These marathon runners will give up their personal best to save a life

In a first for the Singapore International Marathon, 238 specially trained runners will be on standby this year to treat fellow participants in medical distress.

CNA's Justin Ong (left) and medic runner Ho Ket Hyun re-enacting a scenario where a runner is in need of assistance. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

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SINGAPORE: Running a marathon is tough. It's even tougher in hot and humid Singapore, where medical emergencies such as heat stroke, dehydration and fainting are not uncommon.

In rare cases, runners can even go into cardiac arrest.

In December 2024, a participant died after crossing the finish line of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, the third death in the race's history. A few months later, during the 2XU Compression Run in April 2025, a 23-year-old died while running the 21.1km category race.

During the Standard Chartered Half Marathon last year, local media reported that a runner collapsed midway, received first aid such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from other runners, and subsequently survived.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less This year, the new organisers of the BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by Adidas are looking to better tackle medical emergencies by introducing a "medic runner" category for the first time. Should any participant need medical assistance, these runners will act as first responders and attend to the runners. This could mean providing life-saving medical aid such as CPR. These runners will be medically trained in the months leading up to the race, and will run alongside participants during the half-marathon on Dec 5 and full marathon on Dec 6. According to the event website, both distances are sold out. Sign-ups for the medic runner category are also closed.

This year, the new organisers of the BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by Adidas are looking to better tackle medical emergencies by introducing a "medic runner" category for the first time.

Should any participant need medical assistance, these runners will act as first responders and attend to the runners. This could mean providing life-saving medical aid such as CPR.

These runners will be medically trained in the months leading up to the race, and will run alongside participants during the half-marathon on Dec 5 and full marathon on Dec 6.

According to the event website, both distances are sold out. Sign-ups for the medic runner category are also closed.

The medic runner shirt on Sep 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

CEO of SG International Marathon Pte Ltd Leon Lai said that the inspiration for this new category came from similar races held overseas, including the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Thailand.

"I thought that it was something really interesting that we could try and implement in Singapore, considering the fact that we have a challenging climate and we have a large number of people on the course," he said.

"I think no number of medical outposts or medical evacuation plans can replace the idea of having someone who's able to assist you on the course itself."

There will be no medic runners for the 10km and 5km race categories, as the organisers assessed there to be enough medical response units throughout the course for those distances.

STRICT REQUIREMENTS, MEDICAL TRAINING

The main perk for medic runners: free entry to the race.

But medic runners are not expected to run a personal best. During races, they are contractually required to stop their own run and help any stricken runners.

The medic runners programme, seen by CNA, states that medic runners are expected to "prioritise participant safety, incident response, escalation, handover and all medic runner duties over personal race timing, race performance, personal best, ranking, completion goals or any other personal sporting objective".

Because of this, race organisers have stringent prerequisites for who gets to be a medic runner.

For instance, the runner has to be a Singapore resident, so he or she can attend mandatory training sessions to learn medical skills and do practice runs to ensure they are ready for race day.

Mr Lai said that of the over 1,300 applications, just 238 medic runners were selected.

Participants in a first aid course for medic runners conducted by Lentor Training Centre in partnership with Singapore International Marathon on Sep 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

Singapore International Marathon partnered with Lentor Training Centre, a division of Lentor Ambulance, to provide the medical training.

The course covers a variety of skills, including administering CPR, bandaging of wounds, and treating people with allergies.

Even medic runners who already have experience or qualifications in medical treatment or healthcare are required to go through the course.

This was the case for half-marathon participant Sabrina Zainol, a full-time nurse who attended the course earlier this month.

The 30-year-old told CNA that she had already been planning to participate in the half-marathon, but being a nurse motivated her to sign up as a medic runner as well.

“If anything happens along the course, at least I can use my skills to good use.”

SEASONED RUNNERS ONLY

Other than medical skills, medic runners are also required to go for at least two running sessions held by race organisers.

The runners also have to prove that they have participated in long-distance races before – specifically, at least a 10km, a half marathon or a marathon, said Mr Lai.

