Putrajaya is just South of Kuala Lumpur. It was built in the mid 90s, to provide a less congested place for administrative functions. Like many newly built cities, it works on the grand scale.

As with other new capitals (or administrative spaces - the capital remains Kuala Lumpur) it’s a fascinating place to wander round. It’s designed to be easy living in order to attract people in, but also with growth in mind. The massed ranks of car parks that intersperse the streets bearing large buildings show how many people are expected to work here. But despite a growing population, from 30,000 in 2007 to 120,000 in 2024, there is masses of space, and a general sense of underpopulation.

It is also a place designed with green spaces in mind, and as you can see if you look it up on the map, the lake and tributaries encircle large parts - man-made, apparently. All of which means that a waterside run route seems very natural.

The meeting point is easy to find, so long as you know it’s at the Futsal Complex, Presint 18 (and walk down the South side). I wandered there from my hotel, and a car pulled to an abrupt half in front of me just a couple of hundred metres from the start. I figured they must be parkrunners who had spotted my 250 shirt, and sure enough, their taxi driver did not know where to go. After a bit of chat, and a bit of debate - would we walk (I wanted to) or would I get in the cab (with hindsight, some minor pressure from one incumbent) - we walked to the start together.

The sun comes up a little before the event starts, so most people have the fun of travelling there in the dark and watching the sun come up at some point - with extra kudos to the people who are out setting up the cones and signs needed. The course is relatively simple on that front, but someone still needs to do the necessary.

The turnout here is healthy, varied but often in excess of 100. It’s the only parkrun in Malaysia,* the natural focus for any tourists who want a fix while also attracting plenty of locals, making for a nice blend of visitors and locals. There’s potential for more, too, as I passed several non-parkrunning runners using the wide boulevards and pavements in the relative cool of the dark morning.

It was warm even on this cloudy day - mid 20s perhaps, but feeling a bit warmer. I’ve run in these conditions several times, but still don’t really have a plan - go off relatively slowly is a good rule of thumb, but I think afterwards I always think “yes, a bit slower than that”. This was no exception, with my mile splits slowing each time. But without a scorching sun I wasn’t struggling as I have before. And it’s always a bonus not to be in pouring rain, which is one alternative.

The route is very straightforward. That one left-turn at the start, a brief detour that’s distinctly uphill but adds up to very little in actual elevation. Then back to the river path, keep going till the turnaround, then head back. Just be careful not to take the right fork where that out-and-back section was, as it looks ever so tempting.

I hadn’t spotted him at the start, but realised on the route that Harry, who I’d met in 2018, hung out with and met his parents, was also here. I’d got the idea he was in Australia, but was very happy to catch up with him at the end. The run director also remembered me, with the passage of time only slightly eroding the context - I had to let him know that this was a new course for me, and we’d previously met at Taman Pudu Ulu. Harry offered me a lift back to my hotel which I gratefully accepted, and I was back in the pool by 9:30. But there’s also breakfast available right next to the run, and I bet, without any fear that I missed out, that it was as good as a cool pool overlooking the city.

* There used to be one in Taman Pudu Ulu, which I ran four times in 2018, but which unfortunately closed at the end of 2022

Results from Presint 18 parkrun #195, 1/2/25; 111 finishers

In case you’re interested, I stayed at the Dorsett Putrajaya hotel, which is pretty nice. It’s also the obvious choice if you want to walk to the start; it’s a couple of km away, but the nearest one. But taxis/grab are generally decent ways to get around, and plenty of people have come here from further away. It’s billed as a 4-star hotel, with a bit of debate in the more pompous reviews as to whether it’s worth it, but don’t overthink it - this is a decent place, with a pool, gym and air-conditioning, many car parks out front and a collection of food trucks visible out front.

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