Inspiring Running Documentary : Our Local Running Hero - Soh Rui Yong

References:

1. YouTube webpage of Soh Rui Yong 

2. Soh Rui Yong webpage

Documentary by SuperSports360 following 2015 South-East Asian (SEA) Games Marathon Champion, Soh Rui Yong, in the final weeks leading up to his debut marathon - 2014 California International Marathon. There, Rui Yong ran 2hr 26min 01sec to set a new Singapore debut record, and qualify for the 2015 SEA Games, where he won gold in the marathon.

p.s - The Singapore Nataional Marathon Record still stands at 2hr 24min 22sec, set by Murugiah Rameshon at the 1995 SEA Games in Chiangmai, Thailand.

Inspiring Running Documentary : Marathon Challenge

NOTE: Information were copied (and modified) from original website. For your easy viewing and referencing.


Source : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/marathon-challenge.html

Every year thousands of athletes from across the globe flock to Boston to run the city's marathon, known worldwide as the ultimate test of stamina and endurance. But how do you run 26 miles if you have trouble making it around the block? With good coaching, discipline, and lots of group support, as NOVA shows when it follows 13 sedentary people through a nine-month regimen designed to prepare them for the grueling Boston Marathon.

Aired October 30, 2007 on PBS, "Marathon Challenge" takes viewers on a unique adventure inside the human body, tracking the physiological changes that exercise can bring about.

About Team NOVA

In the summer of 2006, an assortment of very different individuals came together to form a quirky sports team. Not one of them was a hard-core runner; some couldn't even make it through a mile, yet all were determined to train for the Boston Marathon. Fortunately, they had the guidance of veteran coach Don Megerle of Tufts University and superstar marathoner Uta Pippig. Click on the images at right to find out what motivated each person to take on the challenge, learn how they did in the race, and read personal updates from each runner.—Susan K. Lewis

