PETALING JAYA: After a hiatus of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, marathon running in Malaysia returned with a bang when 1,000 participants woke up early to pound the streets of Padang Timur here.

The event, organised by the Malaysia Women Marathon (MWM) returned to town yesterday, bringing with it yet another refreshing change, as men were allowed to sign up for the race that was once the exclusive domain of women and girls.