2012 2XU
Compression Run (15km – Women’s)
OVERALL MARK: 70.0%
(RECOMMEND)
HELD: April 1st, 2012.
IN BRIEF: One of the large running events at the start of the Singapore race calendar. This year there were 10km and 15km options. This is the second 2XU run that I have done. I started the race in the first wave and finished with a time of 1:19:49 for the 15km.
COST: I paid $48 for the 15k run. This was the early bird price and included a 2XU singlet. There was an option to pay $60, and this included 2XU shorts. Also, by registering at the race expo I got a free pair of Hilly socks. Other than the singlet, the finisher medal is the only other thing included in the price. This race is at the upper limits in terms of cost, but the singlet good quality and something I will wear again. Registration also allowed you to purchase 2XU compression gear at 40% off, so that was a good deal as I bought the compression tights. 7/10.
RACE TRACK: Completely sealed road race with relatively flat surfaces. The race began and ended at the Nicoll Highway MRT station. From the start line, the course headed along the Nicoll Hwy to Suntec City and then made a hairpin turn to go back along the Nicoll Hwy. Nicoll Hwy was followed until Mountbatten Road, then onto Stadium Blvd, where there was another hairpin to reverse the direction. This part of the course was pretty narrow. Back along the Nicoll Hwy and then the course looped around Kallang Riverside Park and followed Marina Promenade all the way to the Singapore Flyer. The race ended by following Republic Ave back to the Nicoll Hwy MRT. I did not see that many distance markers, although that does not mean they were not there (sometimes I miss them). I saw markers for 2km, 6km, 9km, 11km and 14km. I am always disappointed when I can’t see the finish line at the end of the race. In this case, at the point you could see it, there was only about 20m left to run. Overall, the route was ok but not fantastic. 6/10.
AND WE’RE RACING!: So many people!! As I had done the race last year, I was prepared for this, but it does make for difficulty if you want to actually run. There were 2 waves of runners, but there was still so much congestion. I jogged the first 2km as it was difficult to pass people. The next 3km were pretty bad due to the hairpin turns in the course. The road was divided with traffic cones so one side accommodated the ‘outgoing’ runners with those on their way back on the other side. I am not the fastest runner, but am also not at the back of the pack. This meant that I was stuck behind people on the way to the hairpin, but worse, had to dodge people who were spread across the cones on the way back. The course finally opened up at about 5km into the race. I am glad that I wasn’t doing 10km, otherwise the holdup would have been more annoying. 6/10.
PITSTOPS: There were drink stations every 2-3km that had water and Pocari Sweat. Cold Pocari Sweat! Cold drinks were good especially at the finish line. There was also a banana given at the finish line. The drinks were in small plastic cups, which was great. In last year’s Newton Run, the Pocari Sweat was provided in huge cups, which was wasteful. It seems the organisers listened to feedback and altered the cups. The only reason this section doesn’t get a 10/10 is that the drinks sponsor could provide more than just 1 bottle to runners post-race. 9/10.
ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): I registered at the race expo at Novena. The good thing about this was the free socks. The bad thing was that I did not get the automatic confirmation slip that you receive when you register online. It was never sent to me and I emailed the organisers 4 times and got no response. Finally they responded and sent the slip. This was similar to last year’s 2XU race, so I was not impressed with the communication. The race pack pick-up was at Novena, which is on the MRT, so very accessible. My bib was incorrect (said Men instead of Women), but this was corrected on the spot. 5/10.
ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): I attempted to take a taxi to the race, thinking that the first MRT wouldn’t get me to the start on time. In the end I couldn’t get a taxi and took the MRT, which ended up being great as the race was located directly outside the entrance. Baggage deposit took about 1 min and was just outside the MRT. Baggage pick-up also only took 1 min. Everything was really well signed. The race start was delayed by about 10 min, which was a little frustrating. The reason I opted for the taxi was because I thought that with a 7am start time, I would not have time to get the first MRT, drop my bag, and be at the start line. A 7:30am start is better when opting for the MRT. So I spent my MRT trip (after the taxi unavailability) being worried about being late (I wanted to be in the first wave), but with the easy baggage deposit and delayed start I was OK. 8/10.
TIMING: My timing was accurate and matched my watch. I didn’t see a big race clock at the finish line, which would be frustrating for those without watches. The race results were not released for a couple of days. I am not sure why there was a delay here. The released race results only allow you to see your own result and your overall placing. I finished 30/953 women. I would prefer to be able to see the times of other people. This would allow me to see where I placed based on nett time, rather than gun time, which would be more informative. The website does not list any times. If nothing else, at least have the top 3 results. 8/10.
RACE KIT: The 2XU singlet is great. First of all it is a singlet and not a t-shirt (essential for Singapore) and it is a good colour (black and blue). Nothing else was in the race kit. The medallion was a reasonable design. Small, cold, towels were given out at the finish line. 7/10.
SUMMARY: The run was reasonable but very crowded. I think the organisation on the day was pretty good. There probably are not many places in Singapore that can accommodate that many runners, so in the end it is not too bad for a large race with a lot of participants.
OVERALL MARK: 70.0%
(RECOMMEND)
HELD: April 1st, 2012.
