Ethel Tseng
Published
Read AI summary on Stomp Bites
Nearly 100 people took part in an indoor running session at Marina Square on the morning of Oct 24, as two local running clubs moved their training indoors amid unhealthy air quality across Singapore.
The runners said the experience was a refreshing change, with some joking that they were breaking a childhood “rule” against running in shopping malls.
Local running community X-Run Singapore and Key Power Sports held their first indoor long-distance training session at Marina Square on Oct 17, with 20 members taking part.
At 7am on Oct 24, the PSI across Singapore remained in the unhealthy range of 115 to 142. X-Run organised a second indoor running session, this time joined by another running club
Indoor activities allow runners to continue preparing for marathons
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, X-Run head coach Zheng Xiu Quan (transliterated), 56, said many people had taken to patronising gyms as air quality worsened, making it difficult to secure a treadmill.
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At the same time, many runners were preparing for year-end marathons, with some covering up to 30km during weekend runs. Spending extended periods on treadmills could leave large patches of sweat behind, while occupying a machine for too long could inconvenience other gym users.
Zheng felt running indoors was a better option, which allowed runners to continue preparing for marathons in a safe and cool environment.
Over 30 X-Run members turned up for the Oct 24 session, eight of whom opted to run outdoors. The rest followed a designated route on the second floor of Marina Square.
Their sessions lasted between 90 and 130 minutes.
About 60 runners from Singapore Runners Club also took part in the indoor session.
Its founder, 52-year-old Eugene Beh, told the Chinese daily that the club had amassed more than 17,000 members since it was established seven years ago. This was the first time it had moved its training indoors because of the haze.
He said the idea came to him after learning about X-Run’s indoor session the previous week.
Zheng added that limited space in the mall meant it could not accommodate too many runners, forcing him to turn down another running group that had also expressed interest in training indoors.
Runners enjoy novel experience
Nathan (transliterated), a 32-year-old senior analyst, said with a laugh that he had been warned as a child not to run around shopping malls, and finally got to do so during the training session.
Sales manager Zeng Guo Fu (transliterated), 61, who was taking part in an indoor long-distance run for the first time, also found it a refreshing experience.
“I was as happy as a child. Running on a treadmill requires a lot of self-discipline as you are running on the spot. The indoor running experience is much better,” he said.
The Oct 24 session was also the first time 54-year-old retiree Huang Bing Ji had tried indoor running, despite having run for more than 20 years.
He had resorted to running on a treadmill the previous week because of the haze, but found the experience dull.
“Running on a treadmill is monotonous, like a hamster running on a wheel. With indoor long-distance running, you have others running alongside you, which gives you more motivation and makes the experience more interesting,” he said.
Mall sets aside space for Hyrox training
Marina Square has been working with tenant X-Run Singapore to organise running activities since September, said a spokesperson from the mall.
The indoor running session was part of the mall’s efforts to support its tenants and promote healthy living. Activities were also scheduled from 7am to 9am, before the mall opened to patrons at 10am.
Participants were also required to run in smaller groups and had to purchase insurance to ensure their safety, according to the spokesperson.
They added that the mall was developing a training and fitness space specifically designed for Hyrox fitness competitions, with plans to host such events by the end of October.
Stomp has reached out to Marina Square for more information.
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