ST Run: More than 13,000 soak in festival atmosphere at the Sports Hub

The sixth edition of The Straits Times Run drew more than 13,000 to the Sports Hub, where participants enjoyed live entertainment, food trucks and even post-race massages.

Participants of the 18.45km run are flagged off along Nicoll Highway at around 5am. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

(On stage, from right) ST editor and editor-in-chief of the SPH's English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, Mr Warren Fernandez; Panasonic's Director, Domestic Business Division, Mr Philip Chua; and ST Sports editor Lee Yulin, flagging off the 18.45km run. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

On stage to flag off the 10km category of the ST Run: (from left) ST eports editor Lee Yulin, ST executive editor Sumiko Tan, general manager of Panasonic Singapore's marketing communications department Joanne Ng, and SPH CEO Ng Yat Chung. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Participants of the 10km race running along Nicoll Highway. ST PHOTO: BENJAMIN SEETOR

On stage to flag off the 5km category of the ST Run: (from left) Emcee Kelly Latimer, ST sports editor Lee Yulin, chief marketing officer of LGI Lim Shyong Piau, deputy managing director of Panasonic Jiro Nakami, deputy CEO of SPH Anthony Tan, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, SPH board of director Tan Chin Hwee, and CEO of Singapore Sports Hub Oon Jin Teik. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

(From left) Aaron Sng, SPH deputy CEO Anthony Tan, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, Glendys Lim and Chong Yew Meng. Sng, Lim and Chong were pacers for the event. ST PHOTO: TERENCE TEO

Ms Lai Kai Rou, 25, trying her luck at winning a prize at the Panasonic booth in the National Stadium after her run. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

PushPlay, a band of students from Nanyang Technological University, entertaining runners of the 10km race under Merdeka Bridge. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Undergraduate Nicholas Lim (second from left), 22, won a weighing scale at the Great Eastern booth after his 10km run. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Participants getting drinks at the 100 Plus booth inside the National Stadium after their run. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Ms Soh Bee Leng (left), 56, and Ms Catherine Chua, 69, taking a photo at the Panasonic booth after their 5km run. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Sazali Abdul Aziz

Correspondent

Updated

Published

Sep 23, 2018, 11:57 AM

SINGAPORE - Over 13,000 runners took part in this year's The Straits Times Run on Sunday morning (Sept 23), in the sixth instalment of the annual event.

The first wave of runners - who were participating in the 18.45km category - were flagged off from the run's starting point along Nicoll Highway at 5am, and the first runner to complete the race was Briton Ben Moreau, who breasted the tape in a time of 1hr 2min 49sec.

The quickest woman finisher in the 18.45km category was Japanese homemaker Maki Inami, in 1:11.01.

A highlight for this year's participants was finishing their run inside the 55,000-capacity National Stadium. The inaugural ST Run in 2013 took place at Punggol Waterway, before moving to the Singapore Sports Hub for the next two years.

It ended at the F1 Pit Building in 2016, and at the Padang in 2017, before making a return to the Sports Hub in the latest edition.

This year's ST Run featured three categories - the 18.45km, which was a nod to the year the newspaper was founded, 10km, and 5km.

At the end of their run, participants had a chance to win prizes playing games at tentages inside the National Stadium managed by various ST Run partners, including presenting sponsor Panasonic. A post-race massage was also available for 18.45km and 10km runners at the OCBC Arena Hall 1, next door.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, the guest of honour, flagged off the 5km race - then joined the crowd herself - while Mr Warren Fernandez, ST editor and editor-in-chief of the Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, did the same after flagging off the first wave of 18.45km runners.

Minister Fu praised the ST Run for being inclusive, and said: "It is great to see people of different backgrounds coming together here today.

"I've seen grandmas run with their grandchildren, school teachers running with their pupils, and also stroke patients going through the 5km and enjoying the walk.

"I also really like the lead-up, (with stories) encouraging people to adopt a very active lifestyle in preparing for the run."