I signed up for the Mizuno Wave run as a warmup for the half marathon next month. The run was scheduled over the past weekend at Bedok Reservoir area. For those who do not know, the area is picturesque as you can see from the Google maps image. The day started with some rain – but I am the kind of person who enjoys rain. Wet socks and clothes do not deter me; instead it brings out the inner child and I start a little hum and a jig. However the rain trickled to a literal drizzle before the run began and the weather was perfect for a early morning workout. I was looking forward to get my legs in shape for the final training push before the Half marathon and had reasonable target of 6 min / Km.

Due to the rain, the uneven gravel and mud tracks had collected enough water to create puddles and within the first Km, there was mud all over the place. It felt more like a run over rough terrain which is something I enjoyed too. But the problem was that till the 2 Km mark, I had hardly run Bummer… The number of runners was way more than what the path could take. I was reminded of the MILK run (a poorly organized charity event) 2005 – where participants literally walked in a slow convoy. On top of walking in a convoy, there were numerous bottle necks (literally) that could accommodate not more than 2 people side by side. These turned out to create a huge pile up of human traffic trying to pass. It is weird why some one would organize and recruit as many participants without understanding the overcrowding issues. I guess there are few reasons:

1. Overzealous organization team who was looking to increase statistical head count.
2. Inexperienced team who themselves are not runners.
3. Greedy company that wants to make as much money as possible in conducting a public event.
4. Stingy group that recruits in unprofessional organizers.
5. Complicated red-tape to obtain permits for more running space.

I tend to think the reasons are a combination of all the above. As a reason, myself included, most participants potentially left with a really bad opinion of the event. From what I saw at the finish line, there are issues that the participants need to settle too.

Time and again, I see that the baggage logistics is extremely below par. If people run in local events regularly, and know that the baggage section is going to be a mess, Common sense should deter people from carrying things to these events. But the sight of hundreds of bags being auctioned by the handlers does not seem to teach anyone a lesson.

The patience people show in queuing up is something I cannot understand. One is willing to stand 3 hours to get the event “Goodie bag”. Mizuno and “World of sport” were idiot enough not to give it away at the point of registration, nor did they have the sense to ask people to collect it at their outlets. They decided to let people queue up (figuring people enjoy it). Weird that an hour long run ender up eating up more than half a day for most people.

Oh well, the issue cuts both ways – For me, it was a 10 Km on the lazy legs and an enjoyable morning run. Maybe I should listen to my brother when he says “Paying $$ for a run that is shorter than a Half marathon is pretty senseless”. I think he has a point.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 10:27 am and is filed under race report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.