Runners for a cause
Raise funds while keeping fit during a pandemic? SMOO Challenge — SMU’s annual fundraiser event, did just that in 2021. To fete the University’s 21st anniversary, participants comprising SMU students, alumni, faculty, staff and members of the public were rallied to cover 50,000km — that’s one way around the globe —on foot in September. The local community was galvanised by the campaign and motivated by the bonus of boosting their mental and physical wellness while raising money for underprivileged students who have suffered from the economic downturn.
By the end of the challenge, 1,218 participants in more than 90 teams across 16 countries covered 57,346.35 km, setting a Singapore National Record of “Longest Distance Covered Online by Runners in 20 Days” along the way. Accolades aside, the road warriors raised a whopping $413,000 through participation fees, community donations, fundraising efforts by SMOO Challenge Fundraising Ambassadors, corporate donations, and matching funds from organisations.
Notably, the top four faculty and SMU staff logged a total of over 2,500km — in other words, they could have travelled from Singapore to Laos on foot. Who needs a plane ticket when you can traipse such distances like Renton Yap, Associate Director, Office of Advancement; Associate Professor Saw Cheng Lim, Yong Pung How School of Law; Angeline Raj, Associate Director, Office of Legal and General Affairs; and Vennila Vetrivillalan, Assistant Director (Data Analytics), Integrated Information Technology Services (IITS).
For Vennila, who signed up for the challenge along with her husband as part of the IITS team, taking part in the campaign was a good motivation for her to kickstart a fitness routine. Prior to the onset of Covid-19, she admitted to struggling during 2km runs, much less the 360.82km that she and hubby Chellaiah Sivakumar covered.
“This year, walking and exercise kept us mentally fit,” shares Vennila, who started exercising weekly during the pandemic.
“But my workload was also at its peak. A week before the finish date, I had only completed 50km. I was on the verge of giving up but pushed myself to go for both morning and evening walks and managed to finish the 100 km committed.”
Running enthusiast Renton, on the other hand, started his love for trail and ultrarunning — which refers to any race beyond a traditional marathon — in 2018 and competed in eight races a year before the onset of the pandemic. Last year, he covered over 730km during the SMOO Challenge and was determined to beat his personal record. He usually runs six days a week, alternating between road running, short tempo runs, or longer distances of up to 40km.
“The routes I take are generally the same and spans 30 to 40km from my neighbourhood in Upper Bukit Timah to town and back,” reveals Renton, who admits to being apprehensive about committing to 1,000km for this year’s challenge, but topped the leader board for staff and faculty by completing 1,000.2km by the end of the challenge.
“I also covered some of these as loops around MacRitchie Reservoir and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. I would make it a point to wake up at 4am to run so that I can finish by 8.30am and be ready for work. I will usually cover the remaining distance in the evening once I am done with work.”
The best part about this annual challenge is how it caters to athletes of all fitness levels: There were six race categories — 5km, 10km, 21km, 50km, 100km and 210km to be completed over 21 days. Every kilometre clocked made a positive impact as donations from SMOO Partners were unlocked upon hitting specific distance milestones as a community, which went towards the SMU Bursary Fund to help students in financial need. Furthermore, the Tote Board matched the funds raised dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact towards a meaningful cause.
Since it was a virtual race, runners were also able to tailor the distances covered according to their schedules. Angeline, for example, ran, jogged and brisk walked most of 601.49km she completed at Bishan Park, which is located near her home. She juggled her workouts with working from home, helping her daughter prep for her PSLE exam, and “never-ending chores and errands”.
“Before the race, I used to cover at least 10km each time I went to the park, about four times a week. During the race, I either doubled or tripled that distance, each day,” says Angeline, who usually visited Bishan Park early in the morning from 5am, or in the evenings.
“I really feel invigorated after a good cardio session, and it keeps me active throughout the day. This is the feeling that keeps me motivated and helps me wake up early in the morning, which admittedly can be difficult on some days.”
Taking on the challenge as part of a journey towards reaching a personal milestone also seemed to be a trend for SMOO high achievers. Assoc Prof Saw, who regularly runs, swims and goes to the gym, ran almost daily during the 21-day challenge, with only two days of rest. During his final session on 24 September, he decided to accomplish his longest run ever, and set off at 2.30pm before completing 104.05km by 11.30pm that night.
“I had intended to commemorate the completion of my second decade at SMU last year by organising or taking part in something meaningful,” says Assoc Prof Saw.
“Having set a realistic target of 100km in the first instance, I told myself that I aimed to clock as much mileage as I possibly could — minimally 100km but that should not deter me from going the extra mile, just to test and challenge my own (physical and mental) limits. Little did I imagine that I would eventually complete more than 800km over the three weeks!”
