If you’re an early riser committed to a schedule that has you snoozing while diners take their 8 p.m. supper, you may not realize that a world of activity begins after sundown. In fact, many runners wouldn’t dream of logging conditioning miles until nightfall because they know this time of day offers physical and mental benefits.
We mention this because the next Puma Night Run Singapore is on the horizon and your participation in this August event could introduce you to a whole new world.
What’s a Puma?
According to “National Geographic,” Pumas are wildcats that roam the Western Hemisphere and while they’re not in a witness protection program they do have aliases (mountain lion and cougar). Pumas are heavy, wily hunters who live from 15 to 20 years in the wild. Pumas are currently threatened by habitat loss that portends extinction.
But there’s another Puma that needs no introduction: the multinational sporting goods company headquartered in Germany and founded by the Dassler brothers in 1924. When the brothers split in 1948, Rudolf chose the Puma as the symbol of his new empire and his success has been formidable. One of the best promotional efforts of the company is the popular Puma Night Run.
Details you need to run your paws off!
Plan to put your inner Puma on display at the 26th August Puma Night Run staged at Seletar Aerospace Park. Flag-offs begin at 7 p.m. (12km participants) and 7:30 p.m. (6km runners) as men, women, pairs and groups charge out of the gate with wild abandon. Need incentive? Puma Night Run Singapore will award more than S$10,000 worth of prizes for men and women finishing at the top of the ticket in the 6km and 12km categories.
Even entitlements go above and beyond, and include a Puma Night Run Singapore T-shirt, Puma towel and shoe bag, personalized race bib and chip. Expect surprises from sponsors and when you cross the finish line, you qualify for the finisher medal and E-certificate. As if that’s not enough, the lucky draw winner will walk away with a round-trip airline ticket to Europe.
Dress for success. Seriously.
Judges will award runners wearing the most outrageous Puma-like outfits cool prizes, so whether you choose the 6km or 12km category, your running costume could earn you prizes and Puma vouchers, too. What constitutes a winning outfit? something eye-catching, fun and original, embodying the spirit of the creature for whom this night race is named.
Already imagining yourself dressed to thrill? Don’t just sit here. Start shopping—but first, save on early bird registration fees by visiting Spacebib before 14th May so your place in the wild is secured. No matter what you wear, show up on the big day at 3 p.m. when the Puma Night Run race village opens.
Entertainments kick off at 4:30 p.m. and by the time your event flags off, you’ll be ready to try for that personal best. That said, save some energy for the post-race party where musical performances, prize presentations and the lucky draw wrap up the perfect day.
Improve your health by running at night.
We weren’t joking when we said that night runs offer health benefits athletes don’t enjoy by day, and that’s particularly true for Singapore athletes who perpetually seek creative ways to deal with periods of heat and humidity that require out-of-the-box thinking.
Here are 7 reasons you benefit by running at night:
- You avoid crowds. Daytime race aficionados know the stress involved with marathons that attract huge crowds can often lead to short tempers, long queues and bottlenecks. Yet, even when Puma Night Run organisational efforts exceed expectations in registrations, everyone stays cool and collected in the cool of the night.
- Pre- and post-run entertainments are nice during the day but magical after sundown! There’s something about night that excites and thrills. Musical entertainment lights the night with a vibe that simply doesn’t exist when the sun shines.
- You can run longer, faster and harder at night because temperatures dip. Even your mental acuity is sharper at night because running in the dark requires extra focus so you neither crash into a fellow runner nor misidentify an immovable object.
- There’s something about running at night that makes athletes feel free. Can we name this phenomenon? Wish we could. This unmistakable feeling has been felt, described and analyzed by runners who don’t need a name to be filled with the sense of freedom that comes from running at night.
- Night runners tend to be more sociable. Excuse the stereotype, but we find morning runners to be grumpy souls who may fight to get out of bed before their bodies are ready to greet the world. People you meet at the Puma Night Run Singapore are a cheery sort for any number of reasons—including getting adequate sleep.
- Nothing helps a runner deal with stress, tension and frustration more than a night run. Heads clear. Life’s irritations are left in your wake. We’ve talked to night marathon runners who save up a week’s worth of stress to fuel their runs, some of whom insist that night running is responsible for more personal bests.
- You’ll sleep better. Who says night runs lead to insomnia? Scientists at Northwestern University say aerobic exercise “might be the best prescription” of all for better sleep. Yes, you may have difficulty falling asleep after a night run, but the quality of that slumber is the deep sleep you may only dream about!
What’s the most outrageous excuse you’ve heard from runners about why they won’t run night events? Care to put an interrupted sex life or fear of vampires on your list?
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