Team NOVA Profile ( Summer 2006)		Official Time/Pace
Betsey Powers-Sinclair 41 Hospital Administrator	When her doctor not long ago put "moderately obese" on a health form, Betsey was outraged; she prefers to see herself as "situationally overweight." Until roughly three years ago, Betsey exercised avidly and kept her weight under control. But major surgery for a life-threatening tumor growing from her spine forced Betsey to be sedentary for six months. And this trauma was compounded by a divorce. Now the single mother of two teenage kids, Betsey hopes training for the marathon will be a turning point in her life.	5hrs. 56min./ 13:36 minutes per mile Betsey ran with a painful urinary tract infection
Carol Brayboy 44 School Administrator	As a single working mother of three kids, and a parent for 22 years, Carol has struggled to focus on her own needs and desires. She is also the victim of a traumatic crime—an assault that changed her life. Aided by her spirituality, she's been able to recover, but she still seeks greater well-being. For the past 10 years, Carol has tried, unsuccessfully, to master what she calls the "how-to's of training." She thinks NOVA's project offers her a chance to succeed.	Just under 7 hrs. (Official timing had stopped.)/Roughly 16 minutes per mile
Daniel Williams 38 College Counselor	Daniel is openly gay and has been living with HIV for 13 years. By taking on the NOVA challenge and hopefully doing well in the Boston Marathon, he aims to publicize the fact that people with the virus can nonetheless be fit and healthy. Daniel used to work out occasionally but has found it hard to squeeze regular exercise into his schedule in the last few years. He recently graduated with a degree in social work and now serves as an academic advisor to college students.	4hrs. 31min./ 10:22 minutes per mile
Jane Viener 59 Preschool Teacher	Jane is a breast cancer survivor, but she doesn't focus on this past hardship. She's just launched herself into a new career teaching preschool, and she's excited to take on other new adventures. While she knows how to sweat it out as a speed walker, she wants to see if she can step it up some and become a marathoner. She recognizes, however, that she has to balance her incredible desire to run the Boston Marathon with her concern about a family history of heart disease.	Just under 7 hrs. (Official timing had stopped.)/ Roughly 16 minutes per mile
Jonathan Bush 37 Entrepreneur and CEO	A successful businessman born to a powerful political family (his cousin is in the White House), Jonathan's life is in many ways blessed. Yet he is going through a painful divorce, with five kids under the age of 10. Wanting to spend time with his kids, and leading a fast-growing healthcare company, Jonathan has little time to exercise and take care of his own health. He sees training for the marathon as a way to pour himself into something positive.	3hrs. 53min./ 8:53 minutes per mile
Larry Haydu 56 Psychotherapist	A decade ago, when he was only in his mid-forties, Larry had a heart attack while shoveling snow. Prompted by the attack, Larry became more active—running and walking and working out on a NordicTrack four times a week. But over time, he lost these healthy habits. His college-bound daughter encouraged him to join Team NOVA. Larry is eager to get back into the routine of exercise, but he's somewhat apprehensive about whether his body will be able to handle the stresses of running 26.2 miles. His wife and parents worry, too.	6hrs. 17min./ 14:23 minutes per mile
Melissa White 35 University Fundraiser	Like others on the team, Melissa juggles a lot in her life. She's the mom of two young kids and is working to support her husband through law school. But one thing sets Melissa apart: She has Type 1 Diabetes and wears an insulin pump. She says, "It's not just the 26.2-mile course that seems overwhelming. It's managing the effects of such extreme exercise on diabetes, having the courage to attempt something that feels so undoable, and balancing the training commitment with my professional and personal responsibilities."	Injuries forced Melissa to stop training with Team NOVA.
Mic Guaring 37 Physical Therapist	Mic grew up in the Philippines, where running just for exercise and pleasure is almost unheard of. He has now lived in New England for 11 years. Working as a physical therapist, Mic recognizes the importance of good exercise habits. Yet he describes himself as completely sedentary, other than gardening in the summer. He wants to train for the marathon to improve his general well-being.	4hrs. 27min./ 10:11 minutes per mile
Ray Rassi 50 Computer Technician	Like many people, Ray found turning 50 depressing. He didn't want to stay in a rut, feeling like "life was over." Ray has never been "the physical type," and until his brother challenged him to run a 10K race in Puerto Rico in the winter of 2005-2006, Ray had never participated in sports at all. The Puerto Rico run energized him and helped him to see a way out of his mid-life funk. By taking on the NOVA challenge, he wants to prove that there is life past 50.	4hrs. 29min./ 10:16 minutes per mile
Sama ElBannan 28 Hotel Sales Manager	In November 2005, a tragic accident shook Sama to the core: a drunk driver struck and killed her mother. Sama's motivation to take on the marathon is emotional—she wants to honor her mother's memory and prove that she has the same strong will and determination she so admired in her mother, an Egyptian immigrant who raised three children and was studying to get a master's degree at the age of 62. Yet Sama's goal won't be easy; she has always been sedentary and has smoked for the past nine years. Follow Sama's journey in her Marathon Diary.	6hrs. 23min./ 14:37 minutes per mile
Steve DeOssie 43 Sports Commentator	Steve was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants (including their 1990 Super Bowl champion team), and the New England Patriots. Steve is divorced, has three grown kids, rides a Harley (on average 20,000 miles per year), and loves a good cigar. He is accustomed to running short distances and then hitting something. The thought of a 6'3" 290-pound former NFL linebacker running a marathon was the most ridiculous thing Steve could think of, so he decided to do it. (Steve joined Team NOVA in the fall of 2006, after another team member was forced to stop running due to injuries.)	5hrs. 24min./ 12:22 minutes per mile
Vera Yanovsky 21 Student/Administrative Assistant	Vera, a Russian-American, hasn't always had the healthiest of exercise and eating habits. Two years ago, though, she lost 90 pounds. Vera changed her diet and built up her ability to endure a seven-mile course on an elliptical trainer. Now, with her hectic schedule working at a hospital as well as being a student, Vera doesn't want to lose the momentum. Finishing the Boston Marathon would symbolize for her "the epitome of health and fitness."	Roughly 7 and 1/2 hours (Official timing had stopped.) Vera ran much of the way with glass in her foot.
Xenia Johnson 39 Child Psychiatrist	Xenia calls herself, somewhat disparagingly, an "aging sedentary physician." As a teenager, she always wondered whether she might have a natural aptitude to run track, but she never tested it out. Now about to turn 40, Xenia feels that there is no time like the present to push herself toward a lifetime goal—completing a marathon. Running the Boston Marathon, one of the toughest courses in the world, would make hitting the goal even sweeter.	6hrs. 17min./ 14:23 minutes per mile

(Unofficial) Analysing Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2015

Sources:
- http://www.marathonsingapore.com/
- http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 15 Unofficial Statistics

The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2015 was held from 5 to 6 December.  Unfortunately, I was unable to participate due to an ankle injury. Nonetheless, I have compiled the statistics (using the published timings).

9,613 runners registered for the marathon this year and 8,973 (93.3%) completed the race. Comparing to the number of people who signed up in 2014, there was a significant decrease in participation by 29% (3,838 participants).

In Year 2015's race, the average timings for male participants to complete the marathon ranged 6 to 6:20h. Whilst the average completion timings for female participants to complete ranged 6:30 to 6:59h, there was no change to the statistics in comparison to previous marathons. (See Standard Chartered Marathon 2014 Statistics & Sundown Marathon 2014 Statistics). Another point to note, 493 participants managed to complete the race after the officially cut-off timing of 8:00 h (i.e. last runner came back at 9:11hr).

* Data used for the computations were from SCMS Results dated 16 Dec 15

The results from the past 3 marathons have repeatedly deduced that our average completion timings have remained at 6 - 6:29 hour. I guess one possible factor that causes the stagnation could be due to the usual hot and humid weather in Singapore.