REVIEW: 2013 CARNIVAL RUN

2013 Carnival Run @Bedok Reservoir (5k Men)

Overall Mark: 85.6%

(HIGHLY RECOMMEND)

HELD: 23rd March

IN BRIEF: The Carnival run is one of those "Goldilocks" runs, not too big, not to small, seemingly just right. It offered up a 5k run with cash prizes for the first 20 place getters in both Men's and Women's categories.An unusual 5pm start time worked well with a cool breeze.It perhaps didn't have many of the fancy extras of the bigger races, but with a fantastic price tag the Carnival Run is punching well above its weight.

COST: $25 ($18 for Passion Card members). The race included a medallion (shown above) and a pretty decent race kit that included a shoe bag, running top, sweat towel and a host of other freebies and samples. Honestly, along with the 2011 RUN350 kit v price, this was one of the best. 10/10.

RACE TRACK: Starting at the Bedok Reservoir float, the race began along the gravel track and quickly moved onto the cement footpath.Basically we did one circuit of the Reservoir with a mini-back track to make the 5k distance. It was pretty flat and I was reasonably impressed with the layout. One massive U-turn (I hate U-turns) was probably the worst part (which isn't really that bad). A beautiful breeze blew in off the water, I think if I ran this course on my own I would enjoy it. I'm not sure if it was a closed course, I feel like it wasn't, but the layout was very easy to follow and race marshals were efficient in the few places they were needed. I am going to give it 7.5/10.

AND WE'RE RACING!: The race track was narrow and busy (like I said, I started toward the back) but there was enough room to pass if you had to, although sometimes you had to take to the grass to do so. The field thinned out quickly and the course opened up toward the end which meant passing was a breeze for the big sprint.Only 5k runners on track made it so that we are all racing each other (I like that). If you were toward the front you could have set a PB, I would have lost time (1 or 2 min) from where I started and I had to take to the grass to pass at the beginning. Not bad. 7.5/10.

PITSTOPS: Not too much you can do in a 5 k race. There was one water station at the 2.5k mark, I think they had Pokka Sports Water (think..) and water. It was all you needed and you couldn't have asked for any extras or an extra station in a 5k run. So, even though it was pretty simple - it was perfectly suited. So I am going to give it 8.5/10.  

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): The pick-up was way out near Bedok MRT (but het, that's where the race is!) and it wasn't too hard to find although I wasn't 100% sure I was at the right place (PUT A SIGN ON THE STREET!). Place was empty when I arrived, took two seconds to collect. Can't complain! 9/10.

ORGANISATION (RACE-DAY): Had to take a bus to race from MRT. Not sure if there was a shuttle. Not a big issue for me.There were enough toilets for the runners although I don't think there was anywhere you could get a free drink (water or not) pre-race. Race started on time and baggage check was close and very organized. Pretty good, I'm taking a point off for the medallion in a plastic bag (Really. we are not princess runners, put it around our neck).No encouragement from marshals (but some from the people at the water station) isn't a huge issue, but you notice those things. I'm taking a half of for that too. 8.5/10.

TIMING: No time displayed at race (that I saw) but race results were up online very quick.You can see your time, the top 20 but no one elses. That's ok, but it's worth 7.5/10.

RACE KIT: Very solid. Shoe bag, towel, running singlet and a few freebies. For the price paid it was an awesome deal. 10/10.

SUMMARY: I feel like this was a no-frills race at a no-frills price that decided to add some frills in at the end. Hard to imagine too many complaints, just a good solid race and an awesome price.

REVIEW: SINGAPORE RUN 350

2012 SINGAPORE RUN 350
OVERALL MARK: 88.8%
(Highly Recommend)
HELD: April 22nd, 2012.

IN BRIEF: Having now completed around a dozen races in Singapore, the RUN 350 has well and truly raised the bar. A 10k run starting from Marina Bay, along some of the F1 track and Nicoll highway. In short the most complete and well organized run I have done in Singapore.

