For the first time ever, Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) runners will enjoy an elevated race experience with its Marathon, Half Marathon and TOYOTA Ekiden categories flagging off at 6pm on Saturday evening, 30 Nov 2019.
Runners will experience the best race yet, with over 95% of the race taking place on fully closed roads as they run through iconic landmarks such as National Gallery, Victoria Theatre and even the Supertree Grove, which will welcome runners with its music & light show at night!
As part of the SCSM’s ambition and goal to be inducted into the renowned Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series of the largest and most prestigious marathons in the world, the race will see over 26 entertainment points on route, and spectator zones to encourage friends and families of the runners to be a part of the weekend running festival.
Up to 30% off for all our fans!
If you haven’t registered already, wait no longer and take advantage of this special offer.
Exclusively for JustRunLah!, enjoy special rates to Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon from now until 22 November 2019.
Marathon (42.195km): 30% OFF (U.P. S$130)
Other Categories: Up to 20% OFF, depending on the distance
The promo codes have expired on 22 November 2019, thank you.
Ridge Runners is a fellowship, or rather a community of runners, who met every Sunday morning for runs at the Southern Ridges, which are: Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserves.
The key members of the community organized a run on the 25 August to celebrate their 7th anniversary. This run was free and open to the public and there were 2 categories: 21 km and 10 km.
I had always wanted to run the Southern Ridges, but lack the motivation to go there as I feel they are not very accessible. This was why I was glad to come across this event as it gave me a reason to make an effort to travel there. Hence, I registered for the 10 km run.
Getting to HortPark
At 6.10 am, I took the 1st train at Bedok North (Downtown Line) and changed to Northeast Line at Chinatown to Harbourfront. From Harbourfront, I changed to Circle Line and alighted at Labrador Park. By then, it was near 7 am. I decided to take a slow walk to HortPark as there was still time before the flag-off at 7.30 am.
It must have been years since I came to this part of Singapore as I used to visit some customers at Alexandra Techno Park (ATP). The offices were practically deserted on a Sunday morning. I took a tun to HortPark walking along Alexandra Road. It was only after the run when I walked back to Labrador Park MRT that I realised there was a short cut out from HortPark to the main road via the ATP Underpass. Readers may want to take note.
The Race
The race venue was at the ‘Hands-On House’ in the HortPark. Initially, I had a problem locating this place as I was not familiar with HortPark and had at most visited the HortCentre. I arrived just in time at 7.30 am. and commenced my run after some stretching.
Ridge Runners use their own apps to track their runs at the Southern Ridges. Hence for this anniversary run, participants had to install their apps and track the run in order to prove the distance completed and entitled to the finisher medal. The app is quite similar to Strava or Runkeeper, except that it could only be used in the designated routes in the apps.
The start of the route brought us to the residential estate outside Hortpark. The gentle slopes here served as a warm-up to the subsequent ones at the hills. The organizers had pasted arrows on the ground to provide directions to the runners. I can only imagine the tedious work of doing this and removing them after the race.
After a while, we reached the Alexandra Arch and began to negotiate the Forest Walk. I had walked above this forest canopy a couple of times but today was definitely my first run here.
The gentle slopes up to Henderson Waves were still manageable and before long I hit the hydration point. Two volunteers were handing out mineral water and 100 Plus to the runners. I stopped to drink before continuing up Mount Faber. It was with a mix of run and walk that I overcame Mount Faber and began to retrace my steps to HortPark.
There were more gradual downslopes on the return journey and I certainly found it easier and faster. Before I knew it, I had put Forest Walk behind me. I ran at a faster pace on the remaining 1 km and reached the Finish Point back at HortPark, feeling relaxed and satisfied.
I showed a volunteer the distance completed and collected the finisher medal. The medal is beautifully designed, heavy and came in a box. It must be one of the best medals in my collection. In addition, runners were provided 100 Plus, muffins, ice milo and kaya toast.
It was amazing how generous the organizers were in giving out these freebies as the race was free! It just showed the tremendous pride they have in their Ridge Runners community.
I took some rest, before taking a group photo and slowly made my way home.
On a final note, I would like to wish Ridge Runners a Very Happy 7th Anniversary!
Are you as sentimental as I am? Every run that I take part in, I always look forward to the reward at the end. That is, the shiny new finisher medal that I am about to earn and add to my collection. It’s almost an obsession constantly wanting to see my finisher medal collection grow larger and larger. With every medal earned, there is always a story behind it. The pain, sweat and time commitment put into training for the race. The medal is a constant reminder of all the early mornings, dieting and hours spent in the gym strengthening and chalking up mileage on the treadmill. It is a symbol of mental fortitude and the personal growth achieved as a result of taking part in the race.
With every milestone achieved, be it a 5KM, 10KM, Half-marathon or Full-marathon, the urge and desire to chase the next one gets stronger. Race organisers too, have played their part in recent years by innovating and injecting more creativity onto their finisher medal designs and coming up with a medal that a runner just cannot resist. Runner’s World magazine reported in Jan 2019 that the demand for ‘crazier’ finisher medals just keeps increasing and it is essentially what runners want. What else can race organiser’s do but to go bigger and better? With the large pool of races to take part in and the countless number of novel and bespoke races around the world, who is stopping a runner from jumping on a plane to get to their next race where they can not only gain valuable shared experiences with their fellow running buddies but also get a beautiful looking finisher medal at the end worthy of their own personal medal collection, suited to their taste.
Take a look at these very interesting finisher medal designs with their own meaning that will bring out the medal hunting monster in you:-
For all of you who are Disney fans, this marathon is certainly for you. This medal will stand out from all your other medals in your collection but more importantly, it is great to inspire your kids to get into running and staying fit and healthy.
Well this one is a tricky. Running is a healthy endeavor and anything that screams unhealthy and could affect your performance should not be associated to the sport. However, do think about it. This medal would be a head turner and definitely a great conversation starter.
The Beetles, Rolling Stones, AC/DC- ring any bells? If it does, do take part in this race. It will display your undying dedication to Rock and Roll. Also, Rock and Roll is not all about booze and crazy parties. Rock and Roll fans keep fit too and you can be a testament to that!
Ever wanted to be part of the most EPIC marathon on earth and be part of something bigger than yourself? I guess the Little Rock Marathon is where you want to be. According to the organiser, the medal gets a little bigger every year. In 2015, it measured 8.5 x 8.5 and weighed just over 3 pounds. Size does matter and not just that, this medal screams with excitement and joy the moment you set your eyes on it.
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The finisher medals shown above may entice some but also may not have quite the same effect on others. Well, it is up to you. Every medal means something to someone and if a particular race or finisher medal speaks to you in ways that only you understand, then why not put on those running shoes and go get it!
The author is a sports enthusiast who believes that every individual can utilise sports as a tool for character and self-development.
In commemoration of Singapore’s Bicentennial Year, and in a nation-wide effort to raise a million dollars for this year’s President’s Challenge
Singapore, 24 August 2019 – Relay Majulah, Singapore’s first-ever 2,000-kilometer relay run, today announced its initiative to collectively challenge 200 runners to complete a nation-wide relay under 200 hours – all in an effort to raise a million dollars for the President’s Challenge. Centered around Singapore’s Bicentennial Year, the relay run will be marked as the largest and longest relay run in Singapore history.
Looking to inspire Singapore and its people, Relay Majulah also aims to share the determination and grit of local individuals who have persevered in their adversaries. Coming from all walks of life, each of the 200 runners are being challenged to each complete a 10-kilometer or 20-kilometer stretch to collectively achieve the total targeted time and distance.
“This bicentennial year, we all come together to celebrate the becoming of Singapore with 200 Singaporeans and residents representing people from all walks of life aiming to complete this meaningful relay, and raise funds for the needy and unfortunate,” said Bennett Neo, Co-Chairman, Relay Majulah. “Simplistic yet symbolic, the nation-wide relay is a first of its kind in Singapore that hopes to inspire the people and unite the community by coming together to support a singular cause.”
