SINGAPORE - Every weekend, before the first brush of dawn paints over the night sky and the birds begin to stir, Justina Zeng is already up and running. Quite literally. After indulging in a cup of coffee (and occasionally a bun), she dresses in her usual get-up of a coloured tank top, shorts, visor, shades and compression sleeves, and spends the next hour or two pounding the pavement along with thousands of like-minded souls.

The 33-year-old banker is what one would call a passionate, or hardcore, runner, chalking up 20 to 30 runs a year with distances ranging from 5km to 21km. That’s because Zeng is one of many who participate in quirky runs, which are all the rage these days.

You know, runs that involve either our favourite childhood characters (such as Hello Kitty or My Little Pony), coloured bubbles, or even diamonds. Such runs are often under 10km, with most of them 5km long. The atmosphere is often relaxing, meant for people to have fun rather than clock a quick timing.

This weekend alone, two fun runs have been slotted into our calendar: The Music Run by insurer AIA this evening and Snoopy Run Singapore tomorrow.

NOVELTY FACTOR

The Music Run, now in its second year, is more like a thumping dance party, with five zones playing five unique playlists along a 5km route. Concert-quality speakers line the “sound track” every 40m to ensure all 10,000 runners never lack a beat. At the end of the race, there’s a music festival with spinning DJs and live performances.

On the other hand, at the 5km-long Snoopy Run, runners get to mingle with characters and receive a running pack that includes a T-shirt, a beagle nose, Linus’ famous blue towel, a finishing medal and other goodies.

Meanwhile, the Bubble Glow 5k in May allows one to run through route lined with glowing UV-coloured bubbles and to enjoy a concert and fringe activities after.

One race that involves a girl’s best friend is the Diamond Dash. Also held in May, it’s a vertical challenge where couples sprint up the boutique hotel klapsons, collect fake diamonds as they zoom past a real diamond showcase, run down 17 storeys and deposit their “diamonds” to stand a chance to win a 1.5-carat diamond ring. (The winner of the singles category wins a 0.8-carat diamond pendant.)

Michelle Ng, the marketing manager at Pink Apple, who organised the Hello Kitty Run in 2014 and the DC Justice League Run and the My Little Pony Friendship Run last year, among others, said these fun runs “appeal strongly to the fans” as participants are able to get their hands on exclusive merchandise. They also get to meet like-minded people, and by introducing brand-new runs to the community, “we are able to resonate with pop culture trends in Singapore”, she added.

Chris Cable, senior vice-president of Exceed Sports and Entertainment, which is organising The Music Run, said their race offers a unique experience. “We combine the appeal of two popular interests, music and running, to give a full-fledged music immersion experience ... that ups the fun factor exponentially,” he said.

“If it is a run event that has a social mission as a driving force, I am sure people will gladly sign up and support the good cause,” added Ong Meng Hong, co-vice-chairman of Runninghour Co-operative, the event organiser of Runninghour, which has a 5km or 10km route. Unlike other standard runs, participants have the option of being blindfolded and tethered to a partner who can see so they can experience what running is like for someone with a visual impairment. The race is free for people with special needs.

Ong said they hope participants see “beyond its monetary value”, and instead focus on how this event “can be a milestone in someone else’s life”, citing how that race could be the first time a person with special needs gets to interact with mainstream society or embraces a lifestyle change.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Ultramarathon runner Eugene Aw, 33, acknowledged that fun runs have a place in our calendar, as they can cater to families who can bond over the run or fans of characters such as Hello Kitty or Snoopy.

“It’s always good when you have a balance of fun and serious runs; (it’s) a fine, healthy running lifestyle,” noted the senior test engineer.

These runs add vibrancy to the scene, added avid runner Eugene Matthias, 49, who is a director of an oil and gas company, and a trainer at running club Team FatBird, as well as a pacer at marathons. “There are many races to choose from now compared to the past. People are beginning to love running and reap the benefits from it (and they are) really excited about these fun runs.”