COST: Paid $35 for the 10k run. Included the runners pack (pictured right) including a runners singlet, shoe bag, socks, mini sunscreen, mini muscle rub and a few other samples. The price also included the finishers medallion. There were vouchers in the pack which turned out to be expired but true to the fantastic organization of the event each runner was contacted and offered the opportunity to get new ones. Trying to think of a reason not to give this a 10, and I can't - 10/10.

RACE TRACK: Started at the Marina Bay Float, first section was on the F1 track (which I loved running on) and then a large section on the Nicoll Highway. Extremely flat with a minuscule climb at about the midway mark. It was a closed course so a massive tick there. The run to the first corner was tight but after that there was a massive amount of space to run your own race. Surface was smooth with my only very very minor complaint being some boards used to cover one section were a bit loose or too spongy which screwed me over mid-stride once. From memory there were km markers nearly every k, maybe not for 3k, but enough to keep me very happy. Loved the circuit. 9.5/10.

AND WE'RE RACING: Both the 10 and 21k were run in two waves, but unlike many other events this was clearly displayed in advance which was a super smart move. I started in the first wave of the 10k runners, maybe 6-7 people deep. The run down to the first corner was busy as you might expect, but from that point the track widened and it was basically smooth sailing from that point. As I made the last turn for home on Nicoll highway my small pack of runners encountered 21k racers, there was a little bit of weaving but is wasn't a major hassle. I think even if you started toward the back of the wave, once you got around that corner you could run your own race. Excellent course to set a PB. 9/10.

PITSTOPS: The water stations were marked out on the huge course map pre-race. I think they only had water (which is fine). The cups were a good size and the stations were at reasonable intervals. If I was going to be picky I'd say the ideal "deluxe" water station has 100 PLUS or an equivalent and maybe some sort of snack, so for being more a basic one I'll knock a point off. I would have also loved the water station volunteers to hold out the cups as they were packed in closely together and trying not to slow down at all I lost half the water as I snatched it off the table. All in all it was a very good basic water station, and some of the volunteers (maybe the last station) were cheering the runners on. Love that. Was going to give 7.5 for a good basic station, the cheering bumped it up to 8/10.

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): Always informed (even by text message), arrived at Novena to pick up kit and although the line was huge it moved very quickly. There was even an MC keeping the runners entertained while we waited. Only minor issue I had was I couldn't find out the exact start time for my 10k, someone else posted this question on FB and got a response which I went by. I turned up early because of this, maybe I was looking in the wrong place? Anyway, almost perfect I'd say. 8.5/10.

ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): I saw on FACEBOOK some issues with a shuttle bus, but credit to the organisers for responding to the posts straight away, I've seen many other races not even bother. At the start of the race there were plenty of toilets, a drink station for runners and many huge course maps. The race started on time and we were entertained by an MC while we waited for our run to start. Despite not using the baggage deposit I saw that there were heaps of volunteers and basically no lines. Well done. Seamless. Only minor gripe I have is the way the medallion is handed out, at the Montreal Half-Marathon they have the medallions ready to place over the runners heads. It's sooo much better. That's the only reason they're losing a point on this one. 9/10.

TIMING: The timing was released a few days after the run as promised. Using your bib number you got your gun time and net time and overall placing. Quick and solid. I've seen some races have your splits, how many people you passed in the last 5k's, your group finishing time etc which seems to be the deluxe method, this was pretty solid and the probably only mini-downfall was that the full race list and finishing times wasn't also published. I like to see how far behind the next guy I was. A solid 7/10.

RACE KIT: In a word: Brilliant. Running singlet (although I don't love the cut) was a great design, shoe bag was an awesome bonus. Throw in the socks on top of that and I was already loving the swag. The samples were also handy too, the small sunscreen and muscle rub very useful. For $35 this was a steal. Medallion is a nice design and quality ribbon. Excellent quality and value. 10/10.

