Claws come out after first Hello Kitty Run in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Hello Kitty celebrated her 40th birthday with much fanfare today (Nov 1), as 17,000 participants showed up for the first Hello Kitty Run held at Sentosa.

The event got off on a cheery note, with the famous Sanrio character serenaded with a birthday song by the race participants, and presented with flowers and a cupcake by childhood friend Dear Daniel. The pair then flagged off the race at 8am.

However heavy rain marred part of the run, and some participants said there was a mess at the medal collection area. A Facebook page created for the event was flooded with complaints. Some took issue with the lack of a wet weather plan, noting that many families with young children were soaked, while organisers themselves were equipped with ponchos.

Others pointed to “chaos” and “confusion” in the medal collection area. One participant told Channel NewsAsia that the original designated medal collection point was “massively” jammed. The organisers then announced a new medal collection in a more spacious area, and said they would only give out medals to participants who queued up and showed them their race bibs. Some said the announcement that there may not be medals for all caused a rush on the medals.

A few people alleged that the shortage of medals was due to runners who may have taken more than one. A check on online trading site Carousell found people selling their medals, with at least one seller who boasted: “I queued up 10 times and got my whole family to snatch it from the box. In fact, I got the whole box. I’m going to sell it one by one!”

Organisers posted a note on Facebook, apologising for the weather and the hold-up. They said those who were unable to collect finishing medals can collect them another day at venues to be announced. They advised participants to keep their race bibs for verification, and check the Hello Kitty Run Singapore Facebook page for updates. CHANNEL NEWSASIA