活力路跑

Woke up in time for the 3rd Samsung Run for Life (活力路跑) 3-km fun run in Taipei City which flagged off at 7 am this morning. Registration was free, and the lucky draw prizes were simply fabulous - fridges, TVs, washing machines, PDAs, mobile phones and more. And everyone got a T-shirt and a water-bottle too.

Logistics-wise, the race wasn't all that great. There were no water points (not that they were really required for such a short race), no baggage storage area, and only two mobile toilets for a turnout of nearly 30,000 - according to the comperes on stage. And the route was boring, and also short enough to leave a runner like me yearning in vain for more.

But the post-race on-stage performances were great. With a professional TV comedian at the mike, there was never a dull moment. There were also karate cum skateboarding dances, children's hip-hop dances, and five songs by five talented youths from 星光幫. There was even an award ceremony for ten deaf citizens who were commended for their excellent contributions to civil society in spite of their disability.

With a programme so appealing and lucky draw prizes so tantalising, it was no wonder that the crowd stayed behind all the way to the end of the event.

Overall, for me, it started off as a good short run and ended up as a really cool mini-pop concert :)