Organised by the Punggol North Community Sports Club, the North East Compressport Run 2015 featured a very scenic route along the Punggol Waterway, which is flanked by reservoirs, waterways and the open waters of Sungei Dekar and the Straits of Johore.
Runners taking part in the NE Compressport Run 2015.
(Photo: Running Shots).
Along the running route are also prominent landmarks, such as the Adventure Bridge, Wave Bridge and Sunrise Bridge – promising participants a real visual feast for their eyes as they were running.
The race, which had taken place yesterday, comprised of four categories – a challenging 21.1km Half Marathon, as well as a 10km and 5km run, and a 500m Kids & Parents run to promote family bonding and raise the awareness of sports amongst today’s young generation.
Many runners enjoyed themselves in the race
Many runners who took part in the event really enjoyed themselves and felt that it was very well organised. Said Ariffin Sha, 17, a law student at a private university, “The Half Marathon, which I participated in, was very well organised. The weather couldn’t have been better this morning – it was cool and the morning breeze was abundant. The flag off time of 6.30am was ideal as the cool weather managed to give most runners a good start.”
Just in time to catch the beautiful sunrise before the race starts.
(Photo: William Muk)
Ariffin added, “The route was a break from the usual CBD routes which most regular runners would have been able to navigate through, even with their eyes closed. In addition to the treat for the eyes, the ground was pretty conducive for a barefoot runner like me. The race support was also top-notch and they even gave out gels after the halfway mark.”
Great views and cooling weather
Nor Arniza Wati Abdul Rahman, a 35-year-old secretary, also agreed that the route was quite scenic and that the weather was very cooling. She took part in the 21.1km category. Said Arniza, “I had a very wonderful experience at the race. The route is good. It was the same as the Tri Factor Run route last year, but somehow I enjoyed this one even though I have not been running for a while. Some race volunteers even did some running and kept motivating us along the way, so it really felt like a fun run – more than a race.”
“Also, the timing for the categories were spread out very nicely so there was no human traffic jam. The marshals were also superb supporters and they really cheered us on to keep us going,” Arniza added.
Pacers pose for a photo before the run.
(Photo: Oh Li Ling).
Hydration stations were well placed
For runners such as Hamrit Singh, 28, who works in Sales and ran in the 10.5km category, the hydration stations were very well placed along the route and the post-race entitlements were good. Said Hamrit, “The water points were good and very well distributed. I finished my race in slightly below an hour and after the race, I had my recovery drinks and some bananas, which were in plentiful supply. I then relaxed and rested for awhile and caught up with my other runner friends.”
Kishore Sripada, 30, a Senior Associate who took part in the 21.1km category, also echoed Hamrit’s comments about the facilities. He said, “The hydration facilities were superb and the race was one of the best I’ve ever participate in. Thumbs up to the volunteers too, who were live-wire throughout the run and constantly cheering us on to provide motivation to us.”
“The medal distribution post-race was also perfect, with the distance markers along the route positioned very clearly, despite three of the race categories finishing at around the same time. I also enjoyed the bananas, water bottle, the Sugarlight ice cream and juice drink at the finishing point,” Kishore continued.
As well, Kishore also added that he liked the medal concept at the North East Run. He explained, “They handed over half the medal during the race pack collection. The other half was given to us upon completion of the race. The medal had a very unique design and I liked this interesting approach, which reminded me of a jigsaw puzzle.”
Runners and pacers taking part in the event.
(Photo: Running Shots).
One of the most outstanding runs that he has participated in
To sum it up, Kishore felt that the North East Run was definitely one of the most outstanding runs that he has experienced to date. “I have been running since 2013 and have been involved in many races, including the Energizer Night Trail, Jurong Lake Run, Newton Run and CSC Run by the Bay. Considering this was organised by a community club, the quality was really spot-on and highly commendable.”
The two halves of the unique race medal.
(Photo: Edmond Choo)
Agreed Ariffin, “I hope to see more of these runs where we have an uncommon route, community involvement and value for your dollar. I am very happy with my experience and I will definitely take part in this run again next year. I’m already looking forward to it!”
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