The popular District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality returned for a second time this year, attracting more than 12,000 people to participate in the digitally engaging and fun urban exploration event. Held from 18 October to 7 November 2021, the event saw over 13 million District points accumulated and a total of 47,000 kilometres covered by all participants in just three weeks.
To commemorate this great achievement and show appreciation for all those who took part, presenting sponsor AIA Malaysia stepped up to donate 4,000 meals to Kechara Soup Kitchen to feed thousands of families who have been affected by the pandemic. The donation helped support the not-for-profit and non-governmental organisation’s efforts to provide food to the homeless and urban-poor populations of Malaysia.
Heng Zee Wang, AIA Bhd.’s Chief Marketing Officer said, “It’s great to see Malaysians from all walks of life come together again to take part in this new and extended race format. We were so inspired to see participants clocking up a total of 47,000 kilometres in just three short weeks that we decided to do our part and celebrate their achievements by donating 4,000 meals to families in need. Through this unique event, not only were we able to encourage Malaysians to lead healthier lives by actively participating in the event but also do our part to give back to the community, upholding our commitment to support every opportunity to empower Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”
District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality was first introduced earlier in March 2021 to spur more Malaysians to keep active and stay healthy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved to be a huge success where over 11,000 runners participated in this fun way to keep healthy as well as to be in the running to win one of the 40 fabulous prizes such as Garmin watches, adidas vouchers and of course, the coveted grand prize, a brand new Proton X50.
With the ongoing pandemic, the organisers decided to extend the digital event so Malaysians could continue having an avenue to stay healthy. Like the previous instalment, participants had the freedom to take part anywhere and anytime but in this extension, 48 new Run Challenges were introduced across eight states in Malaysia so there were more new run routes to explore while scoring as many points as possible.
All points go towards the leaderboard for a chance to win amazing prizes, such as a Garmin Forerunner 645 or RM500 Shopee vouchers. The winner for the Most Run Challenges completed category was Angeline Chia Ya Sian while Dave Goh and Ooi Ning Enn took home the prize for Top Male and Female respectively. In addition, three lucky participants – Hooi Soon Wai, John Lau and AsokPrem A/L Appu – won the Most Committed Explorer lucky draw.
Chris Cable, Chief Operating Officer, District Technologies, said, “Runners look forward to running events as a validation of their dedication and physical wellness when they complete the race. However, with COVID-19, these events were cancelled and the void of these events was definitely felt by the running community. This was one of the main factors in deciding to host a digital race with District Race Malaysia by AIA Vitality earlier this year, to continue giving runners something to be excited about in their running lifestyle. It proved to be a huge success with participants enjoying the flexibility on when they want to race while collecting points, unlocking fun Augmented Reality selfie filters, and also be in the running for fabulous prizes. The extension of this campaign that took part over three weeks from 18 October to 7 November 2021 was again very well received by the community. We would like to thank AIA for being a part of this unique experience again this year, allowing District to continue to provide runners all across Malaysia with a fun and engaging way to participate in running events in the new normal.”
For more information, follow @DistrictRaceMY on Facebook and Instagram.