A RECORD of more than 65,000 participants showed up on Sunday for the 15th Safra Sheares Bridge Run & Army Half Marathon on 27th August 2006, Sunday.
Runners / Marathoners are running and walking and jogging all the way toSheares Bridge, which is so near to Esplanada. Even young kids also partipanted this even.
This is the orginal route map of SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run 2006 which showed the different colours of different routes like 21km, 10km and 6km.
Took picture of this stuffs at home and this is my 2nd certification of completed running 10km finally.
Thanks to Benny's army friend who suggested this and he asked me if I wanted to partipant in or not. Come to think about my first time I joined running 5km in same event (Safra Sheares Bridge) in either 1999. I still remember that I finished running 5km by only 25 minutes when I was only Secondary 3.
Running had become my long term passion when I passed my first record for 2.4km which clocked 12.05s when I was in Secondary 2. Then Miss Tan (my PE teacher) asked me to join her club (Cross Country Club) which was my 3rd ECA. Grateful to her that she did not mind my hearing condition and allowed me to join her club. I was extremely happy and went to MacRitches Reservoir every saturday morning with students together.
Not only this, I also joined another Track & Field Club at Singapore Recreation Committee for Deaf from 1998 to 2001. I partipanted many events such as 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m and 4x100m relay. Of course, I once won alot of Gold and Shiver medals tally about 30 for 3 years. But I threw it away as it left me no meaningful as those years I only partipanted in handicapped events.
Lucky my former coach recommended me to partipant in 5km SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run 1999. This was my 1st chance which I was not going to miss it out. So give it a try.
After completed running 5km, it has boosted my confidence and also seen alot of hearing people who running all the way with me. With my hearing impaired did not affect me when I was running on the road. I depend on my hearing aids to alert me.
Then by the time when come to 2001, I quitted from Track & Field Club due to my studies & working commitments that dragged me deeply. Nearly lost passion in running then switched to play bowling.
However running is still remain inside me and it never fade away from me. Just that I have no friends who love running as much as I do. I am only one person who loves sports rather than my friends. So I tried my best to pick up again and started running alone to build up my strength and stamina.
Now I am already late 20s, still can running...shhehehehe.... Then finally time flies fast. It will be my 2nd time - I decided to sign up the recent event 15th SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run 2006, together with my dear and his army friends.
On actual 27th August 2006, when I was walking on the road, I prayed and talked to my heart that I will perserve my strength & stamina to finish the 10km route. Last time was 5km. Admitted that I have not train myself earlier before this event.
Seen very biggest crowd 65,000...wow... gotta to give myself a best and wanted to challenge myself to run with those army guys and regular runners. I do not care if I cant hear or need help from people just becoz of my deafness. So what ?? It is not my first time anyway.
Then when come to start point, we all were prepared to run but I was blocked all those army guys and I had to struggle through many guys to speed up running.
Running....running....sweating....hold my perserve tightly and never never stop at half way... then saw the white sign which showed the route 1km to 10km. I kept running till saw 3km...and notice many people started to walk and ended up blocking me....admitted it irrirated me much...
Then I keep running past those slow runners or walker behind me and then soon went up to Sheares Bridge and said to myself to go up faster..becoz there is the 2nd or 3rd water point to grab drink.... thristy & sweating over my body..
Still keep on running non stop and never expected that rain started very heavily.. still i had to run non stop.. but noticed many people took short cut or took shelter from rain... When came to Suntec City, also seen group of army guys stopped there and looking me...Ignored them and gotta to run run run run run.....
Finally saw the sign 6km past, I told Benny that we got 4km more to go..We all nodding and running all the wet road during rainy day. Ran past Republic Avenue and Marina Promenada, my legs started to feel very exhausted and even my wet shoes too heavy to run faster. Feeling very very tired and nearly wanted to take some walks..but refused as I said must perserve myself already... Thought of take out of my wet shoes and ran on bare foot but cannot... No choice, keep on running all the way along Marina Promenada.
Till we came very close to the Esplanada, then the sign showed 500m to go... I started to hold breathe and ran abit faster to end the long sweating & suffering 10km route.....I screamed at benny to run faster with me...
Finally closer to 10km finish point, I ran like a mad to the end.....After finishing 10km clocked in 1 hour 15 mins, I was very happy and hugged benny. Then my feets started swollen due to wet shoes during wet rainy.
After that, we went to Shaw Towner to change clothes and slippers....gosh..saw my water bruises on my feets... crying... then suddenly my both legs aching...painful... Limping walk all the way to sentosa to relax and played in sea abit.... Now I understand the meaniningful of "No Pain & No Gain".
Then Benny asked me about the next event - Standard Chartered Run 2006 which is on 3rd December 2006 if i not wrong ...gosh...^_^"....undecided to run 10km competitive or fun run 21km.
Looking forward to this event..... I gotta to prepare early run training as I want to try finish 10km run by less than 60mins will be the greatest achieve to me... sheehehe ...will try my best..
See you at next coming - Standard Chartered Run 2006 on 3rd December 2006...
This picture is such a good photo taken. The guy has a real spirit look of winning the completed route. But to my other 2nd option, he looked like feeling very exhausted and even his eyes closed tightly... I will said THUMB UP to the person who took this excellent picture.
This is the original route map of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2006. But this map looks more tough than the route map of SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run 2006. Gotta to read this map over many times in order to get familiar with it. 
