PBIM 2009 Part 2

Today the results are out. Here's how yours truly did:

Official time 2:43:30
Net time 2:39:00
Bridge u-turn: 1:10:52
e-Gate u-turn 2:04:33

So my own timing is off by about 18 secs, not bad.

Now that's on the record, I want to just jot down a few more things. I was too zonked out yesterday to think straight.

Yesterday's PBIM, my fifth, would qualify as the best ever PBIM I participated in, since I took part in my first PBIM in 2001. And it's way better than SCKLM '09. Kudos to the organizers.

For me, PBIM has it's inherent pluses:

1) You get to run on the bridge
2) The routes are totally closed to traffic - no fumes, no worry of being hit by cars, etc
3) Close to home (mine, that is)

This year, the organizer did several things right:

1) Optimized the routes & starting times to minimize fun-runners blocking full & half-marathon runners
2) Introduced chip timing
3) Water, water everywhere
4) Nice medals, clearly differentiated
5) Personalized certificates with official time (this remains to be seen)
6) Optionally can get race package couriered
7) AIMS certified routes
8) Luggage check-in facilities
9) Surau facilities for the Muslims
10) Most importantly, the organizers listened to runners thru Facebook, and attempted their level best to address all the issues that are important to them (water, congestion avoidance, etc)

Murphy's Law is still irrefutable, some slip-ups occurred along the way:
1) Vest sizes smaller than standard
2) At the finish, the chute wasn't deep enough. The organizer should distribute the medals & water further back to avoid the queue from building up & reaching the timing mat.

Just add a few more things, and the event would be perfect and World Class
1) Accurate distance markers. Emphasis on "accurate"
2) Publish the routes in MapMyRun or similar, instead of the cartoony maps
3) Pacers for full & half-marathoners maybe?


All in all, I rate PBIM2009 4.5 stars out of 5.


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