SUMMARY: Runners love to complain post race. I know - I do. It feels as if the organizers of this run listened to all the complaints ever made from every race and tried to fix them all. You know what, they almost did. Kudos to them for putting together the best run I have competed in to date. I'll be back next year and I'll be bringing many of my friends with me.

REVIEW: 2012 BEST FRIEND RUN

2012 Best Friend Run (10km – Women’s)
OVERALL MARK: 55.0%
(Would Not Recommend)
HELD: April 8th, 2012.


IN BRIEF: The Best Friend Run is a smaller event marketed towards running with friends and family. There were 2km, 5km and 10km options. I ran the competitive 10km and finished with a time of 50:22.

COST: I paid $45 for the 10k run. This price included a singlet, pair of sunglasses and a few vouchers. Other than the singlet, the finisher medal is the only other thing included in the price. A finisher t-shirt was listed on the website, but this turned out to be an error. There was no finisher t-shirt, just the singlet. The singlet design was ok, but I personally didn’t like it and won’t wear it again. I prefer when the singlets are made by a sport company, rather than just ordered in bulk and screen printed. Good examples are tops from 2XU for the 2XU run and tops from Mizuno for the Mizuno Mt Faber and Wave runs. This race was at the upper limits in terms of cost and I don’t think it was worth the price. 4/10.

RACE TRACK: Completely sealed road race with flat surfaces at East Coast Park. The race route was a 5km loop (2.5km out and back). The 5km runners did the loop once and the 10km runners completed it twice. There were distance markers at 1km, 2km, 3km and 4km. The 5km mark was the finish line, so it was pretty easy to tell the distance. The distance overall was a little short according to my Garmin watch, which registered 9.7km. Probably not too much of a problem for most people, but as I was trying to break 50 mins for the 10km, my time looks better than it actually is. The route at East Coast Park was not closed to the public. This is understandable, but considering the cost, not ideal. As there were not too many people, the route was not too congested.  Overall, the route was OK. 7/10.

AND WE’RE RACING!: The first thing that happened was the race started early. The 10km race was supposed to begin at 8:30am, but they started it at 8:20am. This is incredibly bad organisation. The times listed should be accurate and allow people to plan their race accordingly. The 5km races started before the 10km race, which is unusual. The 10km racers caught up to the trailing 5km runners. I bypassed a lot of 5km runners/walkers and also lapped some of the slower 10km runners. For this particular race I understand that people walk or run slowly together as half of the event is a friendly fun run. On the good side, the lower amount of participants meant that it was quite easy to pass other people. On the bad side, the route was not closed, so we had to be on the lookout for other runners, walkers, dogs, and bikes. 5/10.      

PITSTOPS: There were 2 drink stations serving water. The first was at about the 2km point and the second was at the 2.5km turnaround point. The way that the drink stations were organised meant that there was a 4.5km stretch for the 10km runners without drinks. The water stations were set a little far back from the track. There was water at the finish line. The water was served in 100 PLUS cups. As I love 100 PLUS, I was disappointed to find that there was only water, depite the advertising on the cups. The Milo truck was there and drinks were readily available.  6/10.

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): Communication prior to the race was quite poor. The race pack pick-up location was unknown until about a week before the race. The first I heard about the location was on the Facebook group. The race pack pick up location was accessible by public transport (although I did get lost based on google map direction), but was really far away. The timing of the pick-up was between 11am and 3pm, a very narrow window considering the short notice and the holiday weekend. There was no race guide in the race pack, so I had to check on the start times and start location on the website. 4/10.

ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): The race start timing was incorrect, so again, poor organisation. Baggage deposit took about 1 min pick-up also only took 1 min. Although the baggage deposit timing was excellent, one bad thing was using small plastic bags to write big numbers on. I find this pretty environmentally unfriendly. The carnival area was small and the participant numbers were low, so it was easy to see where everything was. Most of the volunteers were enthusiastic, but some looked bored. This seems to be a pretty common theme at all the races- a few happy, encouraging volunteers and the rest are playing with their phones, uninterested in the race. 7/10. 

