Transcription
So, I've been running for about 40 minutes, covered approximately 5 kilometers so far. At this point in time, I'm thinking 21 seems really, really far. I'm doing what I can to prepare for a half marathon. And in the midst of all that training, I discovered we've seen everything from heat cramps, heat syncope where the faint to heat exhaustion. Running in this heat could kill you. And while I found out how I can cool myself down, I want to know if race organizers are doing their part to ensure safety, especially when I'm about to run one myself in Singapore.
Race organizers are expected to follow a set of safety guidelines, but from what I understand, these guidelines are for now just best practices. The guidelines include having water points at a minimum of 5 km during marathons, enough first responders to attend to a participant in 3 minutes or less, and ensuring there are cooling interventions like ice water and cold water immersion for heat injuries. And according to Professor Marcus, who is a senior consultant in emergency medicine and a key voice in sport safety, most heat-related injuries in sports can be prevented, but only if guidelines are strictly enforced. This was in a commentary he wrote in December 2024, shortly after the death of a race participant. He also pushed them to have better coordination between race organizers and emergency medical services.
"We tend to operate in silos, right? Without coordination, without conversations with others. And one example would be, you know, just coordinating with the hospitals if you have a large event, such that we are aware and we have adequate staffing and preparation during that period where we expect a peak load of casualties coming in."
So I spoke to a doctor from the emergency department who is saying that the dialogue between them and race organizers has recently started. "Well, I think these are positive changes and positive improvements. So I would encourage that we would actually continue and build on those conversations."
"Should there be stricter enforcement of the code? Maybe make even some parts of it regulation law?"
"We do need to look at a balance between what needs to be done and then what is feasible on the ground. Absolutely, there's a role for enforcement, right? But enforcement is not always the answer to everything."
"So, in the past, when it came to fatalities or heat-related injuries, was enough being done about it?"
"Based on my subjective observations of patients coming to the emergency department over the years, one of the key factors is actually delay. Whether that means delay in terms of recognition, delay in terms of starting treatment, delays in terms of evacuation of these patients and getting them to definitive care. I do think we can do better in terms of adequately training, educating, and preparing our first aiders."
I had a story where someone collapsed during running. "Okay." "And the first aider who came felt them and felt their limbs, and they were cold and clammy. So there was this thought that, oh, this can't be a heat stroke because the hands and the feet feel cold." "What did the first aider do?" "They actually took a blanket and they covered the patient, right? Because they thought that they were cold." "No, actually, we have to remove the clothes, we have to put water. We have to put ice, and we have to start cooling the body. We should actually aim for world-best kind of practice. And that means that every single preventable death is one death too many."
The Tokyo Marathon, for example, has a very good track record where 90% of their participants in the Tokyo Marathon who had a cardiac arrest actually survived the event. "Right? Every runner actually has a Fitbit or tracker device. When they're running in the circuit, the event organizer actually can track where they are."
"So, in Tokyo, one may say it's a national race. They got more resources. Is it fair that we compare our races here to that?"
"I think this is one of the best practice examples, but in fact, most of the Tokyo Marathon, as I understand, are supported by volunteers. And in fact, in that case, they use paramedic students as volunteers to support this event. So it doesn't have to be necessarily a very expensive thing."
In Singapore, the biggest race event is the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, covering distances from 5 km to the full 42 km marathon race, which is our national marathon. 3 years ago, it cost you between $58 to $116 to participate. This year, it'll cost you between $77 and $153. Prices have gone up. Does it mean more resources going to safety procedures? The next marathon is in December, and preparations are in full swing.
I printed out the race prices over the last 3 years, and I'm bringing it to the team. "So, this chart here is your race fees, the regular pricing at tier 2. And again, we've noticed it going up over the years by about 30 odd percent. Why is that?"
"So, this year, it includes platform fee as well. In the past, it's just including GST. When you look at the true cost of organizing the race, a lot of costs have increased for us."
"Give me some idea in terms of percentage, then break it down."
"About 10% of the cost goes to medical. So at both starter and finish venues, we have very big medical tents that has medical equipment inside, you know, on-site cooling or first aid that we need to provide. Those costs add up as well. Roughly about 35 to 40% of the cost goes towards closing roads for the event. The cost of manpower has gone up. When we close roads, you need to have traffic marshals deployed to make sure you close every junction as you're closing the road, and you also need to man these junctions as well."
"What about the remaining 50%?"
"Uh, there are other cost elements. Venue booking cost. Okay. Even though we use F1 pit building, we use Padang, there are heavy costs for booking these venues, right? We actually need to fly in someone who is a great cost measurer, which Singapore doesn't have. So we fly someone in from Australia. There's a fee that we pay him. And when he goes out, he's measuring the cost during live road operations. So we need to arrange for security and escorts to support him measuring the cost, and it's done over a period of time, not in a single take."
"Shouldn't more of the race fee go towards the safety and medical support?"
