Merry Marathon: Festive Cheer To Greet Singapore Runners At SCMS 2012

Merry Marathon: Festive Cheer To Greet Singapore Runners At SCMS 2012

Singapore, 29 October 2012 - December is traditionally associated with the Christmas festive season. Come 2 December 2012, this festive cheer will find its way into Singapore's pinnacle running event - the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

2. Volunteers and organisers decked in festive costumes and accessories, festive music performances along the running route and best dressed festive themed runners competitions - these are just some of the things runners and supporters can look forward to at this year's marathon.

3. SSC announced in July that it is looking at repositioning the running event as it strives to follow in the footsteps of world famous running events such as the London, Berlin and New York marathons, which have all made their mark on the world's running calendar because of their unique offerings.

4. Said Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer of the SSC and Chairman of the SCMS 2012 organising committee, "The best marathons around the world are remembered for their unique identities. London for its wacky fancy dress participants and charity element, New York for its 'electrifying' experience with over 100 bands performing along the route and Berlin for its unique international flavour of participants from over 100 countries."

5. "For Singapore, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore is the largest running event held in December during the festive season so we decided that extending the festive cheer into our event is a way to distinguish ourselves internationally. We have close to 4,500 overseas runners this year, which we believe is an indicator of the name our marathon is making for itself around the world. With the festive theme, we hope the international stature of our marathon will grow even further."

6. In addition to enhancing the race experience through the festive theme, major improvements have been made to the running routes to ensure that runners have a smooth and enjoyable run.

Improved Race Conditions

7. Full Marathon participants can expect better route management with the route at South Bridge Road omitted. Instead, there will be an earlier turn at Upper Pickering Road, with a wider path for runners to prevent congestion. Participants will also be greeted by the breathtaking views of the Gardens by the Bay (South) at the 37km mark.

8. With a limit of 10,000 registration slots for the Half-Marathon, participants of this category can also look forward to an improved running experience this year. The route along the Tanjong Beach roundabout has been removed, eliminating the congestion that was experienced at the hair-pin turn in Sentosa last year. In addition, all categories will have improved wave starts to minimise crowding at the first few kilometres.

Enhanced Baggage Deposit System

9. A smoother baggage deposit system awaits runners this year. Runners were able to opt for the baggage deposit service at the point of registration and will be presented with a Baggage Service Pack (BSP) at the Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) at the end of November.

10. Runners can pre-pack their belongings and fill up their personal details on the bag within the BSP, which will help to reduce the waiting times at the deposit counters come race day.

More Ways to Motivate Runners

11. Runners can look forward to music performances and giant BMW Cheer Video screens along the route. Another 'first' this year will be the Cheer Markers at every distance marker displaying inspirational words of encouragement sent in by runners for runners.

12. Supporters can also board the Cheer Mobiles to get to Cheer Stations to catch the runners along the route. Cheer Kits will be available at every Cheer Station for supporters to use to cheer on the runners as they pass by.

13. The giant BMW Cheer Video screens at the 34km and 40km marks will display videos from supporters tagged to the runner that the message is dedicated to. As runners pass those points, their race tag will trigger the screen to show the specific video message sent in by their supporter.

14. Concluded Mr Lim, "Feedback from runners has always been very important and helpful for us to make improvements to the race. We went through all aspects of the race from start to finish to see where and how we can make it better. We have made significant changes to the routes and logistical arrangements to ensure a better running experience."

15. In 2011, the SCMS was awarded the Gold Label status by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), placing it among elite marathons in the world such as London, Berlin, Boston and New York City. For more information on SCMS 2012, please visit www.singaporemarathon.com and www.facebook.com/SGmarathon.

Enclosures

Annex A: Race Information

Annex B: SCMS 2012 Baggage Deposit and Collection Locations and Timings

Annex C: SCMS 2012 Route Maps

SCMS 2012 Route Maps [496 Kb]