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Overseas Sundown Marathons on the horizon

SINGAPORE — For the past six years, the Sundown Marathon has stood out among the slew of running events in Singapore as the only 42km race under the stars, growing steadily from nearly 7,000 participants in 2008 to more than 29,000 runners last year.

Photo: Adrian Mok

Photo: Adrian Mok

SINGAPORE — For the past six years, the Sundown Marathon has stood out among the slew of running events in Singapore as the only 42km race under the stars, growing steadily from nearly 7,000 participants in 2008 to more than 29,000 runners last year.

With the event also increasingly popular among foreign athletes, mainly from around the region — 3,000 registered for this year’s edition at the F1 Pit Building on May 31 — race creator HiVelocity is now plotting to stage it Asia-wide.

Already pencilled in is Malaysia, with Iskandar Nusajaya in Johor hosting the inaugural Sundown across the Causeway on June 21. Next will be the Philippines, where HiVelocity managing director Adrian Mok aims to roll out the series by 2015. Taiwan and China will come after that, while Japan and Korea are also in his plans.

“I’ve done some recce in these places, running at possible routes, and held talks with people keen to stage our race,” said Mok. “We should be able to go to the Philippines soon, and Taiwan and China by 2016. We are also looking at Japan and Korea, but language is posing problems for me and it may take a little longer for these two places.”

HiVelocity specialises in promoting running events here and overseas for clients and staged the Ironman 70.3 series in Singapore from 2007 until 2012.

But its propriety Sundown Marathon is its main source of revenue, with participants’ fees forming the bulk of the company’s income. For the seventh edition next month, they are priced from as low as S$45 for early bird registrants to as high as S$232 for a team of four runners.

A big part of Sundown’s calling card is the race’s carnival atmosphere, which includes movie screenings and live-band performances.

It costs about S$2 million to stage the annual event, but it has been a sound financial proposition for the company so far, said Mok. During talks with organisers of sports events he is targeting overseas, the feeling is it could be replicated in their respective territories.

“We are not a race that caters to elite marathon runners, but athletes who want some sport and have fun at the same time,” said Mok, who at 39 is still one of Singapore’s top Ironmen with a personal best time of 10hrs 12 mins set in Australia in 2010.

“This package is what is unique about Sundown and with its ability to attract foreign participants, the countries we are exploring this idea with are also interested in the tourism element it offers.”

But Mok, who first competed in the Ironman triathlon in New Zealand in 2001, is cautious that Sundown races outside Singapore will be an instant hit. He insists revenue is not why he is expanding into Asia.

“They may have larger population bases, but I will be happy if the events abroad have a take-up rate of between 10,000 and 15,000 runners initially that grow gradually,” he said.

“Sure, it must make financial sense, but that is not what motivates me. I want to leave a footprint and it has been a dream since I started running in endurance races to create a Singapore sports property that is prized in Asia, if not the world.”

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