More than 41,000 people laced up their running shoes yesterday for the 26th Safra Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon. This year, participation among families of Singapore Armed Forces full-time and operationally ready national servicemen reached a record high of over 7,400 - 40 per cent more than last year. Jointly organised by Safra and the Singapore Army, the event encourages NSFs, NSmen and their families to keep fit and bond as they train and run. The event, which had the theme "Together we run", took place in the Marina Bay area.

Minister for Defence and chairman of the Safra board of governors Ng Eng Hen was at the event, as well as Senior Minister of State for Defence and Safra president Maliki Osman (above), who flagged off the Families for Life 800m Challenge. The run set a new participation record of 3,600 NSmen and their families. It also broke the Singapore record for the largest mass run in which runners wore masks, with over 1,300 runners wearing specially designed, superhero-themed event T-shirts and masks. The previous record, set in 2014, saw 1,191 masked participants.