‘Hybrid’ 2020 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 welcomes 12,000 participants

The organisers of the 2020 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon have advised that 12,825 runners from Singapore and around the world participated in this year’s edition of the race which ran from 27th November to 6th December.

Collectively the runners clocked 106,269 kilometres to unlock SG$1 million which Standard Chartered Bank had pledged as part of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) 2020 Grand Finale Charity Challenge.

With COVID restrictions preventing the event being held on the streets of Singapore, the major part of this year’s SCSM was staged in a virtual ‘hybrid’ format, with participants racing across the Half Marathon, 10KM, Double Up challenge and Kids Dash categories in the VR and ROUVY AR formats.

In addition, 800 participants had the chance to experience the Grand Finale Celebration Event at Gardens by the Bay as part of an events pilot.

The event’s ROUVY AR categories enabled runners to navigate the cityscapes of Singapore using augmented reality, offering a brand new experience to participants as they could watch their avatars run the routes while running on a treadmill at home or in selected ActiveSG gyms.

International celebrities participating in the SCSM (from left), former Liverpool FC player Jose Enrique, top Malaysian marathoner Edan Syah, British TV and radio presenter Charlie Webster, Filipino Pro triathlete Nikko Hueglas, Thai actress Yoe Hassadeevichit, Australian celebrity lifeguard Andrew Reid and American Olympian runner Carrie Tollefson participating in the SCSM VR and ROUVY AR categories.

Elite athletes, celebrities and special guests also contributed to the cause through the ROUVY AR Half Marathon Relay as part of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 Race As One Show on 5th December.

Commenting on this year’s event, Edwin Tong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, who participated in the race, stated “the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon has been a highlight of Singapore’s running calendar for close to two decades.

“Despite the challenges of holding a large-scale sporting event during the pandemic, the organisers have risen to the challenge with an innovative race format that has attracted participants from Singapore and beyond. This year, our collective efforts will also contribute towards the Community Chest, benefitting vulnerable communities. This is the power of sport - it brings people together, and builds a more caring and inclusive society.”

This year’s edition also saw the successful launch of the SCSM Virtual Club which saw a total of over 124,671 participate across 15 weeks of virtual races and challenges.

Races under the Virtual Racing Series were categorised according to four themes celebrating running routes that are unique to Singapore and which also mirrored the Singapore Tourism Board’s passion tribes, which include the Action Seekers, Culture Shapers, Explorers and Foodies.

These routes give runners the opportunity to explore and rediscover different sides of Singapore and its hidden gems.

Participants running in the ROUVY AR category at an ActiveSG gym in Hougang Sports Centre.

Commenting on the challenges facing the event, Geoff Meyer, Managing Director of Asia for event organiser The IRONMAN Group, noted “despite having the odds against us, we managed to make the 2020 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Grand Finale happen.

“This is a testament to our hard work and perseverance, and a celebration of Singapore’s solidarity and resilience at the end of a very challenging year. We thank our title sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank, for making the Grand Finale so much more meaningful and special with the Charity Challenge. “We would also like to thank all the runners this year from around the world, for participating in the race virtually and contributing to a great cause. This is a great end to the year, and it was not possible without the collective efforts of everyone involved.”

Main image: Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin (treadmill on left) and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong (treadmill on right) leading two teams of special guests and celebrities in a half marathon relay for the SCSM 2020 Race As One Show.