May 04, 2023, 03:15 PM
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A 36-year-old Malaysian man has set a new Guinness World Record for being the fastest runner to finish a full marathon in a baju Melayu.
The running coach and marathon runner, Mohd Syahidan Alias who goes by Edan Syah on social media, achieved his feat at the London Marathon held in the United Kingdom on Apr. 23, the second day of Hari Raya Puasa.
According to his Instagram post on Apr. 24, he completed the 42.2 km marathon with a time of 2 hours 49 minutes 22 seconds.
His traditional apparel was sponsored by Malaysian brand Bulan Bintang @bulanbintanghq.
The baju Melayu is traditional Malay costume made up of a long-sleeved shirt, trousers and skirt-type adornment known as kain samping.
It is usually worn during religious or special occasions.
Documented his journey
Mohd Syahidan, along with his project team, recorded the journey in a documentary, “Bulan Bintang Road to London: Make Baju Melayu Great Again”.
It depicted the runner preparing for the marathon, travelling to the event venue, and of course, his world record attempt.
Clad in a red baju Melayu, bright-coloured running shoes and a dark blue kain samping, Mohd Syahidan could be seen braving the rainy weather in London as he trotted through the streets.
In his post, he said he was nervous due to the weather conditions, but highlighted his promise to set a world record, and he managed to persevere to the end.
Promoting baju Melayu
In a Facebook post dated May 2, Mohd Syahidan recounted that a fellow marathoner had asked him about his attire, to which he proudly replied that he was from Malaysia and was wearing a traditional Malay dress.
He was heartened when the crowd cheered him on, but noted that there were some who laughed at his unconventional marathon outfit.Nevertheless, he expressed his pride in showing that it was possible to run a marathon at a pace of 4 minutes per km in a baju Melayu during Eid Mubarak, while others wore singlets and shorts.
Not his first record
Besides his most recent achievement, Mohd Syahidan is also the first Malaysian to finish six world marathons under three hours.
He previously set a Guinness World Record in 2018 for being the fastest marathoner to finish in the national flag costume category at the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Australia.
The marathoner also runs a YouTube channel where he uploads videos of his feats.
He has since returned to Malaysia to resume his work as a running coach.
Related:
Top images via Edan Syah's Facebook & Instagram
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