Persons with disabilities to take part in 2025 StanChart Marathon alongside able-bodied participants
From left: Santoz Kumar, General Manager for Singapore for the Ironman Group; Natalie Dau, The Westin Singapore ambassador; James Walkden, general manager of The Westin Singapore; Gregory Burns, The Westin Singapore ambassador; Alister Ong, committee member of the Singapore Disability Sports Council; and Jenny Lim, director of sales and marketing of The Westin Singapore alongside Burns's artwork Runners. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
SINGAPORE – In a push for inclusivity, the 2025 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) will feature persons with disabilities (PWDs) alongside able-bodied participants, as part of an initiative titled One Race, Many Journeys.
The initiative was launched at The Westin Singapore on June 4 in celebration of it being the official elite hotel for the SCSM for the third straight year, with the hotel pledging to help PWDs achieve their sporting goals at Singapore's biggest marathon.
This is not the first time that the SCSM will see participation of PWDs, with wheelchair users having already featured previously. In 2018, it introduced an elite wheelchair racing category, which was also included in 2019 .
James Walkden, general manager of The Westin Singapore , said: 'This year, we wanted to do more to support the community and encourage more people to get involved. Therefore, we came up with the One Race, Many Journeys initiative to demonstrate that there are many ways to get to one destination and there is no one correct answer.'
Selected PWDs will receive complimentary entry to the category of their choice at this year's SCSM, those being the 5km, 10km, half-marathon or marathon categories.
Showing their support at the launch were American former Paralympic champion swimmer Gregory Burns and Australian ultramarathoner Natalie Dau, both of whom are based in Singapore and ambassadors of The Westin Singapore.
Natalie Dau (left) and Gregory Burns (right) are both ambassadors for The Westin Singapore.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Burns, who has been living in Singapore for the past 30 years, believes the initiative will help change public perception of PWDs in wider society.
'When I came here in 1995, there were much fewer physically challenged people out and about. But in 30 years, the physical infrastructure has got better,' said the 68-year-old, a three-time Paralympian with five medals (two golds, two silvers, one bronze).
'Singapore has developed and grown as a compassionate society and the SCSM is yet another way to show that these physically challenged people are out and about and we all can make the best of what we do.'
Burns, who is also a passionate artist, unveiled an artwork he had been working on for the past month in support of the initiative. The artwork, named Runners, is a hybrid media piece that combines digital art with contemporary painting techniques.
'This is a collage painting and it's (also) a collage of a race of different people with different abilities and disabilities,' he said.
Dau, who completed the second iteration of Project 1000 in May, this time running 1,000km through the Philippines over 12 days , encouraged those participating in the SCSM to be more actively inclusive.
Dau, 53, said: 'There's still a big gap between the people that are starting and the people that may be a bit more experienced and I think what we've been missing in Singapore is real inclusivity and the community coming together.'
'Try to mend your passion with purpose. If you have the opportunity to run the marathon for something bigger than yourself, make the most of that,' she added.
'A lot of us don't have friends with disabilities, so if you are running next to someone who is not able-bodied, then have a chat (with them) and welcome them into the community.'
After the event launch, both Burns and Dau went for a short 2.4km run with members of the public.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The 2025 SCSM will take place on Dec 6 and 7. Registration is open till Nov 30, or until all slots are sold out. The 2024 edition drew about 55,000 runners over three days, including close to 13,000 international participants from 84 countries.
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