“Relay Majulah is the perfect platform for the people to witness the resilience and rigor of Singaporeans,” said Ong Tze Boon, Co-Chairman, Relay Majulah. “A community of 200 people running together to demonstrate Singapore’s unity regardless of strong or weak, faster or slower, fortunate or less fortunate – all by completing 2,000-kilometers in 200 hours.”
The wide spectrum of runners includes notable names such as Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament, as well as everyday heroes such as Takalah Tan, who overcame the loss of half his brain due to a tragic accident by becoming an athlete and motivational speaker. Another admirable runner is 87-year-old Kor Hong Fatt, the second oldest male finisher in the Boston Marathon who was inspired to lead a healthier lifestyle after the passing of his late wife, proving that age is simply mind over matter.
“It is remarkable to see runners from different backgrounds come together to dedicate their time and effort in completing Relay Majulah; and in rallying their community for the community,” said Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament and final runner of the relay. “This is truly inspiring, and it is motivating me to give my best for the final leg and raise as much as I can to support the President’s Challenge and its supported charities.”
Running towards a magic number
Come 2 November, 200 runners from all walks of life will come together to participate in Relay Majulah with a collective goal of raising a million dollars for close to 70 charities under the President’s Challenge.
Flagging off at noon from the Singapore Sports Hub, a baton will be passed from runner to runner as they journey past significant landmarks, such as Bedok Reservoir Park and Punggol Waterway Park. Hitting the turning point at Yishun SAFRA, they will then see the route follow back to the hub completing all but the last relay.
On 10 November, Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament, will run the final leg from the Singapore Sports Hub and finish off into the MES Theater at MediaCorp’s Campus for the live televised President’s Star Charity Show. Concluding the relay, he will then symbolically hand over the baton to President Halimah Yacob on air, along with a giant cheque that will represent the total amount raised.
Gathering the nation’s support
In the lead up to the flag off date, each runner will be also challenged to raise $5,000, tallying to a grand total of a million dollars that will be towards providing assistance, care and support for beneficiaries of the 67 charities supported by President’s Challenge.
Over the years, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) has become a platform for runners to support a variety of social causes through sport. In support of the President’s Challenge this year, SCSM will be partnering Relay Majulah to champion the spirit of giving back.
Members of the public can also show their encouragement through making donations via Relay Majulah’s Giving.sg page, or to specific runners via their dedicated pages on giving.sg.
For more information please visit the Relay Majulah’s Website or Facebook page.
To speak the truth, I am not a very trail person, reason being, I have very bad descending skills. To the trail runners, climbing up is always time consuming, so time need to be saved by “rolling” down the hills. For me, both ways are equally time consuming.
My first trail race was the Inaugural Bromo Marathon. I still remember that were the years where I begin to run marathons and got hooked. I did not know what is a trail race and what was a road race, just simply thought everything was running and it will be the same.
Indonesian trail races are not that well subscribed like the Thailand, Malaysia and especially the Hong Kong ones. I do not know why Singaproeans love to go Hong Kong trails. Do note that Indonesia also has very breath taking mountains and trails that leaves you going wow. Here are some of the trail races in Indonesia worth giving a try with varying degrees of difficulties.
View of the Bromo cluster can be seen along the race route
I took part in the first edition of this race. Not knowing that I signed a trail marathon. I will still thinking to complete it in 4hours. After this race, I then realise there is a trail and road race. I still manage to do it in 6hrs 30minutes. Too used to road conditions and totally not trained for the mountains. To get to race venue, we had to take a mini van that takes about 8 hours just to reach from Surabaya Juanda Airport. The accommodation that time only comprises of homestays so there are no real resort hotels. But the area is very rustic and nice, with cooling mountain air. The race brings you around Mt Bromo, not Bromo itself, so minus away the tough part at the ashes area. Quite a fair bit of the race is on roads, so it is actually good for newbies.
2. Bandung Ultra
Bandung is a nice town about 3 hours drive ( with traffic jams) out from Jakarta. It is the usual get away place for locals for some breath of fresh air from the overcrowded Jakarta. I did not have the chance to take part in the Bandung Ultra. But the race is pretty okay for attempt as the hills around Bandung are not that high and not that technical. There are many nice scenic places for photo moments. The best part about Bandung is that it has pretty much developed tourism facilities and the hotels are of good standards. There are many categories for this race so do check them out.
3. Tahura Trail
In D Juanda National Park
Met up a new friend at the race
I took part in this race a few years back. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a bad knee wound then, so I was practically limping at the trails. This was coupled by the rainy season which made the trail really muddy, the good thing is that the race goes through the national park, D juanda, so there were some path ways to run on. A half trail half road race. This race is also in Bandung, where you can get some shopping and relaxing times at the famous mall Paris Van Java. I would say this is also a good starting race for newbies. It is only about 1hour from the Bandung Airport to get to race venue.
Tougher Races
The following races, are the ones I have yet to attempt. But would love to if I happen to be able to train more and become a better trail runner.
From the course map, the 170Km is really challenging and carry a 6UTMB points. If you attempt the Ultra, it does goes into the Mt Bromo cluster and it is rather challenging there because there are no vegetation. Its either you are good with balancing or you are good with the poles. The cut off time is pretty decent but that does not mean you can relax all the way. Rate of DNF can be quite high for the 102km and 170km, for more intermediate runners, they might want to try the 30km or 70km first.
Total distance for the longest category is only 62km. But do not be fooled. The total elevation is about 5,440m with a COT of 26hours. Fasties will be rewarded with Gold medal for completion within 17hours. The start and finish line is at Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, Selabintana (Pondok Halimun), Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. It is about three hours drive from Jakarta, so considered really quite accessible. Accommodation wise, there are quite a selection to go about it. But to get to the race venue you will still need to drive a bit or possible chartered rides from the organiser. The race is taking place around April. So if you are thinking about next year’s edition. There is still chance to sign up.
3. Rinjani 100
This is not for the faint hearted. 60km race is already seeing a 5Km elevation with Cut off time of 20 hours. With almost barren terrain. Seasoned trail runners can also DNF ( Did not Finish ) in this race. Therefore, be really prepared and well trained before attempting. Rinjani is a volcano located in Lombok, an island near to Bali. Now becoming more and more a holiday destination for most tourists. The mountain itself is a popular destination for hikers too. Many tours also operate group hikes up the mountain for sunrise view. The scenery is breathtaking but weather and terrain is not easy to manoeuvre.
Runners are really easy to identify ? Saw many runners in their race tee or finisher tee at the holding gates in airport and at the race pack collections ? Saw many Singapore runners participated in the Kuching Marathon this year machiam it’s a Singapore Race ? Runcation is such a in thing now! ❤ Kuching International Airport is just 1 hour and 5 minutes of flight time away from Singapore, air fares is less than SGD$200 and it’s my first time to Sarawak ? And I think the only state I haven’t been to in Malaysia is only left with Kelantan? Any upcoming run there? ? Or have a aim to run in all the states in Malaysia? ?
This Kuching marathon really super epic and memorable ❤ First of all, sibeh sotong me lah! Didn’t remember I opted for courier delivery for the race pack? But sibeh WTF, Friday I’m flying to Kuching at 6 plus flight, Thursday I received a message I have a parcel from Kuching delivery to me the next day, I was still thinking what have I bought from Kuching online ah? ?
My mum will be at home the next day so I thought that’s fine, I’ll just call home and ask my mum what’s that. Flying off at 6.45pm and meeting Christine at 4.45pm at the airport but at 3 plus while I’m still at work, I called home and asked my mum is there any parcel for me and she said yes and I asked her to open it for me. My heart skipped a few beats when my mum told it’s my running stuff ? Was supposed to head off to the airport directly from work and in the end I had to catch a grab home claiming additional time off from work. With my luggage again, lao niang already make the effort to take my luggage out since morning and took bus to work some more leh ? Took the race pack so freaking long to reach me lah!? How can so last minute sia, I could have flown to Kuching with the race pack still in Singapore! ?
