management Sdn Bhd, said as a leading sports and fitness event organiser, it had been looking out for the right time post-pandemic to resume organising large scale sporting events like SCORE Marathon.
"We've certainly had an incredibly successful event, but what I'm especially excited about is how we've incorporated some significant improvements in how we run things in terms of adopting more sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices."
She added that where possible, it made sure that the plastic waste generated was efficiently recycled.
During the event, a total of 10,500 water bottles were used by participants and out of that amount, SCORE recycled about 400kg of the waste generated to give a second life to these plastic bottles.
This ensure that the bottles are neither discarded haphazardly nor taking up space at a landfill.
"This is something that we've successfully introduced in this event and will continue to implement not just for our marathons, but our other sporting events as well," Tan said.
AIA Malaysia chief marketing officer Heng Zee Wang chimed in on AIA's status as event presenter for SCORE Marathon 2022.
"With Malaysia having successfully entered the endemic phase, it was a fantastic opportunity for AIA Vitality, our innovative health programme that rewards healthy choices with insurance/takaful benefits and exclusive partner rewards to tie-up with SCORE Marathon to encourage Malaysians to reach out for healthier, richer and more fulfilling lives by embracing physical running."
All runners were flagged off from Palace of Justice with the 42km category starting first at 3:30am.
Runners were guided along clearly demarcated routes through Putrajaya, with ample water stations, washrooms and first aid facilities along the way to ensure that participants' safety and comfort were always prioritised.
Participants ranged from casual fitness enthusiasts to elite athletes, with the full-length 42km distance marathon also acting as qualification for the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which are six of the world's most prestigious marathons.
Atendees were also able to relax and enjoy the carnival setup replete with photo zones, food trucks and activity booths from various sponsors including AIA Vitality, D'Smart Sports Massage, Ice Power and PRIME.