Energizer Night Race 2012 Takes Inspiration One Step Further

Energizer and its race participants, business partners and consumers join together
to demonstrate ‘Positivenergy’ for charity partners

SEPANG, 23rd April – The thunderous footsteps and cheers of 5,000 runners replaced the roar of high-performance engines at the Energizer Night Race 2012 in Sepang International Circuit last Saturday, representing a celebration of Energizer’s new global campaign, the enthusiasm of the running community, and a groundbreaking partnership with Kiwanis Malaysia.

The race, which is in its third consecutive year, saw the runners racing on the same track used by local and international motorsports stars while wearing unique Energizer LED headlights, transforming the Sepang International Circuit into a breathtaking “river of light” for participants and spectators alike.Instead of racing cars, 5000 runners in the Energizer Night Race 2012 took to the Sepang International Circuit and transformed it into a flowing river of light.

As dusk finally settled across Sepang, the participants were flagged off from 8:00pm by Mr. Mike Foong, managing director of Energizer Malaysia, and Mr. Ng Bee Keong, District Governor of Kiwanis Malaysia. Apart from the amazing spectacle of thousands of twinkling headlights through the track, spectators and supporters were also treated to a carnival area with sponsors’ activities and performances.

Adam Kamis, also known as the “1ArmRunner”, was specially invited as an inspirational runner in the Full Marathon (42km) Category. Adam, who lost his right arm and the use of his left arm in an accident in 2003, is a disabled athletic icon and is well-known in the region for competing in marathons and other sporting events – recently competing in the AVIVA Ironman 70.3 Singapore Triathlon in March.
The 42km Men's Open was won by Kenyan runner Kipchumba Abraham (centre) who clocked at 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Adam’s presence in the Energizer Night Race – which was his second international marathon – gave his fellow runners a new level of motivation as they clapped and cheered each other on amidst a fanfare of performances, cheerleading, and drums.

Almost three hours into the race, Kipchumba Abraham from Kenya emerged as the winner of the 42km Men’s Open category, clocking in at 2 hours 50 minutes and 6 seconds although it was his first race in Malaysia. He was followed 27 minutes later by Malaysian runner Eng Hup Boh, who was very surprised to know that he was the 1st runner-up behind a seasoned international marathoner.
The 42km Women's Open category was dominated by Malaysians, including winner Yee Pei Ni (centre) and runner-ups Brittany and Lee Siak Yeng.

The 42km Women’s Open category was dominated by Malaysian runners, with 22-year-old Yee Pei Ni winning the top place. Yee said, “I’m happy and didn’t expect to finish the fastest because I only restarted my training two weeks ago. I loved that it was well organised and the route was great yet challenging.”

There were some familiar faces among the winners, including Sheela a/p Samivellu, the champion of last year’s 11km Women’s Open and this year’s 15.5km Women’s Open. Clocking in at 1 hour 11 minutes and 15 seconds, Sheela credited her consecutive wins to proper training for endurance and stamina, as well as a good coach.
Adam Kamis, who is also known as the "1ArmRunner", gave the crowd a motivational session before the start of the warm-ups.

Participants had the choice of three race categories – 42km, 15.5km and 5.5km – which involved running on the iconic Sepang International Circuit (SIC) racetrack in part or in its entirety, with the chance to win cash prizes, products and vouchers worth RM40,500 in total.

This year’s completely revamped race follows Energizer’s launch of That’s Positivenergy earlier this year, which is a global campaign that changes the way the company engages consumers in working together to make a positive difference to the world. Under this campaign, Energizer Malaysia reiterated its commitment to participants and its consumers to offer a unique night running experience that combines the campaign’s two elements of Performance + Responsibility.
The most popular category was the 15.5km with more than 3,000 runners flagged off at 8:20pm.

According to Mike Foong, managing director of Energizer Malaysia, all 5,000 available entries were filled in only three weeks from the launch, demonstrating how the Energizer Night Race has regained the trust and support of running enthusiasts throughout Malaysia.

