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Ironman’s goal: To raise StanChart Marathon’s profile

SINGAPORE — The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) is widely regarded as one of the most iconic events in the local sporting calendar, and newly-appointed race organiser Ironman Endurance Asia has the task of making it bigger and more prestigious in the coming years.

SINGAPORE — The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) is widely regarded as one of the most iconic events in the local sporting calendar, and newly-appointed race organiser Ironman Endurance Asia has the task of making it bigger and more prestigious in the coming years.

Appointed last week by Sport Singapore (SportSG), Ironman Asia — which is one of the leading sports brands in the world, with 180 events in over 20 countries — will helm the annual SCMS for the next 10 years.

Managing director Geoff Meyer’s ultimate goal is to transform the SCMS into a top-class running event with a global reach and reputation that will eventually rival the likes of the Tokyo, Boston and London marathons.

It is a big ask. But Meyer’s confidence stems from Ironman’s history of success in organising top-class sporting races, including the renowned Ironman World Championships in Kona. Meyer believes his company has the necessary expertise and experience to take the SCMS — an IAAF Gold Label event — to the next level.

“The SCMS is already one of Asia’s biggest marathons, and a staple in the Singapore running calendar,” said the 47-year-old yesterday. “But our goal is to raise its profile and status as a race to a global level in the same vein as the Boston or London marathons.

“We have a vast array of knowledge (about race organisation) within the company, and we’ve got a global reach with millions of athletes on our databases who we can spread the word about the SCMS to.”

Without revealing what the immediate plans are to improve SCMS, Meyer added: “We’ve got ideas on how to go about (improving the race), but it will take time and hard work for it to take effect.

“Ultimately, we want not only Singapore residents to want to take part in the event, but for people around the world to view it as a race to tick off their bucket list.”

Ironman Asia — which is owned by Chinese conglomerate Wanda Sports Holding Company — will base its Asia headquarters in Singapore following the acquisition of former SCMS organiser Spectrum Worldwide (SWW).

With SWW facing financial difficulties after accruing debts of up to six-figure sums, SportSG called for tenders for the SCMS last month and eventually selected Ironman Asia’s proposal — one of five that were submitted — as the winning bid.

Reflecting on the difficulties faced by SWW, Meyer says it hopes to pay off all outstanding debts by the end of the month as it seeks to rebuild the relationship and trust with its stakeholders going forward.

“We’ve acquired SWW’s debts and are looking to pay it off by the end of the month so that we can move on and form a strong relationship with our vendors again,” said Meyer, a five-time Ironman participant.

“The difference between SWW and us is that we are part of one of the largest groups (Dalian Wanda Group), so we have major financial backing. Also, there were some decisions made by SWW in the past that put them under financial stress.

“Hopefully, with our vast experience, we’ll be able to avoid making such decisions in future. But we’ve still retained all 22 SWW staff — apart from (former SWW managing director) Chris Robb — because it’s important for us to work with them to ensure a smooth takeover.”

While Meyer remained coy on what to expect for this year’s SCMS, when Ironman hopes to attract more than 50,000 participants, he insists his chief focus will be on improving the quality of the race for the participants.

“For all our races, the athlete experience is our main focus and we want to give the best conditions for participants to thrive,” said Meyer. “For example, ensuring there’s no route congestion will be something we’ll look into very closely.

“But do not expect us to change the SCMS overnight, it will take time to effect the kind of improvements we envision for the race.

“I’ve been here for just three days, so I’ll still need to get used to how things work here.”

Proposed SCMS initiatives

- A global ranking system for runners

- Incentive and training programmes leading up to race day

- Better privileges and discounts for products and tickets

- Have a carnival-like atmosphere of celebration at the finish line to cheer runners on

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