Strong turnout of over 50,000 runners expected at StanChart Marathon
There are more than 9,000 participants so far from overseas with the top five markets being Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Hong Kong
THERE are still three months to go until the flag off for this year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM), and all signs point to the annual event being yet another – pun intended – runaway success.
More than 37,000 people have already signed up for the Nov 29-Dec 1 event, with organisers The Ironman Group saying that this figure is up 40 per cent compared to last year. Registrations are open until Nov 24 and the current pace could see the final turnout exceeding 50,000, said Santoz Kumar, its general manager (Singapore).
Last year’s marathon had just over 44,000 runners over the three days. “We are seeing 1,200 to 1,400 sign-ups a week, and we are on track to reach 50,000 and more. We are trying to see how else we can accommodate more runners,” Santoz added.
As he keeps a close eye on the numbers, some trends have surfaced: There has been a 76 per cent rise in young runners (those in the 18-35 age bracket), and within this group the number of female runners is 83 per cent higher compared to 2023.
Three in four registered runners are taking part in SCSM – a World Athletics Gold Label race – for the first time. As for overseas participation, there are more than 9,000 participants so far with the top five markets being Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Hong Kong.
“We see a lot more running clubs in Singapore compared to a few years ago, and this is driving up the number of participants too,” pointed out Santoz. “Many of these groups are spearheaded by younger runners, the Gen-Z. There’s this strong community effect that is helping, for sure. People are signing up together to do the 5 km or the 10 km or other categories.”
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Return to the Padang
Last year’s SCSM was memorable for its finish line as participants had the unique opportunity to run the final leg of their respective categories on the track of the National Stadium at the Sports Hub. But with the stadium already booked for the biennial Asean Championship football tournament that starts in early December, the marathon’s organisers had to look elsewhere.
This year’s race will begin as usual at the F1 Pit Building beside the Singapore Flyer and conclude at the Anderson Bridge near the Padang, which is where the post-race village will be. The last time the Padang was used as the finish-line venue was in 2017.
“From an experience standpoint, the National Stadium was great for everyone and we did our best to deliver the best. There was the ‘cooling effect’ in the stadium, it was comfortable and people enjoyed hanging out together after their race,” explained Santoz. “One participant even told me that he felt like a superstar running on the track, with the floodlights on and so many people cheering.”
Santoz said that once it was clear that the National Stadium could not be confirmed as the finish-line venue, the organisers had to explore other options and make a decision. Even Sentosa was being considered, although that venue was eventually deemed too difficult as it would mean having to close off most parts of the island for the weekend to accommodate the tens of thousands of runners.
“We have learned from the experience in 2023 of being at the National Stadium, and because the feedback was so positive, we intend to return in 2025 if the stadium is available,” he noted.
Two decades of the marathon
Standard Chartered became the title sponsor of the Singapore Marathon in 2002, with that year’s edition featuring just 6,000 runners. In the two decades since, it has grown to become one of the region’s most popular marathons.
In June this year, the 2023 edition of SCSM won the Best Sports Event of the Year award in the community and mass participation category of the annual Singapore Sports Awards – the sixth time it has bagged this honour.
The Ironman Group has organised the marathon since 2016 and has a contract to do so until the 2025 edition.
Santoz said that he is keen to bid in an upcoming tender in early-2025 for the rights to operate the event from 2026 onwards. “We are going to try for it. We’ve been working very closely with other stakeholders to develop the race and make it better each time, and we’ve put in a lot of investment to make the marathon a great experience for all.”
More details on SCSM can be found at www.singaporemarathon.com
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