“The goal of the Energizer Night Race 2012 is to create an opportunity for Malaysian runners to not only experience running at night with an Energizer headlight to light the way while sharing the same race track as international motorsports superstars, but to also experience Energizer’s unique philosophy of That’s Positivenergy,” said Foong.

“Since last year’s race, we have worked hard over the past year to ensure a better race experience for all. This year, we hope we have demonstrated responsibility through our planning of the event and the charity partnership with Kiwanis Malaysia, while also giving participants the chance to experience the ‘Keep Challenging, Keep Winning’ performance that Energizer stands for,” he added.

This year’s race was organised by Twenty First Century Sports, a sports event specialist with an expertise in major road races and marathons, especially night races.


Giving the World a Brighter Future

The Energizer Night Race is part of a global series of races that was first launched in South Africa in 2007, and has since been held in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The series’ new theme of “For a Brighter World” reflects a global partnership between Energizer and OneMillionLights.org to bring safe and clean solar lighting to people around the world who do not have access to electricity. Energizer’s global operations are pledging to donate 11 million hours of light on behalf of all the registered runners worldwide.

For the launch of the Malaysian race in February, Energizer Malaysia announced a charity partnership with the Malaysian District of Kiwanis, an international not-for-profit organisation well-known for its established initiatives such as the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation and the Service Leadership Program (SLP), an international youth development program that provides leadership training.

At the pre-race press briefing, Energizer announced the successful contribution of RM10 per successful registration in the Energizer Night Race programmes under Kiwanis Malaysia, totalling RM50,000 from the 5,000 participants. This was further enhanced by another pledge of RM90,000 by 27 of Energizer’s key distributors and business partners, as well as RM5,700 from participants themselves who bid for 12 special bib numbers in support of the charity fund.

Energizer Malaysia will also increase the contribution by aiming to raise another RM210,000 through the sales of Energizer products from March to May this year, where every pack sold contributes 30 sen to Kiwanis Malaysia. The total charity contribution target at the end of the campaign is an impressive RM356,000.

The collected funds will benefit Kiwanis Malaysia’s 20 permanent Kiwanis Centres that serve and educate children and youths living with disabilities, as well as Kiwanis’ Going to School with Kiwanis programme that equips primary schoolchildren from poor families with a dictionary to inspire them to excel in school.


Turning Running into “Positivenergy”

Coincidentally, the date of this year’s Energizer Night Race (21st April) is the same as the second annual Kiwanis One Day event – a dedicated day of action that will unite Kiwanis members from around the globe and their communities in hands-on community service projects that they have identified. More than 600,000 Kiwanis members worldwide are expected to participate in community service projects which will add up to more than one million global service hours in just one day.

In support of this year’s Energizer Night Race and Kiwanis One Day, 144 Kiwanis members volunteered to provide moral and vocal support to the runners at strategic spots throughout the race, while promoting Kiwanis’ global ELIMINATE MNT project through the sale of merchandise in support of eradicating maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide.

Mr. Ng said that the Energizer Night Race offered its members a unique experience this year to do their Kiwanis One Day campaign. He said, “Kiwanis One Day activities in Malaysia are usually carried out during the day. This is the first time we are organising a night activity with members coming from all parts of Malaysia. I take this opportunity to thank all our members for their time and commitment to the Kiwanis spirit.”

Mr. Foong thanked participants, trade partners and consumers for their support towards Kiwanis Malaysia’s programmes, pointing out that the Energizer Night Race and other initiatives provided life-changing opportunities for children throughout Malaysia while giving them the power for a brighter future.

“Energizer recognises that we have to place a greater emphasis on responsibility in our business, the communities we operate in, and the environment as a whole. That’s why we are reaching out to the general public, our consumers and our stakeholders with new, unique initiatives as we believe everyone has the power to make a positive impact in our own community and beyond,” said Foong.

More information and latest race updates can be found on www.energizernightrace.com.my and www.facebook.com/EnergizerNightRaceMalaysia