There is good news for sports lovers. Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) will be held at night for the first time, announced the organisers Ironman Asia.
This year, the marathon will flag off at 6 pm on November 30, while the entire event will be held over three days with the Kids Dash happening on November 29, and the 5K and 10K races to take place on December 1.
Another attraction of the marathon is that the race will feature a spectator-friendly route through Singapore's most iconic streets and modern architecture such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and The Singapore Flyer.
Organisers said that these steps have been taken to further the appeal of the race for participants and spectators and is a significant step towards the goal of SCSM being inducted into the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM), a series of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world, in 2021.
If successful, SCSM would become the seventh marathon within AbbottWMM joining the BMW Berlin Marathon, Boston Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and the Tokyo Marathon.
Geoff Meyer, Managing Director for The IRONMAN Group in Asia, said, “Since announcing the bid to join the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2017, we’ve been working closely with our respective partners to improve the Singapore race experience for both runners and spectators. We have consulted Sport Singapore and the relevant government agencies and they have shared their support for the night race.”
“Enhancements are happening every year to build up the event festivities as well as programs and initiatives that promote the running culture and community engagement in Singapore. We are now closer than ever to the required criteria and strongly believe that the change in flag-off time and a number of other improvements over the next two editions will see more marathoners and community support than ever as we position ourselves to qualify in 2021,” he said.
The SCSM has been recognised as a Gold Label event by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) since 2012 for its world-class excellence in global sporting significance, organisational quality, athletes’ safety and compliance with the IAAF Rules and Regulations.
Since the inaugural race in 1982, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon has grown to a globally significant event that attracts runners each year across all race categories from more than 125 countries, regions and territories.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth & Transport, Baey Yam Keng, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the launch event, said, “The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon has been a longstanding highlight on the regional sports calendar, attracting elite marathoners and running enthusiasts from Singapore and around the world annually.”
“With the flag-offs on Saturday evening this year, I anticipate many more Singaporeans coming out to cheer on the runners and join in the excitement. I hope to see the Singapore Marathon join the ranks of the World Marathon Majors in 2021!” he added.
To register and for more information, please visit www.singaporemarathon.com. Standard Chartered Cardholders will enjoy 15% off registration fee across all categories.
