If you, like the rest of the nation, have taken up jogging during the circuit breaker period, here’s an opportunity to put your legs to the test — and do some good for charity while you’re at it.
The inaugural Maju Lah! Virtual Run begins this weekend on June 15, and invites participants on a 55-day jogging challenge. Joggers can take part in one of two categories. The Resilience Category requires entrants to log a set distance of their choice every day: distances range from 2.4km — the ‘bread and butter of our army boys and girls’ — to 20km for hardcore runners.
Prefer to jog at your own pace? Enter the Solidarity Category to see how far you can jog over the 55-days — missed days don’t matter, and runners are ranked simply by their total distance accumulated. They’ll then earn rewards based on the milestone distances achieved.
The Maju Lah! Virtual Run will continue for exactly 55 days and conclude on August 9 — a fitting way to mark Singapore’s 55th National Day.
Organised by sports and lifestyle events company Run Crew, the marathon, the proceeds raised from the run will go to the President’s Challenge, which backs over 70 beneficiaries islandwide, as well as President Halimah Yacob’s Empowering for Life Fund.
The Fund supports vulnerable communities in Singapore through skills upgrading and employment, and donations to this fund will receive dollar-for-dollar matching from the government.
Registration for the Maju Lah! Virtual Run costs $55 per person, and all participants will receive a digital welcome pack and commemorative pins and finishers shirts for completing the marathon.
As for how the run keeps track of its participants, they accept date-stamped treadmill photos and info from online jogging apps — though, of course, submissions are based on an honour system.
(Image: Maju Lah! Virtual Run)
“I wanted to bring the nation together through running as we emerge from a very challenging time,” says Run Crew founder Fabian William, who used to train the Commando’s Army Half Marathon teams and now coaches Singapore’s national athletes.
“Marathons embody the greatness of mind, body, and spirit, and we hope to inspire others to take this up not just as a personal challenge, but also to demonstrate our unity during this trying time.”
So far, the race has attracted a wide range of participants from national athlete Phoebe Kee, who represented Singapore at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games for duathlon, oncologist Dr See Hui Ti, ultra-runner Alvin Png, and 6-year-old Ariel Williams (daughter of Fabian Williams, who says she’s joining the run because she ‘loves Singapore’).
For more information, and to sign up for the run, visit their site here.