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Lion City runners go nocturnal
Ben Fowler (JP/Ramadani Saputra)Singapore’s famous tourist areas such as Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands are not only famous for the tourist crowds and must-visit sites for taking pictures, but also for night runners
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Ben Fowler (JP/Ramadani Saputra)
Singapore’s famous tourist areas such as Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands are not only famous for the tourist crowds and must-visit sites for taking pictures, but also for night runners. The scene of runners trying to penetrate the tourist crowds in those areas is part of Singapore’s daily night scene, proof of its residents’ love of physical activity.
“I think Singaporeans have taken part in more physical activities in the past decade, and running is one of the cheapest and most convenient activities to pick up,” 36-year-old scientist Alvin Tan told The Jakarta Post recently.
Singapore’s daytime heat has forced residents to do their exercise in the evening. The activity is much loved by many residents, as Singapore spoils runners with adequate and comfortable facilities such as big parks and wide sidewalks.
“Running groups such as the Running Department have also played a big part by organizing regular runs. These runs are free to join, and baggage drop and hydration after the run are provided. This helps make running more accessible to the general public,” he said referring to his community, the Running Department, which is the official pacer of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM).
“Finally, the government has contributed to this by building a network of pedestrian paths all around the island.”
The love of running is embodied at the Singapore Marathon, the only running contest in the region to have received the Gold Label classification under the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event has become the city’s pride as now it is campaigning to be included in the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
As a running enthusiast, Tan has been participating in the SCSM since he was a child. In total, he has participated in the event seven times, the last two years running in the full marathon event.
“The most memorable [experience in SCSM] was in 2007 when I ran the half marathon, which was a great achievement then because I did not like running when I was young,” he said.
With this year’s major change of flag-off time to the evening, Alvin said he was excited to run in the event as it meant that runners did not have to wake up early and could run in a more comfortable temperature.
“Every World Marathon Major course has its own iconic and unique selling point. Boston has its historic one-way course, Chicago has its 29 neighborhoods and NYC has its five boroughs,” he said, recounting his experience running in other world marathon majors.
“With the evening race finishing under the city lights and with the city skyline as the backdrop, I hope that SCSM has found its iconic selling point this year.”
SCSM also works closely with Coached, a heart rate training program that is designed to help you optimize, track and enjoy running. Coached is the official coach of the SCSM and has been working closely with the running event organizer since 2016.
Each participant who joins the Coached program will be provided with a training program that is designed based on their needs.
Ben Fowler of Coached said their program used various technologies to offer a solution for each participant as they would undergo a variety of tests such as lactate test, heart rate test, fat burning test and sweat test, to come up with a training plan that was suitable for them.