However, cost is a factor that deters many serious runners, as a higher-than-normal registration fee is often required for fun runs, for a much shorter distance. The Snoopy Run’s runner pack, for example, costs S$68 per piece. The inaugural My Little Pony Friendship Run in February was S$150 (normal prices) for a 6km “bestie run” (you run with your friend), while its 4km fun run for individual adults is S$70 for normal periods. Diamond Dash costs S$39.50 for individuals and S$79 per couple.

Matthias said it was too expensive, but added that whether a run is worth the money would depend largely on a runner’s goal. People who join fun runs might just want to soak in the atmosphere, he added.

Although Zeng is aware that fun runs’ race fees are “usually a bit pricier”, she signs up all the same, as they “have very nice and cute medals”. “I enjoy collecting medals and trying to beat my (personal best) timings ... I still run fast even for fun runs. I target to better my own timings and to get a good rank.”

But isn’t it tiring? “Most runners enjoy every run event. I don’t feel burnt out as I take every race as a motivation to do better,” she replied.

The more races she signs up for, the more she gets “caught up in the overall running atmosphere”, she said. Runners take photos and motivate each other to continue, which adds to the fun element, she added.

Pink Apple’s Ng said: “A runner who is taking part in a competitive run to pursue his personal best timing will not be keen on exclusive merchandise available for sale at a themed run. On the other hand, a (fun run) participant will not be enticed to more ‘serious runs’ such as the 2XU Competitive Run.

“We ensure that we are constantly touching base with our supporters ... to tailor our runs for both competitive and lifestyle participants alike,” she added.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Not all races hit the mark, though. The Winter Run Singapore, organised by Hivelocity, for example, was initially moved from December to end-March, and would have featured three zones: A fun zone, a snow zone and a cold zone. However, the run was cancelled “due to poor response despite our publicity efforts”, said organisers on its website.

Fun runs are typically successful when the race characters are popular, and appeal to both the older and younger generation, such as Hello Kitty and Justice League, Zeng said, adding that people also love the goodie bag. “Many of these fun runs provide cute accessories such as bowls, cooler bags and plush toys which have their own appeal.”

However, Aw, who does a minimum of 10 to 12 races yearly — such as the Monster Ultra 200 run in January — said the saturation in the running scene can sometimes compromise quality. “With this high volume of running events, some of the event organisers fail to deliver on their promise,” he elaborated, noting that there were runs he attended which ran out of water or had a lack of first aid personnel.

Regular runner Winston Yap, 36, agreed: “With the increasing number of running events in recent years, I feel the true meaning of running is somehow lost with the exorbitant fees charged by some events.”

Yap, who takes part in runs such as the Sundown Marathon Singapore and Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, said while fun runs allow people to try out running for leisure, he didn’t see the value in spending that amount of money on fun runs. “Real runners are smart to know which ones are really worth taking part,” he added.

HHowever, not all fun runs cost money: At least one group is organising runs without charging a cent. Gei Gei Running Club, formed in November 2014, holds monthly themed runs, such as Kung Fu run (at the Chinese Garden), The Despicable Run (at Pasir Ris Park) and Sweet Honey CNY Run (at Raffles Place). Tomorrow, they have a “Kars-Not-Free” Run, where runners are supposed to design and build their own cardboard cars and run with their “kar” (which means “legs” in Hokkien).

“We are a voluntary group and we are doing this purely to bring fun and laughter to the local running community and also to promote a healthy lifestyle,” said co-founder Lawrence Ho, adding that they attract around 200 to 300 runners each time. No goodie bags are given, but organisers usually encourage people to dress up. (Runners turned up as various characters previously, such as Spiderman, a martial arts pugilist, a cow and the Monkey King.)

“Different people run for different reasons, be it for competition, or for collecting medals or souvenirs. Ultimately, all runners are exercising and that is already a good start, especially for beginners,” said Ho.