_edan_shah-alif_satar-akmal_hafiz-ironman_70.3-ironman_courtesy.JPG)
LANGKAWI – Malaysian celebrity Muhammad Alif Mohd Satar will be among the 1,500 participants taking part in the Ironman 70.3 Langkawi race tomorrow after the event’s long-awaited return to the island.
After entering his first Ironman 70.3 race in 2018 and doing the full-distance race in 2019, this year Alif will be entering as part of a relay team – kick-starting the race with the 1.9-km swim course.
“It feels good to be back here and participating in an Ironman race once again.
“I was looking forward to the race in 2020, but I had to wait until now due to the pandemic,” he told the media at the Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa.
Alif said he hopes his participation in the event – through the reach he has on his YouTube channel – would encourage more aspiring triathletes.
“I think many people don’t know that Ironman races have relay participations as well, it’s a team where one person does the swim, another bikes, and the final person runs to the finish line.
“So, by doing this I hope to encourage more people to get into the sport and, more importantly, adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“People have told me that they were inspired by my videos and got running – and even participated in Ironman races, and that makes me very happy,” he said.
For the race, Alif will be taking the first swim stage, while his friend and avid cyclist Akmal Hafiz will hop on the bike for 90km, while Malaysia’s fastest marathoner in 2016 Edan Syah will run for 21.1km to the finish line.
Alif added that his target for the swim course is to finish under 30 minutes but noted that open water swimming has its fair share of challenges.
“You have to fight the waves, but also sharing the lane with other swimmers can be tricky as well.”
Ironman Malaysia offers up to 55 qualifying slots for the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, while there are 30 slots available for Ironman 70.3 Langkawi participants to the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland. – The Vibes, November 4, 2022