On Saturday, I accompanied Christine to the race pack collection at Plaza Merdeka, it’s in a mall located right next to Padang Merdeka where the flag off will be. The queue was long but fast moving and there’s some stalls there selling sports accessories, apparrels and footwear there. Also poisonous booths which stung my eyes with cheap registration fees for the Borneo Marathon and Miri Marathon for next year ?
After the racepack collection, we went for some site seeing with some of our running friends from Singapore and met two young handsome boys ?
Plaza Merdeka is about a 20 minutes walk away from our hotel. We stayed in The Lime Tree Hotel about 1.6km away and walked everywhere nearby during our stay there, like what Christine said, because we are runners this distance of walking is nothing ? It was quite a nice stay at only about SGD50 per night and included breakfast as well. The breakfast was good. The hotel even offered free shuttle bus for full marathoners at 11.30pm as the flag off for full marathon was 1am. Heard from Rey who’s staying at the same hotel that he’s the only person on the shuttle bus ? Why shuttle bus not provided for half marathon runners? ?
On race day morning, Christine asked me while we were still getting ready whether it will rain or not, I replied confidently: Weather so hot ? Wished I can be like Nami from One Piece, can know the weather very well lah ? While we were walking to the race site, we can already feel droplets of rain ?
We were rather early and reached at about 3am. Of course I won’t missed the opportunity when I saw Milo Van ? It’s like 4 or 5 Milo Van lined up there. Luckily I went to get to drink some Milo before the race, because the queue is damn long after my run.
My anemia isn’t getting any better all these years, standing at a spot for too long I will faint so it’s common to see me in race site with all the opportunity to sit down like this while waiting to flag off ?:
(Photo credits: Christine)
Then it started to drizzle about 20 minutes or so before our half marathon flags off at 4am. And it gets even heavier ? Christine and I went to seek shelter, weighing the importance of our health. Our body very precious to both of us as we had been sick for a long period very recently. I even asked Christine will they postpone the race or cancel the race? And her answer was: This is Malaysia ? Ya man, Malaysia race won’t cancel because of heavy rain. Which reminds me of Penang Bridge International Marathon last year which I ran the half marathon. It was thunderstorm lah! ?
Both Christine and I were still contemplating whether or not to run. Since I got back from Khmer Empire Marathon, I’d been down with flu and didn’t run much. To me to run with a flu is fine as I’m almost recovered but I was pretty reluctant to run as I’m suffering dysmenorrhoea. Most of all, I DON’T WANT to be dripping blood on the tarmac along the way while I run ???? It’s a nightmare for many female runners to have a race during these few days of the month ?
Thinking I had already ran many races this year and it’s OK not to run this as next month I will have Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon and I will be running half marathon as well. Christine had just recovered from being sick for 3 weeks and I’m still sick since I gotten back from Khmer Empire Marathon 2 weeks ago ? I told Christine I will wait for her in the hotel room while she run. It was 3.58am and other runners who had seek shelter like us inside the tentage braved the rain and headed to the start line then. We heard the countdown for the flag off, its like heavy downpour and there’s even lightning just a while after flag off. Christine and I were the only 2 runners left in the bag deposit tentage hiding from the rain with the volunteers while Christine was videoing the runners running in the heavy rain exclaiming: All these are crazy people ?
(Video credits: Christine)
We asked the volunteers are there any closing time for the start pen and the volunteers kindly and efficiently checked for us. We were informed that there’s no closing time for the start pen as long as we finishes the race under 4 hours from the official flag off at 4am.
It’s going to be 4.30am soon, finally the rain became a slight drizzle. Christine said she needed to burn off the calories from our day before feasting in the Kuching Food Festival ?
Christine was paiseh to head to the start line alone so we tried jio-ing other runners who are hiding from the rain in another tentage to run together as well but they were all already planning to DNS or run a shorter distance themselves later on. I then told Christine I will cover a short distance with her and we headed to the timing mat to get our bibs “checked in”. A van stopped right there just as we were about to start running, these runners looked like the full marathon category runners who were sent back because of whatever reasons they DNF.
End up just right after we started running, we were lost ? We ran additional 1km even though it’s just like the first km ? We didn’t see any direction sign at all and concluded maybe the volunteer at the turning point declared pang kang already as we ran straight when we should have turned left but we ran straight and turned right ?
After that we only saw signage for 10km runners and we realised it’s the wrong way, we u-turn and carried on running till Christine run into a building which I feel is not the right path and I told her I don’t feel that it’s the correct way and we make a second u-turn ? It was after that then I know it’s a Mosque.
Then we asked the table of uncles sitting in the kopitiam for direction, they told us to go back and turn right in Chinese and Christine pointed left ? Jin hoseh, literally want to face palm myself eh ? This was also her 3rd race she got “hilang” this year ? Since seeing Christine not good in her sense of direction, since Christine slowed down and waited for me(She can easily run a sub 2 half marathon but ran with me at 7mins pace), since I was the one who jio-ed her to come for this Kuching Marathon, I carried on running behind following her hoping I will be fine. A while later she also confirmed with me whether I will continue running or not ?
After a while the drizzling stopped. There were many hydration points along the way but I think isotonic drinks were only available at alternate stations. Quite a few of the hydration points offered ice cold sponges. Think some volunteers along the way were shocked to see us still running after so long ? One volunteer even ran with us for a distance and make sure we turned to the right direction. I even asked him after the turn will we catch up with the rest of the 21km runners in front and he just shake his head and smiled a bit awkwardly think he dosen’t want to give us false hope ?
(Video credits: Christine)
Some parts of the route is quite dark. After a long time I was even asking Christine nobody walk one meh? ? Then we heard the prayers from the mosques. It was quite nice to hear the prayer actually as it was so quiet with just the two of us. From the echoing of the prayer broadcasts, there is quite a lot of mosque nearby.
(Photo credits: Christine)
We set a target to at least overtake 1 runner ? It’s only at our 8km plus when we finally saw a runner in front and overtook him. Then a while later we changed our target to overtake 10 runners but the target was accomplished soon. We then saw runners coming out from a mosque, must be them going in to borrow the toilet. I didn’t see any portable toilet along the way at all but Christine said she just saw ONE cubicle at a hydration point. We carried on running. I stop counting when we overtook 110 runners and it starts drizzling again till the end of my race.
All was going well till around 15km, when I started feeling tummyache and I told Christine to go ahead as I’m going to walk already, she even told me “Don’t DNF huh” before she run off ? I said OK and luckily I said OK because at about 17km I thought of DNF and getting a Grab back to hotel. I walked because I know THE SHIT IS REAL ? Worst thing is no toilet in sight. I was cursing many times inside me. I think is the tummyache that caused me not to have any awareness of any upslopess at the later part of the race and I really had the thought of getting a Grab and DNF ? Christine they all were saying after the race about the slopes and I even said, got slopes meh? ? Perhaps I was too focus in thinking about tahaning the tummyache till I reach the hotel toilet estimating the remaining distance and counting down the distance left to the super shiok toilet. Hope no one thought I was cheating or take short cut when they saw me turned towards the hotel lah, I even ran additional distance hor ?
Seriously, though the suffering of tummyache, but I enjoyed myself in this run. It was epic and memorable because the DNS and DNF is so real but I completed the race. It’s a new experience as it’s like Christine and I were the only 2 runners till our 8 plus km. Nobody overtake Christine her entire race ?
There’s an additional Finisher Tee for the top 200 finishers which looks similar to the normal finisher tee as well. Love the medal very much as it’s cute and the finisher tee is very nice as well ? But people judge beauty/nice/cute differently lah. Had a friendly conversation with a lady from Kuching who ran the half marathon as well sitting next to us on the plane while flying back to Singapore and she said the race singlet and finisher tee is getting uglier each year ? But I’m quite interestedbto run Kuching Marathon again as I enjoyed the race and didn’t completely explored Kuching yet! Well, it’s just 1 hour and 5 minutes of flight time away ?
