The SIA Charity Run 2017 was held as part of their 70th Anniversary celebration on Sunday Morning, 8 October at The Float@Marina Bay. The event aimed to raise funds for Community Chest of Singapore.
There are various categories of The SIA Charity Run 2017 such as the 10km Competitive Run, 5km Fun Run, as well as a Corporate Challenge. A special category was also introduced this year — the 3km Wheelathon which encourages inclusiveness.
My friends and I signed up for the 10km Competitive Run, which was scheduled to flag off at 7:00 a.m.
Race Entry Pack Collection
The SIA Charity Run Race Entry Pack Collection was held on the 29 September to 1 October 2017, at Millenia Walk. My bib wasn’t ready when I collected my Race Entry Pack, hence I was told to go to the information counter where they prepared my race bib for me.
Other than this, the collection process was smooth. Inside the shoe bag, there were race bib, race singlet, limited edition Singapore Airlines Handheld fan, snacks, as well as several vouchers.
Race Day
When my friends and I reached the race village, we went straight to look for the bag deposit area. There was quite a long queue but the process was fast and well managed. Also, there were portable toilets catered specially for the participants and there was a relatively long queue as well.
Before we headed over to the flag off area, we noticed that there were people dressed in their pilot and air stewardess uniforms. Later they appeared in the main area where the participants gathered after completing the race, to help with the prize giving ceremony.
To add on, there was the best-dressed award which was given to runners dressed in the most creative way. I saw runners who came in Wonder Woman, Thor, and even in Spiderman costumes! It amazes me how they can run with the attire and it shows just how fit and bold they are!
Flag Off
The first tier was flag off at 7 pm sharp. The flag off area was flooded with people! They played music to hype the atmosphere and people were all using their phones to take down precious memories for their run, and I followed suit.
Because there were a lot of participants during flag off, the route was congested with people. This situation occurred almost throughout the race and I found myself having to cut up other participants. Fortunately, there were some routes which were wider and hence easier for the runners to run without hitting each other. There were distance markers at the 2km, 5km, 7km, and 8km mark, which I found to be sufficient.
At the 5km mark, runners were all excited as it was halfway through the race. They spoke in excitement: “We’ve reached the 5km mark! All the way!” It really gave the runners a positive atmosphere amid the tiring run. The direction signage was great as well as there being one at every turn, together with road marshals.
I thought the hydration stations still had room for improvement. At every station, there was a shortage of cups which resulted in a queue. I also realised that the cup was small which wasn’t enough for most runners, with most going with a second cup resulting in the queue. Other than that, the hydration stations were well spaced out.
Throughout the run, I ran with my friend at a constant pace. Having a friend with the same pace as you served as a great help through the entire race as they motivate you, cheer you on when you feel like giving up, as well as getting the momentum going at the right pace. We then completed the race together.
Even though there was slight rain when we were at the 5km mark, it didn’t stop us from finishing the race. The “never giving up” attitude was shown in the runners even though raindrops were hitting on us. Thankfully, the rain did not get heavier but it stopped, giving us nice and cooling weather to run in.
At the last kilometre dash, the road marshals cheered us on by saying: “You are completing the race soon, just one more km! Keep going!”. This final push gave me much motivation to carry on even though my legs were tired and I pushed through till the finish line. With this, I hit my personal best timing of 1 hour 16 minutes! Without the support and words of encouragement from friends and road marshals, I wouldn’t have been able to attain such an achievement!
Post Race
Upon completing the race, we were directed to collect our medals. There was a huge crowd in the area and many of the runners were in need of replenishment. Fortunately, the process did not take as long. We collected a bottle of Pocari Sweat, mineral water, banana, medal, and 2 packets of coffee sponsored by the event. The staff were friendly and hard at work, wanting to give us the replenishments as fast as possible.
I was then reunited with my friends after the run and we were excited to share about the race with each other. At the race village, there was a prize presentation and a mini photo booth for people to take pictures. There were also booths set up selling food and beverages for runners who were hungry and needed energy. We stayed in the race village and took photos to keep as a memory.
To sum up, the event was great and meaningful, knowing that it was for charity purposes. It’s important to have pacers through this race and I’m glad that I saw people with great attitude and passion towards running to break their personal best timing!
Event Overview
- Organiser did a great job in crowd control.
- Distance markers and directional signage were sufficient.
- Road marshals were supportive and encouraging, coupled with a smile on their faces.
- Hydration stations could be better managed.
