Bandar Seri Begawan - As the morning sun shone kindly on the thousands of avid runners in the capital yesterday, The Run received wider recognition and acceptance from both the local and the expatriate community.

Stuart and his family, who represented Halliburton, said that the race was well organised. He said that yesterday's race was their first race together in Brunei. When asked by the Bulletin what he thought of Brunei, he said he was impressed with the people the most and the infrastructure.

When asked how often he runs, Stuart jokingly said, "Whenever we catch the bus, really."

Stuart was joined by wife, Allison, his two daughters, Hannah and Frankie, and his son, Oliver.

Judy Leslie, who hails from Aberdeen, Scotland, finished fourth in the 21km category. She had previously competed in competitive races in 2005 and 2006, and recently the National Day race.

When asked by the Bulletin what she thought of Pusat Ehsan's charitable cause, she said that there were a lot of good ways to raise awareness when she visited the centre.

Liz Sturman from Derbyshire, England, was delighted with her run and was similarly thrilled to be part of the crowd in yesterday's event before she joined her team, Brunei Shell Petroleum.

Meanwhile, Lang Baba Suwareh, who works at the British High Commission, finished within the half-an hour mark in the 5km race. He said that he often runs and plays football on Thursdays for the All Stars.

Asked about Pusat Ehsan's initiative to provide a chance for people to be involved in raising awareness, he said, "People are happy to contribute for a good cause.

"I enjoyed it and I hope to do it again," he continued.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Jamaluddin, who had been pivotal to the growth of tourism in the country, participated in the 21km run and finished the race in one hour and 20 minutes, said, "It's a fantastically organised event. I am proud to be part of it. There was no problem. It was well coordinated and the weather was perfect."

He added, "Events such as The Run would be a magnet for sports tourism where foreigners can visit Brunei Darussalam to participate. The routes of The Run also covered some of the iconic Brunei tourism sites namely the Water Village, Royal Regalia, SOAS Mosque and others. I hope that this event will continue on and I am looking forward to it next year."

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