HAZIQ HAMZAH'S LONG AND WINDING ROAD TO MARATHON STARDOM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- Muhamad Haziq Hamzah, better known as Haziq Hamzah, first took up running seriously on Jan 1, 2021.

And, boy, how he has progressed by leaps and bounds since then.

His passion for marathon running was ignited that day, and he has never taken a day off from pounding the pavement. This dedication has now made him one of the country's top marathoners.

"I challenged myself to run every day, with no off days, and that's what I've been doing ever since. Thankfully, this consistency turned me into one of the top marathoners in the country within a year. 

"I started by setting myself the target of running a minimum of one mile, or 1.6 kilometres (km), a day. Regardless of whether I was unwell or injured, I made sure I covered that distance. I forced myself to stay consistent and I am now reaping the fruits of my labour,” he told Bernama.

Realising that his obsession with running is the real deal, the 33-year-old then made the decision to quit his stable job around March last year to pursue a full-time career as a marathon runner.

Haziq Hamzah, who previously worked with an information technology company in Bangsar, said he is now fully dependent on a network of sponsors, in addition to generating income as a running coach.

His success made him a phenomenon in the running world, thus attracting the attention of about 20 sponsors, including coming under the auspices of a leading international sporting goods company, Asics.

"A year after becoming a content creator and coach, I feel like I'm doing all right. Many of my friends also help me out, especially when it comes to securing sponsorship deals.

"There is no denying that I don't have a steady monthly income… sometimes I have more and sometimes less (than when I had a job). In addition, I also get financial rewards when I win running events. I always set myself a target of having sufficient funds to meet my commitments and fend for myself,” he said.

Haziq Hamzah said that all his sacrifices, hard work and tireless training finally paid off when he first clocked three hours flat in the 42-km marathon.

He has since achieved a personal best of two hours, 29 minutes and 32 seconds at the Tokyo Marathon in Japan earlier last month.

That has placed him as one of the country's two best marathoners, just behind national record holder Tan Huong Leong (2:29.00s).

Haziq Hamzah, who idolises world champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, hopes that his achievement in the Land of the Rising Sun will pave the way for him to be included in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand in December.

"I will continue to work on improving my timing so that I will not only get to compete but also win a medal at the (Dec 9-20) Thailand SEA Games,” he said.

-- BERNAMA