IN BRIEF: One of the large running events at the start of the Singapore race calendar. This year there were 10km and 15km options. This is the second 2XU run that I have done. I started the race in the first wave and finished with a time of 1:19:49 for the 15km.
COST: I paid $48 for the 15k run. This was the early bird price and included a 2XU singlet. There was an option to pay $60, and this included 2XU shorts. Also, by registering at the race expo I got a free pair of Hilly socks. Other than the singlet, the finisher medal is the only other thing included in the price. This race is at the upper limits in terms of cost, but the singlet good quality and something I will wear again. Registration also allowed you to purchase 2XU compression gear at 40% off, so that was a good deal as I bought the compression tights. 7/10.
RACE TRACK: Completely sealed road race with relatively flat surfaces. The race began and ended at the Nicoll Highway MRT station. From the start line, the course headed along the Nicoll Hwy to Suntec City and then made a hairpin turn to go back along the Nicoll Hwy. Nicoll Hwy was followed until Mountbatten Road, then onto Stadium Blvd, where there was another hairpin to reverse the direction. This part of the course was pretty narrow. Back along the Nicoll Hwy and then the course looped around Kallang Riverside Park and followed Marina Promenade all the way to the Singapore Flyer. The race ended by following Republic Ave back to the Nicoll Hwy MRT. I did not see that many distance markers, although that does not mean they were not there (sometimes I miss them). I saw markers for 2km, 6km, 9km, 11km and 14km. I am always disappointed when I can’t see the finish line at the end of the race. In this case, at the point you could see it, there was only about 20m left to run. Overall, the route was ok but not fantastic. 6/10.
AND WE’RE RACING!: So many people!! As I had done the race last year, I was prepared for this, but it does make for difficulty if you want to actually run. There were 2 waves of runners, but there was still so much congestion. I jogged the first 2km as it was difficult to pass people. The next 3km were pretty bad due to the hairpin turns in the course. The road was divided with traffic cones so one side accommodated the ‘outgoing’ runners with those on their way back on the other side. I am not the fastest runner, but am also not at the back of the pack. This meant that I was stuck behind people on the way to the hairpin, but worse, had to dodge people who were spread across the cones on the way back. The course finally opened up at about 5km into the race. I am glad that I wasn’t doing 10km, otherwise the holdup would have been more annoying. 6/10.
PITSTOPS: There were drink stations every 2-3km that had water and Pocari Sweat. Cold Pocari Sweat! Cold drinks were good especially at the finish line. There was also a banana given at the finish line. The drinks were in small plastic cups, which was great. In last year’s Newton Run, the Pocari Sweat was provided in huge cups, which was wasteful. It seems the organisers listened to feedback and altered the cups. The only reason this section doesn’t get a 10/10 is that the drinks sponsor could provide more than just 1 bottle to runners post-race. 9/10.
ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): I registered at the race expo at Novena. The good thing about this was the free socks. The bad thing was that I did not get the automatic confirmation slip that you receive when you register online. It was never sent to me and I emailed the organisers 4 times and got no response. Finally they responded and sent the slip. This was similar to last year’s 2XU race, so I was not impressed with the communication. The race pack pick-up was at Novena, which is on the MRT, so very accessible. My bib was incorrect (said Men instead of Women), but this was corrected on the spot. 5/10.
ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): I attempted to take a taxi to the race, thinking that the first MRT wouldn’t get me to the start on time. In the end I couldn’t get a taxi and took the MRT, which ended up being great as the race was located directly outside the entrance. Baggage deposit took about 1 min and was just outside the MRT. Baggage pick-up also only took 1 min. Everything was really well signed. The race start was delayed by about 10 min, which was a little frustrating. The reason I opted for the taxi was because I thought that with a 7am start time, I would not have time to get the first MRT, drop my bag, and be at the start line. A 7:30am start is better when opting for the MRT. So I spent my MRT trip (after the taxi unavailability) being worried about being late (I wanted to be in the first wave), but with the easy baggage deposit and delayed start I was OK. 8/10.
TIMING: My timing was accurate and matched my watch. I didn’t see a big race clock at the finish line, which would be frustrating for those without watches. The race results were not released for a couple of days. I am not sure why there was a delay here. The released race results only allow you to see your own result and your overall placing. I finished 30/953 women. I would prefer to be able to see the times of other people. This would allow me to see where I placed based on nett time, rather than gun time, which would be more informative. The website does not list any times. If nothing else, at least have the top 3 results. 8/10.
RACE KIT: The 2XU singlet is great. First of all it is a singlet and not a t-shirt (essential for Singapore) and it is a good colour (black and blue). Nothing else was in the race kit. The medallion was a reasonable design. Small, cold, towels were given out at the finish line. 7/10.
SUMMARY: The run was reasonable but very crowded. I think the organisation on the day was pretty good. There probably are not many places in Singapore that can accommodate that many runners, so in the end it is not too bad for a large race with a lot of participants.
Nice post! Such reviews help a lot in finalizing one thing. It was because of such a review only that I was able to buy beach riot clothes online. I am so glad I spent money on it. It is totally worth it. Soon my sister is also going to take part in a run and I will share that post soon.
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