SINGAPORE — If you are a regular at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, you might have spotted Julie Han and Neome Fe Masocol on one of their usual training runs. Side by side as they encourage each other on, the pair are close, and they head out for a meal and chat after the training sessions. They are practically sisters — or so an outsider might think.

But in fact, the two women are actually “Madam” and helper.

Han, a housewife, is the boss and Masocol is her live-in foreign helper. The relationship between them is certainly refreshing, especially in light of more common headlines of maid abuse or neglect.

Han and Masocol are examples of women who have begun to pick up running to keep fit and stay healthy, while using the sport as a reason to build bonds with their running partner.

The two women not only join running events together — they train together, too. When one has to work and cannot train, the other would understand, and still encourage her friend to put in the running practice.

The duo will be running in the upcoming Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR), taking place this Sunday.

It was Han, 41, who first started running and training seriously for races, after participating in a fun run of 1.8km in July last year. Since then, she has progressed quickly, completing a vertical marathon race and several 10km routes this year. At the GEWR, she will be attempting the half-marathon (21.1km) route.

“Through running, I build patience, endurance, stamina and confidence. It is also a form of ‘me time’,” the mother of two children, aged 9 and 10, said. “Sometimes, I get tired or demoralised during a run. That’s when I tell myself ‘Don’t give up, just run!’” She hopes to complete a marathon soon.

Han, who not only runs but works out at the gym at least three times a week, has passed on this never-say-die spirit to her helper of four years. Masocol, 32, first joined her boss in a 6km race last year.

To prepare, the women trained together several weeks before the event. When it was not possible for them to run together, Han would give Masocol some time off to train.

“I had always been wanting to run but I was so scared to try until my Madam encouraged me,” Masocol, a mother of two girls, who will be running the 5km route at the GEWR, shared: “Finishing every run gives me a great feeling and sense of achievement.”

And it is this sense of achievement that Han had initially wanted her helper to experience. “I told her that her time with us isn’t permanent and eventually, she will return to her country and her family. I wanted her to gain confidence and to have something to be proud of when she returns home,” Han said.

The friendship that was strengthened through their workouts is another aspect Masocol would bring back with her in the future. “Running has brought me and my Madam closer as we have more chances to talk to each other,” she said.

Han agreed: “I am the faster runner, but I would keep a lookout for her. We talk about our families and go for a simple meal after a run.”

A SISTER’S LOVE

Sisters Roslina Rahim and Lydiawati Rahim will also be running the 10km route at the GEWR together. For them, running helped them deepen the strong bond they already share, and for the latter, it gave her a chance to better manage her cancer condition.

Roslina began running three years ago after she was aghast to find out she could not fit into the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine when she need to go for a scan in order to see what could have been giving her back pains.

Not only was the 41-year-old nurse overweight — she weighed 135kg — she was also saddled with various ailments, including psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disease which causes pain and stiffness at the joints.

Now, the mother of a seven-year-old girl is 43kg lighter — she weighs 92kg — and credits running for her weight loss and living healthier. On average, she goes for a run three times a week and works out at a gym twice a week.

Roslina’s first race was the 3.5km Run for Hope in 2013, which she joined with her sister Lydiawati Rahim, 33, who has cancer.

While she has always been close to her sister, Roslina said they became even closer since they started running and taking part in races together. Now, she inspires and motivates Lydiawati to stay active and healthy.

“There is no such thing as giving up. I face a lot of pain, but I still continue to do a brisk walk and run, and go against the pain. I may not be the strongest and I may not be the fastest; but I’ll be upset if I’m not trying my hardest,” said Lydiawati, a customer care officer.

Roslina has only praise for her sister: “There is not once where she says ‘Why me’. With her positive mind, it also motivates me more to become healthier and fitter.

“Strength doesn’t come from what we can do. It comes from overcoming the things we once thought we couldn’t do.”