A hilltop rest and relaxation spot, Taman Tasik Komanwel is a memorial park dedicated to the 16th Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur. It sits in between the Sri Petaling and the Bukit Jalil STAR Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, about 20 minutes rides from the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Busy with avid joggers in the morning, the hills prove a hit among health conscious Malaysians. Its steeped contour makes the hill a challenging jogging track. Many have mistaken this park for Taman Bukit Jalil but they are actually two different parks. Taman Bukit Jalil is actually not too far from Taman Bukit Komanwel. In fact, they are only separated by a main road and hidden by a golf course.

Climb to the highest peak, Plaza Pandangan, and appreciate the beautiful view of the neighbouring National Sports Complex. Be amazed by the neatly structured complexes around the area especially the golf course. One can even get a clear view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline, which is exceptionally amazing in the morning and late evenings.

The place also caters for people who find pleasure in slow lazy strolls. Take a walk along the man made lake to enjoy the fresh morning sun. Relish the surroundings, a mixture of shady trees, bright flowering plants and green palms that greet you along the way. Relax at the resting areas after a long saunter.

Running around the lake is slightly below 500m in length but it could be a good place to start running if you were thinking of returning to training after a long hiatus. The route around the lake is flat. However, if you were thinking of doing some stamina training, the route up to Plaza Pandangan, is for you. It zig-zags all the way up. If you’ve been to Taman Lembah Kiara, the one in Bukit Komanwel is the exploded version of it. Once you are up at the peak, you will be surprised to find several other hill routes which are more challenging. Some could be quite slippery when it’s wet.

So, back to running. Pacesetters does not have a group here and so, there is no fellowship run. However, there is a group at Taman Bukit Jalil. And rightly, it is more practical to have one group than two in one location with two parks. Taman Bukit Jalil has been the obvious choice for a running group due to its size and availability of route options. Having said that, Taman Bukit Komanwel must have sounded like the “step-son” of Taman Bukit Jalil. Nope it isn’t. In fact, they both complement each other. For people coming from OUG, Happy Garden and some parts of Sri Petaling or Salak South, Taman Bukit Komanwel seems to be the choice. This is due to the jam leading to Technology Park Malaysia, where residents of these areas have to go through before reaching Taman Bukit Jalil. So, the better choice would be Taman Bukit Komanwel which is located just before the jam. The amount of cars parked during peak hours testify to this statement.

You may also pack your favourite snack and head for a picnic at the 35 hectares International Garden. A must see, the place boasts a boating pond and an ornamental lake. In addition, a cascading waterfall greets visitors to site. Make a visit to the 28 themed gardens to view typical characteristics of different eastern and western countries. Each garden speaks the nature of a particular country through its flora and fauna.

Sports enthusiasts can gather interesting information regarding the countries that took part in KL'98 and the history of the Commonwealth Games at three special plazas, Bendera, Komanwel and Central. Recently, The place has been subjected to vandals and you may find some of the plaques missing.

So, make it a point to jog in Taman Bukit Komanwel one of these days. And by the way, for you triathlon or biathlon or swimming kaki, there is also a swimming pool at the National Aquatics Center opened to the public where you can dip yourself and relax after your regular long runs.