This year’s edition of RUN350, Organised by Young NTUC, will introduce a new category – Fun on Wheels.

Participants of this category will cycle, in-line skate or kick-scoot through the 4km route, showing how easy and available, environmentally-friendly options are.

Showcasing the ease of alternative transportation in Singapore

Said Chong Xianming, 34, Assistant Director, Youth Development Unit at Young NTUC, “We constantly strive to make the green message of each new edition of RUN350 even stronger than the previous years. Fun on Wheels is one way we’re doing that this year. We wanted to showcase the ease and availability of alternative transport options in Singapore, to inspire Singaporeans to reduce their carbon footprint whilst having fun at the same time.”

The other categories of RUN350 – which takes place on 10 April this year, include the 21.1km Half Marathon, the 10km Race and the 800m Kids Dash.

Utility Challenge

Another exciting and new initiative of RUN350 will be the Utility Challenge. To take part, runners have to bring a copy of their most recent utility bill when they collect their race packs.

If their bill reflects usage that is under the national average for their household type, runners will get a cash voucher from NTUC FairPrice. This is limited to the first 1,000 runners.

Said Chong, “This is another fun initiative to highlight some simple ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint. Sometimes when we are not keeping tabs of our actions, there may be a tendency to use more resources than we need, be it electricity or water.”

He continued, “It is our hope that by providing rewards to participants if their utility bill falls below the national average, we can give them opportunity to reflect on their electricity and water usage.”

Chong believes that this initiative can benefit runners in years to come. He said, “It might inspire them to continue employing energy and water saving measures that aren’t just good for the environment, but good for their finances as well – due to lower utility bills.”

He continued, “The Fun on Wheels and the Utility Challenge aim to highlight the simple steps that we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute towards a greener future for us all. We cannot be more excited about unrolling these two new features, and look forward to getting feedback from our participants, on them.”

Initiatives are in line with the global 350 movement

These initiatives are in line with the global 350 movement, which aims to inform the public of the need to lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, to 350 parts per million – the level that scientists believe is the optimum for the Earth’s sustainability.

Over the years, RUN350 has had tremendous success with spreading the awareness of this message. Said Chong, “We are extremely proud of the success that RUN350 has had. With the support from our title sponsor, NTUC Income, we have witnessed the growth in the scale of the run, from 1,000 runners in its first edition in 2010, to more than ten times that number.”

He added, “For example, there were 12,000 runners taking part last year. We believe that the increase in runners each year, means that the green message is going out to more Singaporeans with each passing year.”

Chong feels that having a running race to spread awareness of the 350 movement, is indeed apt. He explained, “Running is quite similar to doing your part for the environment – in that every little small step taken, counts towards a larger goal.”

Recent natural disasters remind us of the fragility of Planet Earth

With natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in Taiwan taking place, Chong also reiterates that whatever decisions we make today, can affect our future. He said, “Such natural disasters remind us of how fragile the planet really is, and we hope that RUN350 continues reminding us that all the decisions that we make today, can and will affect our future.”

Added Marcus Chew, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Marketing and Communications at NTUC Income, “Through the 350 movement, we encourage runners to create a better tomorrow, by managing our resources responsibly today. The principle also applies to other aspects of our life including financial management. It is for this reason that NTUC Income is proud to continue supporting the 350 movement and play our part in impacting future generations.”

Registration for RUN 350 is now open. For more information and to sign up for the race, check out www.RUN350.com