Bedok Reservoir Park in Eastern Singapore, is a beautiful place to run, with a cool breeze and lovely scenery to soak up – to help make runs there very enjoyable. And yesterday, the park was the venue for the Valentine Run 2015, a fun run which had comprised of one 4.3km loop around the reservoir. It started and ended at Bedok Reservoir park’s Floating Platform.
Valentine Run 2015 took place at Bedok Reservoir Park. (Photo: Jeeb Akid).
Runners enjoyed their experience
Lunghi Runners out in full force.
For many of the Lunghi (Sarong) Runners who were taking part in the event, this was a very enjoyable experience despite the heat. Said Tan Kim Lai, a 56-year-old supervisor, “This was quite a nice fun run and I enjoyed myself, but the weather was a bit hot! Normally, running around a reservoir is not expected to be a cooling experience, though. But at least there were some trees along the route, so that helped to cool down the runners for part of the way.” Nevertheless, Tan took the heat in his stride and allowed himself to enjoy himself throughout the run.
Agreed Habib Ismail, a 51-year-old senior supervisor, “This is an enjoyable fun run and it’s nice that something like this was arranged. You can see quite a lot of couples running – and flowers were also given to the female runners, which was a nice gesture. I also didn’t expect so many people to be here.”
Wearing lunghi to run is a little uncomfortable
Tan and Ismail, who regularly turn up for events with the Lunghi Runners, a running group who runs in a sarong, both admitted that wearing the lunghi to run yesterday was a bit uncomfortable. However they thought it was still okay. Said Ismail, “Wearing the lunghi to run feels uncomfortable, but it was still a fun experience. I wouldn’t mind taking part in fun runs with a lunghi on, but I wouldn’t do so for an actual race where I am going for timing.”
Happy Lunghi Runners – posing together with the next generation! (Photo: Jeeb Akid).
It was slightly easier than the previous time
1 and 2 and 3… Keeping going even after the run!
For fellow lunghi runner, Gen Yasuda, a 54-year-old project manager, yesterday’s Valentine Run was the second time that he was wearing a lunghi to run in, and admitted that he had found the experience easier, this time around.
He explained, “I think it was the difference in the material of the lunghi. Last time, it was made of 100 per cent cotton, and became very sticky after running only 1km. When I sweat, the moisture softens the fabric and it gets very sticky. But this one stayed dry throughout the run – even though it was hotter today!”
The Lunghi Runners attracted some attention while running
The Lunghi Runners attracted some attention from fellow park runners. Said Ali Akbar, a 56-year-old manufacturing superintendent who is the founder of the Lunghi Runners, “Many children asked me about the lunghi as they found running with it, a very unique way to wear the lunghi.”
Besides the public asking about the lunghi, he also added that many runners, who had never tried wearing it for exercising before, are now keen to do so, especially youngsters aged between 14 to 18 years old.
Pretty medal for finishers
Akbar, who had gathered a group of about 50 to 60 runners together to wear a lunghi for the Valentine Run, felt that the attention the Lunghi Runners at Bedok Reservoir Park had attracted, would help him to promote his main running event, the Lunghi Run 2015, this year. The run is set to take place at Labrador Park, this November.
Running route was an easy 4.3km loop around the Bedok Reservoir Park.
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