Championing the Green Cause

Some 12,000 people pledged themselves to a greener future as they came down to the F1 Pit Building, Marina Promenade this morning at 5am to take part in the sixth edition of the NTUC Income RUN 350, Organised by Young NTUC.

Gracing the event was NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Mr Chan Chun Sing, accompanied by Mr Ken Ng, Chief Executive of NTUC Income. Mr Marcus Chew, Senior Vice President and Head, Strategic Marketing and Communications of NTUC Income along with Mr Seah Keng Tia, Chairperson of Young NTUC Committee and Mr Steve Tan, Executive Secretary of Young NTUC did the honours of flagging off the 21.1km category.

“Today’s successful event has once again reminded us of the core reason for organising the race, which is to educate and spread the 350 message of the need to reduce the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere for the Earth’s sustainability. Through this race, we hope that the 12,000 participants both young and old, will become advocates of this cause and we intend to continue inspiring positive change next year and in the years to come,” shared Mr Seah Keng Tia, Chairperson of Young NTUC Committee.

This year’s 21.1km Men’s Open category winner is Kenyan Geoffrey Birgen with 1:07:01, while Margaret Njuguna also from Kenya snagging the 21.1km Women’s Open Category with a time of 1:19:47.

“The route was challenging because it was so humid but I have taken part in the Race last year, so I knew what to expect,” said Birgen who was 2014’s RUN 350 10km Open Category winner.

With a timing of 38:01 and 34:54, Suzanne Walsham and Stuart Haynes both walked away with the boasting rights as the local champion for the 10km Category, female and male respectively.

Rio Elijah Chua, a 30-year old PE teacher won the local 21.1km Men’s Category with a timing of 1:25:03. He said of the race, “It’s my first time doing a half marathon and I did not train for the race so this was an unexpected win. My goal was to complete the race when I started. I’m happy with my results, of course!”

The runners were taken through a scenic route as they ran through the Kallang waterfront and past iconic landmarks, such as the Singapore Sports Hub, while the 21.1km runners had the opportunity to run along Nicoll Highway, rounding up the race by running by the Gardens by the Bay before crossing the finish line at the F1 Pit Building.

Participants then adjourned to the race village where there were eco initiatives and activities for runners to participate in. The eco-race village curated by 350 Singapore, with the overarching theme of ‘My Climate, My Responsibility’ were carried out along these four themes; consumption and lifestyle habits, food security, energy and climate change, and lastly waste management. (For more information on these four themes, please refer to Annex A) Partners involved in the eco-race village are Ground Up Initiative, PUB, PM.Haze, Save That Pen, NEA Singapore Packaging Agreement.

“We trust that with today’s event, we have helped to frame the minds of the thousands who were here with us this morning.  It is also important that the youths of today understand the importance of an individual’s responsibility, in the face of the climate change challenge. Today’s Run and “My Climate, My Responsibility” is just one of the many ways to inspire and motivate people to take ownership for their actions that affect the environment.” shared Miss Nor Lastrina, Team Manager of 350 Singapore.

As Singapore’s largest eco race, the run has adopted several green measures to ensure that all participants practice environmentally-friendly measures during the race. RUN 350 adopted the “Bring-Your-Own-Bottle” initiative that encourages all runners to bring their own bottles for refills at the hydration stations to reduce the usage of paper cups. Bicycle racks were made available at the race village to support the runners to cycle down or carpool as well. Dedicated waste bins showing a clear separation of banana peels, cans and plastic bottles were placed around the race village to advocate keeping the site litter-free.

In line with SG50, the nation’s green initiatives were celebrated through a wall mural that was erected in the race village highlighting Singapore’s eco milestones since 1960. Participants had the chance to see the journey of how Singapore became a clean and green city, as it served as a reminder on how we each have a part to play.

Organiser, Young NTUC, commissioned a special Anniversary logo in celebration of their 10^th anniversary in April this year with Deputy Secretary-General Mr Chan Chun Sing doing the honours of unveiling the logo. While this marked the start of the stream of programmes throughout the year, a milestone wall was also erected at the race for all to view the 10 years journey of Young NTUC.

The NTUC Income RUN 350, Organised by Young NTUC, is Southeast Asia’s premier eco-run, in support of the global 350 movement.  NTUC Income and Young NTUC have been putting together this annual event in a bid to raise awareness on the need to lower atmospheric CO₂ levels to 350 parts per million (ppm).

“The decisions we make today will affect our future,” said Mr Marcus Chew of NTUC Income. “How we manage our resources this generation determines what kind of world we leave behind for generations that come after us. Through the annual RUN 350, an event that NTUC Income is proud to be associated with for five consecutive years, we hope to drive more awareness of the 350 Movement while promoting a healthy lifestyle.”

Results

21.1 KM WOMEN OPEN

21.1 KM MEN OPEN

21.1 KM MEN LOCAL

10 KM WOMEN OPEN

10 KM MEN OPEN

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