KUALA LUMPUR: Join the Jom Jalan event with National Press Club (NPC) whose goal is to get Malaysians walking tall.
The inaugural walkathon, jointly organised by the Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur Athletics Association (FTKLAA) at Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur on June 2, is aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle and unearth new talent.
FTKLAA secretary S. Murugesu said Malaysia has a rich history of producing walking champions such as G. Saravanan, who won the 50km walk at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Another walker, V. Subramaniam, won six Sea Games gold and five silver medals in the 10km and 20km race walk between 1977 and 1989.
"Subramaniam was the runner-up in the men's 20km walk at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, a feat that saw him win the national Sportsman of the Year award," said Murugesu.
"Annastasia Karen Raj and Yuan Yufang also won medals in the Sea Games. Both also competed in the Olympics.
"However, there has been a lack of walking champions in recent years, and we hope the Jom Jalan with NPC will be an annual affair to discover future champions."
Meanwhile NPC president Datuk Ahirudin Attan said they hope the walk would help unite Malaysians from all walks of life.
"Walking together can create a sense of camaraderie among participants, and it is a healthy, low-stress activity.
"Join us for Jom Jalan with NPC to build relationships and capture memories.
"We have a competitive category as we want to help FTKLAA unearth new talent as there are not many walking competitions in the country," he added.
The Jom Jalan with NPC offers two main categories: a competitive 10km walk and a 5km fun walk.
The competitive 10km walk will have four sub-categories: open men's, open women's, boys, and girls (aged 13 to 17).
The fun walk is open to all age groups. Those interested can register at raceroster.com or Checkpoint Spot.
Corporations interested in sponsoring or participating in Jom Jalan with NPC 2024 can contact club manager Steven Foo at 019-245-8073.