Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon to become 2-day event – could Hong Kong follow?
This year's Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon will take place over two days because it has become so popular, organisers revealed on Tuesday, and Hong Kong officials said they could follow suit if it proved a success.
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The change will see the half-marathon and marathon held separately, on the Saturday and Sunday respectively, on the weekend of December 6 and 7, with a children's race, 5km, 10km and marathon relay also planned.
Officials said the move had been driven by an increase in runners over the past three editions of the event, with the marathon up 31 per cent and half-marathon 46 per cent in that time. More than 55,000 competitors took part last year.
Jeff Edwards, managing director of Asia for The Ironman Group, organiser of the Singapore Marathon, said it was always looking 'for ways to improve the overall race experience and create an environment where runners can perform at their best'.
10km runners on the Island Eastern Corridor during this year's Hong Kong Marathon. Photo: Eugene Lee
'These adjustments, which have been thoughtfully planned, are aimed at creating a smooth flow throughout to ensure the best possible race experience for our runners, and allow for more runners than ever before to be a part of this event,' he said.
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