There was plenty of star power at VivoCity last weekend – at the launch of the OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015. That’s because the event was graced by several top national runners, including Mok Ying Ren, his sister Mok Ying Rong, as well as Colin Tung and Marcus Ong. They were at the event to not only support the OSIM Sundown Marathon, but also to share their knowledge in running, with others.
The percussion Band from Urban Drum Crew playing to tribal drum beats at the official launch of OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015 at VivoCity on Saturday Morning. (Photo Credit: OSIM Sundown Marathon)
Participants at the event were treated to a myriad of activities, starting with a lead-up run and a fun yoga session on Saturday morning – for race participants. Running clinics conducted by national runners, Mok Ying Rong and Colin Tung, as well as a talk on race nutrition by celebrity chef Emmanuel Stroobant were also held on the same day. Elite runners Mok Ying Ren and Marcus Ong gave a talk the next day.
Marcus Ong, 29, a national middle-distance runner, was one of the participants trying out the fun yoga session. Ong, who is currently nursing a hip flexor injury, felt that the yoga session was very beneficial for him. He said, “Because of my hip, there is no way that I can run at the moment – the only exercise that I can do now is yoga. But even though doing the yoga was so painful, it will definitely help me to strengthen my hips, back muscles and calves. I learnt a lot about yoga and will try and put it into my training every day – to help me recover and prevent such injuries in the future.”
A yoga session had been one of the many fun activities at the OSIM Sundown Marathon event launch.
OSIM Announced as title sponsors
At the launch, OSIM, Asia’s leading healthy lifestyle brand, as the event’s title sponsor, was announced – as well as the addition of a new 5KM Fun Run category, which seeks to inspire anyone above the age of six to take up the sport of running.
Said Adrian Mok, the Managing Director of HiVelocity Events, the owner and organiser of Sundown Marathon, said: “We are very thankful to have OSIM as the title sponsor for our annual night run. Its mission to ‘Inspire Well-being’ will seek to encourage more Singaporeans, or any other person for that matter, to start to live well and take control of their overall well-being.”
Introduction of the new 5KM Fun Run Category
Mr Mok added, “The 5KM Fun Run is a way to encourage someone who is completely new to running to take on a shorter distance as a start, in an attempt to inspire them to continue with sports to improve their well-being.”
Adrian Mok ,Managing Director of HiVelocity Events, the owner and organiser of Sundown Marathon, giving a speech at the official launch of OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015 at VivoCity on Saturday Morning. (Photo Credit: OSIM Sundown Marathon)
Ong supported the idea of the 5KM Fun Run too. The elite runner said, “The 5KM Fun Run is good to encourage non-runners to take part in the Sundown Marathon. But I wouldn’t have minded if it had a competitive 5KM category too though – because with the race taking place late at night, I would want to finish running as fast as possible – so that I can go home to sleep!”
Unveiled the new race theme – Pulse of the Tribe
At the same time, the launch also saw the unveiling of the theme for the eighth edition of the Sundown Marathon – Pulse of the Tribe, which seeks to encompass and include every single OSIM Sundown runner on race day. So regardless of the runner’s age or category they choose to participate in, the runners will form a collective tribe – as they prepare to motivate each other to conquer the night.
Adrian Mok (left) and Jassie Ling (right), Senior Manager, Branding & Strategic Marketing of OSIM International Ltd, unveiling the official theme of this year’s OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015 – Pulse of the Tribe, at the official launch of OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015 at VivoCity on Saturday Morning. (Photo Credit: OSIM Sundown Marathon)
Explained Mr Mok, “The tribe is very important in running – as not many people like to run alone. Training together is definitely a vital concept in running and we hope that all the runners can come together and form a collective tribe and prepare to conquer the night together, come 4 July – so that we can truly embody the spirit of the Pulse of the Tribe.”
National runner Mok Ying Rong, 21, is looking forward to seeing how the new Sundown Marathon theme plays out this year. She said, “I’m excited for this year’s event, especially for the theme of the Pulse of the Tribe as this is about community bonding – and I believe that running should be a way for groups of people to bond together.”
Realised the importance of running tribes and communities
Mr Mok cited one of his own running experiences, that had made him realise the importance of tribes coming together during running. This had been while he was training and participating in a 168KM Ultra Marathon in 2005. This was the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Run Round Singapore event.
Explained Mr Mok, “To train for this Ultra Marathon race, I had initially started out by running alone through the night. But it got very lonely after a while during my sessions. So my friends decided to come to support me and they ran certain sections with me. As I was running round almost the entire Singapore, my friends would come and meet me to chat and pace me around the areas where they stay. It was almost like I had a small tribe with me.
“And in fact, on the day of the race itself, I had so many groups of runners supporting me – that it was almost unbelievable. People were not only running together with me, but also providing me food like McDonald’s and even bak kwa. That really helped me through the 168KM, both mentally and physically,” Mr Mok added.
Charity component in the Sundown Marathon
Apart from the emphasis on a health lifestyle, the OSIM Sundown Marathon also has a charity component, in the form of Sundown With Love – an outreach and Corporate Social Responsibility effort by OSIM Sundown Marathon where runners can join 20 Sundown Tribe Ambassadors as they embark on Sundown With Love as a platform to raise funds for beneficiaries that are close to their hearts. Mok Ying Rong, Colin Tung and Marcus Ong – are three of the Tribe Ambassadors.
Jassie Ling (OSIM, centre in jeans) and Adrian Mok (HiVelocity, Centre, black top) with some of the OSIM Sundown Marathon Tribe Ambassadors at the official launch of OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015 at VivoCity on Saturday Morning. (Photo Credit: OSIM Sundown Marathon)
National athlete Tung, 26, is honoured to have been chosen as one of the Sundown Tribe Ambassadors and he will be raising funds for SportsCares. He explained, “This is a charity under Sports Singapore and their main aim is to reach out to underprivileged children through the platform of sports, to give them life skills to go further in life. This resonates with me, because I feel that sports truly has the values to help every individual in life.”
Added Miss Mok, who is raising funds for Acres Wildlife Warriors, “Including the Sundown With Love component is really good, because it not only encourages communities to run together, but it’s also about running for a good cause, something that you really believe in, and I think that’s a great thing.”
Both race participants and non-participants who are interested in making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged and needy can do their part by choosing any of the charities they wish to support by visiting http://www.giveasia.org/movement/sundown_with_love_2015.
How to Register for the Sundown Marathon Race
To register for the OSIM Sundown Marathon 2015, you can go to the race website at www.sundownmarathon.com. The run will be held on 4 July and flags off at the F1 Pit Building.
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