SingaporeMotherhood | Family Fun
November 2016
14 Charity Runs & Walks That Will Help You Stay Active While Bonding with Your Kids
Have you noticed the surge in the number of runs happening on the weekends in Singapore over the past couple of years? There appears to be at least one taking place on each weekend of the calendar year! Considering that us Singaporeans are such foodies, we would say it’s definitely a move in the right direction to blast those extra calories!
So what if we told you that you could keep your waistline in check, contribute to those in need, and bond with your family (kids included, of course) all at the same time? Sounds good, yes? Well, you had better whip out your smartphones to start locking in dates into your calendar then. Oh, and if you are currently out of shape, it would be wise to start hitting the gym soon for these 14 charity runs and walks will be happening over the next year!
(See also: Fitness for Kids: It’s Never Too Early!)
1. Race Against Hunger 2016
Did you know that some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life? That’s about one in nine people on earth! So how about counting your blessings and doing your part to help the underprivileged by taking part in the Race Against Hunger? It’s organised in support of the United Nations World Food Programme and your contribution will go towards preventing the deaths of children worldwide (about 3.1 million each year) as a result of poor nutrition. If you are unable to take part, donations are also welcome!
All participants will receive a Compressport Dry-Fit T-Shirt, a drawstring bag and a Finisher’s Medal upon completion!
When: Saturday, 19 November 2016
Where: Gardens by The Bay, Silver Leaf
Distances: 1.6km (Child Run/Kids Dash), 5km and 10km
How much: $30 for children and $45 for adults
2. Santa Run for Wishes Singapore 2016
Here’s one of those charity runs that will put you in the festive mood, if you aren’t already in one. Following two successful runs at Marina Bay and Sentosa, Santa Run for Wishes returns for more festive goodwill this year! This time, it will be at the Gardens by The Bay where beautiful pavilions, lush open lawns, and towering palm trees await. After the run, treat yourself and the kids to a Christmas Carnival which will feature game stalls, kiddy stalls, bouncy castles, and more!
Where will your proceeds go? To Make-A-Wish Singapore, which grants the wishes of children and youth with life-threatening medical conditions. This run also gives you a chance to play Santa – all runners are welcome to bring a gift which will go to the beneficiaries of Make-A-Wish Singapore! What’s more, NTUC Fairprice Foundation will pledge $10 for every gift brought. Oh, by the way, the race tees come in highly adorable Santa, Elf, Snowman and Gingerbread Man designs!
When: Saturday, 26 November 2016
Where: Gardens by The Bay East
Distances: 2km and 5km
How much: $38 for children (aged 4 – 11) and $48 for adults, family package: $172 for two adults and two children
(See also: Buy Gifts that Give Back This Christmas!)
3. Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2016
Parents and little ones attending the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) Kids Dash this year are in for a treat! For the first time ever, the 600 metre Kids Dash is all set to take place along Orchard Road which will be specially closed for the occasion. Kids will get to be thematically dressed in elf-inspired green SCMS t-shirts and get this, reindeer antlers (how cute) and race amidst the sparking Christmas lights from outside Ngee Ann City towards the finish line at ION Orchard!
Ngee Ann Civic Plaza will be transformed into a great Christmas carnival packed with family-friendly activities like face painting, Hoop-The-Snowman, performances by juggling elves, and meet-and-greet sessions with Santa Claus! This year, SCMS is encouraging its participants to dedicate their run to a special cause by creating their very own fundraising page in just a few clicks! All pages will be hosted on GIVE Asia, the event’s official fundraising platform. So take the lead and start thinking of a charitable cause!
When: Saturday, 3 December 2016
Where: Orchard Road
Distances: 600m (Kids Dash), 10km, 21km and 42km
How much: $25 for children and starting from $75 for adults
4. Project Happy Feet Slipper Race 2016
In case you weren’t aware, the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race is Singapore’s only non-competitive walk. Fully run by volunteers, all ticket proceeds this year will be contributed to education and training programmes run by Beyond Social Services (Singapore) and This Life Cambodia. And yes, as the name of the race suggests, you’ll be walking in… slippers! Why slippers, you ask?
Well, can you imagine walking about three to six kilometres daily in slippers or barefoot to get to school everyday? That’s the exact reality of the underprivileged children in countries like Cambodia and you’re invited to – quite literally – walk in their shoes to experience a part of their life. By walking a similar distance here in Singapore, Project Happy Feet hopes to inspire people to make education a reality for the less fortunate.
