{"id":959,"date":"2026-03-26T20:39:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T12:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/?p=959"},"modified":"2026-03-26T21:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T13:20:10","slug":"malaysian-retiree-to-run-2200km-around-peninsular-malaysia-for-children-with-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/malaysian-retiree-to-run-2200km-around-peninsular-malaysia-for-children-with-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaysian retiree to run 2,200km around Peninsular Malaysia for children with cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRetired civil engineer Lim Shyang Guey, 66, had just completed a 20km run in Penang but he showed no signs of fatigue.
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\nOver the past year, the Penangite has steadily built his endurance for long-\ndistance running, and the training has left the seasoned half-marathoner with a healthy tan.
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\nBut the sexagenarian isn\u2019t running just to stay fit \u2013 he is preparing for a much bigger mission: a charity run spanning thousands of kilometres.
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\n\nOn March 28, he will begin a 2,200km run across Peninsular Malaysia to raise awareness for childhood cancer. The run is part of his Run For Gold project to raise funds for the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), specifically for its childhood cancer support services.
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\n\u201cThe big run is in a few days. I wake up every morning feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety,\u201d says Lim during a video call from Penang recently.
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\n\u201cSometimes I worry whether I\u2019ve trained enough or whether I might get injured and let people down. But when I remember why I\u2019m doing this, it pushes me forward,\u201d he adds.
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\nThe run, named Jalan Gemilang, is deeply personal. It is a tribute to his late wife, homemaker Goh Joo Lee, and a way to transform grief into purpose after she died of gallbladder cancer in 2024.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lim (right) with his late wife, Goh, who inspired his upcoming 2,200km charity run.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cMy wife and I had planned to someday travel on foot around Peninsular Malaysia. Unfortunately, we never got to share this adventure together as she passed away in August 2024.
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\n\u201cI decided to complete this journey by running solo, this time with a renewed purpose: to promote cancer awareness and raise funds for children with cancer,\u201d says the father of two.
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\nIn the first two weeks, he aims to cover the northern peninsula, running through Penang, Kedah and Perlis. In the third and fourth weeks, he will make his way through the northern and east coast states.
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\nFrom Pahang, he will head south to Johor before returning north to Penang to complete the journey.\n\nLim hopes the run will raise RM600,000 for NCSM, which marks its 60th anniversary this year. The money will be channelled to Home of Hope, a facility that houses children undergoing cancer treatment and their caregivers.
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\n\u201cAlthough my wife died from gallbladder cancer, I felt the need to channel the funds to children. Most of the young patients come from rural or low-income families.
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\n\u201cWhile treatment itself may be free in government hospitals, families still have to pay for accommodation, food and transport. I was touched by how (the home) cares not only for the children but also their caregivers. That\u2019s when I knew this was the cause I wanted to support,\u201d says Lim, who has lived in Hong Kong since 2000 and worked in Singapore, New Zealand and Malaysia before retiring in 2024. He currently spends time between Malaysia and Hong Kong.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A personal mission<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lim (left) and his son, Kevin, posing with their finishing medal after completing the Sydney Marathon last year.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLim shares that his wife\u2019s passing came as a shock, and he struggled to make sense of his loss.
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\n\u201cI started reading many books written by husbands who had lost their wives. One book that particularly resonated with me was From Grief To Love by Laurence Carter. In the book, the author recounts walking from England to Wales to raise awareness about cervical cancer after losing his wife.\u201d
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\n\nInspired, Lim reached out to the United States-based author and shared his own idea.
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\n\n\u201cThat was when I started thinking seriously about fulfilling the dream my late wife and I once talked about. But instead of walking, I decided to turn the journey into a run instead.
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\n\n\u201cRunning has always been something my wife supported. Running helps me process my emotions. When you run long distances, you have time to think, reflect and heal,\u201d says Lim, who has participated in international races such as the New York half marathon in the Big Apple and the Great Wall half marathon in China.
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\nLast August, he completed the 42km Sydney Marathon in Sydney, Australia.
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\n\nThe upcoming journey will be very different from a typical marathon.
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\n\nInstead of running for a few hours, Lim plans to cover 25km to 35km a day, four days in a row, before taking a rest day.
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\n\nEven those rest days will be busy, he shares.
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\n\n\u201cWe hope to organise visits to hospitals or cancer support centres along the route,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to meet patients, survivors and caregivers.\u201d\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Training for the challenge<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lim encourages senior citizens to stay active and make a difference in their communities.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPreparing for a 2,200km run requires discipline. Lim trains almost daily, typically running between 10km and 15km on regular days and 22km to 32km during weekly long runs.
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\nHe has also been adjusting his schedule to match Malaysia\u2019s hot climate.
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\n\u201cI wake up around 4.30am to 5am so I can start running by 6am and finish before the midday heat,\u201d he says.
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\nFor sustenance, he has a smoothie \u2013 made from blended banana, avocado, blueberry, kiwi fruit, peanut butter and yoghurt \u2013 before each run.
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\nFor his upcoming 90-day run, he will be accompanied by a two-person team, comprising ultrarunner Ng Seow Kong and his wife, Teo Hwee Peng. They will travel with him by car to ensure he remains sufficiently fed and hydrated throughout his journey.
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\nLim says the support he received so far has been overwhelming.
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\n\u201cA friend I haven\u2019t seen in 40 years donated RM10,000,\u201d he says. \u201cAnother acquaintance offered to sponsor 1,000 T-shirts. A sports brand has sponsored my shoes too.\u201d
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\nSuch encouragement strengthens his resolve.
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\n\u201cThis run is not just about me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s about the many people who have been touched by cancer,\u201d says Lim, adding that people are welcome to join in during the run.
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\nHe hopes his journey will inspire others \u2013 especially senior citizens \u2013 to stay active and purposeful.
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\n\u201cMany people think once you are old, you should slow down and just walk. But I believe we can do much more than we think,\u201d he says, adding that senior citizens possess invaluable experience, networks and resources.
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\n\u201cWe should use all that to make a difference,\u201d he says.
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\nLim plans to finish his journey on June 22 \u2013 his 67th birthday \u2013 with a final 78km run around Penang Island.
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\n\u201cThis run is for my wife. And for all the families still fighting cancer.\u201d
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\nGo to www.runforgold.my<\/a> to support or track Lim\u2019s journey.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOriginal Article: Malaysian retiree to run 2,200km around Peninsular Malaysia for children with cancer<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Retired civil engineer Lim Shyang Guey, 66, had just completed a 20km run in Penang but he showed no signs of fatigue. Over the past year, the Penangite has steadily built his endurance for long- distance running, and the training has left the seasoned half-marathoner with a healthy tan. But the sexagenarian isn\u2019t running just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=959"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1400,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions\/1400"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runforgold.my\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}