Flower Power Rules the Streets

THERE were mermaids with flowers in their hair and on their tails, fairies wore crowns of petals while queens and princes were bedecked in a multitude of floral garlands and bouquets in every shade imaginable.

And we’re not talking about a scene from Alice In Wonderland, though visitors to Kuala Lumpur may have thought just that.

Yellow fever: One of the participants looking striking swathed in chrysanthemums.

The scene unfolded at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday morning at Florathon 2007, held in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

Almost 1,000 people from all walks of life participated in the florathon, which was the opener for the annual florafest.

The 3km run, which kicked off at Dataran Merdeka, took participants on a circuit that included scenic areas of Kuala Lumpur city like Jalan Raja, Jalan Parlimen, Jalan Cenderawasih.

The categories offered Men, Junior Men, Women, Junior Women, Diplomatic Corps Men, Diplomatic Corps Women, tourists and a team category which saw the participation of corporate companies, hotels, restaurants, banks and government organisations.

Family fun: (From left) Azman,12, Ida Ibrahim, Irissa, 5, and Adriana participating in the Florathon.

The team category was undoubtedly one of the most colourful and exciting, with participants dressed in their most creative floral costumes.

It was a delight to watch the flower fairies from Quality Hotel City Centre who were garbed in Malaysian flowers, while the pretty mermaids from Aquaria KLCC created quite a buzz with the public and press photographers.

Team participation included companies from Ambank, Elang Wah Sdn Bhd, Tourism Ministry, Istana Budaya and the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Association.

Big crowd: About 1,000 people took part in the event.

Florathon technical director S. Vegiyathuman said the run was one with a difference, as it did not judge the winner as the person who finished the race first but rather by their attire.

“Much like a costume party, it encourages people to dress their best and run for fun,” he said.

“It’s an exciting event and you can tell from the costumes that people have put in a lot of effort, time and money into this,” he said.

Apart from the florathon, there was also a special race called the Bunga Raya Waiter’s Race, which required participants to carry a tray of mocktails as they ran in their best floral costumes.

Source : STAR
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