NUS GIVING RUN BIG is held annually to celebrate and recognise everyday heroes, basically individuals and organisations that have made a positive impact to the lives of others, the event seeks to showcase how the spirit of gifting has bettered and changed the lives of people.

The first virtual event by NUS Giving

The 2021 edition of the NUS Run Big is the first time that the race is taking place virtually due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has cancelled all physical mass participation sports events since the beginning of 2020 till now.

The race consisted of four categories – 5km, 10km, 19.05km and 190.5km, the latter two categories commemorating the year that NUS was established, which is 1905.

Took part in 19.05km run

I took part in the 19.05km category.

For the 5km and 10km categories, runners were required to complete this within one day and in a single recording, on the 26th of September, the date that the race would have taken place in an alternate dimension where the Covid-19 pandemic does not exist.

But for the 19.05km and 190.5km categories, participants had two weeks to complete this, from the 13th to the 26th of September, as the organisers recognised that runners may not be able to complete the distance in a single go.

Running the distance in a single go

Despite that, I decided to complete the 19.05km within one shot, anyway, doing the distance on a Friday evening. 

My run and route

I picked my route to be a straightforward and pancake-flat one, beginning at Marine Parade area and heading towards East Coast Park, then detouring around marina bay before finishing the run at the Sports Hub. I had mapped out this route prior to the run and it was around 19km.

My route was a deviation of the South 19.05km route which had been recommended by NUS, with changes namely around the start and finish points due to proximity and convenience.

Due to several particularly hot and sunny days, I did procrastinate before doing the run and called off the attempt a couple of times due to unbearably scorching weather. 

I eventually did so on the final Friday of the clocking period. I decided to go for it because the weather had been kinder that particular day.

Maintaining a steady pace

The run went ok and I was able to maintain a pretty constant pace, running in my easy and steady zones and with close to zero traffic lights along the way, which suited me very well as this meant I did not have to constantly stop and start my run.

As I was running alone, I listened to podcasts to pass the time and keep myself distracted from the solitude of the run. The scenery around marina bay also helped too, as this is one of the most beautiful areas to run at Singapore.

Finishing and rewarding myself 

My legs were feeling a bit achy when I finally finished. So I was very relieved to see the Kallang Wave Mall up ahead. 

I had to do a small extra stretch towards the Stadium MRT station to hit the required distance, but since I was already on the verge of completing the run by that point, I grit my teeth and went for it.

Finally, the 19km marker buzzed on my Garmin. Another fifty meters and I was done. I was tired, but I knew I could finish it. After all, an ice-cold drink at the Starbucks outlet inside the mall was calling out my name upon my completion.

Thanks again to NUS for the chance to take part in this virtual running event. It was a pretty exhausting experience but I have to say that I had a good time challenging myself in terms of planning and running my route.