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RunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running MagazineRunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running Magazine
Home»Highlight»Special Feature: Singapore Running Clubs
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Special Feature: Singapore Running Clubs

Shaun LinBy Shaun LinDecember 24, 2011Updated:March 5, 20166 Mins Read
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Special Feature: Singapore Running Clubs
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So you’ve picked up running lately, grown to love it, but you’re without friends who share the same passion. Join a running club! From where we stand, registering for a race is just part of the spectrum of offerings for you to get your endorphin fix – although there are races almost every other week.

At a club, you’ll get to experience the fast growing runner-camaraderie that’s gaining in lustre within Singapore’s context, where a sense of belonging is ever present. Whereas alone there might be little motivation to push those endurance limits, that void could be easily filled through the many training meetings and endless encouragement by fellow like-minded runners.

Look, we don’t mean to sound like paid ambassadors. It’s just that we believe you should never run alone. Our slogan, ‘Records are broken by bonds’, is a culmination of our conviction in this instance. In the spirit of sincerity, we’ve done some groundwork on your behalf. Below, you’ll find our picks. Of course, they represent RunSociety’s opinion, not that of the majority at large.

Running Lab (Running Club)

When RunSociety enquired with Running Lab on their weekly running programme, they were true to their self-bestowed title. Complementing their runs have been activities associated with the “science” facet of the sport such as nutrition testing. If you’ve not been to any of their outlets, they are marked prominently by the presence of a treadmill test machine which shop personnel employ to judge a person’s pronation and running style before they go on to recommend a suitable shoe.

Courtesy of Running Lab A recent nutrition testing cum night run sessionCourtesy of Running Lab
A recent nutrition testing cum night run session

The group meets twice a week:

  • Tuesdays, 6.30pm, at #01-47 Velocity @ Novena Square (Tel: 6253 1998)
  • Thursdays, 6.30pm, at #02-31 Funan DigitaLife Mall (Tel: 6336 6775)

Storage facilities for personal belongings will be provided so just come and be merry.

Team RunFanatics

They are as their name suggests: passionate runners who decided to come together in 2008 to get serious about the sport. Its founding can be said to have slight affiliations to Running Lab as the initial 15 members used to work there. (You’ve got to be an avid runner to even qualify for a job at Running Lab. That’s cred for you.) The club is headed up by Principal Coach Shanmugam B. who’s accredited by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

 Courtesy of Team Run. Fanatics Snapped at a KL run trip.Courtesy of Team Run
Fanatics Snapped at a KL run trip

What’s most impressive about Team RunFanatics is their extensive line-up of training regimes which includes twice a week group trainings, one-on-one sessions and customised programmes. You can visit their website to find out more: www.teamrunfanatics.com.sg

Team FatBird

How’s this for putting your leg-work where your mouth is? Team FatBird undertook pacing duties for the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Just this year, they were selected to do the same at the Sundown Marathon.

The focus of the club: group runs. Club representatives conduct weekly i-Runs for the Health Promotion Board, attracting 150 to 200 runners per session on average, as well as other FatBird Runs and Weekenders; most notably, the Weekender Run Series. Team Fat Bird recently concluded its four-leg Circle Line Weekender initiative (in conjunction with SMRT) which saw some 250 runners take part.

Courtesy of Team FatBird. The fourth leg of the Weekender Circle Line series.Courtesy of Team FatBird
The fourth leg of the Weekender Circle Line series

You should also know that Team FatBird organises marathon training programmes for local and overseas races. Up and coming would be Operation Kookaburra in preparation for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

“We work on the philosophy that we were all once unfit, and with the right encouragement and determination, everyone can become healthier and fitter than before. And therein lies the inspiration of our name, Team FatBird®.”

The above is an interesting outlook as quoted from their blog site: teamfatbird.blogspot.com. We like it. From a third party’s standpoint, it exudes warmth without any hints of elitism.

F1 Runners

We’ve spotted them at a couple of races dressed in their white and red attires. Frankly, they were the first to come to mind when RunSociety decided on putting this feature together.

F1 Runners was formed in 2008 by a team of experience runners (six in total), helmed by Lexxus Tan, to impart their knowledge and vast experience in training as well as running techniques to beginners. Their goal has been to help rookies in the scene excel in performance, injury-free. Today, the club boasts some 350 members, making it one of the largest in Singapore.

Courtesy of David Tan. Circuit training at MacRitchie Reservoir.Courtesy of David Tan
Circuit training at MacRitchie Reservoir

Believe it or not, the club has gone on to organise its very own races such as the F1 Nature Run (2010/2011), Tour de Trail (2010/2011) and F1 Marathon Time Trial (2011). In 2012, they’ll be introducing the F1 Fear Challenge Run and F1 Performance Run.

Here’s the club’s weekly training schedule:

  • Tuesdays, 6.45pm to 8.30pm – mostly running distances and speed endurance
  • Thursdays, 6.45pm to 8.30pm – mostly speed workouts done at the stadium
  • Saturdays, 7.00am to 9.30am – may comprise circuit training, hill training, speed endurance, long slow distance, beach training
  • Sundays, 7.00am to 9.30am – mostly long slow distance

To find out more, visit their website: www.f1runnersteam.blogspot.com

MacRitchie Runners25 (Singapore)

Some of us weren’t even born when MacRitchie Runners25 (MR25) came into existence more than 30 years back. Pioneers of the MacRitchie Reservoir route many of us are familiar with, these were the very people who laid the original planks down for the loops which were before, swampy areas.