In May, the course for Hanoi Marathon – Heritage Race has been officially certified by Grade A Measurers of the IAAF-AIMS (International Association of Athletics Federations-Association of International Marathons and Distance Races). HIHM received high evaluations on technical aspects, landmarks, and cultural values.️
In order for our athletes to enjoy the most of the Hanoi’s heritage and the six central districts of Hanoi, the organiser and IAAF-AIMS has standardised the course and included in it these following landmarks: the Opera House with its French architecture, Bay Mau lake and Thong Nhat Park, the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature , and Truc Bach lake, along with the ancient copper-wielding village of Ngu Xa.
Along with the inclusion of these new landmarks, your favourite Hanoian heritage features of HIHM 2018: Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Long Bien bridge, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Hoang Dieu road, and more, are still part of the course of HIHM.
We believe that this IAAF-AIMS certified course will bring you an internationally-qualified marathon and fond memories of the thousand-year-old capital of Hanoi.
Held the last weekend in July, the marathon offers some great challenges along a very nice route. If you’ve ever been to San Francisco, you know it’s a hilly city, and you get to experience all of that during this race. Starting on the flat roads of the Embarcadero and along the water by Fishermen’s Wharf, you are soon aiming for the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. Since the bridge is high above the water, well, you have a little climbing to do. Later you’ll run over the rolling hills of Golden Gate Park, and up and down through some residential areas; between miles 21 and 22, you’ll face an upward slope that will make you scream, “What were they thinking?” (well, I screamed it, anyway)
The hills are tough, but (mostly) not THIS tough.
Don’t worry; it’s not like you have to run up or down Lombard Street. The hills are manageable, not like the 29% grade that stood between me and the cafes I wanted to visit while I stayed at my friend’s place. Still, you’ll want to be ready, so do some training on hills before you go. Don’t limit yourself to just setting a high incline on a treadmill, either; you need to be as prepared for the downhills as you are for the uphills.
Yes, it really does look this amazing in person (photo via Pixabay)
For me, the highlight of the race was running across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. As we approached the bridge it was climbing out of the morning fog, but once we were on it, the fog lifted and we had clear views in all directions. The pavement is likely to be wet from the fog, so watch your step. It’s about 3km across the bridge, and the wind was pretty strong; try not to slow down going over, or your body heat will dissipate, and you’ll start to get chilled. Looking off to your right, you can see the downtown rising in the distance, a pretty amazing view. Once you reach the end of the bridge, you’ll pass through a parking lot, follow a trail underneath the bridge and come back up to run back along the other side. On my return trip, the fog was settling in again and we couldn’t see the city, though visibility on the bridge itself was fine. I’ve got to say, that was pretty cool.
Coming off the bridge, you’ll mix with the Half Marathoners from the first half. San Francisco does something I have never seen: they have two Half Marathons. One that’s generally along the first half of the route, and another along the second. It’s a great way to increase the number of people who can run the Half marathon. Runners have the choice of starting at the Full Marathon starting line and finishing in Golden Gate Park or starting in the park and finishing with the marathoners back on the Embarcadero. A very interesting concept and I’m surprised I’ve never seen it anywhere else. (they also have 5K races and an ultramarathon).
Much more comfortable at the Start than I expected. (that’s the Bay Bridge behind us)
Race day weather was good, but as Mark Twain is rumored to have said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco,” so you need to be ready for anything. I ran in shorts and a singlet, but I had brought tights, a long-sleeve performance shirt, and gloves, just in case. The race starts at 5:30 am, and San Francisco can be very cold in the morning if the wind is blowing. Fortunately, we had no wind at the start that day, but be ready to wear something warm and store it at the baggage drop just in case. The forecast for race day was 54F/12C at the Start and 65F/18C by the time I finished, though it actually was up to 73F/22C when I crossed the line. Those last few miles were pretty hot.
The overall organization is very professional, one of the most well-planned events I’ve seen. The organizers are very proactive about sending out lots of information in advance. They made use of Neurun, an app that has a course video with coaching advice that helps you prepare. The expo was pretty large but easy to navigate. There were plenty of water stations on the course staffed by different community groups and other volunteers, such as the Sweat Tracker crew and a wonderful Sikh community group around Mile 21. Of course, Biofreeze was readily available along the way. The race starts in waves, with the last one going 25 minutes after the elites head out, and there are pacers to help you hit your target time. Registration is first-come, first-served, though the race is big enough to accommodate registrations close to race day; registration for 2020 is already open, so check it out.
Logistically, it’s an easy race even though it’s far away. There are direct flights from Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Manila, and Hong Kong. For my trip, I flew Eva Airways through Taipei (spending a Friday night there along the way) in their Premium Economy cabin, which is a nice way to do the 12-hour flight between TPE and SFO. Hotels in San Francisco are expensive, but for the night before the race, you would definitely want to stay downtown (I walked a kilometer to the Starting Line) or near the Embarcadero, because of the early starting time. From what I saw on Instagram, I wasn’t the only runner there from Singapore. So, ask around your running friends who have already done it and ask for recommendations on how to travel there easily.
The one thing that surprised me about the San Francisco Marathon was the lack of spectators. Marathons in major US cities typically have a lot of people out there cheering, but it seemed pretty quiet along much of the route. On the flight back, I was talking with a San Francisco runner and he said this year was pretty, unusual. It is because you can generally expect people to be out there, cheering. Trust me, you can really use some crowd support as you run through those hills, so take some people with you and enjoy yourselves!!
While lacked the ideal terrain here in Singapore to prepare for the big mountain races we were passionate about, something about the sport of trail running and dreams of spending time in the mountains kept us hooked.
We sought to improvise and find creative ways to get the necessary training to chase our big mountain dreams, right on this pancake-flat island that we call home.
But one wonders then… How do you go from running the roads of Singapore to tackling the biggest mountains of the world?
Live Low Race High
1. Get the Right Equipment
Running
Shoes
Running shoes are crucial for tackling the different types
of terrains the mountains may offer.
For training:
Salomon Sense Ride 2
For racing: Salomon
Sense SG (for racing faster, shorter races) and Salomon Ultra Pro (for racing
ultra-distances, where cushioning is more important)
Running
Equipment
Apart from running shoes, running equipment are as important
too – you can’t expect to find a pit stop
in the mountains.
Hydration Vest: Salomon Advanced Skin 12L (for 100k races and above), Salomon S/Lab Sense Ultra 8L Set (any distance up to 100km). We are big fans of the Salomon Advance skin series and S/Lab Sense Set line up of hydration packs and have been loyal users of Salomon kit from the previous generations.
2. Places to Train for the Mountains in Singapore
The total absence of mountains should not be used as an excuse not to train for an ultra-marathon. On the contrary, one can get very creative in finding spaces ways to train for mountainous races in the urban landscape of Singapore. Over the years, our coaches have also managed to adapt and modify our training programmes to suit the terrain constraints we face here. In other words, it is absolutely possible to prepare for the big mountains in our city. Here are some suggestions:
Fort
Canning Hill (Fort Canning MRT/Clarke Quay MRT)
Pro-tip: Cross the overhead bridge behind G-Max Reverse Bungy and run repeats along the section spanning River Valley Road, behind the Foothills, extending all the way to Fort Canning Station Exit B.
While it’s common for trail runners to spend time “chasing vert” or accumulating elevation gain by running up and down continuously, we believe that an emphasis on spending time on feet is just as important. The reason for this is that the concept of running for hours on end may be a somewhat foreign concept to many first-time trail runners, as compared to training for a shorter road race.
With that said, you are welcome to try the LLRH loop, a carefully constructed training route designed to develop endurance, speed, climbing and descending skills all in one loop. It does get competitive once you start looking at the fastest known times set by our local runners. Try and see if you can beat them!
Lorong
Sesuai (Bukit Batok Nature Park)
Another well-kept secret of a training ground for trail runners here, this quiet road can be located by running further down the road from Bukit Timah and also serves as one of the entrances to Bukit Batok Nature Park. Although only a long uphill road that ends at the base of a staircase, its prolonged slope helps to simulate the sustained climbs that runners will face when racing overseas.
