The highly anticipated 4th edition of the Energizer Singapore Night Trail returned with a bang at the dusky trails of Lorong Asrama last Saturday night!
Usually an area only accessed by military men, over 5,000 runners kick-started their long weekend with this exciting night trail race.
Participants would have the unique experience of braving the natural elements while they conquered the dark, uneven trails, lighting up the dark paths with their reflective gear and Energizer headlamps!
Besides raising awareness for the global need for safe electricity, participants were running for a good cause. All in all, over S$10,000 was raised for adopted charity SportCares Foundation.
Happy Faces All Around with Fun Carnival Activities
With 6km, 12km and 18km categories available, the race catered to both first-timers and seasoned trail runners. Like last year, 1.5km and 3km obstacle courses were introduced for families to conquer cooperatively.
These obstacle categories were a good bonding session for the whole family. It was heart-warming to see them hopping from obstacle to obstacle with happy smiling faces. A family who sweats together definitely stays together, even if it meant getting rough and dirty!
Another reason for the big smiles was the Energizer Carnival activities that were set up for participants. With all carnival ticket proceeds going to SportCares, runners were treated to the scrumptious spread of food, photo opportunities and generous ice-cream booths prior to their challenge. Thrill seekers could try the Reverse Bungee and Rodeo Ride too!
23 year old Kelvin Teo, who joined the 6km trail route, said that it was his second year joining the trail race after last year’s wonderful experience. He remarked that the free flow ice cream provided was a godsend in this humid weather, something that I fully agree with!
Safety is Number 1!
As safety was of utmost concern, there were clear warning signs before every slope and sufficient distance markers to direct runners for various categories. Despite the different starting timings, there were still bottlenecks towards the second half of the race with the overlapping routes for the 12km and 18km category.
With the narrow and rocky terrain, runners had to pay full attention to their surroundings at all times, taking careful steps while looking out for other runners. The volunteers were a source of motivation as they did a remarkable job in spicing up the night to cheer on the runners. There were plenty of hydration booths around which provided runners with well-stocked water and isotonic drinks at all times.
I understand the unique novelty of the participants’ headlights being the primary source of light, but I felt the lighting wasn’t bright enough. Perhaps, there could be some external lights in future to reduce potential accidents. A reminder for runners to wear proper trail shoes that provide better grip for the steeper slopes would help too.
Run When You Can, Walk When You Have to, Crawl if You Must!
One thing for sure, no participant can forget the infamous Hill 265 that runners had to tackle! Runners had to crawl up with their knees and hands while trying their best not to slip down this steep slope. There were several runners who fell and the volunteers who were sited at the checkpoints assisted immediately.
It was a heart-warming sight as all the runners tried their best to assist each other as much as they could to reach their destination together!
Runners were well-treated to cold isotonic drinks after the race after collecting their hard-earned medals. Indeed, it was a memorable Saturday night that sent thousands of participants home with sore legs and happy smiles after doing their part to spread the “positivenergy” throughout the exciting trail journey!
Event Overview
- Plenty of carnival activities to keep runners occupied.
- Race categories for families to bond together.
- Plenty of water points for runners in the race.
- Unique trail route for the runners that were unlike other races.
- Fantastic volunteers to cheer runners on.
- Clear distance markers and signage despite the dark.
- Sufficient volunteers and medic team at various checkpoints.
- No external light sources which were a potential danger concern.
- Bottleneck with 12km and 18km running together for second half.
