Avid runner who died on Mt Kinabalu often trained alone

Singaporean runner Woon Tai Kiang, who was killed while training for a mountain climbathon, was always cheerful, funny and helpful.

His close friend Melvin Tan told The New Paper yesterday: "He's always a funny guy who'd comment about anything and everything.

"He would share tips and running advice with the newcomers (of Ultra-Running Singapore, an ultra-marathoner and ultra-trail runner community). It was fun to be with him."

Mr Woon's body was found in a 150m-deep ravine near Sayat-Sayat, Mount Kinabalu, in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, on Sunday.

The avid mountaineer, 36, is believed to have slipped and fallen while training by himself for the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon on Oct 16.

The annual skyrunning event was cancelled last year because of the Kinabalu earthquake in June. Skyrunning is an extreme sport of mountain running above 2,000m, with an incline exceeding 30 per cent and the climbing difficulty not exceeding II° grade.

Mr Tan said he had met Mr Woon, known as Max among his friends, for drinks last week - the last time he saw his good friend of four years alive.

"It's too soon, too fast, too sudden. We're still trying to come to terms with his death," he said.

Mr Tan, 46, said Mr Woon had given him advice on "feng shui" for his new four-room flat, and the evening was a pleasant catch-up with an old friend.

They became close after running in mountain trails and marathons together for the past four years as part of Ultra-Running Singapore. Mr Woon usually trained alone on the mountains weeks before a race, said Mr Tan.

"He took pride and was very serious about his races. He had previously trained alone at Gunung Lambak (near Kluang in Johor), so we were not surprised that he had gone alone this time," said Mr Tan.

The event's organising secretary Winceslaus G. Autine said Mr Woon had registered for the race and taken the training pass on Sept 26.

TNP understands that it is not unusual for participants in the climbathon, which is regarded as among the world's toughest mountain races, to train alone as they are all seasoned athletes.

Participation in the event is by invitation only.

Mr Ford Lim, 28, founder of Ultra-Running Singapore, said of Mr Woon: "He was always cheerful, and was very easy to warm up to. "I came to know of his involvement in the running scene for the past one to two years, but he had his way of lying low. "He didn't flaunt his running experiences."

Mr Woon, a former manager with the Singapore National Employers Federation, fell in love with running after taking it up about three years ago to get fit.

His ex-colleague at True Fitness, Mr Felix Goh, 43, said Mr Woon had breathing problems and weighed around 90kg about five years ago.

"But when we met two years ago, I noticed a drastic change. He was much healthier, more muscular and was determined to do races," he added.

Mr Woon's mother told The Straits Times at their Bedok North home yesterday: "He was a filial son and was good to us. I told him not to keep going overseas to climb but he wanted to."

Trying to hold back her tears, the 69-year-old, who declined to give her name, said Mr Woon's elder brother left for Sabah yesterday morning to join Mr Woon's girlfriend, who has been there since Sunday evening.

TNP understands they are on the way back to Singapore with Mr Woon's body.

Read also: I told him not to go overseas: Dead climber's mum

ERRATIC WEATHER

Mr Lim had previously run the Borneo Ultra-Trail Marathon, which took runners through jungle settings and trails around Mount Kinabalu. He said the terrain was just one of the difficulties faced by runners.

"The weather can be erratic. It could pour at any moment. It would be very cold at night and then scorching hot in the morning," he added.

"It was wise of Max to train first to get used to the terrain and the weather."

The high elevation, with the summit at 4,095.2m above sea level, could also induce attitude sickness, he said.

Mr Erick Saith, 27, who took part in the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon in 2013 and 2014, said that running on the terrain was tough.

"The rocks were sharp and some parts were slippery, so I fell many times," he said.

"Oxygen was a little thin near the summit, so breathing can be hard. You must know your body's limit."

Mr Lim said the Ultra-Running Singapore community will turn up at Mr Woon's wake tomorrow night in the T-shirt they had designed in memory of him.

"I feel like crap. It's a dangerous sport, and we take precautions to make sure we return to our families," he added.

"But this rare case of a Singaporean runner losing his life could have happened to any of us.

"We must always remind ourselves to approach the mountains with humility and care, as Max had surely done so for himself.

"The last thing I want to hear is another runner losing his or her life to the sport they love."

This article was first published on October 04, 2016.
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