Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013

WORLD’S ELITE RUNNERS HEADLINE THE STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON SINGAPORE 2013

Singapore, 29 November 2013 – The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013 will feature a selection of the world’s top long distance runners, as they join 54,000 other participants to race in the nation’s marquee running event on Sunday, 1 December.

The international contingent will be headlined by Kenyan marathoner Sharon Cherop, the female winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon and runner up in the 2013 Berlin Marathon in which she clocked a remarkable personal best time of 2:22:28.

The 29-year-old was joined at today’s pre-race press conference by compatriot Beatrice Torotich and Bahrain’s Aadam Ismaeel Khamis, as well as local hero and three-time winner of the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (Singaporean Men’s) Mok Ying Ren.

Mok enters the 2013 event in fine form and will be looking to repeat his previous podium finishes as he prepares for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games Marathon event in Myanmar. The 25-year-old will undoubtedly be tested by the powerful men’s international field, with the likes of Khamis possessing a personal best of 2:07:59.

“The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore is a race I look forward to every year and 2013 is certainly no different. The event does a tremendous job of generating greater awareness around long distance running and it’s been a big part of the sport’s growth in Singapore. I hope the supporters come out in force to cheer the runners on Sunday,” Mok said.

Mr. Toh Boon Yi, Chief, Strategic Development and Marketing Group, Singapore Sports Council, commented: “We are very happy to have these world-class athletes racing in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013 and their participation is testament to our event’s strong reputation on the international stage.

“It is also a fantastic opportunity for Singapore’s top marathoners to test themselves against the world’s best. We encourage everyone to come out and support our local heroes on Sunday, 1 December.”

As with previous years, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore will feature three different start points; Marathon/Ekiden (Orchard), Half Marathon (Sentosa) and 10km/10km Wheelchair (Esplanade) before all routes lead to the finish point at the Padang.

The Kids Dash (750m) will also start at the Esplanade, with over 4,000 young runners set to enjoy the unique thrill of racing alongside their friends and family in the fun category.

The kids will also be able to enjoy a wide range of exciting activities and entertainment on the Padang, as once again the popular landmark will provide a carnival atmosphere for participants and supporters alike.

The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013 is again placing an emphasis on its supporters, with the complimentary ‘Cheer Mobiles’ available from the Padang transporting everyone to various vantage points along the route to cheer on the runners.

Chris Robb, Managing Director, Spectrum Worldwide, commented on the overwhelming public response for this year’s event: “The registration numbers are testament to the outstanding reputation the event has built over the years.”

“Having been contracted as the event’s official event organiser, it’s vitally important that we not only continue the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore’s great legacy but build on it for this year and the future editions to follow”.

“We are confident that the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013 will be another outstanding event and we look forward to seeing everyone on the start line this coming Sundaymorning.”

For all event information, please visit http://marathonsingapore.com/

Tower Race Raised RM130,000 for 5 Homes

26 November 2013, Petaling Jaya – The Intermark and BFM89.9 recently made “pit stops” at two checkpoints – Rumah Juara and SHELTER Home – 2 of 5 homes which will receive RM130,000 in total, raised from sponsorships and participants of the upcoming BFM-The Intermark Race to the Top 2013. Others beneficiaries of these proceeds are Rumah Jaireh, Special Children Society of Ampang and Yayasan Chow Kit.

“The sincere purpose of this race was to introduce something completely different to what Malaysia deems a race. A ripple effect of introducing such a race was to organise ‘A Different Race to Make A Difference’. Therefore, we can proudly and honestly state that we have achieved our goals,” said Patrick Liau, Director of The Intermark.





Also present during the home visits were sponsors Wearnes Automotive who surprised the children of one of the homes with Volkswagen miniature toy cars, UM, who wowed both of the homes with their kind contribution of endless boxes of essential provisions which included Milk Powder, Detergent, Salt, Sugar and a range of other personal care items. DTZ provided all of the children with stationery kits,

TAGS presented both of the homes with fun and bright inflatable gym balls and well as child-sized notebooks and pens.

Celebrity Fitness presented the children with a range of healthy snacks, followed by a fun aerobic dance which proved to be very much the highlight of the day. To make things even more enjoyable and to provide relief post-exercise, MyTeksi managed to arrange for The Potong Artisan Pops to give out Malaysian’s all-time favourite, the ice-cream potong to all!





AIA was not able to make it on the day but was able to contribute towels for all of the children. Yakult couldn’t attend either but instead furnished the homes with activity books and bookmarks for all of the children. Last but not least, Jaya Grocers kindly contributed a wide range of delicious biscuits.

