The inaugural ASICS City Relay takes place tomorrow evening – and this will be Singapore’s first-ever night relay run.

A team relay running event organised by Spectrum WorldWide, whereby runners will complete a full marathon in teams of four people, this race will be an exciting and novel experience for the runners.

The highlights of the Asics City Relay will be the flag-off at 6pm. Photo by: www.youtube.com

The first-ever night-time relay race in Singapore

Said Benjamin Darde, 29, Assistant Marketing Manager at Spectrum WorldWide, “It is the first-ever night time relay race taking place in Singapore. We think night time is the perfect time to run with friends in Singapore – so you can run and then enjoy a fun night all together.”

The race will take place at the National Stadium. Said Darde, “Runners will enter through Gate 23 to collect their relay token which is an LED slap band. From there they will enjoy the first round of entertainment with music and drummers. They can then sit down in the stands to chill out with their team mates while waiting for the flag-off pen to open at 5pm.”

Lots for runners to look forward to

There is plenty to look forward to tomorrow, in terms of fun and competitive race elements – to cater to runners of all types. Said Darde, “We have a unique combination of a competitive run (the cut-off time is 5 hours 30 minutes for the team to complete the marathon distance) and an extensive entertainment programme which is totally new on the running scene in Singapore.”

He added, “These include DJs and entertainment inside the National Stadium, as well as entertainment zones all along the route with cheerleaders, Led robots, fire twirlers and so on – so for sure, it will be fun!”

Highlights will be the flag-off at 6pm and the National Day Parade Fireworks

The highlight of the race for the runners should be the flag-off, according to Darde. He said, “One of the key moments of our race will be the flag-off at 6pm on the pitch of the National Stadium –  and we have a few surprises in store for our runners.”

He added, “Also, we really look forward to the National Day Parade rehearsal fireworks around 8pm – our runners on the route or inside the National Stadium will enjoy one of the best views of the show.”

Runners should get a great experience out of the event

So Darde hopes that runners will be able to get a great experience out of the event, on several levels. He said, “These include a bonding experience with their team mates and other runners as they are all gathered in a nice venue like the Sports Hub. The relay format is unique as it shows running as a team activity, which is what it truly is.”

He continued, “Runners should also be able to enjoy a great running experience with a  beautiful 10.5km night route around the Sports Hub. The Kallang River/Gardens by the Bay East area is a very popular spot for the running community here due to its scenery.”

Do not panic

For runners who may be taking part in a relay event for the first time, Darde recommends that they should not panic, especially at the transition area. He said, “The most important advice is to take your time and follow the signage when you reach the transition area – so once you find your team-mate, then he or she can go ahead with his or her run. Remember that a good transition is a smooth transition.”

However, he pointed out that it is already too late to train for the ASICS City Relay, for those runners who may be thinking of cramming in a last-minute training run tonight or tomorrow morning. He said “Just rest now – the race is tomorrow and it’s too late to train now. Have a good sleep tonight, eat well, drink enough water and you will have a great race tomorrow.”

Sign-ups have been healthy

Sign-ups for the race have been very healthy, according to Darde. He said, “The event has been very well-received by runners. We started the registration campaign very early with our Race the MRT viral video (see below) which gathered over 400,000 views on YouTube. This has been a great boost. We sold out our early bird slots in less than two weeks.”

Video Credit: ASICS City Relay.

He continued, “We also managed to gather over a thousand teams – which was our initial target we set with ASICS when we started working on that project. So we have all the events for a great running night.”

Challenges of putting together a relay race

Some of the main challenges of organising such a relay race, includes the logistics and registration mechanics. Said Darde “Our company organises the Standard Chartered Marathon which includes a relay component with the Ekiden category. So we are used to the logistics and preparations of a relay race. But for sure, it requires additional efforts in terms of registration mechanics and logistics around the transition area.”

Click here for a post-event post on the ASICS CITY RELAY.

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