Official Apology from Expose Media for the Energizer Night Race 2011

 

So. The organizers of the Energizer Night Race 2011, Expose Media, issued an official apology for the major kerfuffle they durned. 

It hardly sounds heartfelt to me. It comes across as them being forced to accept accountability, but just barely taking responsibility. Either that, or they need to get new Comms people who know how to write sensitively.

There is some talk currently going around of a full refund possibly being given out but that would frankly be adding salt to open wounds. Unless you had only participated in the 5.5KM Fun Run for kicks and saja nak try-try, it takes dedication to train for running and the reward really is about the feeling of accomplishment at finishing your run, within whatever goals you set for yourself, and having that accomplishment acknowledged. 

It isn't about getting your money's worth in goodies and gift packs. It isn't about feeling that your money was well spent on venue and miscellaneous faff.

This was my first run, so I wouldn't have had any basis of comparison on how these organizers had done against other (presumably) better ones. So I wasn't upset that they had run out of the t-shirts they said all runners who completed the run within the qualifying times would receive. And I wasn't too upset either that there weren't proper water stations at the finish line for me to refresh at and catch my breath. I was a little more upset but even-then-not-too-bothered that upon crossing the finish line, newbie-runner-me had to wander about aimlessly for a minute or so because I had no idea what to do next and the marshalls seemed equally as clueless, waving me off in the general direction of 'there'.

All I wanted (and queued for 45mins for and STILL did not receive because they had run out!) was the qualifying certificate. That scrap of paper that said I ran and I finished within good time; that I really wanted. That was pretty much all I wanted to walk away with from my first proper race ever.

I know that ultimately, what does it matter what a piece of paper said I did or didn't do, as long as I know I did it? But I wanted something to remember my maiden race by. I wanted to frame it up and proudly display that I ran my lame ass 11K in a lame ass 1:38:43 and lame-assedly show it off to all my friends who would come by, even if they might think it was terribly lame-assed of me. 

Yeah, so I went home disappointed.. but I'm running off on a tangent here.

It's not about financial recompense. Or even material restitution (although given the Malaysian penchant for unnatural delight in freebies, the promise to post-mail goodies bags to everyone would help balm the sting.) It's about how the organizers made the runners feel, which was 'like crap'. The venue could have been less fancy, the prizes and goodies less flashy.. and nobody would have minded half as much as long as the organizers had made the runners feel like their accomplishments were acknowledged and that their patronage was appreciated.

It's a lot to make up for. And this letter falls far short of it.

Transcript of the letter of apology:

We, Expose Media, as organisers of the Energizer Night Race 2011, sincerely apologise for any and all discontent experienced by the participants in the event. We take full responsibility for all our actions directly and indirectly leading up to the issues before and on the race day.

We absolve the title sponsor Energizer Malaysia Sdn Bhd, co-sponsors, and the management of Sepang International Circuit of all liability and responsibility.

We are committed to a full distribution of certificates, medals, finishers’ T-shirts, headlights and complimentary gifts to every registered participant in the race.

We will also be announcing the winners today, and they will be contacted personally to receive their awards.

Details of the distribution for the above will be announced at 6pm on Thursday, 21 April 2011.

We would like to clarify that Mr. Mohan Gobindasamy was the official race director on the day and not Datuk A. Chandrakumanan. We apologise to Datuk Chandrakumanan for any implication of his involvement in the race.

We recognise that safety precautions and logistical details were not up to expectations and we deeply regret all the issues that resulted from the situation. We apologise for our behaviour should any party be offended throughout the course of the event.

Josie Huang Wan Ling

Group Director

Expose Media