Singapore, 7 December 2020 – 12,825 runners from Singapore and around the world participated in the Grand Finale of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) 2020, which ran from 27 November to 6 December this year.
The runners clocked 106,269 KM to unlock the SGD$1 million which Standard Chartered Bank had pledged as part of the SCSM 2020 Grand Finale Charity Challenge. Elite athletes, celebrities and special guests also contributed to the cause through the ROUVY AR Half Marathon Relay as part of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 Race As One Show on 5 December.
The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon has been a highlight of Singapore’s running calendar for close to two decades. Despite the challenges of holding a large-scale sporting event during the pandemic, the organisers have risen to the challenge with an innovative race format that has attracted participants from Singapore and beyond.
Adopting a new hybrid race format, the Grand Finale race also saw about 37% of runners from overseas sign ups, joining the marquee race on Singapore’s sporting calendar virtually. This year, the marathon also featured the option for runners to take part in ROUVY AR categories, where they were able to navigate the cityscapes of Singapore using augmented reality, offering a brand new experience to runners as they could watch their avatars run the routes while running on a treadmill at home or in selected ActiveSG gyms.
Despite not having a physical race event this year, SCSM 2020 celebrated with a Grand Finale Celebration event, where runners could collect their race entitlements and prizes at the Flower Field Hall in Gardens by the Bay through pre-registration for specific time slots in line with safe management measures. 800 participants had the chance to book a slot to celebrate their achievements at the event, where they could take a signature official SCSM 2020 photo for commemoration.
This year’s edition also saw the successful launch of the SCSM Virtual Club which saw a total of over 124, 671 participation across 15 weeks of virtual races and challenges. To help runners stay active, train and gear up for the race, runners and the community have been able to participate in weekly challenges and races on the SCSM VC platform. Races under the Virtual Racing Series had been categorised according to four themes that celebrate running routes that are unique to Singapore. The four themes also mirror STB’s passion tribes, which include the Action Seekers, Culture Shapers, Explorers and Foodies. These routes give runners the opportunity to explore and rediscover different sides of Singapore and its hidden gems.
The 20th edition of SCSM will take place between 3 – 5 December 2021, subject to prevailing safe management protocols from the authorities. For more information on SCSM, please visit www.singaporemarathon.com and www.sgmarathonvc.com respectively. Media materials of SCSM 2020, including images from the Grand Finale Celebration event and the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 Race As One Show, can be accessed here https://www.webcargo.net/l/0D8suZvHEz/
