Running together into the night
View(s):The Under Armour Night Run held to mark Women’s Day saw enthusiastic participation
By Kaveesha Fernando
In Sri Lanka, most women (myself included), avoid running at night. Yet many of us wish we could. That is why the Under Armour Night Run held to mark Women’s Day caught my attention. The 10 km run, which began just after 10 p.m. on March 7 at Viharamahadevi Park, drew hundreds of participants – women, men and even a few children.
For me, the run carried personal significance. I was an athlete in school and running was always part of my training. But that was more than a decade ago. Now, just days away from turning 30, I have started working on my fitness again and recently began running. I had always wanted to take part in an organised run, but the idea felt daunting.
Night runners: Exuberant participants hit the road. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Of course, “just attending” isn’t really in my nature. The day before the run, I found myself on a treadmill attempting to complete 10 km. I had previously managed 7 km, so the distance did not feel impossible. The session helped me work out my pace and reminded me of lessons from my school days –nutrition, hydration and pacing matter. They prevent injuries and sometimes far worse.
On race day, I followed the routine I had used in school: meals rich in carbohydrates and protein, plenty of water well before the race, and a small energy boost shortly before the start. Once the run began, I focused on maintaining a steady pace and walking when I needed to. The preparation paid off. I found myself managing the distance better than expected. The atmosphere created by the organisers made the event really fun and I found myself feeling euphoric and energised.
However, one major issue quickly became apparent –I did not have a route map. The route was announced (rather rapidly) before the race, followed by assurances that guides and vehicles would ensure no one got lost. For the first five kilometres, things were fairly straightforward because runners stayed together. But as the night progressed and the group spread out, confusion began to set in.
Around the busy One Galle Face area, the distance between runners increased and crowds of people partying on a Saturday night made things confusing. When I reached the Colpetty roundabout I realised there was no one ahead of me. A few runners were behind me, and one of them had a route map. We checked it and believed we were heading the right way towards the Liberty roundabout.
But as we approached the Public Library, we realised something was wrong. According to the map, we had taken the wrong turn. The others decided to head straight back to Viharamahadevi Park while I began walking towards Ladies’ College, trying to recheck the route.
That was when I tripped on the pavement and injured my ankle. I stopped immediately, called an Uber, applied ice and went home –disappointed but relieved that the injury was not worse. By then, I had completed about 7.7 km.
Later, I discovered that the route had been changed, and the updated version of the map was shared only through an Instagram story about 24 hours before the run. It had not been emailed to participants or provided at registration. I presumed I would be provided with the route map upon registering either online or in person (I did both), but this was not the case. Some runners later told me there had been boards placed at turning points, but these were not very visible.
Clear signage, a proper briefing on the route and basic safety guidelines would have helped – particularly for a night run organised around the theme of women’s safety. That said, a genuine effort had clearly been made. Police patrols were present along the route, volunteers handed out water and vehicles accompanied runners. It may simply have been that the number of participants (and the number of novice
runners) exceeded expectations.
For anyone considering participating in a run like this, my advice is simple: if you are medically cleared by a doctor, try it. You don’t need to run the entire distance. Just prepare properly, stay hydrated, listen to your body and stop if something feels wrong. You don’t have to be a top-tier athlete to take part, and it is a great experience!
Hopefully there will be many more such events in the future.
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