Sunday, May 29, 2011

SunDown Marathon


DO YOUR part for charity at tomorrow's Sundown Marathon.
For every kilometre you run, apparel sponsor New Balance will pledge US$1 (S$1.24) to Club Rainbow, a charity that helps children with chronic or potentially life-threatening illnesses.
All participants have to do is to register their details at the United Heroes webpage (www.newbalance.com.sg/unitedheroes). The distance covered by each participant will be verified after the race.
Mr Eugene Yeo, New Balance's assistant marketing manager, said the United Heroes programme is part of his company's "Moving Moves Lives" campaign, which aims to show that moving not only has health benefits but can transform lives, too.
New Balance is not the only sponsor doing its bit for charity this time. Pharmaceutical company Merck, another sponsor, will donate $10 for each kilometre its employees complete at the marathon. The money raised will go to The Children's Aid Society.
The event, now in its fourth year, hit a few rough spots last year. A logistics mix-up in its bus shuttle service delayed runners at the 21km event. As such, some participants arrived at the starting point an hour after the race flagged off at 9pm.
Sundown Marathon organiser HiVelocity has assured participants that preparations have been made to avoid a similar hiccup.
Said general manager Benjamin Wee: "We learnt from last year, and we have heard the participants' feedback." He said more shuttle buses will be deployed this year.
The organiser has also roped in ambassadors or pacers to help first-timers in the 21km and 42km events by running with and cheering them on.
One of the pacers, Mr Anthony Sum, started running seven years ago. The 48-year-old used to lead an unhealthy lifestyle, keeping late nights and smoking up to 25 sticks of cigarettes a day for 25 years.
Finish with a smile
Another pacer, Mr Lee Wai Pong, 55, was once sceptical about running marathons. He said: "While I always ran socially, I abstained from long-distance running after reading so many horror stories of people dropping dead during or after completing a marathon."
While each pacer has a different story, all of them share the same goal - to take every runner across the finish line with smiles on their faces.
Said Mr Sum: "I hope to help marathoners achieve their goals, and maybe even beat the sunrise."

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