TIMING: My timing was accurate and matched my watch. One surprising and completely unacceptable issue was that the prizes for the men’s and women’s races were combined, meaning that the only the top 3 overall won prizes. As a female runner, this is pretty disappointing. I don’t think that I am close to winning a prize, but at least there should be something to aim for. The race results were released the next day. The released race results are in an excel spreadsheet and show overall placing. I finished 30/329 participants. Again, as the timing is overall, I have no idea how I ranked compared to other women. On the spreadsheet only some of the runners have the gender listed, so I can’t even sort by gender. The spreadsheet also lists the runner’s NRIC. This number is confidential and it is completely unacceptable for it to be on the list. The column should be deleted by the organiser before posting on the website. 5/10.

RACE KIT: The race kit contained a singlet, a pair of cheap sunglasses and some vouchers. This was listed as being worth $50. I did not like the singlet personally, but it was OK. I wont use the cheap sunglasses. Vouchers for facials ‘worth $180’ are useless to me, especially as these vouchers require you to spend additional money to get the benefit. There was no race guide in the race kit. The medallion was a reasonable design, but not as nice as most other runs. 6/10.

SUMMARY: The actual run was OK, but I think the organisation and communication leaves a lot to be desired. Honestly, for the amount this race costs and for what you get in return, I will not do this race again. Next year I would rather run with my Best Friends at East Coast Park and use the $45 I save on entry fee to treat them to a Starbuck’s coffee!

REVIEW: 2012 2XU COMPRESSION RUN

2012 2XU Compression Run (15km – Women’s)
OVERALL MARK: 70.0%
(RECOMMEND)
HELD: April 1^st, 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.

REVIEW: 2011(12) BANGKOK MARATHON, THAILAND.

2011(12) Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon (10km – Men’s)
OVERALL MARK: 60.0%
(CONSIDER)
HELD: February 12th.


IN BRIEF: The 2011 event was postponed due to the floods in Bangkok and re-run in February of 2012. As well as a full marathon and half-marathon a 10k and 5k category were run around the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.

COST: Paid 900 Baht (little less than $40 Sing) for the 10k fun run. Foreigners pay triple the price to Thai residents. A running t-shirt, finisher’s medallion, muscle rub cream sample and free McDonald’s at the completion of the race (WTF?) was included in that price. Not bad but I shouldn’t have to pay triple price and my race wasn’t being timed (no championchip). 8/10.


RACE TRACK: Completely sealed road race, wide highways and relatively flat surface. Sounds great but most of the course was done on highway overpasses making for some of the most boring scenery I have ever encountered in a race. Surface was ideal though with a few minor rises and drops. Two major issues were the grossly inaccurate kilometre markers and the final stages of the race which saw our event running across traffic. It was extremely dangerous as runners dodged cars at full speed. 95% of the course was closed to traffic so why not the last 500 metres? And it’s 2012 – surely we can get the race distances and kilometre markers right? The finish for the 10k also confused me as it wasn’t clearly marked and I was stopped thinking I had another 400 metres to run. Could have easily been an 8 if everything had been in order, but endangering runners and failing on such an important issue such as race distance is inexcusable. Lost big points on those. 5.5/10. 


AND WE’RE RACING!: What a disaster. Maybe the other categories were different but I walked the first few minutes at the start because you simply could not move. After 1k I was able to get around some runners to try make up time but it wasn’t until the U-turn at around 3ks that I finally got some clear air. By that time any hope of a good time is dashed. I did love the German person waving their flag cheering people on and the Thai school kids cheering everyone on at the end. Lost 30% of my race due to traffic, good for fun runners out for a jog, not for people trying to clock a PB (that’s me!). 5.5/10.      

PITSTOPS: They were possibly every 2-3k’s, kind of hard to remember as was trying to make up lost time. Ice chips in the water were a winner. Think there may have been watermelon and bananas too (not 100% sure on that as I didn’t take any). If something went right in the race it was definitely the hydration stations.  9/10.

