By Les Tan
A section of the 12,000 marathon runners at the start of last year’s marathon. Will it get more crowded this year? (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
June 5, 2008 – The organisers of the Singapore Marathon received a sponsorship funding boost earlier this week when Standard Chartered Bank nearly doubled the sponsorship fee from S$1.05 million to S$2 million for this year’s version of the Singapore Marathon. In 2002, there were only 6,000 runners at the event. Last year, the numbers hit 40,000.
For those of us who have run this event, I’m sure you would have noticed the increasing numbers resulting in decreasing space. Two years ago, I decided I wouldn’t run the 10km event anymore because it was too crowded. While not as bad as the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, running in a straight line with space to breathe was a problem, I recall. The next year, 2006, I ran the 21km and found it a lot more comfortable.
With 40,000 running the 2007 edition, the 21km looked like it had become too crowded as well. While I did not run it because I was a photographer at the event, the 21km seemed crowded because the end point looked like the start point – packed. An acquaintance said it felt more crowded in the full marathon as well.
The organising chairman of the race, Loh Lin Kok, said: “It is our goal to attract (the) world's top runners in the next few years for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon to be one of the world's top 10 marathons.” To reach top-10 status, it is probable the organisers will have to pay appearance money to world class runners to ensure that they show up at the Singapore marathon. Singapore is not top of mind as far as marathons go. The elite runners usually just focus on top-tier events, namely, the New York Marathon, the London Marathon, the Berlin Marathon and the Boston Marathon.
The organisers indicate that they expect to break last year’s record registration figure of 40,000. There was no mention of capping registrations at 40,000. If the numbers do exceed 40,000, that would mean that each category route (42km, 21km, 10km) will get more crowded, assuming routes remain the same.
_______
Feel free to take part in the REDpoll below. Multiple answers are possible.
Loading ...
[…] showing up) With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
[…] showing up) With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
[…] showing up) With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
[…] Marathon With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
[…] stories: With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
[…] stories: With 50,000 signing up for the Singapore Marathon, you might not actually be running Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Do we get double the space? Daniel Ling – the marathon king Reflections on the Singapore Marathon “My name is Vivian – with […]
I agree with the qualifier part. In 2007, I bump into people who are actually walking during the first 5 km…get this…in the 21 km race. They shouldnt even be there!
Organizers should have a minimum cut-off for 21 km, eg. having done 10km under a certain time before or having done 21 km elsewhere under a certain time. For 42 km, having done 21 km under a certain time before or having done 42 km elsewhere under a certain time.
FYI, I started joining the 10km and clocked below 1 hr 30 mins before I considered joining the 21 km. And I will try to clock below 2 hrs 30 mins for 21 km before even thinking about running 42 km.
SCM/AFM organizers should refer to some certifications for both 21km & 42.195km races. Only those have achieved sub-1 hr 30mins in 10km may be accepted for 21km & those achieve sub-2 hr 30mins in 21km could be accepted for 42km race.
Those who finish within 2 hr 30min and 5 hr for 21k & 21k respectively would be awarded finisher medals & Tee-shirts; as what some of the Malaysian organisers do for their road races.
That would filter or screen out walkers or strollers or even love birds who treat sport events as Sunday outings. It does not paint nice pictures for locals or tourists to watch many unfit participants struggling for 8 to 9 hours for 42k.
Last but not least, ladies may consider to join walk-a-jog at the community clubs instead of even thinking to join Shape Run 5K even though it is affordable with pleasant goodies. Just annoyed to encounter strolling ladies at the last 2km of the Shape Run 10K.
Hopefully, the young national servicemen are not walking or jogging at the 21K at the AFM. It is far worst to see with own eyes that how unfit they are; even the Minister for Defence just commented that ‘they are just not rugged or rough’.
By the way, I am not a pro too but just a diligent student who prepare sufficient prior attending an exam (race).
Must study hard when going for exam, right?
Hey, let’s run to the rythm.
Typing error: It should be
To me, running in a race is just a form of training but NOT for competition.
In the past, I took part in the Mobile Marathon and found that it was not too crowded. I could double up my pace.
I don’t take part in Standard Chartered Marathon since it started. Not willing to pay such an expensive fee.
I took part in Army Half Marathon most of the times. I found that it is getting more crowded year after year. I gave up participating this year(2008) to cut costs on registration fee, necessities, taxi fare, etc.
To me, running in a race is just a form of training but for competition. Since it is so crowded and fee is getting more expensive, I choose to run and train on my own without much bother. I enjoy it much more than cramming in a race to breathe in more CO2 than O2.
[…] articles: Confusion mars City Duathlon Singapore Marathon gets double the money. Will we get double the space? ____________ Feel free to take part in the REDpoll to share your opinion. The poll allows multiple […]
It is a bad idea to run it if you’ve trained hard to run a good time. It’s frustrating and running into the back of other runners when you’re most tired and need to focus is unhelpful to say the least. I guess it’s fine if you’re just running for fun or if you’re a good marathoner because then you’ll be in the clear of the crowds.
As for cramming in people to get into the “top 10” marathons, I think a cursory look at the quality of times posted by the finishers will show just how far below any kind of claim to “top” status we are
Last year was my first attempt. Agreed that it was crowded for about first 3km. Gegerally liked the atmosphere. So will be trying for 2nd one this year. Hope the route will also include ECP.
It’s not fantastic experience but it’s like an annual pilgrimage affair. HK stanchart marathon is even more crowded – not because the runners were slow, but the starting area had space constraint. For ours, there is enough road lanes for runners to space out or overtake. In HK, there were no options. You’re simply stuck until the city road funnels to the highways.