I ran the Marina 21k run last Saturday.
I'll be brutally blunt here: it was the worst-organized race I had ever attended, and I would never, EVER recommend it to anyone, be it the weekend road warrior or the really dedicated professional runner.
The problems started well before the starting point. Considering that the race location was at the really hard-to-get Marina Bay Gardens in the East, most of us had to take the free shuttle bus. And the only information about the shuttle bus was that the pick-up point was at Mountbatten MRT.
Alright, fair enough, I thought. At the very least, there would some signs and/or a couple of marshallers to guide the people to the pick-up point. But.... no, there was none of the sort. So I got lost, along with a whole lot of other people.
So, we finally boarded the bus, which dropped us near the starting point. And here's the next problem.... we couldn't find the starting point. Again, zilch marshallers and/or signs pointing us in the right direction.
Then, I went to the starting point, getting myself all pumped up for the start time of 7.30 pm. Except that..... there was now several waves of runners based on race category and tag number. So I found myself being in the 7.50 pm race category. Seriously..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Then, the route itself was so profoundly weird that it would be an insult to weirdness to call it so. Firstly, you cannot call it the 'Marina 21k' when the route is mostly in Tanjong Rhu and Kallang. Secondly, there were many, many hairpin turns. Third, the running route was down to a single lane on the road.... for both incoming and outgoing directions. You can guess what happened: I was on constant EVASIVE ACTION mode the whole way, trying to overtake guniangs who attached themselves to the first wave even though it was supposedly reserved for elite runners.
Yes, to all those who attached themselves to the first wave even though they knew they couldn't run fast enough.... I'm insulting you. If you're too self-centered and think too highly of yourselves to run in the first wave, then you deserve all the flaming that I'm laying on you, you weaklings. I can run 21 clicks in less than 2 hours, and I don't see myself as an elite runner.
So how DARE YOU attach yourself to the elites when you can't even run the whole way without stopping?
Man, this sucks. Instead of writing a proper AAR about the Marina 21k run, I end up writing a b*tchfest of an article.
1 hr 58 minutes was my timing here.
Here's to hoping that I get a better timing in the Army Half Marathon.
I'll be brutally blunt here: it was the worst-organized race I had ever attended, and I would never, EVER recommend it to anyone, be it the weekend road warrior or the really dedicated professional runner.
The problems started well before the starting point. Considering that the race location was at the really hard-to-get Marina Bay Gardens in the East, most of us had to take the free shuttle bus. And the only information about the shuttle bus was that the pick-up point was at Mountbatten MRT.
Alright, fair enough, I thought. At the very least, there would some signs and/or a couple of marshallers to guide the people to the pick-up point. But.... no, there was none of the sort. So I got lost, along with a whole lot of other people.
So, we finally boarded the bus, which dropped us near the starting point. And here's the next problem.... we couldn't find the starting point. Again, zilch marshallers and/or signs pointing us in the right direction.
Then, I went to the starting point, getting myself all pumped up for the start time of 7.30 pm. Except that..... there was now several waves of runners based on race category and tag number. So I found myself being in the 7.50 pm race category. Seriously..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Then, the route itself was so profoundly weird that it would be an insult to weirdness to call it so. Firstly, you cannot call it the 'Marina 21k' when the route is mostly in Tanjong Rhu and Kallang. Secondly, there were many, many hairpin turns. Third, the running route was down to a single lane on the road.... for both incoming and outgoing directions. You can guess what happened: I was on constant EVASIVE ACTION mode the whole way, trying to overtake guniangs who attached themselves to the first wave even though it was supposedly reserved for elite runners.
Yes, to all those who attached themselves to the first wave even though they knew they couldn't run fast enough.... I'm insulting you. If you're too self-centered and think too highly of yourselves to run in the first wave, then you deserve all the flaming that I'm laying on you, you weaklings. I can run 21 clicks in less than 2 hours, and I don't see myself as an elite runner.
So how DARE YOU attach yourself to the elites when you can't even run the whole way without stopping?
Man, this sucks. Instead of writing a proper AAR about the Marina 21k run, I end up writing a b*tchfest of an article.
1 hr 58 minutes was my timing here.
Here's to hoping that I get a better timing in the Army Half Marathon.
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Muhammad Fadzli Hassan
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