Haziq Hamzah is eyeing a medal at the SEA Games which will be held in Thailand in December.
HAZIQ Hamzah first took up running seriously on Jan 1, 2021.
And has not looked backed since, progressing by leaps and bounds.
He then tried marathon and his passion for the punishing long-distance race was ignited, never taking 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,” said Haziq.
“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 1.6km a day. Regardless of whether I’m unwell or injured, I will make sure I covered that distance. I forced myself to stay consistent and I am now reaping the fruits of my labour.”
Realising that his obsession with running is the real deal, the 33-year-old then made the decision to quit his stable job last year to pursue a full-time career as a marathon runner.
Haziq, 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,” added Haziq, who won the 2023 Kuching Marathon, 2023 Melaka Marathon and the 2022 Selangor Marathon.
Haziq said that all his sacrifices, hard work and tireless training finally paid off when he first clocked three hours flat in the 42km marathon.
He has since achieved a personal best of 2’29:32s 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 (2’29:00).
Haziq, 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 (Dec 9-20).
“I will continue to work on improving my timing so that I will not only get to compete but also win a medal there.” — Bernama
