Malaysian man runs 263km-long marathon at home
Malaysian man runs a 263km-long indoor marathon during MCO without leaving his house
Image adapted from: Yim Heng Fatt
The month-long Movement Control Order (MCO) has left health nuts and fitness kakis with a daily struggle as they’re no longer able to hit the gym for their routine workout. While some have been creative enough to come up with home workouts instead, others couldn’t seem to give up their morning jogs outside, which resulted in their arrest.
However, this Malaysian man has single-handedly proven that you don’t need to leave your house or fancy gym equipment to get an intense workout in. Making use of the space in his house, he managed to run a 263km-long marathon completely indoors over the span of 36 hours. His achievement means that we can no longer point our fingers at MCO for falling behind on our New Year’s resolution to keep fit.
How the impressive feat was achieved
Yim Heng Fatt shared his impressive journey on Facebook and even posted regular updates during the 36-hour marathon. As per traditional marathons, he flagged off early in the morning at 6AM on Saturday, 4th April 2020. He only completed his run the day after at 6PM, making the total duration to be 36 hours.
Uncle Yim, as he’s fondly called, is the man smiling brightly on the left.
Image credit: Yim Heng Fatt
And if you were wondering, no, he did not spend the entire 36 hours running around his house. He took reasonable breaks in between to eat, shower, and rest.
He even had a “water station”, which was basically his well-stocked fridge that had all sorts of drinks and a tray-full of ice for a quick refreshing beverage to keep himself hydrated. He also had packets of bread to replenish his energy in between.
He would crack open a beer after every 50km to celebrate the milestone
Image adapted from: Yim Heng Fatt
Yim even filmed a tour of his house to show the route he followed in response to curious followers who flooded him with questions on how he managed to run a marathon inside his house. According to him, he only ran on the ground floor where the layout of his home was split into 4 quadrants: living room, foyer, kitchen, and dining area.
He would then just run from 1 section of the house to the next while dodging the furniture, which is why opting for a slow and steady pace is key for running in a crowded room.
Image adapted from: Yim Heng Fatt
The photo above is a glimpse of his home that revealed his living area and the foyer where the main door is. The other 2 quadrants are on the right where the kitchen is connected by a bathroom that he passes through each round. The route he takes is roughly 50 metres long, which meant that he needed to circle his house 5,260 times in order to complete the 263-km marathon.
Almost better than running outdoors
After completing the indoor marathon, Yim had plenty of good things to say about his experience. He shared that unlike running outdoors where there’s a big chance that you’ll have to bear the sweltering Malaysian heat, running in the comfort of your home means that you can reach out for the A/C remote control whenever you start feeling warm.
He also shared another perk that some may find especially appealing: running naked for comfort. Just make sure your curtains are closed to keep away peeping Toms and you’re good to go!
Running a marathon during MCO
Yim finally completing the 263km indoor marathon with the support of his 2 cats, 1 of which is in the background.
Image credit: Yim Heng Fatt
Malaysians, take note! This is how you can get your workouts in during MCO and not by insisting on going for a jog around the neighbourhood while the COVID-19 pandemic is still rife.
We congratulate and applaud Uncle Yim for showing the rest of the world that a little determination and ingenuity is all it takes to make things happen. After witnessing his journey, Uncle Yim is now certified fitspo goals in every Malaysian’s eyes.
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