A hidden jewel of a training ground in the West of Singapore, Kent Ridge Park offers a variety of terrain ranging from long, gentle slopes, to sharp, steep uphills. Vigilante drive, being of the latter variety, is a short road with a nasty climb that begins at South Buona Vista Road and ends at the junction of Kent Ridge Park.
The World is Your Stage – Running as
a Means to Explore the Globe
Trail running is more than just running in nature; it’s also a way to connect with the people, culture and community of the locale. More often than not, we end up sharing moments with other runners during the races we run. While we may not always speak the same language or even understand each other, there is a certain camaraderie among all racers, a common bond forged through the suffering and experience that all of us are going through and sharing at that moment.
3. Things to take note of in trail running
i) Mileage matters – more specifically, time on feet
In trail running, training is usually done according to time
instead of a specific horizontal distance. This is because time on our feet is
a much more realistic indicator of effort and training load compared to
distance alone.
For example, an elite athlete make take half the time to cover a 10k compared to a novice. While the same distance may be prescribed, the training load experienced by both athletes is significantly different; likewise, the effort involved is very much dissimilar. Effectively, taking this into consideration prevents overtraining and burnout.
ii) Prioritising hydration
Rehydration during exercise is dependent on individual sweat
rate and environment (temperature), and the need for electrolyte replacement
depends on sweat composition. Therefore, simply guzzling water when feeling
extremely thirsty does not resolve the problem of dehydration. On a day to day
basis, it is necessary to improve fluid intake throughout the day in order to
train and race in a better-hydrated state. A significant amount of stress
placed on the gut during racing is intricately tied to the ability to hydrate
and fuel properly.
We usually treat our long runs as a simulation for race day and as an opportunity to test out the strategies for fuelling and hydration. It is not just a matter of your electrolyte drink taste and the frequency of consuming it, but how it works out and responds to your individual sweat profile. As they say, racing nutrition varies greatly from person to person, and there is no one silver bullet. So make sure you test what works for you in training before trying in out in a race!
iii) Chasing Vertical Meters
Elevation training benefits endurance athletes of all types
because it activates muscle groups that are not usually firing when running on
flat surfaces. By doing work against gravity, athletes also develop
significantly more muscular strength during push-off. In doing so, athletes
become less prone to overuse injury as more holistic strength is developed.
As the saying goes, hills are also speed work in disguise. In order to achieve the same (flat) speed on an incline, one has to work harder uphill, and also inevitably run faster downhill, activating more muscle groups to stabilize the fall under gravity.
About Live Low Race High – A short history of the team
As a collective, Live Low Race High (LLRH) was first established as our team name for The Great Relay – 100km trail & road relay race in 2015. The name was in part a play on altitude training theories such as “Live-high, train-low” and “Live-high, train-high”, in part an allusion to the non-existence of mountains that Singapore trail-runners can train on. It’s also the mindset that we Singaporeans can dream of running the biggest mountain races in the world, even if we do not have any in our own backyard to train on.
The Original Live Low Race High Team At The Great Relay Event in 2015. Left to right: Race Director Vlad Ixel, Ian Lye, Andy Kamsan, Azlan Ithnin, Bucky Hussain
Like most people, trail running was not on our minds when we first started running. Instead, most of us were forcefully introduced to the sport by being made to run during Physical Education (PE) classes in school, and later in life, during National Service (NS). After few short road races and some marathons, however, we soon grew bored of pounding the same routes on the tarmac and found ourselves drawn to exploring and running on softer trails. While lacked the ideal terrain here in Singapore to prepare for the big mountain races we were passionate about, something about the sport of trail running and dreams of spending time in the mountains kept us hooked. We sought to improvise and find creative ways to get the necessary training to chase our big mountain dreams, right on this pancake-flat island that we call home.
Running the 2017 Vibram Hong Kong 100
At our annual ‘Summit’ Gathering. Left to Right: Ian Lye, Jiong How, Chua Duwei, Andy Kamsan, Azlan Ithnin, Chin Wei Chong
As a group, the legendary Salomon athlete Kilian Jornet, one
of the greatest trail runners of all times, has been a massive inspiration to
us on our journey to becoming trail runners. His legendary wins at the iconic
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) were a catalyst for us taking the next step
forward in becoming trail runners, and by accident, global citizens. The
possibilities of adventure, travel, camaraderie and friendship with not just
Singapore runners, but like-minded souls from every far-flung corner of the
world, became appealing to us.
Getting into the sport between 2012 and 2014 was a most opportune time, it coincided with the increasing popularity of the sport. We followed the exploits of the formidable Salomon-Suunto international team as they raced across the world via Salomon’s slickly produced Youtube videos – Salomon TV. This came full-circle when some of us were also fortunate to be able to attend trail running workshops led and guided by Salomon athletes like Ryan Sandes and Greg Vollet at UTMB last year.
With Salomon elite athlete Lucy Bartholomew at the Salomon Trail Running Clinic in Chamonix, 2018
Getting
your first pair of Salomon
Salomon was
born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern
alpinism. Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and
progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding
the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied
together by one simple concept:
“The
world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain
products.”
You can find Salomon products in Running Lab – specialty running store, and LIV ACTIV – outdoor lifestyle concept, the exclusive distributor in Singapore. For full stores list, please go to Running Lab Singapore stores or LIV ACTIVE stores.
Told myself every year to travel to somewhere I’ve never been to before. So taaadaaaa, it’s Cambodia’s Siem Reap this time! ? It’s both Willis and my first time to Cambodia. It’s the 6th edition of Khmer Empire Marathon this year and I must say I enjoyed the half marathon very much! ?
I was super Rambo last year December, I booked flight tickets to Siem Reap immediately as I found it cheap and registered for the race without jio-ing anyone yet and after that Willis couldn’t confirm with me whether he can go or not as his workplace need to ballot for leave. I thought at first well, I can go alone.
About two months before the race, honestly I thought of forfeiting the entire trip to Cambodia when I couldn’t successfully “poison” my friends to go with me, I got a little chickened out when I was told that it’s not a safe place lah, got drugs got prostitution lah ?
Luckily, Willis told me he managed to get the leave this time. I also asked my parents to come for a short holiday to Cambodia as well ? I’d never bring my parents overseas by myself alone, all the previous trips with my parents were planned by my sisters. Guan Yin Ma is kind to me, when I purchased my parents air tickets it’s super cheap at only about $150 as there’s a sale, even cheaper than when I purchased the air tickets for myself at about $200. Accommodations in Siem Reap is cheap as well, a 4 star hotel with buffet breakfast cost only about sgd50 per night .
Though there’s tour package offered by the race organizer, it’s at a super crazy rate of more than USD600 per pax for just 3 days with nothing much included but just a tour, pre-race gala dinner, return airport transfers with accomodation excluding air tickets ? Instead, I booked a tour with option of Chinese speaking guide on Klook for a day tour in Angkor Wat and it’s only about SGD$16 per pax, though bear in mind a day visit pass to AngKor Wat is USD37. In our tour group there’s also 4 other runners who came here for the Khmer Empire Marathon as well and I’m glad my parents enjoyed the tour ?
We stayed in Apsara Angkor Resort and Conference, it’s also the place for race pack collection. First, we need to find our bib number on the lists according to our category and then search for our name to collect the race pack. There’s 42km, 21km, 10km and 3km. We found our name pretty quickly. I realised there’s many overseas runners on the list, mostly from Vietnam and China.
Race pack collection was fast and first thing Willis thought is that there’s plenty of child labour in this country. I love the race singlet! There’s a Buddha head printed on the singlet ? Though there’s an error on my name printed on the race bib, it’s rather inauspicious if I were to pronounce it in Hokkien ? There’s a coupon for foot massage, beer and drinks at the event site ?
