Singapore’s best and biggest women-only running event, the Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR), took place on Sunday morning at the Singapore Sports Hub.

Saw 9,000 runners taking part 

The event, this year now into its 17th edition, saw over 9,000 runners taking part in the first full-scale GEWR since the pandemic featuring six race categories from the Kids Dash to the 21.1km half marathon.

I ran the half marathon 

I took part in the half marathon. The 21.1km open category was flagged off at 5:15am. I reached the Sports Hub at about 4:30am and slowly made my way to the start pen.

Clashing with Rugby World Cup Final 

The Rugby World Cup 2023 final in France between the All Blacks and the Springboks was taking place kicking off at 3am Singapore time, but due to the GEWR race, I didn’t watch. 

I was still following the updates of the game via live score updates though. The Springboks would eventually go on to win the Web Ellis trophy 12-11. I got the final result just before flag-off.

I noted that there was water and a few portable toilets around the start area before entering the pen. I spotted Justina and we walked towards the start together. 

Hi Ross, Hi Kelly! 

It was a little bit of a walk to reach the start. My favourite emcees Ross and Kelly were waiting near the stage and I heard their bubbly voices almost immediately. Thanks Ross and Kelly for the shoutout and hellos at the start line.

Flag Off and Route 

The elites were flagged off at 5:05am followed by the rest of us at 5:15am. I started my own run a couple of minutes after that. 

The route is a city route taking us around the Marina Bay and the most scenic parts of central Singapore.

There were a number of twists and turns. It was a relatively flat route but unfortunately the super high humidity levels more than compensated for the lack of hills. I found myself sweating and panting quite early on in the race, due to the crazy humidity.

Originally, I had been hoping to follow the two hour pacers, but the fastest pace group available was 2 hours 15 minutes. So I could not rely on any pacer groups.

As it turned out, Justina and I ended up running alongside and pacing each other. 

Very well organized 

The race was very well organised. The signages were large, clear and concise and the route was well-marked. The marshals did a great job in showing us in the correct direction and the hydration stations were good, serving either water or both water and the non-carbonated 100PLUS isotonic. The drinks were refreshingly ice-cold, which was perfect in the humid weather.

One of the aid stations also provided an energy gel, SIS brand. This gel is generally watery and easy to swallow without additional liquid. However it can be quite sweet and the flavour profiles are rather strong.

Unfortunately I noticed that some of the distance markings along the route were slightly off by about 200m to 400m. The total distance of the run measured by my Garmin was about 20.8km. So the overall distance was a bit short, as I had suspected based on the kilometre markings.

Running my own pace 

For my own run, I felt like I wasn’t fully recovering after the Chicago Marathon and the tiredness was still there on race morning. I knew it wasn’t going to be a personal best attempt. 

I think I ran about 5:20 min/km in the first half and around 5:40 min/km in the second. My legs were feeling pretty tired and I was aiming to maintain a decent pace rather than pushing myself and going for it. 

Lots of cheer support 

Throughout the run, there were a lot of cheer groups mainly comprising of male runners, from the various running clubs around Singapore, who had come out to cheer on their female counterparts. 

I thought it was very uplifting that they were out at this early hour to support the ladies who were racing and give them encouragement and motivation.

photo: pictureart gallery

Finishing 

The last few kilometres was quite tough due to tiredness as well as the humidity. 

I really felt like I was dying in the last kilometre but I had to grit my teeth wanted to look strong at the finish when running into the National Stadium. I didn’t want to be caught on camera walking.

We finish inside the stadium 

I completed the run in roughly about 1 hour 54 minutes, according to my watch. Still sub 2. 

The last couple hundred meters of running into the stadium felt good. I heard Ross calling out my name and my “running buddy” Justina also got a mention by Ross. Both of us had literally ran the whole 21.1km together.

As usual, the race village at GEWR did not disappoint.

Finisher stuff

We were ushered to the finish area to pick up our race entitlements which were our finisher medal and t-shirt, 100PLUS can and a breakfast box containing a banana, a pastry and a Swiss roll. 

It was quite nice of the race organisers to cater to our breakfast. This is something I always like about GEWR and their generosity towards all runners.

Free samples and booths 

There were a lot of booths giving out free samples too. The Laughing Cow cream cheese was one of the popular ones, with a spin the wheel to win cool items such as a pack of cheese and a lunchbox.

As well, Decathlon were giving out free post-run SIS energy gels when you signed up for their free online membership. 

I also took part in a lucky dip and got a free compression knee guard from Vantelin and a bag of health treats from Doctor Anywhere, a remote medical service.

Morninga were also giving away free packets of instant noodles and samples of plant-based milk. 

It was very enjoyable and happening and I had lots of fun. I was glad I finished early because shortly after I had checked out all the booths, the queues became significantly longer at 8:30am onwards when the bulk of the 21km, as well as the majority of 10km and 5km runners had come back.

So it definitely helps to train properly for a race so that you can get back to the race village faster! 

Candy cannons 

GEWR also had a “candy cannons” fun game where they put packets of candy inside two cannons near the stage and launched them, shooting out the candy.

This was probably targeted at the kids who would soon be due to participate in the Kids Dash. It was also fun for the young-at-heart people who still have a sweet tooth. 

Prize winners and cheques 

Ross was up on stage for the prize giving ceremony for the race winners and he spotted me in front making videos. It was nice when he said hi to me again. 

Besides the race winners, the cheques were also presented to the two charity partners of the GEWR, the Daughters of Tomorrow and the Singapore Cancer Society. A total of $260,000 had been raised for the two beneficiaries.

Khor Hock Seng, Group Chief Executive Officer, Great Eastern, said: “We are very proud and thankful for the strong and sustained support of our staff, Financial Representatives, elite athletes and race participants, as well as our corporate partners and Ministers.”

He continued, “We will continue to create the space and stage for women of all ages and ambition to be the greatest version of themselves.”

Good shelter from the sun 

What I really liked was that the whole race village was inside the National Stadium because we were sheltered from the heat.

This is because the sun was really crazily hot outside the stadium that morning. With the sunrise at 6:45am, it was a searing hot morning and when I left the National Stadium to take the train to breakfast at Old Airport Road food centre, I was melting. 

A super well organized and enjoyable run 

But then again, nobody can control the weather. Overall I would have to say that it was a great, enjoyable and seamless edition of GEWR and I really had a lot of fun soaking up the action and atmosphere. It is definitely one of the best races in Singapore and I always enjoy it thoroughly. 

Guest-of-Honour was Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, said, “The Great Eastern Women’s Run holds a unique place in our local sporting calendar as Singapore’s only all-women’s race – championing the unity of women in health, wellness, community and friendship.”

Minister Tong had flagged off the 5km race as well as presenting the cheques and prizes to the race winners.

The power of sport brings people together

The winner for the 21.1km by-invite-only Elite category had been Vanessa Lee came in first at 1:22:51. She was joined on the podium by Jasmine Teo and Rachel See who came in second and third place respectively, at 1:23:16 and 1:24:58 respectively.

Added the minister, “This showcases the power of sport in bringing people together, advocating healthy living, and making a positive impact on our wider community.”

Thanks again to GEWR for putting together another seamless and well-organised event for the female running community in Singapore. I can’t wait for next year already. 

RACE VIDEO