Come July 16, most of the participants of the Straits Times Run will be trying to celebrate at the Padang, after completing the run categories they signed up for.
For Pang Zhi Han, however, the run will have extra meaning, as the 31-year-old is born on the same date as when The Straits Times was founded - July 15.
Said the IT engineer, who will be taking part in his second ST Run in the 18.45km category: "It's always interesting finding out your birthday coincides with something important or famous.
"The ST Run is definitely how I usually celebrate my birthdays. A shopping spree or feast feels pretty unearned to me.
"I enjoy running. Not competitively nor from a fitness perspective, but just purely putting one foot in front of the other until the distance is up."
He is one of the seven participants who won a Mobot personal mobility device from the early bird lucky draw, having registered for the ST Run before May 15.
For fellow lucky draw winner See Leng Tat, the ST Run is an opportunity to continue his interest in running.
The bank executive had stopped exercising regularly after his daughter was born in 2014, and it was only at the start of this year when he found enough time to run again .
Said the 31-year-old, who runs at least 5km to 15km, five times a week: "I didn't really have enough time to commit myself to this kind of (intensive) training programme after my daughter was born.
"But now that she is older, I generally have more time on my hands to train at least half an hour to an hour a day."
He hopes to get himself into better shape through various runs this year, which is why he signed up for the 18.45km competitive run.
He said: "My target will be anything below two hours. I've tried pacing myself and that (timing) will be something that I'll be very comfortable with.
"I'm aiming towards completing half and full marathons this year, and this (ST Run) will be my first target - to complete a (distance) longer than five or 10km."
Sign up now for the ST Run at www.straitstimesrun.com and stand a chance to win the grand prize of a Panasonic 65-inch 4K Oled television, worth $10,999.