We didn’t really had a great stay in the hotel as no matter how we adjust the temperature to 30 degrees, it’s still super cold. On race day at about 12am I woke up suddenly as there’s no air conditioning, there’s no electricity as well but I didn’t really mind at first. When we woke up at 3am, the issue isn’t resolve yet ? Willis had to switch on the torch light on his phone while we wash up and get ready for the race. It’s actually one of the official hotel partners and yet no bus transfers for runners to race site and we needed to pay the hotel USD10 for tuk tuk which I found that Grab in Siem Reap is actually rather cheap. As we thought it’s in the middle of the night and we didn’t want to risk not getting a Grab in a country we are not familiar with so we booked the USD10 tuk tuk with the hotel beforehand instead. Yes there’s Grab in Siem Reap and then I found out that if we go to the race site which is about 15 minutes away by tuk tuk it actually would cost only about 13000 Riel
Funny thing was Willis thought I registered for full marathon but I only registered for half marathon ? So he ran the full marathon category while I ran the half marathon ? Full marathon flag off timing was at 4.30am in the morning while half marathon was at 5.30am but we went to the race site together. After Willis started running, I find a place to sit down and waited for my turn to run
Flag off was on time and when I started running, sky was brightening already. It was a cooling morning and it drizzled slightly for a while while we ran. I saw hydration points at aevery 2km and the energy drink tasted like Red Bull but it isn’t. Distance marker was very accurate. The entire distance we ran on tarmac and it’s a very flat route. Most of the road were blocked from vehicles till the last few km then I noticed we were running alongside the vehicles.
There’s quite a few local kids picking up the plastic bottles and cups near every hydration points. But there were some local kids just there to give high-5s and to cheer for runners ?
I enjoyed the route because there’s no high rise buildings but just greenery and ancient temples and some ruins of the temples along the way.
I stopped quite a couple of times along the route to take pictures because it’s too pretty ? I’m not rushing because I’m going to wait for Willis to finish his 42km too.
Miraculously, I think I did pretty well for this half marathon though after Gold Coast Marathon last month I didn’t run much and I stopped quite a couple of time for photos and at hydration points.
Though the cut off time for half marathon is just 3 hours and full marathon at just 6 hours. But I saw runners completing way after the cut off time still gets their finisher medal. The medal design is so pretty, it’s Angkor Wat ? But I think only the full marathon runners have their medal with distance engraved while the 3km/10km/21km runners all get the same medal which doesn’t have any distance engraved on it. There’s no finisher tee for all runners.
After I finished the run, immediately I head towards the race village, it’s very lively, there’s like a dance battle which looks like the emcee host on the spot. I head towards the stage for foot massage. I did the foot massage twice as Willis had given me his coupon and tell me to enjoy while I wait for him ? There isn’t much queue at all for the foot massage as well and I only waited like 5 minutes each time. The foot massage was at least 10 minutes each time. The boy who did my foot massage striked a conversation with me, it was then I knew he worked 12 hours a day with only 2 off days a month. Earning a living isn’t easy here.
There’s a counter that gives out a tee shirt as well and I went to collect it. It’s not a finisher tee but a tee from one of the sponsor and I took it anyway. Two young boys looked like they are just 5 or 6 years old approached me and one of them pointed his tee shirt and pointed to the tee shirt that I was holding. I gave the tee shirt to him and the other one was sad because I only had 1 tee shirt of give ?
I only redeem a can of drink from the coupon as I wasn’t very thirsty then I started walking back to the race course hoping to catch Willis and ran towards the finishing together.
Willis did quite well for his run though he had broken his toe nail while we were sightseeing the day before and it was rather painful ? He said some of the last few hydration points ran out of water or already packed up. We then redeemed all the coupons of the drinks, there was at least 20 local kids crowding around Willis while he gave away all the can drinks we redeemed with just the beer to us ?
It’s a nice marathon and a nice place to go for a short and relaxing vacation/runcation. Will definitely want to run in Cambodia again but like always, I have other places I would want to explore first. It’s quite easy to travel around in Siem Reap with Grab available. Massage is very cheap at USD4 for an hour near Pub Street and beer is super cheap at just USD fifty cents. I think there’s no need to purchase a tour package and free and easy won’t be much of any hassle.
Coaches note: You do have to be relatively fit before attempting these workouts, as a guide you should be able to run comfortably for 26-30km before attempting the workouts featured below. Completing these workouts on similar courses to your marathon is also ideal.
Workout One: 3 x 5km with 1km float between
When: 8 – 10 weeks out from your marathon.
Pace: 5km reps at your goal marathon pace with the 1km float between 30 seconds per km slower than your marathon pace.
This is a great workout to test your fitness 8 weeks out from a marathon and it gives you a good feel if your marathon pace is realistic or not. This workout is 17km in total with 15km of it at your goal marathon pace. The idea of this workout is that the first two 5km reps should feel easy and then the third one it gets a bit harder with the accumulated fatigue. At the end of this workout you should walk away from itknowingthat there was one more 5km rep to get out if you had to. If that’s not the case you need to reassess your marathonpace goals. When I race a marathon I break the race into 5km sections. I do this to help me mentally and it works well as the drink stations are roughly spaced 5km apart, this is also great practice for race day.
Coaches note: You do have to be relatively fit before attempting these workouts, as a guide you should be able to run comfortably for 26-30km before attempting the workouts featured below.
Workout Two: 3 x 6km with 1.5km float between
When: 5 – 6 weeks out from your marathon
Pace: 6km reps at your goal marathon pace with the 1.5km float between 30 seconds per km slower than your marathon pace. The term float is used throughout these workouts and is best described as a moderate pace quicker than your jogging pace.
This is an extension of the 3 x 5km and should be completed 2 to 3 weeks after the 3 x 5km with the same mentality. This workout will have you covering 21km. It is an ideal workout to use in a half marathon where you can also practice going through drink stations, race day routines and wearing the same thing you will on race day. Just remember you’re there to train and don’t get caught up in the race, your chance to race will be in the weeks to come! The 6km reps add extra minutes working at marathon pace and you’ll get a great indication of how your body will feel through the first half of a marathon at your goal marathon pace. As mentioned with the 3 x 5km reps, you should be feeling like if you had to get another 6km out at the end of the workout you could. This isn’t a workout where you finish being bent over and fully exhausted. If that’s the case the pace you are running is too quick for goal marathon pace on race day.
(Left to right): Lach, Dan and Kane took their marathon PB from 3:00 to 2:46, from 3:40 to 2:56, and from 3:16 to 2:43, respectively, under Brady’s marathon training.
Workout Three: 2 x 11km with 2km float
When: 3 – 4weeks out from your marathon
Pace: 11km reps at goal marathon pace with the 3km float 25-35 seconds slower per km than goal MP
This workout is one where you get close to the fire of what marathon day will feel like without getting burned! The 11km goal marathon pace effortstest your concentration and give you a great insight of what the first 11km of race day will feel like. If you’re doing this workout correctly at the 1.5km mark of the 2km float you should be feeling ready to get into the next 11km effort. In total it’s 24km with 22km of it at marathon pace. It is also a great workout to practice your race-day nutrition and routines. After completing this workout it is important to ensure you have adequate recovery time. If you can complete this workout this will give you a lot of confidence for race day.
Been a while since I’ve written but then I’ve not raced as much as what I used to when I first started back in 2014. My Sundays are also taken up with running the U11 SG Nippers (a junior lifesaving program at Tanjong Beach) that leaves very little racing time in my schedule.
When I think back to 2018, I focused on 3 HM for the year, Sundown, SAFRA and GEWR. Unfortunately, I suffered a stress fracture after the Sundown that never quite recovered and my following HMs just went downhill. I showed up and fudged my way through it but it wasn’t pleasant. Had a bit of an upside during the SCMS Ekiden relay race. I did the first leg which was around 7km and actually enjoyed the run. It was reasonable and satisfactory. That was my last timed race and pretty much stopped running altogether.
