SINGAPORE- Residents of Singapore will enjoy cheaper rates at this year's Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS).
For example, super early bird registration fees for the full marathon will cost $70 while foreigners will pay $95.
This was to keep the runs affordable and accessible to encourage further participation among those living in Singapore, said organisers.
Another change will be that unlike in previous years, the 2015 SCMS will be held over two days in December.
The 750m Kids Dash is now a standalone event held at the Sports Hub on Dec 5 while the remaining adult categories- full and half marathon, Ekiden (a six-man team format) and 10km run- will take place the next day. Race routes for these events will be disclosed at a later date.
To commemorate the Republic's jubilee year, the first 200 applicants at Thursday's launch event at Plaza Singapura received a 50 per cent discount off their registration fee and a limited edition golden bib.
The queue this year was smaller compared to previous editions thanks to the introduction of the digital queue which began on June 29. By collecting points from the various social media platforms, participants received higher priority in the registration process.
The first 10 in the digital queue will enjoy the privilege of beginning on the start line alongside the elite runners while the top-100 had their registration fees wavered.
A total of 60,000 slots are available across the five race categories for the mass participation event, which has been awarded International Association of Athletics Federation Gold Label status since 2012.
Now into its 14th year, the SCMS also offers a platform for charity and raised more than $370 000 last year for charitable causes.
For more information on registration prices and the various race categories, go online at marathonsingapore.com.
