Runners from all walks of life could be seen at Sentosa Beach Station last Saturday, participating in the 5K Foam Run. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs).
Unlike other race events, the 5K Foam Run dispatched runners in wave timings. Each wave time held a maximum of 200 participants looking forward to having fun with foam and friends. The race route started from the end of Siloso Beach that led the way to the other end of Palawan Beach, before making a turn back to the starting point for the foam finish.
Friendly Volunteers & Marshals
At the baggage deposit point, participants had their race bibs punched with a musical note. Friendly volunteers sorted your baggage neatly in the rows behind and secured them with a lock.
Enthusiastic and vocal marshals encouraged participants as they ran, and tried their best to guide the runners under the scorching sun.
Volunteers at the 2 hydration points were generous in giving out water to thirsty runners. As they served, they were enthusiastic and cheered tired runners under the sun too. The water was the magic elixir for runners on the hot and sunny afternoon.
Interviewed by RunSociety, one volunteer said,
“This is Singapore’s first foam run, we want to be as enthusiastic as we can to cheer runners on – especially under this weather.”
Getting Through Obstacles
Runners battled through numerous obstacle courses, including running across large mats on water, leopard crawling, inflatable slide and of course, running in foam.
Fun-loving runners were seen challenged to keep their balance as they dashed through the mats on shallow water. Albeit slippery, this obstacle was creative, allowing runners to have a chance to “walk on water”. Water on the feet was especially cooling, and I enjoyed the chilling sensation as I jogged through the obstacle.
The highlight nearing the end of the run was the inflatable slide. Participants queued with excitement to climb up to the top and slide down into a pool of water. A fleeting coolness washed the runners’ scorched bodies felt almost like a short getaway to heaven.
Towards the Foaming Finish
Nearing the finish, foam that was nearly knee-high covered a stretch of the path that participants will run through before completing the run. It was a different experience, and even though no one transformed into a yeti, the experience was fun enough.
The 5K Foam Run was not a timed event, with the main focus of having fun. Upon finishing, Flip flops by Flips™ were given to finishers instead of the usual finisher’s tee.
My Thoughts on the Race
Since the route was only marked with cones without any signs and boards, I noticed people from the public were seen cutting in and out of the race route.
Claiming the baggage was also a unique experience. It appeared as though participants were supposed to walk in the deposit point and collect the baggage themselves instead of the usual number tags for volunteers to return to the rightful owners. It confused me as people were finding their bags amidst many other bags. (Editor’s Note: The 5K Foam Run Race organizer contacted RunSociety with the following statement: “The baggage was collected by (runners) displaying their race bibs to the baggage volunteers who retrieved their stuff for the participants. The bags were tagged properly with cable tie and kept in zones that were barricaded by security guards. No bags were missing for the whole event.”)
The queues for some obstacles were very long, with participants waiting under the scorching sunlight for nearly an hour for their turn to get through the intended obstacle. A suggestion for the next Foam Run could be planning obstacles that require less waiting time that also do not compromise the “Fun, Foam and Friends” objective for the event.
Soaking Up the Fun at the Foam Run
Besides some of the areas to improve on, the race was good. It is a different experience from other races, and could attract many leisure runners to participate if planned meticulously.
Above all, it was a good experience with many other likeminded fun-loving individuals who were going through the same obstacles as I did. It reminded me of a quote by Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Getting through obstacles gets easier if we face them head-on repeatedly. Therefore, do not be afraid of what is going to come next because I am going to be better each time I face a challenge.
Event Overview
- Instead of usual finisher tee, flip flops were given.
- Untimed event with creative obstacles.
- Very long queues in between obstacles in scorching sun.
