Looking for life's meaning? Run backwards

Looking for life's meaning? Run backwards

KUALA LUMPUR: A 22-year-old Malaysian electronic engineer has claimed a national record for running backwards, saying he "wanted to do something meaningful in life".

S. Moganasundar won a place in the popular "Malaysia Book of Records" after running backwards for 30 kilometres (18.75 miles), the official Bernama news agency reported Monday.

He took three hours, 30 minutes and 35 seconds to complete 75 laps of the 400 metre track at the Perak Stadium in the northeastern town of Ipoh.

"I am happy I did this. I always wanted to do something meaningful in life," he told Bernama.

"It was not an easy feat as I almost gave up after 25 laps when suddenly my vision was blurred. But my two coaches kept me going by their constant encouragement."

Setting world and national records is a popular obsession in Malaysia, which once boasted the world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers.

Last month, a Malaysian woman overcame 17 scorpion bites to set a new world record by spending 36 days in a glass cage with 6,069 of the poisonous arachnids. AFP