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): Race pack pick-up seemed miles from anywhere. Bangkok’s brilliant train service wasn’t able to get us anywhere near the place. When we arrived the whole thing seemed a little unorganized but eventually we sorted it out. Was harder than it needed to be. 6/10.


ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): Pre-race entertainment was nice touch. Races went off without a hitch, toilets were located a fair walk (5-10min) from start line and weren’t enough to service the amount of people. The finishers medallion was handed out at race pack collection. That was a big letdown. Set-up was reasonable without being anything special, lost extra points for the medallion farce. 6.5/10. 

TIMING: Only marathon and half-marathon were timed, not my 10k. That said as far as my race is concerned I have to give a zero. 0/10.



RACE KIT: A pink t-shirt!! Aaaah! No! I hate running in t-shirts so we’re off to a bad start. The medallion was a reasonable design, both of which said 2011 on them (You could buy a 2012 version t-shirt if you wanted). The floods were the reason why they were using last year’s gear so that is completely acceptable. Little tube of muscle ache rub rounded out the pack. I think the marathon and half-marathon runners received shoe bags – not my race though. T-shirt and medallion for $40 is about par for the course, so I’ll bump it up to a 7.5/10.

SUMMARY: Was looking forward to this race but had a terrible run due to the overcrowding in the early stages. The irregular kilometre markers and fact I was required to halt traffic to be able to cross a busy road just to finish left a bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe in time I’ll revisit the Bangkok Marathon, perhaps to do the half-marathon, but I won’t be rushing to do it and it won’t be any time soon.

REVIEW: 2011 TIONG BAHRU VERTICAL CHALLENGE

2011 Tiong Bahru Vertical Challenge
(8km/30 Story – Men’s)
OVERALL MARK: 68.8%
(RECOMMEND)
HELD: November 27th

IN BRIEF: The 8km run/30 story stair climb that is the Tiong Bahru Vertical Challenge provided a unique new challenge to the average fun run. Without the upmarket fan fare of some of the more well known Singapore runs, the TBVC delivered a solid event at a reasonable price with just enough extras to put some of the bigger name events to shame. I’ll definitely be back in 2012.

COST: Paid $20 as a non-passion card member ($15 for members). The cost included a light blue Mizuno Race t-shirt, a finisher’s certificate and a small sweat towel at the completion of the race. Considering a standard running tee can cost upwards of $50 these days, that price for that kit and the run is phenomenal. 10/10.

RACE TRACK: Mix of road and footpath around the Tiong Bahru area. It was a relatively flat course with a few slight hills. There was plenty of room at the start of the race to overtake, only problem being the need to give way to cars on occasions and having to cross a road during the run which is somewhat dangerous. The use of several overpasses during the run was a killer on the legs but added to the novelty of the “Vertical Challenge”. One section at Red Hill saw participants have to use a muddy trail covered with cardboard boxes which wasn’t ideal. By the time you hit the footpath (shared with pedestrians) the field had spread out so room was never an issue. The 30 story climb was, well, a 30 story climb! There was enough room to pass on the stairs although it was almost impossible to garner up that strength even if the guy in front was slower. Good route that lacked the frills of upmarket races (such as kilometre markers). 6.5/10. 

AND WE’RE RACING!: The field started as one onto a semi-closed road with ample room for passing. I think there were around 800 runners which suited the course to perfection, being overcrowded was never an issue. With no bottlenecks the only time crowding became an issue was on the overpasses with some runners (me!) slowing to a crawl going up the stairs. Whatever time you finished with was the time you deserved – no excuses. The staircase was narrow but wide enough to pass easily. Overall an 8.5/10. 
   
PITSTOPS: There were two water stops during the course and one just before you took the stairs. Ideally every 2k’s is perfection (not that I use them every 2k’s – but nice to have the option), but this was spread out pretty well. No extras, but the water points were adequate. 6.5/10.

