53,000 Runners Get Into The Festive Mood As They Race Through The City Of Singapore

53,000 Runners Get Into The Festive Mood As They Race Through The City Of Singapore

Singapore, 2 December 2012 - Starting from 5.00am, 53,000 people started off on their races in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore across various categories of Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km and Kids Dash. Featuring three different routes, runners took in the sights of iconic landmarks in Singapore including Orchard Road, Universal Studios Singapore, Sentosa, Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay.

2. Cheered on by supporters and entertainment acts along the route and greeted by a Padang decked out in festive trimmings, Kenyans Kiptoo Lilan Kennedy (25) and Irene Jerotich Kosgei (38) crossed the finish line first in their categories with a time of 2:17:20.27 and 2:37:53.51 respectively. It was a tight finish for Kennedy with course record holder, Luke Kibet, a mere 5 seconds behind, while Kosgei has set history by becoming the first woman to win the Women's Open category for three consecutive years.

3. Coming into the race with three wins under his belt this year, Kennedy was quietly confident of his chance in Singapore. He said, "My time here is a little slow but I'm very happy to have won this race. I will definitely want to come back next year and defend my title." Kosgei, on the other hand, commented, "The field has many competitive and strong runners, we pushed each other as a group running together till the 38km mark. Singapore is like my home, I like the weather, the conditions today were good, and I want to be back next year."

4. In the local Men's Open category, 25 year old Ashley Liew clocked 2:45:06.26 and took the crown from perennial favourite, Mok Ying Ren who came in third. Liew said, "I dug very deep because this is a very important race to me. I was struggling quite a bit in the end, images of my bad races in 2010 and 2011 flashed back, I reminded myself to stay focused and stay in the present moment. I had confidence in my training and my coach, words can't describe how I feel."

5. For the local Women's Open category, 32 year old Anne Qi Hui claimed her fourth consecutive crown of the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore with a time of 3:17:06.51. "Today is the perfect day for me, the weather treated me well and I really enjoyed the race. When I run, my focus is on achieving my own goals, that's how I stay motivated. I will certainly be back to try to achieve a sub-3 timing in Singapore," said Anne.

6. Acting Minister for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, who flagged off the start of the full marathon category, commented, "The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore is an important event in our sporting calendar. Every year, I see the event improving and getting better. The event has become more of an experience than just a race as I see more volunteers, families and supporters immersed in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore experience."

7. Lawrence Ang, 48, who has taken part in the SCMS for the last nine years remarked, "Taking part in the SCMS is an annual ritual for me. It marks not just the end of my year but also the beginning of the festive season. The festive mood is very evident this year and the atmosphere is fantastic. It feels like a great big party that stretches for 42km and I am glad that I am here to experience it."

Annex: Results of Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2012