Putrajaya by night

I have been in Putrajaya dozens of times over the last three years to call on Ministers and senior officials.  Some people have doubts about the whole concept and of course it is true that Putrajaya still  lacks a real buzz.  But I have always found the architecture impressive and the planning interesting.  The inclusion of a Botanical Garden, Wetlands Area and world-class water-sport facilities are long-sighted and potentially a real asset to the region.

So I was fascinated to learn that there was to be a Putrajaya Night Marathon.  My daughter and wife were both going to participate.  And I decided I would have a go too.  I didn’t have to run the full marathon (40km), nor even the half-marathon.  I was able to join in the fun-run over 7.7km. 

The event was on Sunday, with the different races each having separate start times.  The 7.7km race began at 9.00pm, but we arrived early to soak up some of the atmosphere.  It was great. Over 8,000 people had entered.  Everyone seemed determined to have a good time. And Putrajaya was lit up wonderfully.  The start was outside the Palace of Justice, directly opposite the new mosque.  Many of the buildings and all the bridges were lit up.  Beautiful!

I managed to complete my race in just under an hour.  This had been my target, so I was very pleased.  But actually it was more about taking part and soaking up the spirit of the occasion.  On future visits to Putrajaya, I will always remember the crowds, the lights....and my race number: M1877!