Singapore Sports Council And Standard Chartered Bank Committed To Making New Marathon

Singapore Sports Council And Standard Chartered Bank Committed To Making New Marathon One Of Asia's Best

Inaugural Marathon to Feature an Iconic Route, Maximise Runners' Experience

Singapore, 9 February 2010 - Runners, gear up for the pinnacle of all running events in Singapore, when the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2010 debuts on Sunday, 5 December 2010. The Marathon will be organised by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) with Standard Chartered Bank as the title sponsor.

Participants who sign up for the new marathon, which will begin registrations in June 2010, can look forward to a brand new and iconic route with the Padang set as the finishing point.

Apart from standard race categories such as the full marathon, the half-marathon and the 10km run, the organisers are looking at introducing new categories to the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 to cater to avid runners of all ages. The organisers are also studying the possibility of introducing the Ekiden relay to the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010, in a bid to get more schools and running clubs involved in the event. An increasingly popular event, the Ekiden relay is an event which has six runners completing the 42.195km full marathon distance in a relay format.

It is both the SSC and Standard Chartered Bank's commitment to making the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore one of Asia's best races over the next few years.

Commenting on the inaugural marathon, Oon Jin Teik, CEO, Singapore Sports Council said, "The aim for the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 is for it to be an all-inclusive race that caters to everyone - from the beginners to the elites, as well as from children to grandparents. The route is being designed to ensure a smooth running flow for all categories of runners as well as introduce the novel idea of running on a truly iconic route. We want to maximise the runners' experience, regardless of the category.

With David Voth, the co-founder of the World Triathlon Corporation which owns the rights to the IronMan Triathlon series, helming the SCMS 2010 as the organising committee chairman, we envision that the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore will grow to be the best road race in Asia in time to come."

David Voth, a senior director in SSC's Sports Marketing Group, has extensive sponsorship, broadcast, licensing, merchandising, marketing and sports branding experience in the sports and entertainment industries in the United States. He joined the SSC in August 2009.

Ray Ferguson, Regional CEO, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard Chartered Bank said, "We are delighted to announce that the Bank will be the title sponsor for this inaugural marathon. We have been in partnership with the Singapore Sports Council for the past eight years and with our combined experience, we look forward to creating an iconic national event.

The marathon is a signature sporting event in Singapore, one that reaches our communities, our staff and our customers. We want people to come and enjoy the spirit of the race, the atmosphere and camaraderie at the finishing."

In addition to maximising the runners' experience, the organisers will also be working with various partners to ensure that the event is telecast "live" to various parts of Asia.

Spectators and supporters can also expect numerous exciting fringe activities to take place at the Padang on the day of the marathon.

More details of the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 will be released within the next few months.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Tanty Nazlianah Rosli
Manager, Public & Media Relations
Singapore Sports Council
Office: 6538 5132
Email: tanty_nazlianah@ssc.gov.sg

Joanne Sim
Manager, Corporate Affairs
Standard Chartered Bank
Office: 6427 5207
Email: Joanne.Sim@sc.com

About Singapore Sports Council
The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) is Singapore's lead agency tasked with developing sports in Singapore. Our vision is to create a Sporting Singapore where Sports is a way of life. The SSC aims to develop sports champions and create enjoyable sporting experiences for Singapore through the three strategic thrusts of cultivating a sporting culture, achieving sports excellence and creating a vibrant sports industry. Formed on 1 October 1973, the SSC is a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Please visit the SSC website at www.sportsingapore.gov.sg Sports Council for more information.

About Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered in Singapore is part of an international banking group with an extensive network of over 1,600 branches and outlets in more than 70 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

Standard Chartered has a history of 150 years in Singapore, opening its first branch here in 1859 and in October 1999 was among the first international banks to receive a Qualifying Full Bank (QFB) licence, an endorsement of the Group's long-standing commitment to its businesses in the country.

It serves both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers. Consumer Banking provides credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, deposit taking and wealth management services to individuals and small to medium sized enterprises. Wholesale Banking provides corporate and institutional clients with services in trade finance, cash management, lending, securities services, foreign exchange, debt capital markets and corporate finance.

The Bank employs over 5,800 people in Singapore and has a network of 18 branches, 28 ATMs, and 6 Priority Banking centres. Standard Chartered is the only international bank to offer NETS service, giving its customers access to EFTPOS at over 17,000 outlets islandwide. The Bank's global businesses - Consumer and Wholesale Banking - are managed out of Singapore, as is its global Technology & Operations function.