Review of my racing effort
Fast forward eight months to this morning and I found myself back at the Start line with my hubby, John and friend, Michelle by joining Decathlon’s Inaugural Race. It had a single category, being 7km, which you could register as a solo runner or as a pair (and had to finish together). At $45 for a pair, I thought it was pretty good value and a reasonable distance. Not too short at 5km but not quite 10km which I definitely was not ready for.
Having restarted running only 5 weeks ago, a good deal heavier and unfit, let’s just say that a run around the lake near my home which was my starting measure (a mere 2.2km) was quite painful on the legs and psychologically unpleasant. So over the course of the 5 weeks, I pressed on getting out 3-4 times a week with the target of just getting around the lake. I changed my diet and stopped drinking which helped shed 6kg and lighten the load during the runs. I could honestly say, I was good to go for a 3km race. Legs were trained, cardio still needed some work but that’s as far as I got.
So showing up this morning for 7km, I pretty much knew what would happen. I’d have a good 3km run and then fudge my way through the next four and like reading a crystal ball that’s precisely what happened. Since I was signed up with John as a pair and him being a faster runner we agreed to run our individual paces and then meet up 100m from the end to finish off together. That worked out very well. In a nutshell, I am not trained up enough for this distance, my body improves slowly and I just need more time to get the mileage under my feet.
Review of the race
Being off-season with Nippers and a good distance, the Decathlon race was an ideal event to venture back into racing. Now, let’s review the race itself:
Registration – was a bit of an awkward two-step approach. First step was to make the selection and pay and then I waited a week before I received confirmation that my registration was successful.
Race pack collection – very easy and efficient with a location that was suitable to me. I despise travelling for race packs. It’s costly and imposes on my time.
Race pack – Good selection. Their famous Quecha 10L backpack (my family already owns 4 and are excellent value for money) was the highlight. Inside was a microfibre towel, powder electrolytes, breakfast bar (quite tasty) and racing tee. I have no idea how I ended with a 2XL (I’m usually a large as a Caucasian). The men’s tee was a great dark teal colour which fitted both of us well but I didn’t think much of the ladies version. The colour was a pastel green which was nice but it had a very wide and baggy cut as I observed on most of the ladies wearing them (I was swimming in mine so wore my usual running top). Overall though the best race pack I have seen since my 2014 & 2015 GEWR.
Event organisation – they were spot on. Although we started a few minutes late, I don’t really care about this. There were lots of enthusiastic volunteers and marshals directing. Two water stations with all the cups ready and filled and volunteers handing them out so you wouldn’t have to stop (any Sundowner here would understand how important this is).
Route – lots of hills, ramps, underpasses and sharp turns and mostly narrow paths. It lacked a visual feast. As hubby puts it, it felt like we were in an industrial area. So not much to look at. Not to mention that it was an extra 800m long which kinda messed with my head when I realised that instead of finishing I had to keep going further.
Finisher medal – if I could insert a crying emoji here, I would. There was none. Didn’t even realise that till my friend told me the morning of the race. Kinda felt a bit flat at the end, like something was missing that encapsulates the race, the event and the actual finish. Such a shame as I have nothing to commemorate my race with. I don’t know how others perceive finisher medals but for me they trigger memories and events. As the years roll by and I walk past my medal hangers, I remember the good, the bad and also the very ugly (fracturing my ankle comes to mind at the 2015 Urbanathlon). They provide a timeline and storyline of my running life. According to Decathlon’s website it was a choice towards being eco-friendly, fair enough but I would’ve enjoyed seeing the blue and white ribbon with Decathlon plastered on it and some swanky blue and white medal design. Well maybe next time.
Race village – usually when I finish, I look for water, electrolyte drink and a banana and they had all three in large tents, easily accessible and no queuing. I don’t usually hang around the festivals so I can’t comment on it but from what I saw, people were enjoying themselves and participating.
Wrap-up
What do I think? I’m on the fence. Lots of positives in the organisation, race kit and collection, volunteers, race village and water stations. I am not a hill runner so the downside for me was the route and disappointed about the lack of finisher medal (which you only find out if you bother reading the FAQs and get all the way to the bottom). I do wish Decathlon all the best in future racing events and I hope they maintain the organisational quality they have today (and toss in a medal, I’m willing to pay a bit more to cover that cost).
There are 3 Spartan Races in Singapore this year. The Spartan Stadion in January was the first of its kind in Asia, followed by the second race at Yio Chu Kang in April and finally, this third race in August at Bukit Timah.
I have participated in the Spartan Race for 3 consecutive years. It has sort of becomes an ‘annual ritual’ for me. I will likely sign up as long as I am available for the race schedule and the venue is interesting. It is a good event which encompasses a whole body workout and is especially fun if your friends participate with you.
The Venue
Held at the Centaurs Sports Park, Turf City, the race has 2 separate routes for the Sprint [5 km] and Super [13 km] categories and bring the spartans into the forested area of Bukit Timah Reserve. This is also the same location for the Columbia Jungle Run organized by the Centaurs.
Today’s race is also the final race in the Southeast Asia Regional Series, whereby regional elites compete for the championship.
Race Day
My friend Alan joined me for this race. We have been ‘spartan buddies’ for the past races and like me, he was eager to explore this new route in at Bukit Timah and hoped it is similar to the 2017 edition at Tampines.
We reached Turf City at 11.30 am, well ahead of our race time at 12.45 am. It was a hot day and the organizers had reminded us one day before to have plenty of hydration. I have my fair share of local races and believe this is the only race where I got a reminder to ensure I am well hydrated.
The festival opened at 6.00 am, with the elites being flagged off at 7.30 am. Registration was reasonably fast and we collected our race kits and goodies. We did our stretching while waiting for the flag-off. The race site was a hype of activities. Participants from the earlier waves were mingling around and having their well-deserved rest. If I may say so, I always feel the race atmosphere at Spartan Race to be different from those of regular running events. It is more ‘lively’. I wonder if it is due to the collective overcoming of obstacles together and the camaraderie forged?
As usual, during flag-off, we were asked ‘what is our profession’ before we ‘roared’ Aroo! Aroo! Aroo! This question and answer have become synonymous with the Spartan Race! Off we went into the forest trails and emerged to the open field beside Tanglin Rugby Club. We cleared the 1st obstacle Hurdles before being subjected to the Dunkwall. It was still quite early in the race to be subjected to the ‘water treatment’ and I believe it may be because there was no other place that was suitable for the dunk, or simply the organizers want to ensure we are ‘fully hydrated’ to prevent heat exhaustion!
We continued on to clear the 7 Feet Wall and Spear Throw. As in previous races, the spear never found its target and we did burpees as a punishment. The first hydration point was here and there were choices of cold water or herbalife nutrition drink.
After a short rest, we soldiered on to attempt the A-Frame Cargo and the dreaded Bucket Brigade. The Bucket Brigade simply required us to carry a bucket of sand and walk approximately 500 m around the ‘horse ranch’. The bucket of sand must have been at least 40 kg and most of us had to take intermittent rest to complete the circuit, encouraging and motivating each other along the way.
Next, we cleared the O.U.T (Over, Under, Through) and Multi Rig. Somehow I found it harder to clear it this year. I attribute the reasons to ageing and insufficient training!
The remaining obstacles of Rope Climb and Monkey Bar were not easy to clear and inevitably, we had to do burpees as punishment. At long last, we reached the Finisher Point and jumped over the fire after clearing the last of the obstacles, the Slip Wall.
We collected our finisher medal and shirt and enjoyed a few cups of herbalife shake. Thereafter, we did some wash-up and embarked on our journey home, tired but happy.
After Thoughts
1) I am glad the organizers had found this venue for the race. It is a good replacement for the Tampines venue, which is no longer available. Spartan Race is supposed to be, in my own definition, dirty, muddy and hot. This is why I did not sign up for the Stadion race.
2) One big improvement is the organizers arranged portable shower facilities and wash up points for the participants to clean up before going home. Kudos to that!
