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Post-Race Thoughts About Mizuno Ekiden 2017

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It’s been such a long time since I last blogged and with the never-ending pile of work that makes finding time to blog so difficult, I hope that I can strike a fine balance in the months to come. 

Thankfully, I was able to get my mind away from work over the weekends at the Mizuno Ekiden 2017 and I had a great time catching up with my friends. Though my running pace was quite far off from what I had planned, I was glad that I finished and survived the race.



Instagram post by Melvin Lee & Jacqueline Teo * Aug 19, 2017 at 2:27pm UTC

Compared to previous editions of the Mizuno Ekiden, I personally enjoyed this year’s edition because the race route was much simpler and flatter. The weather was also quite bearable and I must say, the race volunteers did a great job of paving the way for the runners (especially at the Jubilee Bridge and One Fullerton where there were many visitors). The cashless transactions at the various F&B booths also made things more convenient!

I also feel that there are room for improvements and some areas of consideration for the race organisers are: 

  • Shifting the race flag-off time to an earlier time

I’m not sure how many people would be in favour of such an arrangement but I would think that an earlier race flag-off time (for teams participating in the full marathon) might be more ideal. 

  • More Japanese F&B options

The F&B options at this year’s Mizuno Ekiden 2017 are very limited. Although there’s Hokkaido Green Tea Ice-Cream, Ramen, Sushi, Suntory Beer and Takoyaki, I’m pretty sure Japanese cuisine in general has so much more to offer than just those which I have mentioned!

  • A More Efficient Way of Tracking Team Mates’ Location

The tracking system that’s used at the Mizuno Ekiden is pretty complex to understand and most of the time, majority of the runners find themselves in the transition pen way too early, thus crowding up the area even before their team mates arrive for the changeover. 

Now that all is said and done, this shouldn’t discount the many new improvements that the race organiser had made for this year’s race and I believe next year’s race will be an even better one!

Overall, I am glad that my team mates and I enjoyed the race and we certainly look forward to next year’s edition of the Mizuno Ekiden!

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How To Have Larger than Life Experiences Affordably

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While most of us are spending the majority of our time working to pay bills, there are others that are spending their time the way the want. For whatever reason; whether they have made millions in the stock market or have hustled their way to building a lifestyle business, some people just get to do amazing things in their free time. When the rest of us have some free time, we usually try to spend it with family or friends, get caught up on housework or do a little travelling. It’s hard to see the world in 2 weeks a year though. But what if you started looking out for opportunities to do things that seemed larger than life, but didn’t come with the price tag that most of us can’t afford anyway? Would you do it? Sure you would. Money is what stops us from doing so many of the things we want in life.
Here are three ways you can check the bigger items off on your bucket list without having to go very far or spend a lot of money.

1. Travel with a Group

If travelling is on your to-do list, the most affordable way to do it (besides having someone pay for you) is to travel with a large group. Group travel offers affordable alternative pricing on everything from meals to lodging. You can bunk with up to 4 people in a room to save even more money. Split meals with your kids, take a bus tour to save on rental cars and gas, and stick to the path less travelled. If you venture to popular tourist destinations, you’ll get hit with tourist prices; however, if you travel to the areas outside of the popular destinations, you can find much more affordable lodging and meal options. We will be sharing more about this in the upcoming post that will be published very soon!

2. Take Part in a Weekend Festival Event

There’s always some kind of celebration planned during the festive seasons, and there are even many more events planned all over Singapore! You can indulge in some soulful Japanese food at the Matsuri Race Village during the Mizuno Ekiden Run 2017, watch the thrilling Cirque du Soleil KOOZA circus performance under the Big Top Tent next to Marina Bay Sands, or take an eerie haunted walking tour at Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Night. Well, and who would miss the biennial Singapore Airshow where you can view some of the fastest jets in the world? There’s nothing like feeling like you are being transported out of one world and being plopped into another world. Hearty food, thrilling circus performance, eerie ghostly adventures, and roaring loud planes; these things should be on everyone’s bucket lists!

3. Eat Something Exotic

Exotic is a relative term, of course, but the point is that you get outside your comfort zone and eat something you would never normally eat! Similar to travelling in groups, going out to try new foods is best practiced in groups. This way, bills can be split, people can order different entrees and appetizers to taste and you can have a great laugh with friends and family about how awesome or horrible a new food is. And of course, lots of debate and lively conversation is sure to accompany these kinds of experiences, so you won’t be bored!

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Mizuno Ekiden 2017 Coming to The Promontory @ Marina Bay On 19 August

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I have participated in the Mizuno Ekiden Run since it’s inauguration in 2015 and every edition of the race is different because there are always new developments that cater to runners of all ages and background. This year will see Mizuno Singapore staging the third edition of the Mizuno Ekiden Run, which is a relay-styled long distance run and it will be held at The Promontory @ Marina Bay on 19 August 2017.
Capping the capacity at 5,000 runners, this year’s race hopes to target an increased participation from regional countries with the introduction of the ‘Running Club Category’. The Running Club category is open to all running clubs in Southeast Asia that have been active for at least three months and all team members must be residents or permanent residents of any ASEAN country. The winning team of the ‘Running Club Category’ can stand to win the top prize of SGD$2,200 worth of cash and vouchers.

If you have not participated in the Mizuno Ekiden Run before and you’re wondering how such a relay-styled long distance run is carried out, here’s how it is done; runners will participate in teams of four where the first runners of each team will flag off while donning a traditional tasuki sash. Upon completing his or her leg of the relay, the sash will be passed to the second runner who will be waiting at the transition area. This process will continue until the sash is donned by the fourth runner, who will then finish the race and join the rest of his or her team members at the finish line.

The first ekiden race was held in 1917, in conjunction with celebrating the anniversary of the moving of the capital to Tokyo. The ekiden race was held over three days between the old Japanese capital of Kyoto and the modern capital of Tokyo with the total distance amounting to 508 km.

The original concept of the race stems from Japan’s communication and transportation system during the olden days, in which stations were posted at intervals along the road. The word Eki, means station and den, represents transmit. The tasuki can be likened by many to a baton in track-and-field relay races, but in actual fact, the tasuki means more than just a baton. Each tasuki is thought to represent the honour not only of the team itself but of the university, company, or region that the team comes from. Thus, it is the tasuki’s symbolic significance that makes an ekiden race unique.

On a more personal note, I have always enjoyed running the Mizuno Ekiden because it spurs my team to display remarkable performance in intense and challenging situations while fostering friendship and showcasing commendable Japanese values such as perseverance, resilience and teamwork.

Since this year’s race will take place from 4 pm in the late afternoon onwards, the weather will be pretty hot so do hydrate yourselves sufficiently and strategize accordingly to get the most out of the race.

What I enjoy most about the Mizuno Ekiden is the Matsuri Race Village where I could have a nice celebratory dinner with my teammates over a wide array of traditional and popular Japanese gourmet such as sushi, ramen, and desserts after a good race. If you’re a fan of all things Japanese; you should definitely head down to the Matsuri Race Village since entry is free and there’s a string of Japanese activities and performances lined up for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.

As for the race registration, runners can register in teams of four across four categories; the Open Category (42.195km), the Open Category (21.1km), the Corporate category (21.1km), and the newest category in 2017, the Running Club category.

For more information about the event, do visit http://mizunoekiden.sg or https://www.facebook.com/MizunoEkiden.

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