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’t running just to stay fit – he is preparing for a much bigger mission: a charity run spanning thousands of kilometres.
On 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.
“The big run is in a few days. I wake up every morning feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety,” says Lim during a video call from Penang recently.
“Sometimes I worry whether I’ve trained enough or whether I might get injured and let people down. But when I remember why I’m doing this, it pushes me forward,” he adds.
The 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.
“My 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.
“I 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,” says the father of two.
In 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.
From Pahang, he will head south to Johor before returning north to Penang to complete the journey.
Lim 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.
“Although 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.
“While 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’s when I knew this was the cause I wanted to support,” 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.
A personal mission
Lim shares that his wife’s passing came as a shock, and he struggled to make sense of his loss.
“I 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.”
Inspired, Lim reached out to the United States-based author and shared his own idea.
“That 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.
“Running 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,” 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.
Last August, he completed the 42km Sydney Marathon in Sydney, Australia.
The upcoming journey will be very different from a typical marathon.
Instead 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.
Even those rest days will be busy, he shares.
“We hope to organise visits to hospitals or cancer support centres along the route,” he says. “I want to meet patients, survivors and caregivers.”
Training for the challenge
Preparing 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.
He has also been adjusting his schedule to match Malaysia’s hot climate.
“I wake up around 4.30am to 5am so I can start running by 6am and finish before the midday heat,” he says.
For sustenance, he has a smoothie – made from blended banana, avocado, blueberry, kiwi fruit, peanut butter and yoghurt – before each run.
For 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.
Lim says the support he received so far has been overwhelming.
“A friend I haven’t seen in 40 years donated RM10,000,” he says. “Another acquaintance offered to sponsor 1,000 T-shirts. A sports brand has sponsored my shoes too.”
Such encouragement strengthens his resolve.
“This run is not just about me,” he says. “It’s about the many people who have been touched by cancer,” says Lim, adding that people are welcome to join in during the run.
He hopes his journey will inspire others – especially senior citizens – to stay active and purposeful.
“Many people think once you are old, you should slow down and just walk. But I believe we can do much more than we think,” he says, adding that senior citizens possess invaluable experience, networks and resources.
“We should use all that to make a difference,” he says.
Lim plans to finish his journey on June 22 – his 67th birthday – with a final 78km run around Penang Island.
“This run is for my wife. And for all the families still fighting cancer.”
Go to www.runforgold.my to support or track Lim’s journey.