Melaka Marathon is held in the Heritage state of Malacca in Malaysia. In 2008, Malacca was listed as the UNESCO world heritage site for its long history and architectural buildings.
Joining the Race
Goodie bag
Introduced by one of the Tortoise runners, Ho Kah Leong (we commonly call him Ferrari, for the insane speed of running), he spotted the race and started to ask around for people to join. The lucky draw prizes and being the first time organisation, it really drew interest in many people. So happen, Ferrari’s wife is a Malacca resident too, Julie. So without hesitation, I decided to sign up.
The 21 km cost 90RM and 10km was 70 RM, all these amounted to about 53 SGD. It is really cheap considering that I am going to get 3 tee shirts, 2 medals and a chance to run 32 Km. The goodie bag had biscuits, sweets, active tape and some coupons for discounts.
Going Malacca
the hotel me and Katherine stayed
Strong heritage history and culture, Malacca is easy to get to from Singapore. You can drive or take a coach from Golden Mile Complex. I board the bus with another runner friend, Katherine Lim. The journey was about 6 hours. Kind of long but that was due to the customs.
Chicken rice balls and Jonker Walk
After checking in to Estadia Hotel. We realise there were many Singaporeans in this race too. There were many of them in the hotel that we stayed. Katherine, quite a popular figure in the running scene, was greeted by many people along the way. We even got free durians from some friends around.
Chicken rice
Shopping around Jonker Walk
Chendol in Jonker walk
Ferrari and Julie has already picked our race pack the day before so we need not have to make our way down. Doing two races, I got two bags which felt kind of funny. After picking us up from the hotel, under Julie’s recommendation, we went to this special Chicken Rice ball shop, Yi Ji Bang Chicken rice. It was near the hotel and also Halal. The queue was long but we got our share of carbo loading finally.
Roaming about
Coming to Malacca will not be complete without going to Jonker walk. So we went there and did some small shopping, I finally got my Peranakan Kebaya and also bought some local snacks for the people in the office and home.
Race Day
Race Venue in the wee hours
Rock and roll starts at 3:30 Am for Half Marathoners. I have to finish it before 7 am for the start of 10km. More like a night race, I felt really sleepy to get to the start line. So I had a lot of coffee and of course the usual Red Bull to perk myself up.
Getting ready at the start line
Ferrari and Julie picked us up from the hotel. And we set off, luckily we were not blocked by any road blocks for the race. We parked, we made our way to the event place. There were already some people there but not too crowded. Putting our baggage, I heard that the Full Marathon sign up was only 800 participants so it was not that crowded. We saw the Full Marathoners flag off and it was quite impressive with the fireworks along the run way. There was also a traditional dance to kick start the run.
21KM
On the roads
About half an hour later, we flagged off, it was really not that crowded. To speak the truth, the race course is really enjoyable. Its not that super flat and the roads are well closed, starting around 3:30 in the morning will mean that we will beat the sunlight and heat. Surprisingly it was not that hot, humidity was also manageable. The water points along the way were well stocked and there was one point with banana, Isotonic and cold sponge. I think this is very good for the Full Marathoners. Along the way I saw Jaijendran, doing his FM. There were many other Singaporean runners whom I met.
Portable toilets
Start line
Fireworks to flag off
Baggage drop area
The last part of the route brought the runners up a gentle bridge and after coming down, less than 1km, you are at the ending point.
Finisher medal
We did it!
10KM
Roaming around the area while waiting for 10K to flag off
I came back around 5:30am, there was ample time to the next flag off for the 10km at 7am. Though my timing was not ideal, I managed to come in 12 for overall women and 5th for my category. Something which I thought I would not have managed since my injury. Another Australian lady runner, Dani, came in 3rd and she was elated because it was like her first time cliching such a title and the fact that there were other Kenyan runners around making the competition tougher.
Me and Dani on our second race
Starting the second time
The best thing was both of us were going for the 10 km. So we did a quick change, rest a bit at the end point with some red bull, Milo and Aik cheong kopi. So we both went back to the start line. To speak the truth, this was the first time I did a back to back. Usually it is just a full marathon or just a 21km. But this time I thought, since I came all the way here, I must make my trip worth. Happy that I made this decision, as I really still have some energy for the 2 leg.
The 10Km route is part of the 21km, it was straight and only last with the bridge. The rest was pretty flat. Seems like after a rest, I was still able to tackle the 10 km. Dani overtook me fast , although in between she seemed to slow down, she started to jet off after 1 km or so. To speak the truth, the 10km was not really that crowded. The water points were also well stocked. The ending part was wide, so there was not bottleneck or Jamming up.
Overall
I would say for the first time organising, the race committee did really well. The road closure was well organised. Water points and baggage drop were well managed. Although it got a little chaotic at the winner’s pen but things turned out well and they did not bring in cash to give out, which is kinda logical for safety reasons. Finishers gets the tee shirt ( HM and FM only), Medal, some buns and a can of Milk powder ( however, it was stated that it was for senior 60 years old and above). While for ten k , there is only the medals.
21Km Goodie bag
The ending area is a big park, so there was ample space for all to relax and also the carpark was huge to allow participants to be able to drive to the location.
A little improvement I felt was for the Finishing was that they should segregate the different categories for running in. As it gets a little messy there. You also had to walk quite in just to get the finishing entitlements. Since it was not that crowded , I think the whole process was pretty smooth running.
Final loots
I would come back next year for more R&R and good food!
Trail enhancement works along the following sections of the Rail Corridor have been completed and these were re-opened to the public since 30 June 2019:
1. Commonwealth Drive to Jalan Kilang Barat 2. Near Former Bukit Timah Railway Station to the Historic Brick Drain
There will be alternative footpaths provided to connect the re-opened sections of the Rail Corridor. Do refer to the directional signage placed along the trail for more information.
The latest figures show that worldwide sales of running watches are projected to increase by 5.3% in the next five years. Throughout Asia, wearable tech for both road and off-road runners has become a valuable part of their routine. Whether you plan on running a marathon in Singapore, or taking to the scenic trails in Japan, having your up-to-date run stats is now an essential component of improving your skills. Advanced features on these watches also play a core role in helping you get the most out of each run. If you are in search of one of the best watches/monitors for either off-road or road running, learn more about how to make your selection among the top picks for 2019.
Watches for road running
For those who regularly run 5K, 10K, or marathon events on paved surfaces, having a quality watch for road running will deliver the best possible experience. Expert analysts from NanaDC state that the most common features that road runners now seek out include innovative designs (e.g. lightweight, stylish), cashless transaction functionality, the ability to view smartphone notifications, and streaming music. These features are practical for those who run in this city, as it allows for multitasking before, during, and after runs. One exceptional watch that meets the desired criteria of many road runners is the Suunto Ambit 3 Run. Its bold design, Bluetooth pairing abilities, and highly rated battery life are all user favorites. Additionally, the Polar M430, Fitbit Ionic, and Xiaomi Amazfit Health are top-tier choices for road runners of all ages and fitness levels.
Watches for off-road running
Although many road running watches would work well for off-road purposes, there are specific watch features that are preferred among those who take to the trails. For example, if you regularly run in places that are unfamiliar, or that are away from the main roads, having a reliable GPS is crucial. Also, many runners desire built-in altimeters, barometers, compasses, water resistance, long battery life, displays that are easy to read in sunlight, and storm alarms. In addition to these features being convenient, they can also help keep runners safe. Among off-road watches that deliver these abilities, the Casio Pathfinder PAG 240, the Suunto Core Crush, and the Garmin Forerunner 945 are outstanding models.
Making the right choice for your routine
If you are unsure as to which option will be optimal for your running routine, it is best to first create a list of desired features. To help you do this, consider what you currently want to know about each run, what functionality would improve the quality of your runs, and how much you run on roads versus off-road. From there, establish your budget, and choose the watch that best fits your needs, desires, and style preferences. Prior to selecting your new running watch, also explore any corresponding smartphone apps that go along with each model. While it is most important that you enjoy the watch itself, it is also crucial to like the apps that go along with your final choice
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