Ironman Group aims for 60,000 runners at StanChart Singapore Marathon
There will likely be more international participants for the 2025 edition, with strong interest from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia
[SINGAPORE] This year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) is a special one for the Ironman Group, for it will mark the 10th year that it has been organising the country’s largest and most prestigious running event.
Already, the two-day event – set to take place on Dec 6-7 and still the only World Athletics Gold Label race in South-east Asia – will celebrate several milestones and firsts.
For one, the participants will flag off at the F1 Pit Building and run all the way to the finish line at The Padang, the iconic large open field that fronts the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings. This is the first time that the Padang will be used for the finish line since 2017.
Last year, the finish line was at the nearby Anderson Bridge, and previous editions saw runners end their races at the National Stadium and the Float@Marina Bay, among other venues.
With more than six weeks to go, more than 11,700 people from overseas have signed up for Singapore’s marquee running event as of mid-October, with all signs pointing to Ironman matching or even exceeding last year’s total of close to 13,000 international participants.
“We are seeing strong interest from runners in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and (mainland) China,” said Santoz Kumar, Ironman’s general manager for Singapore, in a recent interview with BT Weekend.
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Those four countries alone account for some three-quarters of the overseas registrations. The likes of Hong Kong, Japan, India, Thailand and Australia will also be well represented at SCSM’s different categories.
“We are on pace to exceed 55,000 runners this year, which would be about the same as last year’s numbers. But we are aiming for as high as 60,000; that’s our aspiration. There are still some weeks left, and we have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the capacity of the categories,” said Santoz.
Another thing that’s different at this year’s edition is the fact that all the categories will take place over two days instead of the usual three. This change will see the popular half-marathon and full marathon held on separate days, which Santoz said will create a smoother and more enjoyable race-day experience for all.
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Participation in the full marathon and half-marathon categories grew by 31 per cent and nearly 46 per cent, respectively, over the past three editions of SCSM from 2022 to 2024.
“What this tells us is that there is a growing passion for long-distance running in Singapore, and we have listened to the feedback from previous editions. With this new format, runners in both categories will enjoy their own dedicated course and race-day atmosphere,” said Santoz.
Flatter, faster course
Earlier this month, Ironman announced the routes for the various categories, with runners set to pass by landmarks such as the National Gallery, Esplanade, the Sports Hub, Gardens by the Bay, and the coastline along East Coast Park.
One major change is the decision to remove “challenging” elevation points such as West Coast Highway and Sheares Avenue. This has resulted in a much “flatter and faster” course that is ideal for runners who are aiming for a new personal best timing, said Santoz.
On the sponsorship front, there are several new companies on board for SCSM 2025, among them German sportswear giant adidas, Ethiopian Airlines and sunglass brand 2nu.
Standard Chartered continues as the title sponsor, as it has done for the last 23 years and counting; and other major brands include 100 Plus, Tata Consultancy Services, Seiko, ViewQwest and The Westin Singapore.
As the preparations head into the final stretch, Santoz also reflected on the past decade that he and his team have spent on working on the SCSM. Each year was an in-person event, except for the one in 2020 when it was switched to a digital format due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Ironman Group has close to 300 events globally, and the SCSM is one of top five, and we put a lot of focus and energy on it. Delivering an event of this scale requires a dedicated operations team, comprising full-time staff, contract hires, and vital support from vendors, temporary staff, and more than 3,000 volunteers” he said.
With this being the last edition under its current 10-year contract, Santoz said he hoped that Ironman would be successful in securing an extension to continue organising the marathon for another decade.
“The submissions (by the interested parties to organise the SCSM) have already been sent in, and we are now waiting for the contract to be awarded. Sport Singapore is the one who will make the announcement on what is their final decision and what their plans (for SCSM) will be,” he said.
For more information on the SCSM and how to register, visit the official website.
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