05 Dec 2011
By: FABIUS CHEN
TRAGEDY struck at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011 yesterday, as a Singaporean runner died after completing the 21.1km half marathon.
Mr Malcolm Sng Wei Ren, 22, reportedly collapsed at the finishing line at the Padang at approximately 8.30am.
Race organisers said he was attended to immediately and sent to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he died an hour later. The family declined comment when contacted last night.
“Police were informed of the death of a 22-year-old man today at SGH,” a police spokesman confirmed. “Police are looking into the matter.”
In a statement released at 5pm yesterday, event organiser Singapore Sports Council (SSC) noted that “the organising committee will assist the police in their investigation (and) extends its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased”.
Medical experts declined to speculate on what the cause of death could be, but some runners noted that the weather was relatively cool in the morning given the overnight showers.
Mr Sng was a first-year business management undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, where he was also a member of the symphonic band.
He had completed yesterday’s run in 1hr 53min 20sec, which is generally considered to be a decent time for an amateur runner. It is not known if this was Mr Sng’s maiden attempt at the distance, or if he was a first-timer in the Standard Chartered event.
The half marathon, which attracted 19,700 entrants, was won by Kenyan Benard Muthoni in 1hr 8min 33sec.
Yesterday’s event attracted a record 65,000 participants across six categories – marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km Fun Run, 750m Kids Dash and the Ekiden (team relay).
It is understood that Mr Sng’s running bib did not indicate that he had a pre-existing medical condition.
All competitors wear a bib on which is printed not only their race number, but also their medical history.
After news of his death broke, more than 100 tributes were posted on his Facebook page by 11pm last night.
A shocked former band mate, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times: “Through my conversations with him, I understood that he was a very good runner, who ran regularly and consistently. He was a very hard-working person, who really gave his best in everything he did. Everyone had a good impression of him.”
Mr Sng had previously been a student at St Andrew’s Secondary and Nanyang Polytechnic.
His former band mates in the Saints Alumni Band are planning a rehearsal session today and will play at his wake.
This is the sixth endurance event related death in Singapore since 2005, but the first in the 10 years since Standard Chartered took over from Exxon Mobil as title sponsor of the marathon. Race organisers could not verify if the Singapore marathon had ever been hit by such a tragedy.
The SSC had previously announced that it intends to apply for the Singapore marathon to be elevated to the International Association of Athletics Federations’ prestigious Gold Label certification from its current Silver Label billing. It is not known what impact, if any, the news could have on the bid.
When queried, race organisers declined to comment on the matter.
However, they took pains to stress that safety measures were put in place yesterday. According to an SSC spokesman, these included the deployment of 26 certified doctors, 127 nurses, 820 first-aid personnel and 32 ambulances.
Other deaths at endurance events in S’pore
2005: Mr Ho Wai Piew, 40, suffered a heart attack during the swim leg of the New Balance Corporate Triathlon. It was his first triathlon.
He had an existing coronary arterial problem, and the cause of death was certified as drowning, heart attack and advanced coronary arterial disease. The state coroner issued a verdict of misadventure.
2006: Colonel Bernard Tan, 39, collapsed 600m from the 10km finish line during the Singapore Biathlon. He had already completed the 1.5km swim.
Medical staff failed to revive him despite using a defibrillator. His death was deemed a sudden cardiac death.
June 2007: National triathlete Thaddeus Cheong, 17, collapsed after finishing third in a SEA Games triathlon selection trial. He died of heart failure.
August 2007: Army officer Ho Si Qiu, 25, collapsed after completing the half-marathon at the Singapore Bay run.
His heart had stopped. Attempts to revive him with resuscitation drugs and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) failed.
2009: Mr Calvin Lee, 42, ran into trouble in the swim leg of the Osim Singapore International Triathlon.
Attempts to revive him using CPR and a defibrillator were unsuccessful
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