“We thought that it would be important to go and see some of the children that we worked hard to generate funds for. This experience has humbled me, as I see their desire for parental affection. The visit also brought home the point that there are some remarkable individuals who are putting their own lives aside to house and care for these unfortunate children. They deserve our full support,” said Malek Ali, Founder and Managing Director of BFM.





“We are very appreciative of all of the support that we receive from the race organisers and sponsors. Managing the many SHELTER homes is not easy, as the expenses are high and we do not have a constant stream of cash from contributors. The responsibilities that we have are endless but we are immensely thankful that the more fortunate ones are ever willing to help us out,” said Cheok Hoong Poh, General Manager of SHELTER Homes.

With approximately 500 participants and taking place on the 7th of December 2013 at 8.00 am, the BFM-The Intermark Race to the Top 2013 will see participants going through a series of fun and challenging activities ala Amazing Race, including a walk hunt at the Intermark Mall and a race to climb up to the 63rd floor on the rooftop of Vista Tower at The Intermark, which has a panoramic view of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Other attractions that this day will bring are a series of out of the ordinary performances which include a Gym Ball and a SUMA demonstration by TAGS, a dance performance by Celebrity Fitness and an exciting grand finale by HANDS Percussion.

Authorised dealer of Volkswagen Malaysia, Wearnes Automotive, is the Platinum Sponsor while Malaysia’s leading insurance company, AIA Berhad, is the Gold Sponsor. Property advisory firm DTZ Nawawi Tie Leung and media specialist UM are the Silver Sponsors, while Milo 3-in-1, news monitoring agency nama and Secure Parking are Bronze Sponsors. Other sponsors include DoubleTree by Hilton, Spritzer, MyTeksi, Celebrity Fitness, TAGS, Elitkraf, Yakult, 100 Plus EDGE, Mondelez International and Health Today.

For more information about the race, log on to www.theintermark.com

Melawati 10k Run 2014

Date: 16 Feb 2014
Time: 7:30am
Venue: Masjid Al Hidayah, Taman Melawati Selangor
Distance: 10km
Registration fees: RM53
Medal: Finisher medal
Cash prize: Top 3 winners
Contact:
Closing date:
Details here
2013 Melawati 10k Top 3 winners here

The date for Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2014 is 12 October 2014

Puma Bioweb Elite: A Shoe Review

The Bioweb Elite is another distinguished looking running shoe from PUMA that incorporates a unique design.  This shoe has a single piece spider web-like upper, where this design concept will provide a 'wrapping' feel on the foot.

I have been running on the PUMA BioWeb Elite on and off for about 2 months now, and I used them mostly on easy days. I find them to be excellent as a pair of trainer when I do my longer runs or when I incorporate some cross training during my runs.

Compare to the PUMA Faas series which emphasizes neutrality, lightweight cushioning and flexibility, the BioWeb is basically a much more firm, and structured shoe. If you take a closer look at these shoes, it screams stability all over.

When I first saw the Bioweb Elite, I thought these shoes will be as cushy as the Puma Faas 500 because both of these shoes looks as if though they are packed with the same amount amount of cushioning materials at the outsole.

But as I ran in them, I found that despite the high profile of the sole and the volume of cushioning, the cushions are very firm and stable, therefore provide excellent responsiveness.

 The shoe absorb the impacts of every landing that I made very well and so lift off was easy.

Another comparison one might one to make is the flexibility especially during transition. It seems that although the outsole is not as flexible as the Faas, but the Bioweb Elite is somewhat flexible at the forefoot area, thus allow the shoe to provide a smooth transition at toe off.

I made some research on the technical aspect on the design of the shoe, and found that the concept behind the design is very much based on the principles of the structure of the spider web; with the upper consists of mesh wrapped in a web-like structure, and this part is called the WebCage. This design in the upper provides a comfortable fitting. I find this is quite true even for a sock-less runner like me.

And due to the web cage structure, the shoe upper is firm and is not stretchy, and I supposed the spider web layout at the upper has been designed in such so to provide that a cover that wrap around the feet from heel to toe in a very structured manner, yet without restricting the feet movement while running. As such I think this will bring happiness to those runners who prefer snug fitting uppers.

There is also a 'Glow' variant of the Bioweb Elite which incorporates glowing material at the bottom of the sole as well as at the upper to provide better visibility in the dark.

From a personal perspective, I find the Bioweb Elite is an excellent choice if you are looking for a multipurpose or versatile shoe for cross training eg. a pair of trainers that allow you to do your gym/weight workouts besides running.  Also worth checking this shoe out if you are into activities such as boot camps like training but this is definitely a good multipurpose trainer. 

