SHAH ALAM – For some, it was a Sunday morning run.
For Lotus’s Malaysia, every kilometre completed at its Ceria Charity Run carried a bigger purpose: helping students gain better opportunities through education.
That purpose translated into a record RM500,000 raised at the fourth edition of the Lotus’s Ceria Charity Run (CCR’26), which drew 5,000 runners to Lotus’s Ara Damansara on Sunday.
Lotus’s Malaysia chief executive officer Saksit Panurach said the run, now in its fourth edition, was created not only to bring communities together but also to channel that collective effort towards supporting students.
“What makes Ceria Charity Run special is that every kilometre completed today contributes to a larger purpose.
“When we launched this run in 2023, we wanted to create a platform that brings communities together while supporting better opportunities for students.
“Four years later, we’ve raised a record RM500,000 and are one step closer to our goal of empowering 50,000 students nationwide by 2030. We are grateful to every participant, sponsor and partner who made this possible,” he said.
The funds raised will go towards the Lotus’s–Pintar Smart Up School Programme, which forms part of Lotus’s #KitakanJiran education pillar.
Lotus’s Malaysia has worked with Pintar Foundation since 2016 under its School Adoption Programme, with the partnership currently covering around 63 adopted schools.
One of the programmes under the partnership is Smart Shopper Plus, a practical financial literacy programme launched in August 2025 to teach students how to make better decisions about money.
The one-day workshops cover topics including needs versus wants, budgeting and smart spending.
Pintar Foundation general manager Norzalina Masom said financial literacy was important because students needed to develop an understanding of money management from a young age.
“We want to develop a generation that is financially knowledgeable and understands how to manage their money in everyday situations, such as when they go shopping,” she said.
“For example, if they have a certain budget, they need to know how to make the best choices so they can maximise the money they have. I think that is an important skill for the next generation,” she said.
Since its launch, Smart Shopper Plus has reached 2,394 students across 21 Lotus’s adopted schools in seven states, achieving a 96 per cent programme goal completion rate.
Lotus’s and Pintar Foundation aim to reach 50,000 students nationwide by 2030, with this year’s record collection expected to help accelerate the target.
Each CCR’26 registration contributed RM20 towards the programme, while runners could also purchase a special edition CCR’26 jersey for an additional RM30, with proceeds from both channelled towards the same cause.
For Lotus’s Malaysia executive director of corporate services Azliza Baizura Azmel, the record collection was particularly meaningful given the weather conditions leading up to the event.
She said organisers had initially been concerned about haze last week, only for rain to become the bigger challenge on race day.
“Alhamdulillah, the haze did not continue, but we had rain instead. Thankfully, the response has still been very good.
“I’m really excited to see the runners, fans and customers turning up. Alhamdulillah, all five waves have been completed safely,” she said.
Azliza said planning for the event began at least four months earlier, covering everything from the route and race arrangements to sponsors and other preparations.
This year also saw CCR introduce its first-ever 21.1km Competitive Half Marathon, featuring Men’s and Women’s Open and Veteran categories.
The new category complemented the returning 5km and 10km Shop & Run categories, giving participants with different levels of running experience an opportunity to take part.
Azliza said the response had also encouraged Lotus’s to consider making future editions bigger.
“I’m really excited and very happy with the response. This is the fourth year that we have organised the programme and because the response has been so encouraging, I think there is an opportunity for us to plan an even bigger run in the future.
“We hope that with more sponsors and participants, we can raise more funds and, in turn, help more students,” she said.
She added that the initiative was also intended to support schools located near Lotus’s stores as part of its commitment to the communities it serves.
“All 63 schools that we have adopted are underserved schools. They are government schools located near the areas where our stores operate. That is part of our commitment to supporting the local communities around us,” she said.
Azliza said Lotus’s worked with Pintar to reach the schools as the foundation had been recognised by the Education Ministry to help connect schools with companies that could provide support.
Norzalina said the collaboration with Lotus’s had continued for more than a decade, dating back to the Tesco era before the business became Lotus’s.
She described the partnership between the corporate sector and Pintar Foundation as a way to bring together resources and expertise to support schools and students who needed additional assistance.
“We definitely hope to continue this collaboration, because I think it is a very meaningful partnership between the corporate sector and the community.
“Every year, we have this run, and it is really about coming together as a community to support the local community. That is what makes it meaningful for everyone,” she said.
While the charity run had a clear focus on education, the introduction of the half marathon also gave runners a new challenge.
Store supervisor Muhammad Faaiz Danial Zawari, 25, became the inaugural 21.1km champion after completing the race in the Men’s Open category.
Interestingly, winning the race was not even what he had initially expected when he signed up.
Faaiz said a friend encouraged him to participate, while his wife was the one who registered him – because she wanted the event voucher.
“Alhamdulillah, I’m very grateful to have won today. I honestly didn’t expect it. It was actually my friend who encouraged me to join and my wife was the one who registered me because she wanted the voucher,” he said.
Faaiz, who trains five to six days a week said he had initially aimed only for a podium finish.
His biggest challenge during the 21km race was managing fatigue in his legs, particularly the risk of cramps as the distance increased.
“My target was just to get on the podium. I honestly didn’t expect to finish in first place,” he said.
Faaiz said he maintained a slightly relaxed pace throughout the race as he found himself running largely on his own from the beginning until the finish.
His next goal is an even bigger challenge, making his full marathon debut next year.
“My favourite distances are actually 10km and the half marathon. But next year, InsyaAllah, I’m going to make my full marathon debut,” he said.
For Lotus’s, however, the race was ultimately about more than finishing first or setting a personal best.
The event was held as part of its wider #KitakanJiran CSR movement, which focuses on creating a positive impact in the communities surrounding its stores, including through education.
With RM500,000 now channelled towards the Lotus’s Pintar Smart Up School Programme, the company says CCR’26 has brought it another step closer to its target of empowering 50,000 students nationwide by 2030.
And for the thousands who turned up despite the rain, their kilometres on the road became part of that larger effort.