On Feb 19, I registered for the National Vertical Marathon at the 63-story OUB Centre at Raffles Place. I had taken part in the same event last year when it was held at the 48-storey Asia Square.
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On April 23, I signed up my family for the 5km PAssian Mappy Race at Japanese Garden in Jurong.
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I didn't look carefully at the dates of the events. Since registration for each event opened two months apart, I assumed the events would also be two months apart.
I was wrong.
Both events were on June 8 morning.
I was screwed.
What should I do?
Because the runners for the vertical marathon were flagged off in batches, I thought I could get to Raffles Place really early and persuade - or beg if I had to - the organisers to give me an earlier flag-off time for me to make the Mappy Race flag-off at 7:45am.
I was wrong.
On Sunday morning, I reached Raffles Place by taxi a few minutes after 6am.
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After collecting my race T-shirt and race bib, I was told my race would start only at 7am.
The race would take about 20 minutes. That wouldn't give me enough time to get to Japanese Garden from there.
I asked the organisers if I could start the race earlier... or much, much later (like after the Mappy Race).
They said no.
I decided to skip the National Vertical Marathon, which I paid $26 to join, and took the MRT train from Raffles Place to Chinese Garden for the Mappy Race, which was the priority as I was running it with my family.
At least I got a nice blue (not red) National Vertical Marathon T-shirt for the $26. I even wore it for the Mappy Race.
Here are some pics from the race.
The compass and map we were given for orienteering.
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At the starting line with the guest of honour, MP Cedric Foo (in white).
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Japanese Garden.
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On the bridge joining Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden.
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Chinese Garden.
At a checkpoint wearing the National Vertical Marathon T-shirt .
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Near the finish line.
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Checking in at the finish line.
Our results.
And of course, at the end of every race, the comforting sight of the Milo truck.
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