‘MRT walkers’ hike 86km along East-West Line in 27 hours

SINGAPORE – A 20-year-old “competitive MRT walker” who aimed to complete the route of each MRT line in Singapore within a day concluded his quest on Nov 14.

Trevor Kam and more than 100 friends and followers walked 85.7km along the East-West Line, going from Tuas Link station in the west to Changi Airport station in the east.

They started at Tuas Link at 9.20pm on Nov 13 and met for a group photo at Changi Airport station just after midnight on Nov 15. The workout app Strava recorded the actual walking time as 15hr 22min, though the entire journey, including rest breaks, took nearly 27 hours.

“You’ll never see me walking again,” Kam said in a video message broadcast on his Telegram channel, @sidequestcentral. The channel has more than 2,800 followers, many of whom joined since August, when he began sharing reels of his walks along various MRT routes on social media.

That month, Kam completed treks along the North East Line (25.1km in 5hr 2min, according to Strava) and the Circle Line (47.19km in 10hr 6min). He then posted on Instagram and TikTok, inviting people to join him on future walks.

“I’m on a mission to make Singapore more exciting,” said Kam, a Singapore permanent resident who will start national service in January.

Kam did the Circle Line trail with his friend Bryan Kow, 21, who plotted the routes of all the MRT walks using Apple Maps and Google Maps.

Kow is also part of Kam’s online community, Sidequests Central, which they set up to make it easier to organise the walks. The team includes Grace Zhang, 20, who is in charge of marketing and publications, and Megan Ho, 21, who is in charge of partnerships.

Kam and his friends completed a 48km route along the Downtown Line in 16 hours on Aug 21, with about 50 new followers.

Around 80 people joined them for a 57km trek along the Thomson-East Coast Line, on Sept 4. It took 16 hours, including rest breaks.

After this event, rail operator SMRT began working with Sidequests Central to support the two remaining walks along the North-South Line and East-West Line.

It provided “challenge flags” for both treks and coordinated the distribution of more than 1,000 bottles of mineral water and 100Plus across 13 MRT stations to help keep walkers hydrated during the North-South Line trek.

That 61km trek was completed in 17hr 30min on Sept 25, including rest breaks.

SMRT set up similar hydration points at 14 MRT stations along the East-West Line on Nov 13 and 14 and helped with route planning. It also provided blinking safety lights for the overnight walking segments.

SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said in response to queries from The Straits Times that it was special to see the MRT lines turned into walking routes.

“From the flag-off to cheering them on as they completed the challenge, it’s been wonderful seeing our network become more than a way to get around. It can also be a way for people to make lasting memories together.”

The walkers remained in high spirits throughout the 27-hour event, despite rain showers, afternoon heat and the occasional blister or graze.

Kam and his team made several appeals before and during the walk for participants to prioritise their safety and comfort over completing the trek.

“There’s no pressure to walk the entire journey,” he said, urging participants to come and go as needed, and to take the train to stations farther ahead on the route rather than continue walking.

Personal trainer Tim Lye, 30, did most of the route in cosplay as Inosuke Hashibira from the popular Japanese anime Demon Slayer. He wore a fake boar’s head, blue contact lenses and baggy hakama pants, and carried a fake sword.

It was his first time joining the MRT treks. “I’ve always been curious about walking the MRT routes, but I didn’t have an excuse to do it before,” he told ST.

Kam said Sidequests Central will return with a “Season 2” of open events to help people make new friends. Besides the MRT walks, his team organised a meet-up at Marina Barrage on Oct 8 to play duck, duck, goose, and a costume contest on Oct 30.

He told ST: “We’re going to keep doing more things to inspire Singaporeans to break cultural norms and make cool a** memories.”

On his Telegram channel and social media, people have urged him to walk the LRT routes next. “No, I actually hate walking,” he said.