When: Saturday, 10 December 2016
Where: SAFRA Punggol, Punggol Waterway Park
Distance: 3.5km
How much: $15 for children (aged 4 – 12), $30 for students and $40 for adults
5. Run for Light 2017
Run for Light aims to empower and support the community of the visually impaired by helping to create sufficient awareness amongst the public as well as to raise funds. This is your chance to support the Guide Dogs Association of the Blind (GDAB) and to be one of their strong advocates! To make things more interesting and meaningful, are you up for the challenge of a Blindfold Walk? You’ll need a partner to register for this. One of you will be blindfolded while it is the other’s duty to lead the way for a distance of a kilometre.
A beautifully designed Run for Light race tee as well as a Compressport drawstring bag filled with goodies from sponsors await all participants. Are you ready to spread the light?
When: Saturday, 14 January 2017
Where: Gardens by The Bay East
Distances: 1km (Blindfold Walk), 5km (Fun Run) and 10km (Individual Open)
How much: $68 per pair for Blindfold Walk, $38 for Fun Run, and $45 for Individual Open
6. NUS BizAd Charity Run 2017
The NUS BizAd Charity Run in 2017 will aim to raise funds for NUS Business School Study Bursaries as well as to support the Autism Resource Centre. Every $30,000 raised will generate an annual income to help a financially underprivileged student. Donations are also matched by the government – every dollar will be matched 1.5 times and donors will receive 250% tax deduction. If you can’t make it on race day, donations are most welcome via cheque.
Runners’ entitlements include a Compressport race tee, a finisher medal (10km Challenge), and a gym bag filled with goodies from sponsors!
When: Saturday, 14 January 2017
Where: Mochtar Riady Building, NUS Business School, 15 Kent Ridge Road
Distances: 5km (Fun Run) and 10km Challenge
How much: Fun Run: $30 (students), $40 (public), 10km Challenge: $40 (students), $50 (public)
7. Relay for Life 2017
Here’s another one of those charity runs that stand out from the crowd. Relay for Life 2017 will be a 17-hour event that will bring communities together to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors. It will serve as an opportunity to remember friends and loved ones who have succumbed to the disease and also fight back against a disease that has taken so much. Through this overnight event, the Singapore Cancer Society hopes to raise $800,000 to fund its programmes and services.
You can choose a time slot most convenient for you and your family; there are three in total: 5pm – 8pm (18 February), 8pm – 6am (overnight) and 6am – 10am (19 February). The runner’s entitlement comprises an event t-shirt, an exclusive goodie bag as well as an exclusive participating medal for the first 250 cancer survivors.
When: Saturday, 18 February 2017
Where: Bukit Gombak Stadium
How much: $15 for students and senior citizens (65 and above) and $25 for adults
8. Run for Hope 2017
Did you know that more than 10,000 Singaporeans are diagnosed with cancer each year? As such, it’s no longer rare to find someone you know or love who has been affected by the life-threatening disease. But all is not lost – with advances in science and cancer research it won’t be long before a medical breakthrough is made. What can you and your family do till then? Show your support for cancer patients and survivors by being a part of Run for Hope in 2017!
2017’s Run for Hope ambassadors include cancer survivor Judy Anthony. The Senior Enrolled Nurse at the National Eye Centre was diagnosed with stage 3 fallopian tube cancer when she was 38. “Every movie about cancer flashed through my mind and scared me,” recalls Judy who is in her late 30s. Her major concerns upon being diagnosed were her aged mother and her daughter who was sitting for her ‘O’ levels that year.
“My mother cried a lot and it broke my heart. My daughter tried her best to look brave while my ex-husband who lost his father to lung cancer reassured me that I would survive it and that he would be there for me,” says Judy. Following 16 weeks of chemotherapy, Judy is now a proud cancer survivor. Taking part in Run for Hope 2016 was an emotional experience for Judy as she ran alongside people who shared a common goal – to fight cancer.
Her message to everyone reading this? “Every donation will mean a little hope for someone. Please join me and run for hope. Run for a cancer free world.”
When: Sunday, 19 February 2017
Where: Bayfront Event Space
Distances: 3.5km (Family Run/Walk) and 10km
How much: $32 for children, $50 for PAssion Card members/past participants and $55 for adults
(See also: True Story: Baby After Cancer, Business After Miscarriages)
9. Terry Fox Run Singapore 2017
We are sure most of you would have heard of Terry Fox’s inspiring story. He was just 18 years of age when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and forced to have his right leg amputated about six inches above the knee in 1977. But did that stop him from becoming a beacon of hope? Not at all. Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, children in particular, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His journey was dubbed the ‘Marathon of Hope’.
