Southeast Asia’s premier eco-run, NTUC Income RUN 350, organised by Young NTUC saw a record number of over 12,000 runners, more than 500 volunteers and 21 partners come together in support of the global 350 movement. The fifth edition of the race welcomed participants from 64 different countries who ran for a greener tomorrow.
Held at the F1 Pit Building, RUN 350 aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis facing our Mother Earth. The atmospheric carbon dioxide level currently stands at 400 parts per million, but the level must be lowered to 350 parts per million in order to preserve our planet.
Rainy Weather Puts A Dampener On 21KM Race
Due to heavy rain, race organisers were forced to cancel the 21km race. However, 21km runners were given the option to take part in the non-competitive 10km run which started later.
Finisher t-shirts and medals were also given to the 21km runners, even if they chose not to take part in the 10km run.
Not Just A Run: Embarking On Eco-Friendly Initiatives
Dubbed an eco-run, RUN 350 practices eco-friendly initiatives that support their green cause. This year, RUN 350 became the first run in Singapore to introduce its inaugural Medal Recycling Campaign which collected a whopping 6,482 donated medals islandwide. The public was encouraged to donate their old or unwanted medals at collection points islandwide. The medals were then recycled and given a new lease of life to become brand new medals for finishers of this morning’s race.
In addition to the Medal Recycling Campaign, RUN 350 embarked on many green initiatives this year including encouraging participants to partake in the Bring-Your-Own-Bottle (BYOB) initiative to training runs as well as to the actual race. The effort helped to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles and paper cups.
On-site, there were over 200 bicycle racks available for participants who chose to cycle to the race venue. Eco-partners also set up booths to showcase their various causes such as 350 Singapore, Save That Pen, ECO Singapore and Ground-Up Initiative.
RUN 350 collaborated with the Public Hygiene Council to drive a number of litter-free initiatives to bring the litter-free messaging to the forefront of runners’ consciousness. Running route maps in race booklets, EDMs to runners and Facebook medium were used to serve as reminders to runners to keep the event site litter-free. Initiatives implemented during the run include litter-free messaging on Bins and Screened Disposal Areas and announcements to keep the event site litter-free. More than 200 volunteers were also trained to become litter-free ambassadors to advise runners against littering on the race day.
One Step Closer To A Greener Tomorrow
Mr Steve Tan, Executive Secretary of Young NTUC said,
“What started as a little dream of a group of like-minded young people has become an annual event in the local environmental grid and local sporting calendar. RUN 350 has taken off far beyond our wildest imagination and we thank everyone involved in this year’s event for helping us to make our dream a reality.”
With numerous eco-initiatives and collaborations, RUN 350 shows that it is possible to have a large scale race while minimizing the impact on the environment.
While the cancellation of the 21km race due to bad weather was unfortunate, environmentally conscious runners will definitely be interested to see what’s in store for 2015.
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