SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon 2011
SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon 2011 is the largest annual mass running event in Singapore. Jointly organised by SAFRA and The Army, the event comprises of both the competitive 21km half marathon and the 10km routes. Social runners can participate in the non-competitive 5km fun run as well.The event aims to promote healthy lifestyle and reinforce SAFRA and the SAF’s emphasis on physical fitness. Over the years, participation has grown from 15,000 when it first started in 1992 to about 70,000 last year.
Participants will get to enjoy a unique route taking them over the new downtown around the Marina Bay area as well as pass historical places. The running routes will take participants pass 20 iconic landmarks, including Bay East at Gardens by the Bay for the first time. The refreshed routes are in line with the organisers’ long-standing plans to increase the scenic appeal of the run every year.
Participants will also be entertained by the street side performances along the various running routes. The fun continues with stage performances at the end point carnival and complemented with various merchandise stalls offering promotional discounts on the wide range of sports related products.
Rousing street-side festivities have also been planned at 20 locations along the running routes to enliven the atmosphere during the run and to celebrate the event’s fun factor. Besides the usual favourites such as belly dancing, mobile cheer teams, and various percussion performances, participants can look forward to some unique highlights this year.
For the first time, participants of the 21km half marathon will be treated to an illuminated display that would light up their path, making their run in the early morning even more exciting and memorable. Rainbow-hued LED strip lights will set a glowing course over 350m for runners at Marina Barrage and Bay East at Gardens by the Bay just before dawn breaks. Lighted cones and giant 1.5m luminous kites will hover in the sky like lanterns when participants run pass this magical strip of the route. Along the 10km route, runners can expect to run through raised cheer posts along Marina Boulevard where teams of cheerleaders will strut around and cheer runners on.
For the first time in my life, I completed a half marathon. I clocked a timing of about 2 hours and 10 minutes. Not sure if the timing is good though. Now, my only wish is that I will not get any muscle cramps from this run.
|