If you are moved by his undying spirit, you should consider taking part in this inclusive fun run to work towards making Terry’s dream of defeating cancer a reality. We think it will also be a great chance for you to educate your kids on cancer and the need to lend cancer patients and survivors our support!
When: Sunday, 26 February 2017
Where: Angsana Green, East Coast Parkway
Distances: 5km and 10km
How much: from $26 per pax
10. Income Eco Run 2017
Income Eco Run is Southeast Asia’s premier eco-run which promotes environmental conservation and aims to raise awareness for the young and old to play their part in protecting our Earth. In 2017, organisers of the run will be challenging runners to participate as a ‘Zero Waste Runner’. This means your entitlements will differ from other regular participants. How so, you ask? For starters, 21km runners will not get a finisher’s t-shirt or medal in order to cut down on production waste. Yes, they are taking environmental conservation very seriously!
‘Zero Waste Runners’ will also receive a handheld water bottle to refill along the race route instead of disposable cups. Sounds like a pretty eco-friendly move, we must say! Kids, however, will get a personalised race bib, running tee by New Balance, a finisher medal and a race pack when they sign up for the Kids Dash!
When: Sunday, 30 April 2017
Where: F1 Pit Building, Marina Promenade
Distances: 800m (Kids Dash), 10km and 21km
How much: $25 for children and starting from $63 for adults
11. Bare Your Sole 2017
If you have been on the prowl for charity runs with a difference, here’s the ultimate one for you to take part in with your family – Bare Your Sole! It’ll be the perfect chance for your kids to say, “Look ma, no shoes!” Yes, that’s right, you’ll be walking barefoot – for a cause! Organised by Habitat for Humanity Singapore, this iconic event seeks to raise funds for Project HomeWorks, a local initiative which aims to enhance the living conditions of elderly Singaporeans and people with physical disabilities living in rental flats all over the island.
If you believe that everyone should be able to have a decent space to live in, and want to impart that belief to your children, you too can champion the cause by walking barefoot! We have to add that we love the pun on this run.
When: September 2017*
Where: OCBC Square (in front of Kallang Wave Mall)*
Distances: 2.5km and 5km
12. Orange Ribbon Run 2017
Respect, understanding and trust. These are crucial elements for harmony amongst the multiracial population of Singapore. As such, OnePeople.sg has been the leading advocate for multiracialism by facilitating interaction and understanding between individuals and communities of the various races. The Orange Ribbon Run is the perfect opportunity for Singaporean from all walks of life, young and old, to make a stand against racism.
We love that the run offers a 5km Buddy Category which is suitable for a group of two to five participants. Oh, and at least one member of the group must be from a different ethnic group – that sure is walking the talk!
When: September 2017*
Where: Bayfront Event Space*
Distances: 3.5km (Fun Walk), 5km and 10km
13. Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2017
Want to champion a cause that gets ex-offenders back on the right track with the rest of society? With every stride or step you take during the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run, you will be advancing public awareness and acceptance of reintegrating ex-offenders into society. Having to live with the stigma of having served time behind bars can sometimes be more punishing than the prison sentence itself. Many ex-offenders find themselves stuck in a second prison upon their release and your participation in the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run can go a long way towards unlocking it.
If you and your family are ready to support second chances, sign up for this meaningful run then! All registered participants will receive a Puma t-shirt, a finisher’s medal and goodies from sponsors.
When: September 2017*
Where: SAF Field (Changi Village)
Distances: 5km (Fun Walk) and 10km
14. BounceOFF! 2017
Think charity runs are boring? This one’s going to change your opinion about charity runs for good. The BounceOFF! race is all about enormous inflatables that will amaze you, challenge you, and leave you wanting to return for more bouncing good fun the year after! When you sign up for this race, your task will be to get yourself through an inflatable obstacle course that takes an average bouncer about an hour to complete. Oh, and more thing – you’ll be expected to have some serious fun, of course!
Fun aside, the team behind BounceOFF! also believes in giving back to society and spreading joy to the underprivileged. Some of their beneficiaries include the Singapore Children’s Society, Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), Children’s Aid Society and Singapore Association for The Deaf. Unfortunately, 2016’s edition concluded recently, so you’ll have to wait till next November to bounce away with your kids (they’ll love it)!
When: November 2017*
Where: Marina South Pier*
(See also: Here’s Why You Should Visit BOUNCE, Singapore’s Newest Trampoline Park!)
The above stated dates, venues and prices for runs and walks taking place in 2016 and 2017 are accurate at the time of publication.
*tentative and may be subject to changes
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeMotherhood.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates.
