50,000 signed up for SCM 2009. Application closed.

From the organisers of SCM 2009:

Thank you for your overwhelming support. All slots for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 have been taken up. Registration is now closed. You can still be part of the race by supporting and cheering our runners on 6 December 2009.

To find out more, log on to www.singaporemarathon.com or call 6248 6033.

Chinese woman won marathon gold in World Championship with timing of 2 hrs 25 mins and 15 sec

From Choon Chiang

Yes, I just read about it in the club an hour ago. This is the only gold medal won by China in the Berlin Games and also the first time China won a gold medal for marathon. She broke away from the others in the last 2km to win the race. The time of 2 hrs 25 mins 15 sec by Bai Xue was only 10 sec faster than that of the Japanese woman beaten into second place and 17 seconds faster than bronze winner from Ethopian who clocked 2 hrs 25 mins 32 sec.

For someone who started running marathon at the age of 14, this 20 year old woman is looking forwards to winning the marathon in the 2012 London Olympics

Mark Lim makes ABC regional

From Mark Lim Kian Wei:

While you are all talking of buying a local coffee shop, I have already taken ABC regional with the first acquisition made in Malaysia on top of Penang Hill. See photo above

It was a special acquisition.

More photos of Race Against Cancer Run on 23 Aug 2009

NP Shree Ann talks to Jessica, AYG and BSF

The New Paper Shree Ann Mathavan interviewed Leader A and B and Jessica

Cancer survivor Henry Tan spoke to Leader A

I heard a voice from behind saying: "Hello, for your weight, you are not doing badly." He caught up with me and introduced himself as Henry Tan, "I had stomach cancer last April and was operated on. Now fine."

I asked if was a marathon runner before, he said: "When I was young, my best marathon time was 3 hr 15 min. I was still running until I got this cancer."

I asked if he had been running since the operation, his reply: "The doctors said I should go slow with my running; they advised me to start with short distances. Last week, I did the Army Half Marathon in 1 hr 51 minutes." In my mind I was telling myself: "Wow!. Cancer survivor doing better than non-cancer live"r"s."

He then said he was 60 years old and then decided to speed past me. He turned his head around and added: "You look older than me...take care and keep up your effort."