Run 350

Last March 20 we headed to Pulau Ubin for the Run 350 Event. It was drizzling for almost the entire day but the scheduled run was not postponed. We received follow up messages via sms and also there was a regular update on the event's facebook account.

They provided this link which shows the weather forecast for the day (if you click the link now it will show today's forecast though).

We left the house around 2PM and hopped on the train to Tampines. At Tampines we looked around for the Bus 29. The instructions on the Run 350 website were clear and simple. When we got on the bus, we were amused to see numerous people donning the same tee!

Front

Back

The bus was also packed. We also noticed that most of the runners brought very little as possible (as instructed by the organizers). We were told that there wouldnt be any baggage depository (which kinda sucked). Anyway that really didnt spoil the mood for me and my hubby. We were excited but a little annoyed because of the non stop rain.

The bus ride was longer than expected. I think it took us about 40 minutes to get to Changi Village from Tampines. From Changi Village we followed the other passengers wearing the same shirt and we found the assembly point for the runners.

We gave our tickets to the organizers and we were instructed to board the jetty (12 pax/boat) by batches.

inside the jetty

Off we go!

The boat ride was only 10-15 minutes long. But it was neat. I havent been on a boat for awhile. The last time I took a boat was more than a decade ago.

We were welcomed by another group of volunteers as we got off the jetty. We took some photos on the dock. Pulau Ubin is a stark contrast to the very commercialized mainland. It felt more comfortable and "at home" to me.


We got to the island an hour before our 4:50PM run so we wandered around a bit. The runners for the 10k route have assembled at the starting point. Their event was at 3:50PM. I didnt get to see them take off because me and my hubby were too busy checking out the hawkers scouting for a cold drink.

We walked and saw some old looking houses that you most probably would never see in other areas of Singapore. The place reminded me so much of the provincial areas back home. It is the simplicity of Pulau Ubin that makes it beautiful. It is laid back yet interesting.

After walking around and checking out some of the trails and houses, we got back to the assembly point just in time for our run. I had to make a mad dash to the toilet 1ominutes before the run though. I had 300ml of orange juice an hour ago and i just had to pee.

Here is a screenshot of the 5k route:

A 5k run can normally be finished in 30-35 minutes tops. Seasoned runners usually finish it 22 minutes or less. But the event is not really a race. Most of the people I did see though look like professional runners, especially those on the 10k event.

The 5k run was more of a fun run. Some people even took their kids with them. As for me and my hubby, we wanted to run for the cause and get a personal best.

Ive been running regularly at least 3-5 miles on a daily interval of at least one day rest. I wouldnt say 5k is easy especially on a humid day. But it is manageable if youve been running for at least 2 months. I have actually been running on and off for several years. I have recently been doing it consistently for the past 3 months though. So the run was okay. I didnt feel like I was gonna die when I finished.

Running is just a great way to stay healthy, lose weight and clear my head from stress caused by work. If you've tried going at it for an hour, you'd even get euphoric highs. Try it, its amazing=)

The run route was good. Although it rained the entire day, the roads werent really slippery. We were also instructed to stay by the left side of the road in case a passing vehicle came by. There were volunteers at selected points. Some told us where to go, some would cheer us on, others handed us water and also some took photos.

I distributed my energy and reserved the faster pace at the latter part of the run. I didnt expect that the hilly part would be that rough though. I literally had to stop and walk that part. Even those sporty looking ones obviously shared my sentiment. One girl wearing a jacket (although it was very humid) ran past me and the rest though.

Me and my hubby clocked in at a little below 35 minutes when we reached the finish line. It was a relief and I was really very exhausted. We didnt stay too long to stick around the island. There were a thousand people who participated and we were pretty sure that there will be a long line of sweaty sticky people like us if we didnt board the jetty soon.


Overall, it was quite an experience. I look forward also to joining another running event soon. Also I wouldnt mind going back to Pulau Ubin just to check out the sights, trails and food.

The Young Ntuc Organizers did a really good job! Everyone seemed to have had a good time.


Channels News Asia also featured the event in one of their segments:

This is the link for the related news.