It’s that time of the year again – marathon season is upon us, and this weekend marks the return of the Standard Chartered Marathon (SCM) 2023 pre-race expo and race entry pack collection (REPC). The event is hosted at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center, specifically at the expo halls, offering a seamless experience for participants. The expo opens its doors from 11 am and continues till 8 pm.
Reflecting on last year’s 2022 race expo edition, the race pack collection and expo spanned three days, occupying the expansive Marina Bay Sands expo halls.
Speedy SCM 2023 race pack collection
Fortunately, the race pack collection process was efficient, with numerous counters facilitating a smooth distribution process. Participants were directed to dedicated queue lines based on their race category, ensuring a streamlined experience.
In essence, this year’s race expo maintains a familiar layout, with collection booths and queue areas dominating over half of the expo floor. During a Friday evening visit, the waiting times were impressively short, averaging no more than 5 minutes. The collection process itself was simplified, requiring only the scanning of your email QR code confirmation. The staff efficiently took charge of selecting your chosen singlet and packing it into a pre-prepared dry bag.
Additionally, the expo halls are vast in size, primarily accommodate the space of winding queue lines for the race pack collection. Even during a mid-day visit post-lunch, no significant queues were observed. Navigating through the empty queues became a more time-consuming activity than the collection itself.
Also, towards the far end of this hall, a line of collection booths, guided by marshals, awaited participants. The collection process typically took a mere minute or two, with the convenience of having your confirmation QR code readily accessible on your phone.
Cool race expo area
Following the SCM 2023 race pack collection area, the event area leads into a pleasantly large chill space with many photo opportunities. Notable finds here are large wall posters which you can take as a backdrop to posters of each event medals.
Once you collected your race pack, you then traverse through a sports apparel and equipment section and make-shift store courtesy of apparel sponsor Puma.
Puma is the primary apparel sponsor for the event and offers discounts up to 40% on their products. On top of this, Puma is also promoting their Nitro line of running shoes technology.
Despite Puma’s renowned association with soccer, the store presents an array of running apparel tops, bottoms, and shoes for participants to explore. Also, the expo area itself offers ample photo opportunities, featuring large wall posters ideal for capturing memorable moments with the official event hashtag #scsm2022.
Noteworthy include a doodle board for well-wishes you can write a shout out to all. There is also a professional timing board here you can use to pose with a mock-up run time. There is also a wall displaying the names of all participants categorized by race distances for each race category, from 10km, half and full marathon, though most like myself won’t bother finding your name on the list.
Additionally, this spot is also where you can access guest services for enquiries for shuttle services (via an app) or purchase of bag deposit, which is a payable extra and not included in the already-expensive registration fee.
Following the race admin area you enter into a carnival-like booth area of the runner experience zone. Tad like a marketplace or sort.
Sponsors walk of agony is back
Furthermore, the carnival-like atmosphere continues with the return of the Sponsors Walk of Agony, featuring health check-up booths and various stalls offering goods and services essential for the race.
Exiting this section, you will be greeted with a snaking and linear route showcasing a range of products, from Seiko standee timers to electronic equipment such as Shokz bone-conduction earphones, Garmin watches, and Sony sport music players.
Notably, humorously, in avoiding the start of the walk of agony, a number of runners could be seen exiting right back into the entrance instead exiting through the back.
Race organisation
Moreover, an interesting, yet odd thing change this year is the different start and end points. Your race commences at the Formula 1 pit building and concluding at the Singapore Sport Hub National stadium. While the national stadium provides a lively ending, accommodating the carnival atmosphere under a sheltered venue. Notably, the last big race ending at the National stadium is the last Army half marathon, with the start and end points at the at Sports hub itself. Frankly, I think the organisers can help to keep costs low by having only one venue.
Still, the differing start and end points pose a logistical challenge, especially for those driving. This be fine if you take public transport as your entry and end points can be different, but would be a nightmare for those driving, especially having to take a train back to the marina bay start point after the end of your race.
Runner entitlements
The runner entitlements are basic yet essential, including the race bib with safety pins, a handy running pouch, and a bib sticker for bag identification. The Puma singlet provided has a universal fit, with a longer torso cut, reminiscent of past Adidas singlets from previous SCMs. Also, the singlet boasts a soft texture and excellent dry-fit quality, ideal for a running. We can see most of the runners in the race wearing this official singlet for the first time on the race Sunday.
In conclusion, the Standard Chartered SCM 2022 race pack collection and race expo proved to be a well-organized and enjoyable experience. As participants gear up for their respective runs, whether it’s a first 10km, half-marathon, or a seasoned marathon, the event caters to everyone’s preferences. Let’s hope for favourable weather on Sunday morning – the forecast appears promising, unlike the challenges faced in last year’s race. See you at the Marathon weekend coming Sunday, stay safe, and keep running!
 2023 pre-race expo and race pack collection at the Marina Bay Sands expo halls.){kind=link}