Parkcity Run 2013 - Check Your Result

Check your result here

Parkcity Run 2013 - Top 5 Results

Date: 24 Nov 2013

This is the first time I have ever run in Desa Park City. I have been to this place before and I know this place is really a favorite among runners as a training heaven, but my schedule had never allow me to train here nor have I the opportunity to race in Jean Pierre's premium race. So this year I get to do it, and it was indeed a great experience.

And what is so special about this race is really the organization, the vicinity, and the crowd. The start and finish venue is in the DPC International School proves to be a great place to gather before and after the race. You can judge with the photograph below. As for the running route, it was such a well planned challenge that it start with a minor climbed, followed by a moderately long rolling climb, and in the middle of it at (5th-6th km point towards the water tank), there is this killer 600 meters or so winding steep climb that will leave you cursing and panting as you gasps for air on the way to the top, but just before you start to curse, a water station with cold 100plus is waiting to recharge you just right at the top.

Another interesting design of the course is there are plenty of roundabouts , and finally just as you thought you have reach the finishing line, you have to make an u-turn, I guess if you are running in a pack with similar speed this is where the last sprinting action will be take place.

But I think the best feature in this race is safety. Most of the roads are closed from traffic except the stretch outside DPC, but the running lane was covered by cones and since it started early, there are minimal traffic. And inside DPC gated community, the security guards (mostly Gurkhas) gave us the full salute when we ran pass. What a race!

I really enjoy this event, even though I have not fully recovered from last week's Penang Bridge Marathon, so it is like a wake-up/shake up speedy race after the long distance event. This is really a race for the kids since it is organized in a school and the number of categories for each of the children's age group, but ended up invaded by many running enthusiast like me!  But I nevertheless happy to meet lots of running buddies and really enjoy seeing little toddlers and young kids racing hard. Highly recommended event for every one, especially for those with a young family.

More photos here

My buddies Hilmi, Ikhwan and friends from the Energy Department.

Recognised them? Our top marathoner bro Din and friends.

The star of the event.

 Kids 600m dash

 Guess who is it?

 2.2km girls

 2.2km boys

 5km women open

5km men open 

 10km women veteran

 10km men veteran

 10km women open

 10km men open

Takasima Run Penang 2013

Date: 15 Dec 2013

Time: 7am

Venue: Penang Science Park

Distance: 4km and 12km

Registration fees: RM20

Medal: Top 10 winners

Prize: In-kind for top 10 winners

Contact: 04-2226688

Closing date: 5 Dec 2013

Salomon X-Trail Run 2013 - Top 5 Results

Early morning drizzle and heavy rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of trail running fans today 10 November 2013. In fact, the wet and slippery conditions of trail provided the challenges trail runners have been anticipating for, in the 4th edition of the Malaysian Salomon X-Trail Run, with a brand new route located at Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi).

Approximately 2,500 runners gathered as early as 6am to experience the new trail mapped out. This year, 70% of the overall 10km predominantly focused on trail running.

 After flagged off from the starting line at 7am, runners were faced with an uphill and challenging climb. It was a true test of traction, stability and comfort for participants throughout the whole entire experience.

At the same time participants are immersed within the natural greenery of MARDI Trail Forest and its outdoor environment according to Joachim Heng – Senior Marketing Communications Manager of World of Sport Malaysia.

Trail at the Mardi

The following were 4 categories competed and their respective winners:

Men’s Open (Age 18 & above) - En Mu hamad Affindi
Men’s Veteran (Age 41 & above) - Mr Casey Lim
Women’s Open (Age 18 & above) - Ms Kimberley Yap
Women’s Veteran (Age 36 & above) - Ms Lim Hooi Kheong

The top three winners in all categories were presented with Trophies and Salomon products worth RM1,000, RM800, RM600 respectively and also prizes from other sponsors as well. The sponsors for this event were World of Sports Malaysia, Salomon, Suunto, Bootcamp Malaysia, Perskindol and Revive.

Results (less than 10km)

Men Open

Women Open

Men Veteran

Women Veteran

Overall this trail was catered for runners who are gamed for an adventure and a good adrenalin pumping experience. Every year SALOMON holds this trail running event as a way of appreciating loyal X-Trail runner and Salomon brand supporters. It is also a way of recruiting new runners and retaining experienced runners.

After the run, participants had opportunities to catch up with fellow runners and backdrops were set up by organisers for photo taking purposes.

Participants also tested their skills on the wall climbing activity. There were also sales booths set up by sponsors to showcase their products .

For more information on the event, please log on to

www.facebook.com/worldofsportsmalaysia or https://www.facebook.com/SalomonAPACex