I was really excited when I heard that there will be a Duathlon race held at Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) and it would be the first Duathlon on a highway!

The GCE is where cyclist of all levels in the Klang Valley cycle at as it connects Shah Alam to many other places such as, Rawang, Kuala Selangor, Ulu Yam, Frasers Hill and even Gohtong, all of which I’ve done before.

In this race, I decided to participate in the Relay team category, as I wanted to maintain my training for the IRONMAN Langkawi which is my goal to complete this year.  Quickly, I gathered my speedy running friends Nabila and Awan (pic above); both of whom are also ambassadors of Adidas Running Malaysia.

On race morning, designated parking at Mydin and Jaya Grocer were provided by the organisers and shuttle buses plying to the starting line.  I had a great time meeting a fair amount of familiar faces as I ride frequently on GCE for the past 3 years. I am happy that Jerry Chow from EZ Riders introduced this wonderful play ground to me when I first started cycling. Coincidentally, he was competing in the relay division too!

As usual, there was a safety briefing before the race plus drum performances to boost our morale. The VIPs flagged off the race as everyone rushed off immediately. The run course was pretty simple with some rolling hills to tackle before we arrive at the transition area.

I was delighted as Fatin Nabila ran swiftly along the first 10km route so that I could hammer hard on the 60km bike course.

The bicycle course was no stranger to me as I had rode it for the past 3 years. Since I was riding on a highway I decided to pump my tires at higher pressure – 120psi which was a HUGE mistake!

2 of my bottles from the rear bottle cage fell off before I entered the toll booths, as the road was made of concrete and it was a bumpy ride!

I knew I was in trouble because one of the bottles had all my calories in it. I went on conservatively and next thing I knew the marshalls on the motorbike came and passed me my bottles which I had dropped early. I was really grateful as that would have cost me the race. The water station along the bike course was sufficient and there were many volunteers at the water stations which was a huge plus!

As I came back in to the transition area, Azwan Bunjing (Awan) was already there waiting for me to pass the timing chip and he ran off immediately!

Awan put in his fastest effort in the final 10km to clinch first place for our team which was a huge surprise!

Overall, we had a fantastic time and I would love to encourage beginners to join this race as well as it is suitable for all levels. The course was simple and easy to navigate, without technical corners and plenty of support from the water stations.

To know us better on Instagram, click on Calvin, Nabila and Awan.

More about the author Calvin Seak began cycling because he wanted to join Triathlon races and is now the ambassador for Trek Bikes Malaysia. Cycling has brought him to many wonderful places that he has never imagined and every weekend, he looks forward to explore new routes on his two wheels!