I AM A HUMANITARIAN DR IN NGO IN ASEAN, WHO ALSO RUNS MARATHONS AS A HOBBY,ALONG WITH MY LOVE FOR WRITING. LAST YEAR,IN 2018,I JOINED A BUS TRIP TO HATYAI IN THAILAND FROM KUALA LUMPUR IN MALAYSIA;TO RUN -'HATYAI REVIVING MARATHON 2018'. I HAD ENROLLED IN HALF MARATHON,21.1 KM,THE CUT OFF TIME WAS 5 HOURS,WELL WITHIN MY REACH. BEING 58 AND 95 KG,UNDER DOCTOR'S ORDERS,MYSELF BEING ONE,TO REDUCE WEIGHT,WAIST SIZE AND DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE,ALONG WITH DE STRESS,MY BEST FRIEND IN THAILAND,A DR HIMSELF,PRESCRIBED RUNNING TO ME. I HAD THE OPTION OF JOGGING,TROTTING,CRAWLING,WALKING,ROLLING,YES,WITH A PINCH OF SALT,BUT COMPLETING THE RACE WAS ALWAYS THE TARGET,WITHIN CUT OFF TIME,OF COURSE TO GET THE FINISHERS MEDAL AND FINISHERS TEE. FAILURE WAS NOT AN OPTION. WE WERE TWENTY RUNNERS FROM CANADA,MALAYSIA,OTHER COUNTRIES,STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA FOR FULL MARATHON,HALF MARATHON,10 KM,5 KM. I WAS IN THE AGE GROUP CATEGORY 55-59 MALE GROUP. THIS WAS MY SECOND OVERSEAS HALF MARATHON ,AFTER MAYBANK BALI MARATHON 2018. I KNEW I FINISH CLOSE TO 4 HOURS,SO NO NEED TO PANIC AND BE PROUD OF ANYTHING,EXCEPT, OF COURSE,BRAGGING RIGHTS OF FINISHING 3 HOURS BEHIND THE EVENTUAL WINNER! WE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT BUS FROM KL TO HATYAI,WERE AT THE BORDER CHECK IMMIGRATION BY 10 PM AND LO! PRESTO,WAITED INSIDE THE BUS IN THE RAIN FOR THE NEXT 2 HOURS,BECAUSE THE LINE WAS RATHER LONG AND THE OFFICIALS TOO SLOW. ALL SAID AND DONE,REACHED OUR HOTEL IN HATYAI,WASHED UP,NOT AS FRESH AS A LILY AFTER 12 HOURS IN THE BUS,CHANGED MONEY AT THE MONEY CHANGER,ATE LUNCH,BEING VEGETARIAN,CHIPS FOR ME IN SOUTH THAILAND,TILL I GOOGLE TO FIND OUT,OH YES NEEDED TO CHANGE SIM CARD IN MY HANDPHONE-WELL ALL IN ONE GULP;BACK TO MY ROOM,SHARED WITH A MALAY RUNNER AND I SLEPT LIKE A LOG-AS I ALWAYS DO. EVENING TIME DINNER WAS BETTER WITH THAI COCONUT,SOME VEGETABLES AND SIAM RICE-GREEN CURRY WAS SELECTED -'BEST CURRY' IN THE WORLD BY 'LONELY PLANET';BUT NO VEGETARIAN VERSION AVAILABLE. STROLLED THROUGH THE MARKET,AFTER DINNER WALK FOR GOOD DIGESTION,WINDOW SHOPPING AND BUYING NOTHING. SLEEPING TIME AND HAD TO SET MY ALARM CLOCK AT 3 AM ,TO GET 4 AM BUS TO GO TO RACE VENUE AS HALF MARATHON STARTS AT 5 AM SHARP-RAIN OR SHINE. IT WAS PITCH DARK WITH VERY FEW RUNNERS BUT SUDDENLY VERY HEAVY RAIN STARTED WITH THUNDERSTORM AND I ALMOST QUIT. NOW COMES THE INTERESTING PART OF MY STORY. I SAW SOME SEASONED ,WELL TONED,MUSCULAR BODIES AND I KNEW THIS INTERNATIONAL RACE IS COMPETITIVE-I JUST WANTED NOT TO FINISH LAST. NOW I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE-TO RUN IN THE RAIN IN THE DARKNESS OF A SMALL TOWN IN SOUTH THAILAND,FAMOUS FOR BOMBINGS OR QUIT AND GO BACK TO SLEEP IN MY NOT SO COMFORTABLE ROOM WITH NOT SO HOT WATER EITHER. WELL I CHOSE TO GO AHEAD,COMING ALL THE WAY IN A BUS,NOT EXPECTING THIS,BUT WELL,I AM NOT GOING TO DIE,I CONSOLED MYSELF. VERY FEW RUNNERS LINED UP FOR HALF MARATHON,I WAS IN THE FRONT LINE,I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THAI LANGUAGE ON THE PA SYSTEM, IN THE ROARING RAIN AND LIGHTNING AND THUNDERSTORM-I WAS READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME. THE STARTERS GUN FIRED,THE STARTERS HORN SOUNDED,AND ALL RAN IN THE VERY HEAVY RAIN,WITH SOME DIM LIGHTS WHICH WILL DISAPPEAR AFTER 2 KM. BY 3 KM I FOUND MYSELF LAST AND SOON THE RUNNER IN FRONT OF ME DISAPPEARED IN THE DARKNESS AHEAD. MY ADVENTURE HAD BEGUN. I KNEW THIS IS GOING TO BE TOUGH,VERY TOUGH,IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES,BUT I CHALKED MY MILES ALONE,IN DARKNESS ON THE WET AND SLIPPERY ROAD WITH MARSHALLS AT EVERY 5 KM AND WATER STATIONS,EXPECTING THE SUN TO COME OUT FOR LIGHT AND HEAT AND THE RAIN TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. NOTHING OF THAT SORT HAPPENED. I KNEW I WILL END UP BEING LAST WITH CHEERS,BUT I DID NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. MY SPECTACLES WERE WET AND MY LEGS HAD GIVEN UP. MY DETERMINATION WAS MY ONLY FRIEND ON THE LONELY ROAD. I KEPT ON JOGGING VERY SLOWLY, JUST TO FINISH THE HALF MARATHON,NOT CHEATING MYSELF IN THE PROCESS. I REACHED THE FINISH LINE AFTER 3 HOURS AND 43 MINUTES AND SOME SECONDS AND THE MARSHALL PUT A TAG AROUND MY NECK. -5TH PLACE -MEN-55-59 AGE GROUP.' A MIRACLE