Stringent identification measures for StanChart runners: SSC
From the point of entry pack collection to race winners receiving their prize money, participants in this year's Standard Chartered Marathon will be stringently checked, says the Singapore Sports Council.
Participants will be required to present their NRIC, photo identification or passport -- for foreigners -- for verification, before being allowed to collect their personalised race bibs.
However, participants who are unable to collect their race packs personally may appoint representatives to pick them up on their behalf with photocopies of their documentation and a letter of authorisation.
In addition, the identities of all professional full marathon runners will be checked immediately after the race, and all winners will be required to present their photo ID for verification before collecting their prize money, said marathon organising committee vice-chairman David Voth.
"If foul play is suspected at any stage, we will authenticate the participant's identity with the photographic evidence taken of all our runners as they approach the finishing line," he said.
"We will exercise a thorough and robust ID verification system," he added.
These additional steps will be taken after multiple incidents were reported at the recent Sundown marathon held last month, where the winner of the full-length race, as well as the first three runners of the 10km run, were disqualified for running under other participants' names.
These included 14-year-old Jacky Ong, who came in third in the 10km run, but ran under his girlfriend's 50-year-old father's name because he was underaged to participate. The minimum participant age for the 10km run was 18.
StanChart Marathon registration opens
This year's StanChart marathon is set to be even bigger, with an expanded 70,000 spaces available for participants, up from 60,000 last year.
Registration opened Thursday morning to overwhelming response, with some 7,800 participants signed up by 7pm. The team Ekiden category was closed by 2pm, with all 100 slots snapped up.
A new 5-kilometre Fun Run route has also been added to the existing three routes of 10, 21 and 42km, as well as the Kids Dash race distances, in attempt to make the event more inclusive.
Merge points on the race route have also been revised to ease congestion issues, based on calculations from the previous year's marathon.
