The Super Ultra-marathon Runner

Note by KC: Have you ever tried doing calculation while running a 10km or 20km race? This is my personal experience: I am not able to compute other than straight forward arithmetic. I believe that with the non-stop jerking while running, it may affect the brainpower.

Another reason could be due to too much blood is channeled to the limbs leaving much less blood in the head necessary to do the computation. Anyway, I am not able to answer the question whether running is harmful to our brains. I will keep that in mind when I attain the (bmw) 7 Series one day.

On 28 April 2007, while standing precariously at the peak of Klang Gate Ridge, I asked Tan Ay Peng (a Pacesetters runner) this question: “How many full marathons have you run within a year?” He pondered for a while amid his rest, and then he said “20”!

I was impressed. For most runners, we probably do one in Kuala Lumpur International Marathon in March; another one in Singapore International Marathon in December – that was exactly what I did for the past few years. At times, I run another one in mid-year.

Below is an extract of email from Tan Ay Peng, a super ultra-marathoner, publish with consent. In December 2005, he did four full marathons and one ultra-marathon. Wow! This is an amazing feat!

Hi KC,

Thank you for your time and thank you for Tey Eng Tiong’s interest in my running records.

I wish to apologize for a mistake in providing the information on marathon running to you off-hand. Upon Tey's kind enquiry, I made a "stock-take" and realize that the 20 times of marathon running was in the period of 15 months – not 12 months – which was from March 2005 to June 2006. In the 20 run-counts, I take Singapore Mc Ritchie Ultramarathon as two, a 30km Great Eastern as one.
Tan Ay Peng standing at one of the peaks of Klang Gate Ridge. Photo was taken on 28 April 2007.

The details are as follow:

Month / Year (Count)

03/05 (1) Malaysia KL marathon;
06/05 (2) Thai Lanshaga Nakhon marathon;
07/05 (3) Malaysia Melaka marathon;
08/05 (4) Thai Songkla marathon;
10/05 (5) China Beijing marathon;
11/05 (6) Thai Bangkok marathon;
12/05 (7) Singapore Std Chart marathon;
12/05 (8) Brunei marathon;
12/05 (9) Thai Hadyai marathon;
12/05 (10) Thai ChiangMai marathon;
12/05 (11,12) Singapore Mc Ritchie Ultra marathon (95km);
01/06 (13) Thai ChomBeng University marathon;
01/06 (14) Malaysia Grt Eastern 30K;
01/06 (15) Thai Isan KonKen University marathon;
02/06 (16) Thai Rajchaphat University marathon;
02/06 (17) Thai Kumpangseng Airport marathon;
02/06 (18) Philipine Manila Pasig river marathon;
03/06 (19) Malaysia KL marathon;
03/06 (20) China Xiamen marathon;