Members of March Athletic Club battled soaring temperatures and punishing humidity as they took on the Kuala Lumpur Marathon during an unforgettable running adventure in Malaysia and Borneo.

A group of 38 club members and family travelled to South East Asia for a trip combining competitive running with jungle treks, wildlife encounters and sightseeing.

Despite the marathon starting at 3.30am and the half marathon at 4.45am, runners faced gruelling conditions, with temperatures reaching 28°C and humidity levels of 91 per cent.

Joanne Anderson-Wenn described them as the “hardest conditions she had ever run in”, even more challenging than her previous 100km race, while fellow runners likened the experience to “running in a sauna”.

But the March athletes rose to the challenge, producing a string of impressive performances across the marathon, half marathon, 10k and 5k events.

Almost 13,000 runners took part in the full marathon, with Michelle Prior leading the March contingent home in four hours 29 minutes.

Oliver Goodwin followed in 4:50, with Jason Mottram completing the distance in 4:58.

Alan Brown finished in 5:19, while Nina Markillie, Andrew Wool and David Burgess all recorded times of 5:22. Joanne Anderson-Wenn completed the club’s marathon line-up in 5:39.

There was further success in the half marathon, which attracted more than 13,900 competitors.

Mark Godfrey was the first March runner across the line in an impressive 1:34, placing 128th overall and eighth in the over-40s veterans category.

Niall Jackson and Serge Lambert both finished in 1:43, followed by Simon Mead and Rosie Mead in 1:45.

Rosie also secured an excellent result in the women’s competition, finishing as the 30th female runner.

Tim Brammer completed the course in 1:48, with Andrew Cole and Michael Boxall both recording 1:49.

Stephen Ryan followed in 2:11, while Patricia Cole finished sixth in her age category in 2:23, the same time as Joanne Edwards.

Dawn Veal and Rachel Boxall both crossed the line in 2:37, followed by Tina Lambert (2:47), Rodney Crabb (2:56) and Sonia Witham (3:04).

The 10k race attracted more than 11,300 runners, with Steven Robinett leading March home in 49 minutes.

Libby Mead followed in 1:08, with Simon Neville (1:12), Louise Mottram (1:13) and Jon Long (1:15) also completing the event.

More than 4,300 competitors took part in the 5K, where Rebecca Robinett finished in 40 minutes, followed by Katherine Williams (49 minutes), Diane Brown (54 minutes), Dawn Long (1:01) and Debra Ryan (1:12).

Away from the races, the group enjoyed an action-packed itinerary which began in Borneo.

Jungle treks, river cruises and visits to sun-soaked beaches provided plenty of opportunities to experience the region’s spectacular wildlife.

Among the highlights were sightings of orangutans, proboscis monkeys, fireflies, sun bears, rare birds and wild vipers.

The group then travelled to Kuala Lumpur for three nights, combining their running challenges with sightseeing in the Malaysian capital, including a visit to the top of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.

The adventure ended in memorable fashion with a food tour involving 38 Vespa motorbikes.

The trip was organised by Mark Godfrey, director of Premier Holidays, following the success of the club’s running adventure to Vietnam and Cambodia last year.

He said: “The latest itinerary once again brought together a shared passion for running and the opportunity to explore more remote destinations in the company of fellow adventurers.”

The Malaysian adventure provided another memorable chapter for March Athletic Club, with members overcoming testing race conditions while enjoying the chance to explore some of South East Asia’s most spectacular destinations.