"I think one of the misconceptions is that medical is only or safety is focused on race weekend. It is not. We start it very, very early on. The moment you sign up for the race, we communicate about a 'Get Active' questionnaire for you to know and ask yourself questions about your own health as well. The next thing that we do is that we offer a 16-week training program. We are the only race that offers a very extended training program, and this is completely free as well. This is to gear up the runners to ensure that they are race-ready as well."
"From your point of view, there is enough support provided?"
"We have close to 450 paramedics, nurses, we have close to 30 doctors on site. Should anything happen, we do have enough doctors on site to help support before they go to the hospital. And this year, the race organizers have taken an extra step. The half and full marathon will no longer be held on the same day. This is so each long-distance race has its own dedicated resources."
With race day fast approaching, I have to get back to my training. And this time, I'm trying something different. "You don't even look like you're running." "I'm walking." "You're walking? How can your race walk be as fast as my running?"
So, I'm meeting up with Coach Eugene again, but this time I'm here to join one of his interval training sessions. It is supposed to help build my speed and endurance for race day itself. "So today, you'll be joining the five-minute pace group. That's that group. That group runs away." "Okay. Go." "Yeah. Steve, come." "Why does everyone run so fast?" "Looking good, Steve. Looking good. Pass the line. Pass the line. Yeah. Okay. Okay, that was just supposed to be a like a warm-up. I think I need a..." "Is that a 10-minute pace?" "Yeah." "Can I ask Steve this group?" "Okay, sure." "You don't even look like you're running." "I'm walking." "You're walking? How can your race walk be as fast as my running?" "What's wrong with me?"
Regular interval training makes you faster and more efficient. It also makes your planned race day speed feel easier, and those short bursts with recovery help build muscle resilience, lowering the risk of overexertion or injury.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10." Let's face it, I'm not the fastest of the bunch. But what if I can get an edge by just changing my shoes? Not too long ago, a good pair of running shoes would set you back between $100 to $200. But these days, running shoes can set you back $400 or more. These super shoes claim to help you run faster with less effort. Could these be the game changer I need?
"Hi, sir. Can I help you with anything?" "Yeah, just looking at all these running shoes. This is a super shoe. What makes it super?"
"So, super shoes, they come in two kinds. One is because of the carbon plate inside that helps people to run better in terms of rolling effect. Another thing is their stack height, where the foam itself, right? They will compress and push off along with the carbon plate to help them run much more efficiently with lower effort."
"What is the carbon plate? Where is it?"
"So the carbon fiber plate lies in between the shoe and the foam itself. Carbon fiber plate, it encourages the rocking sensation for runners to run more efficiently with minimal effort. This one is $449."
"Wow, that's almost $500."
"So for these kind of super shoes, do they have more effect if I'm doing a long-distance run like a marathon?"
"Uh, definitely. Because as distance progresses, like for say, 15 to 21, that's where a lot of runners reach their breaking point. That's where the shoe kicks in and brings you forward because every step matters throughout the whole race."
"All right, sir. Here's your shoe. Thank you very much." "Thank you. Thanks for your help."
So, you know, it's really hard to tell if these super shoes actually work. So, I'm going to take a pair home and try them out on one of my training runs. Having tried out these super shoes, got to say they're pretty light, responsive, and they do make you feel faster on your feet, you know. But for someone like me, an amateur runner doing my first half marathon, I'm not so sure I need it. Plus, the fact that it costs almost twice as much as a regular pair of shoes. Staying injury-free comes from the body you build, not the shoes you buy. Consistent training strengthens my muscles over time. Whereas carbon-plated shoes can mask effort and tempt you to push too hard.
"Hi. Hi. Here to collect my pack." I'm joining about 6,000 runners at the Gin Run, and I'll be running their longest race category, the half marathon. "There we go. So this is my number. 2 3 4 53. And with this, it means, ooh, it's fully on. There's no turning back now."
"Hi, Steve." "Morning, man." "I just come to wish you good luck." "Oh, thank you. Thank you for coming down. Beyond heat, anything else I should take note of?" "Know your own body. If you feel any headache, dizziness, chest tightness, all these are signs that you should stop." "Right?" "Actually, walk." "Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I think I'm about set."
Three, two, ONE. Norman won. Singapore 2025. "Okay, we are off. We've done one kilometer. Woohoo! Yes, the 5-kilometer mark. We are one quarter of the way there. It's still only about 6:00 a.m., but I'm sweating buckets. The sun isn't out. It's not that warm, but the humidity, oh my gosh, it is all over me. I'm sweating so much."
"Water." "Okay, I got it. Off. Thank you. Water." "Oh, it's warm. Room temperature, not cold. A bit disappointed." As I learned, the most efficient way to bring down my inner core temperature is to drink cold or icy drinks, which makes running in the heat and humidity much easier.
"Oh, I saw a sign saying first aid station. Where's the first aid station?" "We need to call them, and then they will come." "Oh, I see. So, I need to tell you. I can't, 'cause I don't know the number." "I will let them know the location of the person." "Okay. So, if you get hurt, you let them know. They'll send someone to you, which means it could take a bit longer. Come on." "Oh, I see an ambulance ahead. Tell you what, race you there. Let's go, man."