MR25 has a stringent enrolment standards. You have to do a sub 25-minute five-kilometre time trial before you’re accepted. Most of the club’s members are way ahead of the cut-off time though. Take for example, the MR25 Elite 10K Race some weeks back. The average finishing time for both Men and Women (Open and Veteran) was 52min 32 sec. That’s 10 kilometres on trail terrain.

The yellow analogue: symbolic at any MR25 race
The yellow analogue: symbolic at any MR25 race

Ask around and you’ll find that MR25 is highly rated for their Tuesday Track Session and Thursday Graveyard Run. They work. And we can prove it. Dana and Nena Fritz, phenomenal American twin runners, shed an estimated three minutes off their five-kilometre times within nine months of joining the club.

Topping it off, for all their prowess in the speed endurance circle, they are a bunch of friendly and down-to-earth individuals. You’ll be able to find them at: www.mr25.org.sg

There are other clubs in Singapore that undoubtedly deserve to have themselves heard. Should you belong to any one of them and feel compelled to give a shout out, please feel free to do so in the comment box below.

Running Club
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Shaun Lin
Shaun Lin
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Years back, seeds were sown when Shaun undertook a marketing communications role at a Singapore-based sports distributorship. There, a couple of international sporting brands fell under his purview. He's made the decision to migrate to the receiving end since, placing himself right at the heart of true competition.

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View 6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Chin on December 25, 2011 12:25 pm

    Hey Lexus… how can you forgot to mention SAFRA Running Club? 😉

    Reply
  2. Runner on December 25, 2011 12:33 pm

    Definitely worth mentioning is Safra Running Club which has been in existence for more than 10 years
    SRC is made up of 5 clubs that cater to runners living in different parts of Singapore – Mt Faber, Yishun, Toa Payoh, Tampines & Jurong. All location clubs has official trainings on Tue and Thur and unoffically on Sunday.

    It is part of Safra and its key objective is to promote healthy living and lifestyle. As such, it does not have any minimum requirement entry and all you need to have is a desire to run. Training programs are structured, progressive and usually geared towards preparation for 2 key races ie Army Half Marathon and Stanchart Singapore Marathon. Runners are usually encouraged to train at their individual capacity and usually advised by trainers on how much they could or should do.

    Each location running club has a committee ensure that activities and training programs are in line with Safra guidelines. SRC is a non commercial entity and membership fees are only renewable on a 2 year term. It does not impose a training fee.

    SRC is probably the biggest running club in Singapore and should be included in your list of mention.

    Reply
  3. roonz on December 25, 2011 9:20 pm

    just a suggestion. personally i think it doesn’t make sense to rank the clubs cos different clubs are catered to different runners’ needs, plus some are commercial in nature, some are not. so there’s no real basis for comparison.

    keep up the good work! i enjoying reading the articles on this site 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jurong Lake Running Club on December 27, 2011 12:06 pm

    Jurong Lake Running Club (JLRC), co- organized by Taman Jurong CSC and WCSH, was formed recently to help runners train up for runnings events as well as to keep fit. At present, our training sessions are conducted at Japanese Garden, every Saturday evenings from 5pm to 7.30pm, with experienced peer trainers to guide and pace members. JLRC adopts a well structured training program and offers five types of training sessions- long distance, circuit, fatlek, interval and strengthening training.

    You’ve heard it before — “Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail”. Train with us for Jurong Lake Run 2012 or any running event today and we will help you improve your running timing!

    To register for a free trial, all you need to do is input “FREEJLRC” as the code.

    More information on the running club can be found at http://www.8packs.com/jlrc.

    Reply
  5. Theodore on May 15, 2012 2:42 pm

    Surprised to see that F1 Runners listed as number 2, they should be not listed at all. Last week I got again an encounter with them at MacRitchie. I was walking around with my kid and the entire group of runners was running towards us. Instead of making space for us and passing us in one line, they forced me and my kid to go on the grass or else they would run over us.

    This is NOT the first time it happened with this same group of runners. A few weeks ago they ran almost over my 5 year old kid, if I didn’t grab him on time away, they would hit him. Nobody of this group stops then for a moment and will say sorry… no they think they are everything as group and other people have to make space for them… A very arrogant selfish attitude what I do not call runners worthy!!!

    Yes its nice to run as a group together but don’t forget that parks are also playgrounds of kids, elderly and people who enjoy walking instead of running. You as runner are much faster and a collision can cause many injuries, especially with kids. A group of runners is even much more dangerous… I have seen other groups running around and they always change into one line when they pass kids, they all make space except the F1 Runners…

    ps. its indeed not necessary to list runner clubs as a ranking list… it’s not a competition and it just depends where people have fun with… it should be more a directory of running clubs and ALL clubs listed just above mentioned clubs… just my 2 cents…

    Reply
  6. annie on May 15, 2012 10:41 pm

    I never quite trust such rankng. It could be biased due connections or even a paid write up, who’s to know? However, it is unbecoming of big running grp hoarding e whole passage way n is even more inconsiderate to not watch out for kids.

    Reply

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