These marathon runners will give up their personal best to save a life

New: You can now listen to articles.

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: Running a marathon is tough. It's even tougher in hot and humid Singapore, where medical emergencies such as heat stroke, dehydration and fainting are not uncommon.

In rare cases, runners can even go into cardiac arrest.

In December 2024, a participant died after crossing the finish line of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, the third death in the race's history. A few months later, during the 2XU Compression Run in April 2025, a 23-year-old died while running the 21.1km category race.

During the Standard Chartered Half Marathon last year, local media reported that a runner collapsed midway, received first aid such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from other runners, and subsequently survived. 

This year, the new organisers of the BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by Adidas are looking to better tackle medical emergencies by introducing a "medic runner" category for the first time. 

Should any participant need medical assistance, these runners will act as first responders and attend to the runners. This could mean providing life-saving medical aid such as CPR.

These runners will be medically trained in the months leading up to the race, and will run alongside participants during the half-marathon on Dec 5 and full marathon on Dec 6. 

According to the event website, both distances are sold out. Sign-ups for the medic runner category are also closed. 

CEO of SG International Marathon Pte Ltd Leon Lai said that the inspiration for this new category came from similar races held overseas, including the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Thailand.

"I thought that it was something really interesting that we could try and implement in Singapore, considering the fact that we have a challenging climate and we have a large number of people on the course," he said.

"I think no number of medical outposts or medical evacuation plans can replace the idea of having someone who's able to assist you on the course itself."

There will be no medic runners for the 10km and 5km race categories, as the organisers assessed there to be enough medical response units throughout the course for those distances.

STRICT REQUIREMENTS, MEDICAL TRAINING

The main perk for medic runners: free entry to the race.

But medic runners are not expected to run a personal best. During races, they are contractually required to stop their own run and help any stricken runners.

The medic runners programme, seen by CNA, states that medic runners are expected to "prioritise participant safety, incident response, escalation, handover and all medic runner duties over personal race timing, race performance, personal best, ranking, completion goals or any other personal sporting objective". 

Because of this, race organisers have stringent prerequisites for who gets to be a medic runner. 

For instance, the runner has to be a Singapore resident, so he or she can attend mandatory training sessions to learn medical skills and do practice runs to ensure they are ready for race day.

Mr Lai said that of the over 1,300 applications, just 238 medic runners were selected.

Singapore International Marathon partnered with Lentor Training Centre, a division of Lentor Ambulance, to provide the medical training.

The course covers a variety of skills, including administering CPR, bandaging of wounds, and treating people with allergies. 

Even medic runners who already have experience or qualifications in medical treatment or healthcare are required to go through the course.

This was the case for half-marathon participant Sabrina Zainol, a full-time nurse who attended the course earlier this month.

The 30-year-old told CNA that she had already been planning to participate in the half-marathon, but being a nurse motivated her to sign up as a medic runner as well. 

“If anything happens along the course, at least I can use my skills to good use.”

SEASONED RUNNERS ONLY

Other than medical skills, medic runners are also required to go for at least two running sessions held by race organisers.

The runners also have to prove that they have participated in long-distance races before – specifically, at least a 10km, a half marathon or a marathon, said Mr Lai.

This is so organisers can be sure that all medic runners understand when medical assistance is most required, and how arduous the experience can become for race participants, he said.

Race organisers also look at data from medic runners' exercise tracking apps such as Strava to ascertain if they are seasoned, he added.

For medic runner Ho Ket Hyun, this requirement is not an issue. The consultant in his 50s has participated in about 20 marathons in over as many years. 

Having seen many runners in need of medical aid during previous races, he signed up as a medic runner out of a desire to give back to the running community.

"At that time probably I didn't know enough to actually help out," he said. "That's why I was looking for how I could contribute (this time)."

Mr Ho joined one of the running trainings on Sep 12, where he tried on the yellow medic runner kit as well as a running vest with essential items such as bandages, ice packs and muscle cramps relief spray.

Asked if she would set aside her personal best to help someone in need, Ms Sabrina said that she would do so without thought.

"If I wanted to join as a normal participant, then I should have just gone for the normal sign-up," she said. "But because of my (nursing) background and my guilty conscience, I will forgo my personal best recordings or whatever and just attend to the emergency immediately."

Mr Ho echoed these sentiments.

"It's okay if I can have a personal best – but if not, if I need to help people out, I think that's more meaningful," he said.