Tuesday, 29 May 2018 would have been a typical morning for normal folks enjoying the Vesak Day Public holiday. You would either have been in bed enjoying the break, or you may have been out on an early morning detox workout.
adidas, through their urban running group adidas Runners Singapore (AR-SG), did the latter, and more. At 5:30 a.m., the group met at adidas Suntec to pay homage to their first-ever route since the group’s inception in September 2017, in an event dubbed Run To Rise. Runners included the group’s captain and crew, as well as celebrities Joakim Gomez and Danial Ashriq. In conjunction with this run, adidas launched the new SolarBOOST, their new rocket science that you can have on your feet.
More information on SolarBOOST reported here.
Run to Rise
Run To Rise is aimed at inspiring others to adopt life-changing routines that give them the confidence to achieve anything. To that end, Singapore is part of a bigger ecosystem of cities including Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Jakarta and Bangkok that celebrates this initiative.
Community and Camaraderie
The run took us through the Suntec city area, up Benjamin Sheares Bridge, down to Gardens by the Bay East, and finished at Marina Barrage, in time to catch sunrise. I could feel a strong sense of camaraderie throughout the run, and now understand why their fortnightly runs easily attracted 80 to 100 runners each time.
To participate in these runs, you would only need to join the adidas Runners Singapore Facebook group page which has amassed a strong 1,600 members, and then sign up on the posted link. Runs have been successfully completed in the City and in the West; soon they will expand to the East. Typically, for each session, runners would be divided into three groups to cater the different abilities, especially as the group prides itself to have elevation gains on its routes. But also more importantly, running should be fun!
adidas runners Singapore programmes are designed by its Head Coach, Jon Fong of Morph Performance, and if work or leisure brings you to another city, you could immerse yourself to be part of a larger global running community. adidas Runners have groups worldwide, including in major cities of Berlin, Moscow, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.
The group will gather again on 9th June to “Run for the Oceans”. For more information, join the Facebook Group page.
In this Run To Rise event, I have generally positive first impressions of SolarBOOST:
- The new shoe is generally light, and has very good cushioning, thanks to its thick insoles.
- It may run half a size larger, so please ensure you try it on before purchase.
- The heel portion is well constructed, so it does give some free play of the Achilles tendon.
Wearing an adidas SolarBoost is not just about a one-off buy; you can take comfort in the larger support running community and friendship around you as embark on your running journey.
The SOLARBOOST retails for S$220 and is available from 1st June 2018 at select adidas stores: MBS, Suntec City, Changi Airport Terminal 2 & 4, ION, Paragon and Bugis Junction, and online. Other stockists include IRUN 313 & Queensway, SLH Interlink and select Royal Sporting House stores.