"Hi, guys. Are you at the first aid site?" "So what you going to do if somebody needs help? Where will you send them?" "Uh, we will send them to our first aid post." "Where's the first aid post?" "The medical center there. Finishing line." "Finishing line?" "Yes." "I was told that if somebody needs help, they have to call you. Then you have to go to the place. Is it?" "And our medical control will contact us." "But you, what if you can't drive in? How do you go in?" "Uh, we have a basic bicycle medic."
I've got to admit, I'm surprised at how I'm feeling so far. Not as tired as I thought I would be, which could be a testament to the weekly training runs I've been doing up to this point. "This is the first time we've seen a proper medical tent. Uh, I'm going to take a peek, see what they have. Most importantly, okay, they've got ice in there. So, I guess if they do need to cool someone down, that would be the thing to do."
"Is this the first time you're doing a half marathon?" "Yeah, it's my first time." "Yeah." "So, I'm currently running with an injury." "Oh, wow. So, if you have a foot injury, why did you still decide to take part?" "I mean, I already signed up, right? So, let's just do it."
"Hi, guys. How's it going?" "Uh, I'm a bit disappointed." "Oh, why?" "Uh, because both my quads cramped." "Oh." "At the 14km mark." "Did you train for this race?" "Yes, I did." "Oh." "However, I didn't, I don't think I did so um consistently." "How much time did you give yourself to train?" "About like a month and a half." "Okay. What would you do differently if you had to run this again?" "Probably start my training earlier." "You didn't do more training?" "No, I didn't have the time." "Oh, so why did you sign up then?" "Uh, my friend forced me to, but we, but we like to run, so we like to push ourselves." "In your training, did you run this far?" "Nope." "Ah, okay. How, what was the furthest you went?" "Oh, the furthest was 10." "How many months?"
I am surprised by how many runners admit they hadn't trained much or at all. Not sure that's a good idea, since as I've learned, there's a fine line between pushing your limits and putting yourself at risk.
"If ever there was a sign I was looking for, this is it. 20 kilometers, which means we are into the final 1 kilometer. I'm feeling tight in my legs. That's the only part that is really fatigued. Upper body is fine, but here, shin muscles just feeling a bit tight. So I think I can last stretch, last few hundred meters. Let's go. MC cross the bridge. Time for energy. TIME FOR ENERGY. LET'S GO."
"Here we are at the home stretch." "Ladies and gentlemen, we waited for this and finally it's here. Steve Chia. He has finally done it. He's just approaching that final stretch and now he's crossed that line. Well done. And to the rest of our..."
"All right. Thank you." "Good job, man." "Thank you. I made it." I think the key was I really went at my own pace. You know, my outfit's light. I didn't push myself too hard. A bit of running and walking at the same time. Uh, stay hydrated, not too much. Just drank when I was thirsty. Uh, the weather was kind. So many factors that played a part. The race I participated in had close to 6,000 runners, which is considered small compared to other races which are in the tens of thousands. The race organizer tells me about 10 to 15% of the race fees go towards medical coverage.
"I noticed that the first aid stations, well, they were called aid stations." "Yeah." "But then I realized there was no first aid there. It was just like a water point."
"Yeah. Aid station. I mean, there are different definitions to it. Uh, par, right? We're supposed to give them like the toilets, the water, the gel food. We try to split all these aids that runners supposed to get in probably like two to two about 5 km apart." "Okay. But the first aid, the first aid wasn't there. So at the water point, I asked one of them, they said, if you need help, I can call someone. She had the number, and then they will bring the first aid over."
"Yeah, in fact, actually, a little bit a couple hundred meters down the road, there's an ambulance on standby as well. So how this works is we do have some medics on bikes that are roaming along the race course. We do have and my ambulance, they can be activated any time that we need. So they're just within my reach. I can just find them and dispatch."
"But it also means that it will take a few minutes for the first aid to reach any person who is..." "Of course, of course. I mean, that is why we also try to educate the runners. Eventually, the one who's running next to you is the one going to react to you the fastest."
"So, we do have an emergency number at the back of the bib. So let's say someone collapsed, call the hotline number. We help to you immediately as much as we can."
"Okay. Were there any injuries during this race?" "Um, definitely there are some injuries along the way. I mean, especially the heat and all that. Yeah." "There are probably like less than 10 of them. They would require a little bit more intensive care. Like, for example, giving them ice pool treatments. Okay. Uh, some heat treatments for heat injuries. Uh, a couple of them actually had to go to the hospital." "Out of the 10, how many went to the hospital?" "At this point, I would say less than five." "Okay. Well, I'm glad it's all over."
"So, Steve, would you take part in a half marathon again?" "Nope. I don't think so. You won't be seeing me anytime soon. Bye." Turns out 21 km is a bit much for these 53-year-old joints. Racers can be safe with the right prep, but the best safety check is your own body. And after this, my mind's checking into a spa.