History

The Early Days:

The Panaga Athletics Section was formed in 1993 and held its first race, a 10 km run through the camp, on 6th March. Such was the novelty of the event that 30% of the runners got lost in F8! Despite this inauspicious start, the Panaga Athletics Section has been active ever since.

It was quickly realised that 10 km was far too long for most people, and so the next month a 5 km race was inaugurated. 

In the first year, two records were set, one of which would stand the test of time. Keith Varney burnt up the 5km course in an amazing 16 minutes 13 seconds on 3rd June 1993. Nobody has bettered that time. Kate Bourne, a few months later, on the 3rd October 1993 ran the 5km course in 20 minutes 10 seconds. That record would stand for seven years until the 4th December 2000, when Kristin Boersheim ran 18 minutes 57 seconds, followed by Solveig Saeby in 19 minutes 45 seconds. Solveig today is an international standard Tri-Athlete!!

Despite these extreme performances, the rank and file of the club felt basically out of condition (as they do to this day) and suggested that monthly races would be fine, provided that they could get together and practice at a more sociable pace. In April 1993, regular training runs from the Beach Shelter were started. Also the name, Panaga Athletics was felt to be rather optimistic, and after a transient period, when the club was billed as 

(a blatantly chauvinistic society), in August 1993, the club was re-named the Panaga Fun Runners. 

During this period, however, when Kate Bourne was threatening the male preserve of the 20 minute, 5 km barrier, the logos responded in kind:-

A regular Newsletter was inaugurated with the logo of the trainer that steadily disintegrated along with the editorial style (1994).

What is quite amazing, in a rapidly changing world, is that three of the founder Panaga Fun-Runners have been posted back to Brunei and still run with PANAS. A look at the committee of 1994 will show that the position of Secretary remains unchanged!

In 1997, a wave of rather fitter runners were transferred to Brunei, and the word Fun was considered frivolous. The club, once again, was re-named as PANAS. This is rather clever since it stands for PANaga Athletics Section, and is also the Malay word for hot or heat! Despite the name, the whole concept of the Panaga Athletics Section took the form in 1993 that has remained until the present day.

For many years, the only training route was the Beach Shelter to Barry's Bridge for the 5 km runners, or just past the BSRC for the 8 km runners. All races started at F1 and ran through the camp down the Elfdrempeltocht and back again. 

Paul Vlaarkamp and Paul van Dam holding the 'Athlete's Foot' Award in 1994. Paul wears the T-shirt from one of the first Panaga Triathlons.

In the late 1990's, more routes were added, and now, we have a choice of more than a dozen popular and varied circuits. Nevertheless, for the Old Timers, it's good to run on the Old Camp Course which still features on the annual calendar. Click on the picture to travel back from 2005 to 1993. Incidentally, never, ever believe people when they meet you after 12 years and say "It's great to see you. You've not changed a bit!"