Over 600 runners in less than three months: Six friends set the pace to get community to exercise daily

It was five minutes past 8pm last Friday. A handful of people – mostly strangers, but generous with their smiles and handshakes – started to gather at the entrance of the Bukit Indah recreational park in Ampang, Selangor.

Minutes later, more and more people started showing up at the park. The numbers quickly swelled up to roughly 60 of them – men, women, boys and girls of all ages. The youngest of the group was a five-year-old, while the oldest was in his 50s. They came from various parts, even as far away as Semenyih, Selangor, – 34km from the park.

They were there for one reason – to run. And the ‘gathering’ of sorts was thanks to those behind ‘Ampang Run’.

What’s Ampang Run?

Ampang Run is a group that was set up by six friends – Hazman Hamzah, Steaphnnie Serinie Jana, Junaidah Noor, Annuar Rashid, Ahmad Fahmi Saldi and Hafiz Yunus – earlier this year.

Their main objective is to get as many people as possible to run. It’s not membership-driven, neither is it a money-making initiative. The runs are open to all.

The six of them, some even being newbie runners, were surprised by the level of interest shown by like-minded souls. They once had some 100 runners participating in their then once-a-week run.

“We got feedback from some of the runners, and they said they preferred certain days. So we told ourselves, let’s have it daily, to cater to as many people as possible,” said Annuar Rashid, a 31-year-old technician from Cheras.

“We wanted the numbers to be manageable, as this is not an event, but merely a group of like-minded people wanting to stay healthy. Spreading out the activities throughout the week certainly helped.

“We even threw in badminton into the mix for those not interested in running. Since we first started in mid-February, the number of people who have participated in our runs has quickly ballooned to close to 700 people,” added businessman Ahmad Fahmi Saldi, 39, who lost 13kg since Ampang Run’s first meet.

Today, Ampang Run has activities Mondays to Fridays, starting at 8.30pm. There’s a 10km run at the Titiwangsa Lake Gardens on Mondays, a 5km run in Bukit Indah on Tuesdays and Fridays, an 8km run in Bukit Tunku on Wednesdays, and a game of badminton at the Challenger Sports Centre in Ampang on Thursdays.

Every run caters to four various paces, with Hazman leading those who are fast. Hafiz, Steaphnnie and Junaidah often lead those who are in between. Annuar guides those who run at a slower pace but non-stop, while Ahmad Fahmi plays sweeper for those who can’t continuously run all the way, ensuring no one is left behind. There are warm-up and cooling-down sessions after every run.

The group does not collect any fees for running, while the bills for booking the badminton courts and purchasing shuttlecocks are divided between those who join the badminton sessions.

The group has a list of over 600 runners who have participated in their activities.

Safe, friendly runs

Steaphnnie and Junaidah said Ampang Run was a safe space for women and children.

“I’m a new runner myself," declared Steaphnnie, a 27-year-old executive with a multinational logistics company.

“We just wanted to create a safe space for people, especially women and children, to be active and sweat it out. I didn’t imagine that we would get so many people interested in our runs within such a short period. It’s satisfying to see people coming up, wanting to be active,” she said.

“Anyway, running in a group is more fun than alone!”

Junaidah, a 29-year-old executive with an insurance company, said it’s a “no judgment zone” as runners are free to join, have fun, and go home feeling happy, healthy, and in high spirits.

“We not only lead the runs but also manage the social media accounts. All six of us have different roles to play,” Junaidah added.

“It’s all about encouraging as many people as possible, regardless of age, gender, and background, to pick up healthy activities. This is our small way of creating a healthy community.”

‘From staying in shape to finding soulmates’

Hazman said the group’s main objective was to get people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s not about how fast, or how far you run. It’s just about running,” he added.

Annuar echoed similar sentiments, adding it was fascinating to hear the motivations of those who joined their activities.

‘You’d be surprised. Some say they want to stay fit. Some say their motivation is to lose weight. Others even confessed, mana tau boleh cari jodoh (to find a soulmate),” Annuar said in jest.

“But there are those, especially women and children, who say that they had been wanting to exercise but didn’t have friends who wanted to join them, or that they didn’t feel safe doing it alone. They feel safe with us.”

Ahmad Fahmi added the runners are from various backgrounds, from enforcement personnel to even a doctor.

What’s the end game for Ampang Run?

Ahmad Fahmi said the group intends to keep things simple – to allow communities to enjoy running.

“That’s our main motivation. Nothing else. We’ve had certain parties questioning our motives, some wondering if it’s political ... wondering if we’re being funded by certain quarters. That’s not the case.

“We are just passionate about running. And with the growing interest in our activities, that will drive us to keep going,” he added.

For those who want to be a part of Ampang Run, reach out to the group via TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp https://wa.me/60182360298.

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