This is so organisers can be sure that all medic runners understand when medical assistance is most required, and how arduous the experience can become for race participants, he said.

Race organisers also look at data from medic runners' exercise tracking apps such as Strava to ascertain if they are seasoned, he added.

For medic runner Ho Ket Hyun, this requirement is not an issue. The consultant in his 50s has participated in about 20 marathons in over as many years.

Having seen many runners in need of medical aid during previous races, he signed up as a medic runner out of a desire to give back to the running community.

"At that time probably I didn't know enough to actually help out," he said. "That's why I was looking for how I could contribute (this time)."

Mr Ho joined one of the running trainings on Sep 12, where he tried on the yellow medic runner kit as well as a running vest with essential items such as bandages, ice packs and muscle cramps relief spray.

Medic runner Ho Ket Hyun participating in a training run with Lion City Road Runners at Jurong Lake Garden on Sep 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

The vest worn by medic runners includes medical supplies such as bandages, energy gels and ice packs. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

Asked if she would set aside her personal best to help someone in need, Ms Sabrina said that she would do so without thought.

"If I wanted to join as a normal participant, then I should have just gone for the normal sign-up," she said. "But because of my (nursing) background and my guilty conscience, I will forgo my personal best recordings or whatever and just attend to the emergency immediately."

Mr Ho echoed these sentiments.

"It's okay if I can have a personal best – but if not, if I need to help people out, I think that's more meaningful," he said.

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今年新加坡国际马拉松首次设立专门的志愿者队伍，238 名经过专门训练的跑者将随时待命，为遇到医疗紧急情况的其他参赛者提供治疗。

CNA记者Justin Ong（左）和医护人员Ho Ket Hyun正在模拟一名跑步者需要帮助的场景。（图片：CNA/Lim Li Ting）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：跑马拉松很艰难。在炎热潮湿的新加坡，跑马拉松就更加艰难，中暑、脱水和昏厥等医疗紧急情况并不少见。

在极少数情况下，跑步者甚至可能发生心脏骤停。

2024年12月，一名参赛者在渣打新加坡马拉松赛冲过终点线后不幸身亡，这是该赛事历史上第三起死亡事件。几个月后，在2025年4月举行的2XU压缩跑比赛中，一名23岁的选手在参加21.1公里组比赛时不幸身亡。

据当地媒体报道，去年渣打半程马拉松比赛中，一名跑者在中途晕倒，其他跑者对其进行了心肺复苏等急救，最终使其幸存下来。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 今年，由阿迪达斯赞助的比亚迪新加坡国际马拉松赛的新主办方希望通过首次引入“医疗跑者”类别来更好地应对医疗紧急情况。如果任何参赛者需要医疗援助，这些跑者将作为第一响应者，为参赛者提供救助。这可能包括提供诸如心肺复苏术等救生医疗救助。这些跑者将在赛前几个月接受医疗培训，并将在12月5日的半程马拉松和12月6日的全程马拉松比赛中与参赛者一同奔跑。根据赛事官网，两个赛程的参赛名额均已售罄。医疗跑者类别的报名也已关闭。

今年，由阿迪达斯赞助的比亚迪新加坡国际马拉松赛的新组织者希望通过首次引入“医护跑者”类别来更好地应对医疗紧急情况。

如果任何参赛者需要医疗救助，这些跑者将作为急救人员，为他们提供帮助。这可能包括提供诸如心肺复苏术等挽救生命的医疗救助。

这些跑步运动员将在比赛前的几个月接受医疗训练，并将于 12 月 5 日的半程马拉松和 12 月 6 日的全程马拉松比赛中与参赛者一起奔跑。

根据赛事官网显示，两个组别的名额均已售罄。医护跑者的报名也已截止。

2026年9月12日，医护人员身穿跑步衫。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

SG International Marathon Pte Ltd 首席执行官 Leon Lai 表示，这一新类别的灵感来自海外举办的类似赛事，包括泰国的 Bangsaen21 半程马拉松。

