KUALA TERENGGANU: The Sultan Mahmud Bridge will come ‘alive’ at midnight today (Friday) when some 50,000 people take part in an international run.
The annual ‘Sultan Mahmud Bridge International Run’, dubbed as the ‘Vacay-Run’ will break from tradition from its usual early morning start.
Instead, the ‘Vacay-Run’ will begin at midnight today from Dataran Batu Burok, pass through the bridge, and end at the same venue at 10am tomorrow (Saturday).
It is expected top runners and enthusiasts from all over the country and overseas, as part of the ‘Visit Beautiful Terengganu Year 2017’ calendar.
Terengganu Amateur Athletics Association president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh said the midnight flag-off was expected to give participants a cooler and refreshing run when the temperature is lower than if it were to be run at a later time.
“Thus, it is being promoted as a vacation run to boost sports tourism in the state,” said Hisham.
The run, offering a total prize money of RM204,000, will have a full- marathon 42km international Open and national run for both men and women.
“There will also be the half-marathon 21km run for Open, national and Teerngganu Closed categories.
“Likewise, there will be a 12km Open and veterans run, 8km secondary schoolboys and schoolgirls event, 5km primary schoolboys and schoolgirls event, and a 3km fun run for adults and children,” he said.
The 7km long Sultan Mahmud bridge, constructed in 1988, was opened by the then Terengganu ruler, the late Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah on March 11, 1990.
The bridge cuts across Sungai Terengganu and offers a spectacular view of the Kuala Terengganu, its lagoon, the Pulau Duyong marina and Pulau Wan Man where the crystal mosque is situated.