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): Race pack pick-up at Tiong Bahru, easy to find but waited in line for ages. It was quick once I got to the front of the line but despite having a lot of people behind the bench it didn’t seem to be very efficient. Probably could have done a much better job given a little more organisation. 6/10.


ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): Pretty easy to find, a few marshals were encouraging the runners while others preferred to play on their iPhone or chat to friends that had stopped by. I wasn’t happy that after reaching the top of the stairs there was no drink station. I understand it might have got messy but I wasn’t the only one that was dying for a drink. Waiting for and then getting in to the stuffy elevator to get back down stairs I heard a few people complain about the drink situation. There were drinks, bananas and other food options once I did get back downstairs which was awesome. I believe there were games and prizes after too but I didn’t stick around. Lack of a drink at the finish a massive no-no. 7.5/10.

TIMING: Only top three in each category were timed. I know that this was a no frills run, but to be fair it needs to be graded against the runs that provide the best timing and in doing so earn 9 or 10 points. Because of that I can only give it 1/10, it was pretty much bring your own running watch.

RACE KIT: I hate t-shirts as the running top. That’s just me. The Mizuno top was a pretty slick design but for the life of me I can’t understand why they give running t-shirts. It’s pretty simple, 95% of people run in a singlet - use a t-shirt as a finisher top for a marathon. I ran in the top and hated it. The finisher’s certificate was a nice substitute for not having a medallion and the sweat towel was also a nice add at the end of the race. I believe there was also a $5 Tiong Bahru Shopping centre voucher in the race goodie bag that unlike most coupons was actually worth using. For the race kit I have to take into consideration how much I paid for the race. A running singlet would have earned full marks. 9/10.

SUMMARY: It didn’t have the bells and whistles of the more expensive races, but the Tiong Bahru Vertical Challenge is one of the best value-for-money races in Singapore I have done.  I’d charge an extra $5 next year and add a medallion, give a running singlet instead of a t-shirt and get two extra volunteers to take down all the times as the runners finish and I believe you could argue the event would Singapore’s absolute best value for money events of the year. Add this race to your calendar; you’ll be missing out if you don’t!

REVIEW: 2012 SINGAPORE SAFARI ZOO RUN

2012 Singapore Safari Zoo Run

2012 Safari Zoo Run (12km – Men’s)

OVERALL MARK: 71.3% (RECOMMEND)
HELD: February 5th

IN BRIEF: The second year of the event saw participants given the option to run either a 6km or 12km route inside the zoo grounds with an additional event for kids. While there wasn’t a lot of time to take in the sights for those trying to post a decent time, the novelty of running through the zoo along the rolling footpaths made for an enjoyable run. Will probably repeat next year.  

COST: Paid $56 as an early bird, non-passion card member for the 12km run (male). The cost included free entry into the zoo, the run, Yellow 2XU Safari Run t-shirt, medallion, “free gift” upon completing the race (plush monkey key chain), and a small Safari Zoo Run personal hand held fan. At first glance it is one of the more expensive runs, but taking into consideration the amount of items received (disregarding any coupons), it wasn’t too bad. 7/10. 

RACE TRACK: Saw some complaints written about doing two laps for the 12k, it really wasn’t an issue. Signs marking each kilometre were brilliant. The route was predominantly along the bitumen footpath used to view the animals, at times requiring runners to negotiate turnstiles and an uneven paved area. In one small stretch close to the finish of the race there was barely room for two runners abreast as the path was narrowed by some large yellow fences (which tripped one runner I saw). There were a series of rolling hills but nothing too severe, each mini-climb evening out with a mini-downhill soon after. The footpath was slightly wider than a single car lane which was ok for the most part, but did lead to some congestion in a few spots especially when some runners decided to stop to take pictures of animals. All in all a pretty good route, not really flat but not that difficult either. Despite the few course flaws I enjoyed the route, the novelty of the zoo aspect and the slightly elevated degree of difficulty with the hills. 7/10.

