Heroes aplenty at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

SINGAPORE: The annual Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore took place in cool weather early Sunday morning.

Though there was a slight drizzle along the way, the atmosphere was festive, as many of the 54,000 runners showed they were champions in their own right.

Chelimo Luka Kipkemoi from Kenya rallied past more illustrious names to claim a surprise win in the men’s full marathon.

He finished the race in two hours and 15 minutes, ahead of compatriots Eliud Kiptanui and Mike Mutai.

Kipkemoi said: “I overtook them with about five kilometres remaining. They were in front of me all the time.”

Kipkemoi will use the S$63,000 in prize money to put his three children through boarding school back in Kenya.

There was a “Batman” among the runners.

And just like the Dark Knight, he’s not defined by what’s underneath the costume but by what he does.

“Instead of just a pure racing environment, I wanted to add some fun and cheer, and motivate other people, inspire other people,” said “Batman”, a fitness instructor.

28-year-old Ng Lim Fong could have been the Riddler, except his question of “Will you marry me?” wasn’t that much of a puzzle.

His girlfriend answered easily.

“It is the best moment of my life,” said Mr Ng, a shipping consultant.

While Mr Ng had his family and friends close by, there were those whose loved ones were far away – like Cris Chavez whose relatives are affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

The IT consultant is heading home later this month to help in relief efforts.

“First thing I’m going to do is contact them and probably volunteer, because this month of December I’m on leave. So I’m going to go there and try to reach out to them,” he said.

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, was among the runners.

He ran in the Ekiden category for the Singapore Sports Council’s (SSC) philanthropic arm, SportCares Foundation.

The Ekiden is a relay of sorts that sees the full 42-kilometre route covered by different teammates.

After the event, Mr Wong shared details about what next year’s marathon could be like. 

As Channel NewsAsia reported on Friday, the marathon could have its finale at the soon-to-be completed Sports Hub.

Mr Wong said organisers are constantly looking at ways to improve the race experience.

And one idea is to have the run end with a lap around the new National Stadium within the Sports Hub.

Mr Wong said his first Singapore Marathon ended that way, and he remembers it vividly.

He said: “If we have a new National Stadium coming up, and if the marathon ends up at the National Stadium and people can be in the stands, the family and friends can be in the stands cheering for the marathon runners as they come in. I think that will be quite special.”

Heroes aplenty at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon