It’s time to lace up. Marathons and runs in Singapore as well as across the world might be cancelled due to the coronavirus but don’t it rain on your parade. If nothing gets your pulse racing like pounding the pavements, you’ll want to hit up these virtual races and marathons. Plus, you’ll get to complete them at your own pace and time.
This year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) literally goes virtual with augmented reality routes that’ll take you through Singapore’s iconic landmarks like Chinatown, Orchard Road and Little India.
Following its virtual racing series, the Grand Finale features a hybrid race format, where you’ll get to opt for either an outdoor race with a compatible tracking device or hop on the treadmill for the immersive augmented reality (AR) route, powered by Rouvy (an indoor racing app with AR courses). Choose from 10km to half marathons routes, or the Double Up challenge.
There’ll also be a special 90-minute live Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 Race As One Show on Dec 5, where runners can tune in via the SCSM Facebook page to catch celebs and personalities race for a cause in the Rouvy AR Half Marathon Relay Challenge
Participants in Singapore can also choose to attend a two-day signature Grand Finale Celebration experience at Gardens by the Bay on Dec 5 and 6.
Clock-in period: Nov 27 – Dec 6, 2020
Price: Complimentary
Spread the festive cheer while smashing your fitness goals with the first virtual Santa Run for Wishes 2020. Helmed by the Make-A-Wish foundation and organised to raise funds to grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses, the event is back for its 7th edition this year, but with a virtual spin.
The target is to collectively cover 21,517km – the distance from Singapore to the North Pole, the putative home of Santa Claus, and back. Keen to participate? You can register for the 2km, 5km, 10km or 50km (accumulative) race categories. Donations can also be made at the Make-A-Wish website.
Clock-in period: Dec 2-19, 2020
Price: $20 per race
Are you the sort to hit the pavement at night or in the wee hours of the morning? This one’s for you, and you can choose to go solo, or get your friends and family in on the fun, and start your run together with a team of two to five.
Each person will have to to run a minimum of 3km during each session between 5pm and 7am. You can run as many times as you please for the month that you registered for, and all you have to do is upload the details of your run or walk via your preferred tracking app after each session.
Each event comes with different themes as well as different entitlements, from singlets to face masks.
Clock-in period:
Event 1: Oct 1 – 31, 2020
Event 2: Nov 1 – 30, 2020
Event 3: Dec 1 – 31, 2020
Event 4: Jan 1 – 31, 2021
Event 5: Feb 1 – 28, 2021
Event 6: Mar 1 – 31, 2021
Price: $8 per person
Join this run and you’ll get to feed the needy, too. With each sign-up, one rural village will get a chicken from charity organisation Our Chicken Story. And with every three sign-ups, you can help feed a family.
The organisation works with the locals to identify poor families and distribute the chickens through its community partners.
Categories range from one km to 10km, so it’s one the kiddos can take part in, too. Finish the race and you’ll snag a Finisher medal that’ll be delivered to you.
Clock-in period: Now till Dec 31, 2020
Price:
$13.90
With a collective target of 40,000 km to be clocked, the ‘A Tribute to Seafarers Around the World’ event is a homage to the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 crisis – the seafarers working tirelessly on ships around the world deliver food and necessities. Many stay months beyond their contracted time and have to go through a two-week quarantine before seeing their families.
A minimum of 90% of monies raised through the event will go to seafarers’ welfare via the Mission to Seafarers Singapore, the Singapore Nautical Institute and the World Maritime Heritage Society.
There’s a recommended completion of 10km, but of course, you can set the bar higher, too. And it’s not just limited to running — you can walk, cycle and swim, too.
Add on an event t-shirt for $18, or a finisher medal for $8.
Clock-in period: Now till Nov 30
Price: $ 20 (individual)/ $80 (per family, up to 5 members), excluding payment processing fee