AND WE’RE RACING!: The 12k was split into two “waves”. I was stuck in the second wave which didn’t worry me too much, but friends I was with weren’t happy that any chance at a decent gun time was lost. It soon became apparent that even in two waves there were too many runners. Massive bottlenecks at various stages, particularly when everyone was trying to negotiate the turnstiles, made early running a nightmare if you were hoping to clock a decent time. There were several occasions even late in the race where the bitumen footpath wasn’t large enough to allow for easy passing. One tiny footpath suitable for a single runner was horribly located only a half a kilometre from the finish and proved a major issue as fast finishing runners were jammed behind their sight-seeing brethren. For the most part there was room to execute your race strategy but plenty of time was lost stuck behind the backmarkers. 6/10.   

PIT STOPS: From memory there were two or three water/H-2WO stations along the route giving the runners a chance to replenish every couple of K’s (because we did a double loop). The only small gripe I have is that the large-ish cups were filled to the brim which is sometimes more of a hassle to negotiate – half full next time is fine pit crew!! No “extras” but hey, it’s only 12k’s. Simple and effective. 8/10.

ORGANISATION (PRE-RACE DAY): We sent one person to pick up the race packs (at Novena) of our four runners. Maybe it was luck but it was quick and easy – not a common occurrence with race pack collection in Singapore! 10/10.

ORGANISATION (RACE DAY): Relatively smooth. The two waves weren’t a crowd favourite but probably necessary. It would help all involved if organizers tried to split the group into first wave quicker-runners and second wave fun-runners but the same could be said of every run. Some of the course marshals were really supportive, encouraging runners at certain points which was a huge plus. Course was easy to navigate and as mentioned previously, markers every km were perfect. Two minor issues, first: when finishing the race it is about 100 times better to have the medallion put around your neck than to receive it in a plastic wrap (Safari Zoo Run you’re losing a full point for that). Second: after sprinting to the finish the first thing most people want is a drink. So instead of medallion/free Monkey, stagger over to drink station, why not have medallion placed around neck next to drink station and pick the monkey up on the way out? Just a suggestion. No free food at the end but food was available for purchase - that’s not a criticism just an observation. 6.5/10.   

TIMING: Results were out three to four days after the event and available only for the 12k. Only individual timing was available, the usual list of all participants with finishing place/race time/gun time was not offered. I like seeing where everyone finished, how far I was off the next guy and where I would have actually placed with my net time. What was provided was the pretty much bare minimum in a reasonable turnaround time, so to be fair 6/10.

RACE KIT: I hate t-shirts as the running top. That’s just me. The colour wasn’t popular either so it will pretty much live in the bottom of my closet. Being a 2XU top the quality however was excellent. It’s Singapore and it’s almost 30 degrees 99% of the time, we want running singlets! Although the medallion wasn’t to my particular taste either, it was very good quality, nice detail and stylish ribbon. The plush key ring was a nice touch too and the personal fan was also ok, although both items were probably more marketed towards the kids. Wasn’t cheap but excellent quality items, good medallion, couple of ‘bonus’ items but have to lose marks for the t-shirt and the horrendous colour. 6.5/10. 

SUMMARY: For the record, despite the traffic during the race I set a personal record and slipped under one hour for 12ks for the first time. Considering the race is only two years old I think it will only get better in the future and the little flaws will be slowly ironed out. Give me a “green” singlet to run in next time, another medallion with a different animal on it and a bit more space on the race track and the Safari Run will go from good to very good. Slip the medallion over my neck as I finish and it might even be great. I’ll see you at the starting line next year.  

Official website: http://www.safarizoorun.com.sg/

STATS:

2012 Male Top 3

1st.  Jason LAWRENCE   41:38

2nd. Chee YONG ANG   43:20

3rd. Fang JIANYONG   44:08

2012 Female Top 3

1st. Mok YING RONG   48:49

2nd. Winona HOWE   53:32

3rd. Stephanie HULBERT   55:03