Press Release - Singapore Marathon - 2/26/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  Statement from The IRONMAN Group on the status of Abbott World Marathon
       Major candidacy for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

Since its inaugural event in 1982, the Standard Chartered Singapore 
Marathon has served hundreds of thousands of runners from around the globe, 
showcasing one of the world's great cities.
 
Building upon an already well-established World Athletics Gold Label Race, 
The IRONMAN Group began organizing the event in 2016 and utilized its 
organizational standards and staff expertise as the world's largest mass 
participant event organizer, evolving the Standard Chartered Singapore 
Marathon to the international success it is today.
 
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, organizers were able to produce an 
event in 2020 thanks to the successful launch of the Standard Chartered 
Singapore Marathon Virtual Club platform that welcomed 124,000 registrants 
during 15 weeks of virtual races and challenges leading to the pinnacle and 
innovative Grand Finale hybrid race, which featured ground-breaking 
augmented reality, drawing an additional 12,000 participants from 69 
nations around the world. Runners collectively clocked 106,269 KM and 
raised SGD$1 million which Standard Chartered Bank donated to the Community 
Chest to help empower and nurture youths.
 
Prior to the pandemic, event organizers had the privilege of working with 
the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) team for three years as a 
candidate race thanks to the AbbottWMM long-term partnership with the Wanda 
Sports Group, their recognition of a great event in a great city and the 
support of major event partners like the Standard Chartered Bank, Sport 
Singapore, and Singapore Tourism Board.
 
With the Wanda Sports Group retaining the exclusive rights to the next 
three AbbottWMM event additions, the candidacy of the Standard Chartered 
Singapore Marathon is no longer a viable option.
 
Alongside its partners and key stakeholders, the Standard Chartered 
Singapore Marathon team remains committed to delivering world-class race 
experiences and will continue its efforts in producing a signature event 
for the global running community that exhibits the many great qualities of 
Singapore.
 
Race organizers are working diligently and closely with relevant government 
agencies and authorities to consider the best way forward for the 2021 
event and will be guided by the prevailing safe management measures in 
Singapore. Additional information will be shared with runners and partners 
and made available on Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon digital 
platforms in due course.
 
We thank our runners and community for their unwavering support for 
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, especially our core partners 
Standard Chartered Bank, Sport Singapore, and Singapore Tourism Board, and 
look forward to what the future brings as we collectively focus on creating 
world class running experiences for individuals of all ages and abilities 
around the world.
 
We wish both AbbottWMM and the Wanda Sports Group the best in their 
continued partnership.

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