The reasons behind sudden cardiac death are still not fully understood, and I believe, the cause of death cannot be simply attributed to runners straining their bodies to beat the 10-minute gold cut-off.

Even those jogging at a leisurely pace, with or without underlying, undiagnosed heart conditions may succumb.

The 2.4km standard has been around since I did my national service stint (at least 12 years ago), which clearly indicates that other factors contribute to the recent spate of unfortunate deaths.

Also, it is already logistically difficult to get national servicemen away from their busy work and family commitments to attempt their annual Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).

Extending the time and distance of the run, the main hurdle for many NSmen, will only deter us from doing the test at all.

We should focus on safety issues instead of speculating on reasons behind the sudden death syndrome, given its unclear aetiology.

We should also refrain from offering impractical suggestions that have no guarantee of alleviating the problem.

Mark Wong Hsien Wu