Excitement Builds For Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 As Registrations Hit 20,000

Excitement Builds For Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 As Registrations Hit 20,000 In 7 Days

Ekiden relay race now fully subscribed; almost 50% of full marathon places already snapped up

Singapore, 26 May 2010 - Registrations for Singapore's pinnacle running event, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2010, have hit an astounding 20,000 since registration opened just seven days ago. Registration for new category, the Ekiden relay, has already closed with all 100 slots taken up, while only slightly more than half of the full marathon places are still available after more than 8,000 full marathon enthusiasts signed up for the race on 5 December.

2. The Ekiden relay enjoys a huge following in Japan, United States and Australia and it consists of of six runners per team, and together, these six runners will have to run a total of 42.195 km. The SCMS 2010 is the first event in Singapore to incorporate the Ekiden relay and the fast take up rate shows that the popularity of this category is also evident among the local running community.

3. The registration rate for the inaugural marathon is unprecedented with the first person in line at Raffles Place from 7 pm the previous evening (19 May) to make sure they secure a place. Registrations continued to pick up momentum with numbers hitting more than 6,000 on the first day and 10,000 by the second.

4. For SCMS 2010, participants can look forward to three different points for the various race categories - a historic first for the local sports industry. Full marathon runners will begin their 42.195 km journey on Orchard Road. Half marathon runners will start their run on Sentosa Bridge and can expect to be taken through Southeast Asia's first and only Universal Studios theme park at Resorts World Sentosa while 10 km category runners will start off at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and will run past Singapore's Financial District before moving over to the new Helix Bridge. In addition to the different start points and routes, the organiser, the SSC has also put a cap on the number of participants for each route as an added emphasis on the overall experience for the runners.

5. As of 26 May (6pm), for available marathon categories, the full marathon is leading the pack with almost 50% of slots taken up, followed closely by Kids Dash as well as half marathon - both are 30% filled up, and the 10 km (25% filled up). The present registration data for SCMS 2010 also showed that the highest number of registrations come from the 30 to 39 age group.

6. David Voth, Senior Director, Sports Marketing Group, SSC and Chairman of the SCMS 2010 Organising Committee said, "We are thrilled that the registration for the SCMS has gotten off to such a great start. The SCMS has certainly captured the imagination of the public and the feedback from the running community has also been very positive. It is a sure sign that our ambition for the SCMS to become Asia's pinnacle race event is well on its way of being fulfilled."

7. Lee Boon Huat, Regional Chief Operating Officer, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard Chartered Bank said, "We are very encouraged by the overwhelming response from the public. The Bank is committed to making this a truly unforgettable experience for Singapore and a race like no other."

8. The SCMS 2010 will be broadcast 'live' on StarHub Super Sports Arena (Ch 201) which is available to all StarHub Cable TV subscribers. There are plans to provide the 'live' coverage to broadcasters around the world. In addition, the event will be streamed 'live' on SingaporeSports.tv (the web broadcast arm of the SingaporeSports.sg portal), a first-ever for a local running event.