KOTA KINABALU: Some local professional runners are not keen to restart their training routine in public despite the relaxation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that on Monday, people are allowed to take part in social activities provided that they are done in small-scale.
Elite runner Fabian Osmond, however, thinks that it is still safer to avoid public areas to do his training for the time being.
"We will never know who is asymptomatic out there, they might appear to be healthy but potentially infectious.
"It really feels abnormal not to be outside, but I will just take this time to rest my body by doing farming and carry out my duty as an enforcement officer with Kota Kinabalu City Hall," said the 40-year-old athlete whose pace is 3.55 min/km for full marathon races.
Fabian, who normally takes part in at least six major running events throughout the country annually, runs 90 minutes or 18 kilometres each time, five days a week.
In Ranau, former Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon champion Safrey Sumping echoed the same sentiment, saying that it was still unsafe to indulge in outdoor recreational activities.
"I am not so sure yet whether I should go out and do my running... it depends how many people will go out on May 4.
"Since the MCO, I've been staying indoor and do all sorts of workouts including skipping. There should be no problem to pick up the stamina and performance (prior to any races)," said the 37-year-old mountain guide whose next race would have been the annual Borneo International Marathon.
The Borneo International Marathon set for June 21 has been cancelled due to Covid-19. It saw some 5,000 runners already signed up.