SINGAPORE - Rain did not stop 3,000 participants from having a wet and wild time at the eighth edition of the Men's Health Urbanathlon on Saturday (March 4).

However some stations were closed intermittently as a safety precaution due to the wet weather.

For the first time, the obstacle run was held in Orchard Road, with its estimated 12km course passing through four zones - Tanjong Pagar Centre, the field opposite Marina Bay Financial Tower 3, the field opposite Golden Landmark Shopping Complex and culminating in Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.

Starting at 9am at Ngee Ann City, and with 14 waves of runners leaving every half-hourly, participants were required to use their physical and mental prowess to pass through the obstacles placed at each zone.

With several stations closed at stages owing to the rain, the race organisers announced that obstacles will be open until 7.30pm.

At Tanjong Pagar Centre, runners had to climb 37 storeys up Singapore's new tallest building, which stands at 290 metres. At Marina Bay, they used their agility to get past obstacles like barricades and a ladder made of tyres. Proceeding to Golden Landmark, they were greeted by a maze which has challenges such as a monkey bar and tyre swing in store.

The highlight of the event is the final zone at Ngee Ann City where runners had to run up a 3.6m high Warped Wall.

Despite the interruption, participants have largely enjoyed this year's Urbanathlon.

Denzil Kiang, a 29-year-old dentist who is running in his third Urbanathlon, said: "The camaraderie was excellent with competitors encouraging each other. The vertical marathon was the hardest and I was quite tired after that.

But he was disappointed that he could not run up the Warped Wall due to the weather.

"But I'm a little disappointed that I was unable to try the Warped Wall. That is the last obstacle and the main selling point of the race," he said.