We runners are hard to please. We complain when it rains, when it’s too hot, and of course the bane of all Malaysian and Singaporean Runners’ life – HAZE! It really hit us hard when the biggest run in Malaysia – KL Standard Chartered Marathon 2015 was cancelled abruptly due to haze. Yes to our absolutely dismay and disappointment. We trained so hard, we tapered, we carbo-loaded, man what were we going to do with the loaded carbs now?
Good news for Malaysians and Singaporeans!
Indonesian Governor of the South Sumatra Province Alex Noerdin has pledged that the region will not experience haze caused by the forest fires in South Sumatra this year.
“This year is more dangerous than 2015 because the dry season is longer and (quite) hot compared with 2015. But I guarantee there is no fire, there is no haze.”
Under Mr. Noerdin’s leadership, his team has been making preparations and efforts to prevent such fires. This includes canal-blocking that will raise water levels to sustain the water composition in the dry peat soil and prevent it from burning easily.The provincial officials have also started to train villagers, giving them the necessary equipment to extinguish and prevent fires. Mr. Noerdin is confident there will be no fire, no haze for this year, next year and the years to come.
So now we can all start carbo-loading in confidence that we would not waste our carbo-loading efforts!
