ssc_marcomms posted on December 09, 2008 00:42
It’s just a marathon? Think again.
“I know I had to do it once in my life. As long as I set my mind to it, I can do it,” says Mr Krishna, 38, a full marathon runner at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
To accommodate the increase in the number of participants this year, the race route was revised. Incorporating the iconic Benjamin Sheares Bridge and the Singapore Flyer for the first time, the aim was to deliver the best race experience on the event day.
This was the first race in Singapore for 31 year old, Indonesian marathoner, Darwin Rianto. Having ran in other races, as the New York City Marathon, Darwin raved about his experience here and said that the event “is comparable” to the one in New York.
Runners of the full marathon were entitled to a leg massage after the race. Medically known as soft tissue release, this massage is performed by a group of volunteers coming from various backgrounds.
Majority of them were students from Nanyang Polytechnic’s Diploma in Physiotherapy course. One of the physiotherapists, Siti Durriah, said: “Though we are paid $30 for this event, most of us are here more for the hands-on experience and the exposure to apply what we have learnt.”
Apart from the SCSM, this group of students have also rendered their services to other events such as, the OSIM Singapore International Triathlon and the Citi-MilkRun. “The most rewarding part of my duty here is when the athletes says a simple “thank you” or show some form of appreciation once I’m done with the leg massage,” said Siti.
This year’s event also saw a surge in the participation for the Kids Dash. It was a heart-warming sight to see parents running alongside their young toddlers to the finish line.
As SCSM gradually adopts a more family –oriented approach, the public has responded positively towards this initiative through the participation figures every year. For Krishna, he plans to sign up his four year old daughter next year. “I think it’ll be a lot more fun to bring the whole family along next year. Instead of my wife shopping, I think it’s better for her to be here!”