“考虑到新加坡气候条件恶劣，而且课程学员人数众多，我认为这是一个非常有趣的事情，我们可以在新加坡尝试实施，”他说。

“我认为，再多的医疗哨所或医疗后送计划也无法取代有人能在赛道上为你提供帮助的想法。”

10公里和5公里比赛组别将不设医疗队，因为组织者评估认为，这些赛程沿途已有足够的医疗救援队。

严格的要求，医疗培训

医护人员参赛的主要福利：免费参赛。

但医疗跑者无需跑出个人最佳成绩。比赛期间，他们有义务根据合同规定，在遇到任何受伤的跑者时，必须停止自己的跑步，并提供帮助。

CNA看到的医疗跑者计划指出，医疗跑者应“优先考虑参与者的安全、事件响应、升级、交接和所有医疗跑者的职责，而不是个人比赛时间、比赛成绩、个人最佳成绩、排名、完成目标或任何其他个人体育目标”。

正因如此，赛事组织者对谁能成为医疗跑者有严格的先决条件。

例如，参赛选手必须是新加坡居民，这样他/她才能参加强制性培训课程，学习医疗技能，并进行练习跑，以确保为比赛日做好准备。

赖先生表示，在超过1300份申请中，只有238名医疗跑者被选中。

2026年9月5日，由伦多培训中心与新加坡国际马拉松合作举办的医护跑者急救课程学员正在参加。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

新加坡国际马拉松与 Lentor 救护车公司旗下的 Lentor 培训中心合作，提供医疗培训。

该课程涵盖各种技能，包括实施心肺复苏术、包扎伤口和治疗过敏症患者。

即使是已经具备医疗或保健方面经验或资格的医护人员也需要参加该课程。

半程马拉松参赛者萨布丽娜·扎伊诺尔（Sabrina Zainol）就是这种情况，她是一名全职护士，本月初参加了该课程。

这位 30 岁的女子告诉 CNA，她原本就计划参加半程马拉松，但作为一名护士，她又报名参加了医护人员马拉松。

“如果过程中发生什么意外，至少我还能充分发挥自己的技能。”

仅限经验丰富的跑者

除了医疗技能外，医护跑者还必须参加至少两次由赛事组织者组织的跑步训练。

赖先生表示，参赛者还必须证明他们以前参加过长距离比赛——具体来说，至少参加过 10 公里、半程马拉松或全程马拉松。

他说，这样做是为了让组织者确保所有医疗跑者都了解何时最需要医疗援助，以及比赛参与者可能会经历多么艰难的体验。

他还补充说，赛事组织者还会查看医疗跑者的运动追踪应用程序（例如 Strava）的数据，以确定他们是否经验丰富。

对于医疗跑步爱好者何吉铉（音译）来说，这不成问题。这位五十多岁的顾问在过去的二十多年里参加了大约二十场马拉松比赛。

由于在之前的比赛中看到很多跑者需要医疗救助，他出于回馈跑步界的愿望，报名成为了一名医疗跑者。

“那时候我可能懂得不够多，帮不上什么忙，”他说。“所以这次我一直在想我能做些什么来贡献力量。”

何先生于 9 月 12 日参加了一次跑步训练，期间他试穿了黄色医护跑步服以及一件跑步背心，里面装有绷带、冰袋和肌肉痉挛缓解喷雾等必需品。

2026年9月12日，医护人员何吉铉在裕廊湖花园参加狮城路跑俱乐部的训练跑。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

医护人员穿着的背心上装有绷带、能量胶和冰袋等医疗用品。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

当被问及是否会放下自己最好的状态去帮助有需要的人时，萨布丽娜女士表示她会毫不犹豫地这样做。

“如果我想以普通参赛者的身份参加，那我应该直接报名就行了，”她说。“但因为我的（护理）背景和我的愧疚感，我会放弃个人最佳成绩之类的，立刻去处理紧急情况。”

何先生也表达了同样的看法。

“如果我能创造个人最佳成绩，那当然很好——但如果不能，如果我需要帮助别人，我认为这更有意义，”他说。

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