Singapore’s runners overcome constraints to train for World Mountain and Trail Running C’ships debut

SINGAPORE – On a rainy Sunday morning, Bukit Timah Hill was quieter than usual.

The steady downpour had thinned the weekend crowd, but it did not keep Lim Wen Yi and Chew Jing Yan away.

For these two ultra-trail runners, Bukit Timah Hill is one of their regular training grounds, where they run multiple loops for as long as six hours in a single training session.

Such training is necessary as they are part of a 20-strong team from Singapore heading to the Sept 25-28 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain.

They will be participating in the 44.5km short trail event, which has an elevation gain of 3,657m.

Lim said: “This is a very competitive race so the goal is definitely to be able to finish strong and cross the finish line.

“In Singapore, we train with a lot of constraints – to be able to cross that finish line is really a huge win for people who do not live in these kinds of native environments.”

At 163.63m above sea level, Bukit Timah Hill is the highest natural peak in Singapore.

While it may not replicate exactly what they face overseas, it is still a crucial part of the duo’s routine as they make adaptations around the Republic’s geographical limitations.

They also train at places such as Mount Faber and Fort Canning Park.

Singapore’s trail runners sometimes organise day trips across the Causeway to Gunung Pulai and Gunung Lambak in Johor, where there are higher peaks with more demanding terrain.

In Gunung Pulai, they tackle a 5km tarmac slope, while Gunung Lambak offers a jungle trail that involves scrambling – using their hands and feet to navigate terrain that requires more than just walking.

In addition, some climb stairwells in high-rise buildings during their lunch breaks, while others experiment with hypoxia training, simulating high-altitude, low-oxygen environments.

These efforts are important in the lead-up to the WMTRC, where a challenging trail awaits.

Nestled in the Pyrenees mountains, the course is expected to comprise ridges, rocks and boulders that require scrambling.

Chew said: “The trails in Singapore I like to call urban trails – they’re very sanitised, manicured. When you’re overseas, it’s where you get to experience real trails.”

Lim experienced something similar a few months ago in a race in Andorra, also in the Pyrenees, one she described as her toughest race.

Midway through the race, she fell, but even as she experienced muscle spasms, the rocky terrain made it difficult for her to do proper stretches, leaving her hobbling through some sections of the course.

That shaped her training approach for the WMTRC, with Lim placing emphasis on building resistance to muscular fatigue by climbing stairs and running slopes.

Along with the physical strain, the endodontist – a specialist dentist – noted that it is also a mental game.

The 37-year-old said: “You never know when that good race will come, you never know when the race plan will be thrown out.

“It requires someone with a strong mindset to really finish what they started.”

But she enjoys the challenge.

Her foray into the sport began with her love for adventure.

Since 2023, she has travelled to Mont Blanc and the Dolomites during the European summer, spending a week fast-packing, an outdoor activity that combines ultralight backpacking with trail running.

Chew stumbled into the sport by accident. While in Sapa with a friend in 2022, they came across the Vietnam Mountain Marathon and signed up for the 21km race on a whim.

Armed with regular running shoes, no hydration vest and just a 1.5-litre water bottle, he thought it would be manageable given that he had completed similar distances on the road within two hours.

But it took him seven hours and the entire sole of his shoe came off after the race.

Three years on, he is excited to be making his WMTRC debut.

The finance associate, 29, said: “It’s a very big stage and there’s going to be a very high level of competition, so there’s definitely some sense of fear, some anxiety but also excitement because this is the first time Singapore is going to be represented – there’s some pride in there that we’re going to be on the same stage as the best trail and mountain runners in the world.”

Apart from the short trail event that the pair are taking part in, there are four other categories – uphill 6k (6.4km), long trail 82k (81.2km), Under-20 8k (7.8km) and classic 14k (14.3km).

After seeing their South-east Asian counterparts participate in the 2023 WMTRC in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria, Singapore Ultra Runners Association (Sura) president Alex Ang said the goal was to also get the Republic’s runners on the world stage.

Sura vice-president Wong Lay Hoon added: “When we go for our own races, we take the flag but it’s not the same. When you’re representing Singapore, what you want to do is for Singapore and not just for yourself.”

Noting “steady growth” in the local scene, Ang said that the vision is to make ultra-running more inclusive while also raising Singapore’s competitive standards.

He said: “We want to grow women’s and youth participation, nurture talent pipelines and see Singapore represented proudly at the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships and WMTRC.

“Beyond that, we’re working with federations across Asia and International Trail Running Association on a bigger dream: trail running in the SEA Games, and eventually, the Olympics.”