The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run took place this morning. 
Returning to a fully physical format
The annual flagship event of the Yellow Ribbon Project, 2023 saw the return of the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run to a fully physical format with its traditional run route beginning at Changi Village and ending at the Changi Prison Complex. The 10km competitive run and 6km fun run categories were brought back. I took part in the 10km category.
I have been supporting the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run every year since 2012. This also includes the virtual event which took place during the Covid-19 pandemic and last year’s event which was fully non-competitive. 
This year’s theme is “Beyond Second Chances” and it aims to be a symbol of hope and avenue to rally community support towards ex-offenders and their families through rehabilitation.
Taking part in the 10km
The 10km race was flagged off at 7:15am, with the symbolic unlocking of the gate to mark the release of the inmates by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, the guest of honour for the event. 
Meaningful race route
The race route was a unique and meaningful one, passing historic sights such as the Johore Battery and the Changi Chapel Museum. The last 2km of the run takes runners into the Changi Prison complex before finishing within the prison grounds itself.
I always like to joke with people that this run is the only event where you can enter Changi Prison and come out again. 
As well, it is also the only run in Singapore that takes place around the Changi area and into this prison. I think this is their unique selling point and what makes them different.
In terms of the terrain, it is undulating with constant hills throughout the whole course. So you will need to pace yourself properly and do not start out too fast.
Hoping for sub 50
I was hoping to run under 50 minutes for this. I didn’t know whether I could do it, because I was still tired and not yet recovered from the Sydney marathon last week. But I thought I’d just give it a crack and see how I fared.
I could already feel the fatigue from last Sunday’s full marathon less than halfway into the race, and my pace slowed significantly whenever I encountered an uphill, but I was able to speed up during the downhill sections. So I guess the pace evened out. 
Hydration and support
There were about three hydration stations along the 10km route, all serving water. Some cups of water I had were cold but others were lukewarm.
There were a few cheerleaders on the route too. These were the official race volunteers and marshals and I appreciated them cheering us on and motivating us with enthusiasm and clappers. 
Route was accurate
The kilometre markings along the way were generally accurate according to my Garmin. 
The only one that was off felt like the “500m to go” marker within Changi Prison; the last stretch to the finish line was definitely more than 500m. These markers were also large and positioned prominently. So they were hard to miss.
The Rain
The rain also came out again during our run. It started as a light drizzle soon after we had started, but cleared up. About a few kilometres into the run, the rain came back slightly heavier. But fortunately that was only a passing cloud. I was feeling wet but at least I was not soaked.
However the rain returned for a third time when I was about 1km or so away from the finish. This time, the rain started as a drizzle but gradually grew heavier and then after I was finished, it became a heavy downpour. 
Finishing
The final short out and back segment was the most difficult one mentally because we saw the finish line up ahead but we literally had to run away from it for about 300m before making a u-turn and running to the finish. 
My finish time was 49 minutes 50 seconds. Sub 50 by a mere 10 seconds. Goal achieved. It had taken a lot of effort though and my heart rate was significantly higher than usual because of the post Marathon fatigue. 
We received our official finish time via SMS immediately after crossing the finish line.
Race carnival and free ice cream
The race carnival was awesome as usual. There was two Milo vans parked there waiting for me. I always look forward to the Milo van and wasted no time helping myself to some of the cold Milo. 
As well, there was free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. To redeem a scoop of ice cream, we had to choose and play games grouped according to various categories of incarceration. There were a small number of options to pick from. These were simple games based on a convict’s time from incarceration to release and acceptance. 
The ones that I played were a darts game, a ribbon string game and a fishing game. I might not be the best at games, but they brought me both fun as well as educating me on an inmate’s journey. 
Other goodies
Besides the free ice cream, I also took part in a mini claw game where I had a free chance to win a prize in their claw machine. I ended up walking away with a Winnie the Pooh themed chair seat cushion. 
A balloonist and a magician were on hand too, to make balloon sculptures and perform magic tricks for children. The latter was targeted at the kids who were participating in this morning’s event with their families. 
If it were not for the rain, I would definitely have spent more time soaking up and enjoying the race carnival and festivities.
With regard to goodies, our post-race goodies were also generous. Apart from our medal, we also could help ourselves to bananas and Julie’s biscuits. I took a banana and a few packets of biscuits because I really wanted the saltiness from the crackers. 
Photo opportunities
I particularly thought the life sized black Nando’s chicken walking around was cute and I couldn’t resist taking a photo with him. As well, there was a dinosaur in the prison grounds. He was a runner who had completed the 10km run wearing a dinosaur costume. 
Queues for shuttle bus
There was a sizeable queue waiting for the shuttle bus out of the prison grounds taking us to the Singapore expo where we could then take a bus or train home.
But the organiser had prepared plenty of buses so the queue was constantly moving and smooth. 
I really enjoyed the run
As a whole, I would say that I really enjoyed the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run and I will definitely continue to support this meaningful event every year. This run is always well-organised and enjoyable despite the hills, and everything is run very smoothly.
The committee have definitely thought of everything and they manage the logistics very well. I will definitely be back as long as I am in Singapore and this run continues to be held.
Thank you to the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run team for another amazing event despite the rain and the downpour at the event for the second year in a row.
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