Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run 2015 - Press Release

GREAT EASTERN COLOUR MY HEART RUN 2015

TO DEBUT IN MALAYSIA, A UNIQUE TWO-CITY EVENT

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9 January 2015 – Heart Foundation of Malaysia (Yayasan Jantung Malaysia) today announced its collaboration with Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad for the inaugural Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run this year in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

YABhg Tun Ahmad Mohd Sarji Bin Abdul Hamid, President, Heart Foundation of Malaysia said, “The Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run is a unique event that will be held in two cities. We believe that fitness should be enjoyed and that the twin benefits of enhanced fitness levels and general well-being will help to create a holistically improved quality of life for all our participants.”

According to Director and Chief Executive Officer of Great Eastern Life, Dato Koh Yaw Hui, the collaboration is a key part of Great Eastern Life’s Live Great Programme, the first integrated health and wellness programme by an insurance company in the region that is designed to assist people in achieving their health goals.

“The Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run is conceptualised to promote health and improve the level of general happiness among Malaysians. We believe these two components are important to foster physical and emotional wellness to create a holistic lifestyle. A healthy heart makes a happy man!” Dato Koh said. “It is our brand promise as a LIFE Company to inspire Malaysians to turn their health intentions into actions so that they can live healthier, better and longer not only for themselves but also for their loved ones. Great Eastern Life wants to highlight the importance of keeping a balanced lifestyle through health and wellness initiatives.”

Held over two weekends in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, the Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run is an international class event featuring a 12km timed race and a 5km fun walk catering to all ages and fitness levels. The Penang leg will take place in the centre of George Town at Padang Kota Lama on the 19 April 2015 whilst the event in Kuala Lumpur will take place in Merdeka Square on the 24 May 2015. Early bird registrations start at RM45. Included in that is a RM5 donation to the Heart Foundation as well as a kit for participants in the 5km race containing a wide range of items including a t-shirt, a pair of sunglasses, stickers, powder packs, individualised bibs, face masks, fake tattoos and a snack pack.

“The importance of an event like this cannot be stressed enough. Heart disease and stroke related deaths have become the number one killer in Malaysia, already causing almost twice as many deaths as cancer and accounting for over 30% of all medically reported deaths in the country. In many cases these could have been avoided with a change in lifestyle – eating more healthily and daily exercise – and we hope that Malaysians will enjoy these events and see that exercise can be fun. Bring your parents, your grandparents and your children and have fun as a family,” said Ahmad Sarji.

The Kuala Lumpur event will be combined with the existing 12km Great Eastern Live Great Run that has been organised over the past four years by Great Eastern Life Assurance.

“Every year, we set a theme into the run – last year’s was “Superheroes” - to demonstrate that running can be fun, enjoyable and be made an activity that fosters quality time with family and friends. By combining it and growing it with the Heart Foundation this year, we will be able to reach out to a larger audience in exciting new ways,” added Dato Koh.

“As the main presenter of the event, we believe that the Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run will offer tremendous benefits and excitement as participants share unforgettable ‘Live Great Moments’ with their loved ones. We want to be part of their health and wellness journey as they continue to make little healthy changes in life, which I am sure, will bear fruit if done consistently,” he continued.

The 12km course in Kuala Lumpur will be organised from the start and finish point in Merdeka Square. Both Penang and Kuala Lumpur’s 5km Fun Run courses focus on an experiential fast walk environment. Here, participants will travel at their own pace and pass through specifically designed “colour fun” stations.

These stations will feature colour tents where participants will be showered with coloured powders, enjoy a variety of music selections and a host of other surprise activities. Both locations will also have a post event carnival where free medical check-ups, interactive games, music and entertainment will be provided for all.

“It is our intention to ensure that the events are operated at the highest international standards and provide an unbeatable experience for the participating public,” stated Datuk Dr. Sambhi, Chairman of the Heart Foundation of Malaysia. “The event’s selection of venues, routes, accessibility, delivery of the offerings to the runners and post-event festivities have all have been designed to set the event apart.”

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, OCBC Bank and Permanis for their support for the event” he concluded.

For information on ticketing and discount information, please visit www.greateasterncolourmyheartrun.com and follow us on the Colour My Heart Facebook page for the latest updates and special promotions.