Billed as the ultimate festival to unwind, reset and recharge, the AIA Glow Festival 2019 took place last Saturday at Palawan Green, Sentosa, with a full day offering of yoga, music, chill, running and feasting.

With AIA as the event title sponsor, the event marks the culmination of the celebrations of AIA’s 100th year in Singapore.

I had signed up for the All Day Pass, which entitled me to tickets to attend the Yoga, Run and the evening Music session. 

Picked up my Race Kit

I collected my race kit the day before the race at the AIA office in Clarke Quay. This comprised of a wristband and a bandanna.

And this had turned out to be the right decision; because when I turned up on event day, there was a long queue to pick up the tickets at the event. At the Clarke Quay office, the queue had been virtually non-existent and I was in and out within about five minutes.

Arriving for the 5KM Fun Run

When I had arrived at Sentosa’s Beach Station, it was close to 4pm and I knew that I was going to be late for the 5KM Charity Fun Run if I didn’t speed things up. So I was glad that I did not need to queue, and risk missing out on the run altogether, due to that.

Due to earlier commitments in the morning, I had missed out on the morning yoga sessions. So in order to make the most of my ticket, I was intending to take full advantage of what was available at the AIA Glow Festival for the rest of the day.

Going towards the Start Pen

With my wristband on my arm, I headed straight into the starting pen ahead of my companions and I was lucky – because I had managed to squeeze my way into the first wave of the run, in the nick of time.

Even though it was supposed to be a fun run, I was intending to actually run and not walk the 5KM route, so I did not want to find myself caught behind the thongs of people who wanted to simply walk the whole route.

The run was flagged off several minutes late – which was good for me in this case, because it meant that I did not miss out on much.

A Challenging Route

The running route was a challenging one, taking us down Siloso Beach to Siloso Point, then we turned towards Imbiah Walk and Imbiah Road, running all the way down Palawan Beach Walk before heading back to the carnival area at Palawan beach. 

It was hilly with several slopes and to conserve energy in the searing heat, I walked up the slopes and picked up the pace again during the flat and the downhill segments.

The Hydration Points

There were two hydration points along the 5KM route, both serving only water. Though it was a short run, I would have appreciated some isotonic beverage, considering the unforgiving heat that we were facing along the way.

Very Hot and Humid

I was feeling good in the first kilometre or so, but after a while, the heat and humidity got to me, and I found myself tiring quickly, with my heart rate shooting up at the same time. Running in the 4pm heat is really no joke at all.

The final kilometre became a death march, with the heat bearing down on me even more strongly than ever; and it also did not help at all that there was no shade whatsoever, along Palawan Beach Walk.

Route Was Short

However I was to discover that the route was slightly short, not that I was complaining. 

I crossed the finish line with my Garmin clocking in at 4.2KM instead of 5KM, in a timing of just over 30 Minutes. I thought that it had been a decent performance, considering the tropical heat.

But due to the heat and the challenging running conditions, the amount of effort had probably been equivalent to 10KM.

My Finish 

Upon finishing the run, I took a bottle of water to rehydrate myself and then after that, I collected up my medal, which was a beautiful heart shape.

Cooling Down

It was still hot at this point, though the sun was gradually going down. In order to cool myself down further, I got an acai snack bowl as well as a bottle of acai berry juice. Both of these were refreshingly delicious and deliciously cooling.

Besides the cold treats, other foods that were available also included other snack items and meals, like burgers and fries, meatballs, meat and seafood dishes, as well as drinks such as beer, fruit juices and whisky. There was a wide assortment tailored for varying preferences.

AIA Healthy Dim Sum Master Classes

At the village, I also spotted the AIA Healthy Dim Sum Master Class, where event-goers had the chance to make their own Dim Sums for a token fee of $10 per session, with all proceeds going to charity.

These sessions were led by Jeremy Pang, the founder of the School Of Wok, which is an award-winning Asian and Oriental cookery school in London, England.

Classes were being held at intervals throughout the day. I didn’t manage to try this out as it was perpetually full-house, but it had sure looked like lots of fun – and the results had smelled delicious as well.

Meeting Friends 

After my run, I also caught sight of several friends who were also present at the event, and I said hi to them and chatted to them for a while. 

It had been quite nice to see a few familiar faces amongst the crowds at Sentosa.

Soaking Up The Music

The Music Festival kicked off at 6pm and I stayed for a while to enjoy myself and soak up the festivities after my efforts during the run.

Throughout the evening and night, there had been performances conducted by The Sam Willows, Nina Nesbitt, Rudimental and The Lost Frequencies and from what I had heard, these songs were all lively, upbeat and catchy and perfect to get everyone’s heart pumping and our adrenaline going. It was good to be amongst so many like-minded people.

In short, I would say that I had a great time swaying to the beat of the songs and soaking up the atmosphere, just like at a pop concert.

Though I may not have stayed for the entirety of the music festival as I still had to catch the train and bus back home from VivoCity later, I still managed to enjoy myself thoroughly.

Thank you, AIA Glow Festival, for the All-Day passes for myself and my friends.