Kuala Lumpur – The RHB LEKAS Highway Ride 2023 event will be making a return for its eighth edition on 21 October 2023. The event is a collaborative effort between RHB Banking Group and Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban Sdn Bhd (LEKAS), a subsidiary of IJM Corporation Berhad’s Toll Division.
The RHB LEKAS Highway Ride, also dubbed as ‘Malaysia’s no.1 highway night ride’, is a one-of-its-kind sports event as it is the only night cycling event in the nation that is held on a fully lighted and closed highway. Registration was opened on 1 May 2023 and all 6,000 cycling slots were taken up by 11 May 2023. The event attracts both local and international communities, setting a new record of its biggest participation to-date and reflecting the event’s growing popularity and success.
Mohd Rashid Mohamad, Group Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer of RHB Banking Group said, “Since the inception of RHB LEKAS Highway Ride in 2012, the ride has become a much-anticipated event by the cycling community and is now a permanent fixture on the cycling calendar, uniting cyclists of different race, age and gender from across the world on a single platform. Cycling has become a mainstream sport and as witnessed in the 2022 race, more than 5,600 cyclists from 26 countries participated. Due to the huge demand, we have decided to increase the participation numbers to 6,000 this year.
We hope to bring another unforgettable and exciting cycling event and with greater impact this year. Within only 10 days since the registration, we have garnered a record of 6,000 registrations, topping last year’s number of participants. It is certainly encouraging to see the enthusiastic response from cyclists across the region.
In conjunction with this year’s RHB LEKAS Highway Ride, we have also launched a special campaign that enables RHB Credit Card holders to spend and earn up to 30% cashbacks as well as stand a chance to win a brand new Pinarello bicycle worth RM33,000. We are also partnering with more merchants to offer our customers attractive deals, including discounts of up to 50% when they purchase sporting equipment leading up to the ride, making their entire experience more meaningful.
We look forward to bringing together more communities and families through this event, and at the same time continue promoting cycling as a preferred outdoor physical activity towards a healthier lifestyle. My advice to those participating in the RHB LEKAS Highway Ride 2023 is to enjoy the ride, have fun and to stay safe at all times.”
Starting from the Kajang Selatan Toll Plaza and finishing at LEKAS Highway E21, the event features four categories: the 120km, 78km, 22km, and 12km routes. A new sub-category will be introduced for veteran women cyclists for the 78km route, and the teenager category will be extended from 17km to 22km.
Lee Chun Fai, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, IJM Corporation Berhad said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with RHB and other sponsors again. As the venue sponsor, LEKAS, under IJM’s Toll Division strives to provide a safe and well-organized venue for cycling enthusiasts through the total closure of the highway for the entire duration of the event. We put a lot of value into associating the IJM brand with this healthy, community-driven activity and look forward to inspiring people of all ages to turn out and enjoy the race festivities.
This year, we are introducing a new category that is the 78km Women Veteran for women above the age of 40. For our young cyclists, we are introducing the 12km Children category for young cyclists aged 10 to 12, and the 22km Teen Ride category for cyclists aged 13 to 16 which both categories are fully sponsored by IJM Corporation Berhad.”
“We are also thrilled to announce that our Night Cycling Event has reached its pinnacle of success, with registrations now fully booked. The overwhelming response from the cycling community has reaffirmed our belief in the power of adventure, unity, and the magic of the night,” Mr. Lee added.
The event is supported by the Ministry of Works, Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysia Highway Authority. Road closure and traffic management measures will start from 5.00pm on 21 October 2023 until 3.00am on 22 October 2023. Road closure information will be disseminated to the public through various media in due course.
The RHB LEKAS Highway Ride includes two main segments: the 120km route, which has the “Open” (men/women aged 22 years and above), “Veteran” (men aged 45 years and above), and “Corporate/Open Team” (men/women aged 22 years and above) categories. The fees for individual registration are RM220, while the fees for early birds are RM200. The Corporate/Open Team category has a fee of RM2200 per team.
On the other hand, the 78km route has the “Open” (men/women aged 22 years and above), “Veteran” (men aged 45 years and women aged 40 years above), with fees of RM200 (RM180 for early birds) and “Young Adults” (boys/girls between the ages of 17 and 21 years) categories, with fees of RM160 (RM140 for early birds).
In addition, there is a special fun ride of 22km for teenagers aged 13 to 16 and 12km for children aged 10 to 12. These additional categories are fully sponsored by IJM Corporation Berhad, in addition to partially sponsoring the 78km Young Adults’ category. The event provides a fun and safe environment for children to learn and develop their cycling skills, potentially nurturing new talents in the sport. For these categories, RM20 refundable deposit per participant is required upon registration.
For more information, visit www.lekashighwayride.my
