Lifestyle

5 Trails in S’pore That Allow You To Train For The 42.125KM StandChart Marathon Comfortably

2019-04-10 , 2:00 am

Training for a long distance event? IPPT? Or the Standard Chartered 42.125km marathon specifically? Which, by the way, is happening on 30 Nov 2019 (TBA).

It’s possible to train for a marathon even when you’re limited to a 400-metre running track. But running 100 rounds to train for a marathon isn’t just excruciating, it’s mind-numbingly tedious.

And I bet you can’t keep track of the number of rounds you’ve run unless you’ve a GPS watch.

Not to mention the boring, repetitive “view” you’ll be seeing for hours.

So here are five trails in Singapore that can help you train for the StandChart marathon without losing your mind.

1. Green Corridor (24km)

The Green Corridor is a 24km route that runs across Singapore, between the old Tanjong Pagar Rail station in the South and the border of Malaysia in the North. The trail is actually the former rail tracks of the Singapore-Malayan Peninsula railway line, and the tracks are still preserved there.

This trail used to be very famous for its Green Corridor Runs, which was a 10.5km run that spanned from Tanjong Pagar Rail Station to the old Bukit Timah Rail Station.

Currently, the southern stretch of the Rail Corridor is closed for PUB pipeline works, but the northern stretch is still open.

While training along this route, you can also see different landmarks such as Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple, Sungei Pang Sua, Sri Murugan Hill Temple and more.

Cool, right?

2. Coast to Coast (C2C) (36km)

View of the walkway in the park from the water

This 36km trail stretches across Singapore and takes visitors on a scenic route along different parks, park connectors, nature areas, urban spaces and places of interest.

Some of these places include Jurong Lake Gardens, Bukit Batok Nature Park and Coney Island. The route is between Jurong Lake Gardens in the west to Coney Island Park in the northeast.

If you’re looking for a scenic route with wildlife, this one is for you.

3. East Coast Park (23km)

This trail is approximately 23km (22.7km to be exact), and spans across the whole park. If you love going to the beach, this trail offers sights of the beach and a jetty. It is 21km worth of pavement for you to run on.

Since it’s located right next to a beach, you can expect a breezy run when you visit. There is also a variety of recreational activities and dining outlets for you to go to while unwinding after a run. There is no specific starting point, and you can start wherever you arrive because the track is looped.

According to some NSmen in the office, this is the route they used to train for their Army Half Marathon, and here’s one feedback from an old NSman:

“Not bad, when I was an NSF, I actually looked forward to running there every week because there were girls—”

Sorry, I’ve to cut him off but you get the gist.

4. The North Eastern Riverine Loop (26km)

Located near Buangkok MRT station, this 26km trail stretches across 4 different parks. While on this route, you can run across the heartlands of Buangkok, Sengkang and Punggol. Besides that, it continues into the more rustic areas such as Punggol Beach, Punggol Promenade and Lorong Halus Wetland.

The start point of the route is Punggol Park via Serangoon Park Connector and ends at Punggol Waterway Park. If you’re looking to explore routes that aren’t that common, this one is for you.

5. MacRitchie Reservoir (10km)

If you’re looking for a simpler distance to run, MacRitchie Reservoir is a 10km running trail.

On this trail, you can experience nature’s biodiversity in a forest trail while having a view of the reservoir. This is also a popular destination for runners to go to for their runs as it is located in the central. It is also fully equipped with food kiosks, lockers, coolers, toilets and shower facilities for you to use after a run.

And if you can even go up to the famous Treetop Walk!

So, whoever is reading is and has started to train for it…

Are you ready?