Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon launches first ever Virtual Club and Racing Series to complement year-end race

• The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Virtual Club becomes an all-in-one platform for runners to train, compete, earn rewards, and connect with the community
• Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2020 to adopt an alternative race format to replace the traditional road-race, with virtual and possible physical components that are being explored depending on regulations
• Standard Chartered Bank renews sponsorship of the Singapore Marathon until 2023

SINGAPORE, 24 August 2020 – Today, The IRONMAN Group, event organiser of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM), officially announced the SCSM Virtual Club (VC) and the SCSM Virtual Racing Series – two innovative initiatives as part of an alternative model to create a unique and world-class runners experience. The two initiatives provide runners and the SCSM community with a much-needed racing alternative during what has been an uncertain and ever evolving year in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the health and safety of the runners, community, and supporters being of utmost importance, race organisers will continue to work closely with relevant government agencies for the unique race format for 2020 SCSM.

Signups for the Virtual Club are free and accessible to athletes globally, and runners from all over the world will now be able to train, compete, earn rewards and connect with the running community.

The SCSM Virtual Club
The IRONMAN Group is introducing the SCSM Virtual Club (VC) to help runners stay active, train and gear up towards the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. The SCSM VC is an all-in-one engaging and rewarding platform that includes weekly races and challenges, an online store with redeemable rewards, training and nutritional resources, and performance tracking.

Runners can track their training data easily, compare themselves against their peers across local and global leader boards. They can also improve their performances through the nutrition and training guides available and join themed weekly challenges and races to build up their training mileage for the race at the end of the year.

Each week, races under the SCSM Virtual Racing Series will be categorised according to four themes that celebrate running routes that are unique to Singapore. The four themes mirror the Singapore Tourism Board's passion tribes, which include the Action Seekers, Culture Shapers, Explorers and Foodies. These routes will give runners the opportunity to explore and rediscover different sides of Singapore and its hidden gems. There will be a total of 15 races.

Runners can also take part in an activity-based loyalty point system, designed to motivate them by earning points as they train, and be rewarded through merchandise, discounts and special benefits.

“For decades, the Singapore Marathon has been the highlight of runners calendars, and a true celebration of human spirit,” says Geoff Meyer, Managing Director of Asia for The IRONMAN Group. “The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Virtual Club will bring together the running community in new ways, while introducing extra motivation into the training routine and bringing runners to the grand finish, all in a safe and controllable environment.”

2020 SCSM Race Format
For 2020, event organisers will be introducing a unique alternative race format with virtual and possible physical components that are being explored depending on regulations to replace the traditional road-race. The first of its kind, the race will allow runners to take part in the race safely and virtually, and still look forward to the signature finisher experience – complete with the finisher photo for runners to celebrate their accomplishments. There will also be a virtual reality component allowing runners to create avatars who can navigate through the virtual SCSM route in real time, competing with fellow runners. Planning for the race is still ongoing, and more details will be shared soon. Runners and partners are encouraged to stay updated for the latest information from SCSM’s digital platforms, as well as official government platforms and recommendations to keep the risk of transmission low.

Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, commented, “The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon will be a unique experience this year. With the launch of new innovative solutions, we will be able to continue training and connecting with fellow runners and athletes from around the world. I thank the organisers and sponsors for supporting the Marathon, and for bringing people together through sport!”

Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board said, “The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is a key highlight of our sporting calendar. We are glad to partner IRONMAN Asia and our tourism industry to continue and present this year’s race in a new and innovative format, given the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re also excited for the international community to discover Singapore’s hidden gems virtually as they explore our city from wherever they are in the world.”

Going the distance with Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank, who has been the event title sponsor since 2002, also announced their continued support of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon till 2023. In the past 18 years, the event has grown in both size and stature to become a signature racing event in the region on the global running calendar. Participation numbers have grown nine times in the last 18 years – the 2019 edition welcomed over 50,000 local and international participants from across 133 countries.

Patrick Lee, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited, said, “’Here for good’ is what we stand for as a brand at Standard Chartered. In these challenging times, it is ever more important for us to reinforce our commitment to our partners and community.

“Our decision to continue supporting the race has never wavered as we understand the role sport plays in building social bonds and community resilience. Our continued commitment is our way of saying, ‘Thank You’ to our partners, government stakeholders and runners who have helped us build Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon to what we know of it today.”

For more information on the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and the SCSM Virtual Club, please visit www.singaporemarathon.com/

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