On 26 November 2017, Mizuno Wave Run 2017 was flagged off from The Central, Clarke Quay. This race may not be the most glorious or fanciful race in Singapore, but it has been a staple for the past 11 years. The theme for this year’s race is “Back Stronger & Better,” and revolves around the colours of the rainbow.
There is only one race distance: 10km. However, based on gender and age, participants are categorized into: Men’s Open, Men’s Masters, Women’s Open and Women’s Masters.
Race Pack Collection
The race pack collection was held from 23 to 24 November 2017 at Velocity@Novena Square, just outside the World of Sports store. I collected on the afternoon of the last day; the whole collection process was a breeze.
Inside the drawstring bag were race bib with timing chip, event tee, Mizuno voucher, a box of Alpen Muesli, Red Seal Toothpaste, Lucozade Sport drinks, and other sponsored products. I got myself an event tee with the smallest size, but it is still too big for me. Perhaps the organiser would consider offering smaller t-shirt sizes in the future.
Punctual Flag Off from The Central
The race venue is located at The Central, Clarke Quay. It was easy to get to the race venue on time because public transportation was already in operation. My running partner and I took MRT to Clarke Quay. Despite not seeing any signage from the MRT to the start line, we managed to find the race venue quite easily. The race was flagged off at 7:30 a.m. sharp.
Good Weather and Great Route
The weather on the race day was exceptionally good. It wasn’t hot and it didn’t rain. The weather was comfortable for running, especially for people who don’t usually run in the morning like me.
The race route is a refreshing change from other races that are usually held in the downtown Singapore. Instead of Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and National Stadium like other races, this race focused on the western part of downtown Singapore, which includes Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Robertson Quay.
The route for the first 8km started at Clarke Quay and continued east to Boat Quay, Esplanade, The Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and The Promontory before making a U-Turn back towards Clarke Quay. Then, from Clarke Quay, the route continued west to Robertson Quay for 1 km before making U-Turn back to Clarke Quay for the finish line.
Along the route, we ran past beautiful Christmas installations as well as a construction of Christmas Village at The Promontory.
Excellent Race Logistics
As a runner who often runs at the back of the pack, I must compliment the race organiser for making sure that the race route is very clearly marked for all runners, regardless if they run with or behind the main pack.
Direction signages, safety cones and road marshals were abundant! At places where there were crowds, such as the Helix Bridge, road marshals were doing wonderful job controlling the human traffic such that the race route was smooth and not blocked by members of the public.
There were 4 hydration stations for this 10km race: at the start, 2km, 4.5km and 7.5km. Only the hydration station at 4.5km served isotonic drinks, the rest served mineral water. The drinks were well-stocked and the stations were well-manned.
I noticed kilometre markers at 2km, 4km, 6km and 8km. All of them were placed on the floor, instead of being hung at eye level. As they are big and eye-catching, it’s quite impossible to miss them.
Supporters
The supporters a.k.a. road marshals are absolutely my most favourite part of this race. They were very attentive to runners. They ensured that runners did not get lost. They pointed runners to the right directions. They controlled the human traffic so that runners could run easily without bumping into other people. And they cheered for runners.
I remembered one of them said, “I believe in you. You can do it.” This is the first time a stranger said to me that she believes in me; it motivated and moved me.
Pacers
There were 3 groups of pacers in this race: 1:00hr, 1:10hr and 1:20hr. My close encounter with them was at the final stretch. I saw the 1:20 pacers before 9km and decided to push myself to overtake them before the finish line.
The road after 9km was pretty narrow. However, the pacers were really considerate. All of them ran in a single line on the left, so they won’t block anyone’s running path. And they cheered for runners, “Jia you (加油), jia you (加油). Runners in front, jia you jia you! (加油加油)” Salute to Coffee Tea Runners for being awesome pacers for this race.
Finisher’s Entitlement
At the finish line, I was baffled for a moment. “Where do I get the medal? Do I get any drinks?” were the thoughts that crossed my mind. No road marshals directed runners who came through the finish line. Instead, there was a crowd after the finish line.
I kept walking straight through the crowd, and eventually found a hydration station that was giving out Lucozade isotonic drinks and mineral water. After hydrating and reuniting with my running partner, I figured out that the medals were to be mailed to us. Oh well, I guess there’s a first time for everything. For me, this is the first time I finish a race and don’t receive the medal.
We stayed back for the lucky draw, and obviously, we didn’t win anything. We bumped into a couple of friends and explored the race village before making our way to breakfast.
Event Overview
- It may not be a big race but it’s a well-executed one.
- Supporters, road marshals, pacers did a great job of making the race fun and memorable.
- It was kind of a bummer for some that the medal would be mailed after the run.
- You don’t need to wear Mizuno shoes to join the race.
You can also check your Mizuno Wave Run 2017 race results here.
