Beyond Medals: Team adidas Shows Both Heart and Results at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon
- John Yeong
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
Bold Race Strategies, Personal Bests, and the Honesty of Struggle Defined Team adidas at SCSM 2025
The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) brought together Singapore’s top endurance athletes, and Team adidas Singapore delivered both powerful results and deeper stories of competitive spirit.
Across the SCSM National Championship and open category races, the team showcased what performance truly means: not just podium placements, but the courage to race with intention, take risks, and fight through adversity.
Bold Race Strategy and Breakthrough Podiums
The Half Marathon National Championship produced one of the weekend’s most memorable races, with Najib Mooiz earning second place in an impressive 1:15:14, a lifetime personal best and his first National Championship podium.
Despite entering the race unsure about his chances, Najib committed to a fearless strategy—to “race brave”—and trusted his training fully. A strong surge by competitors early on forced him to respond, and he soon found himself leading the race from 10 to 20 km, lifted by support from runners and spectators across the course.
“When the participants list came out, I didn’t feel confident at all. Competition margins were too tight… I predicted myself getting 4th.”
Still, Najib committed to a fearless mindset and surged to the front mid-race:
“I decided to race brave, no matter what happens. After plucking up my courage, unbelievably, I found myself leading the race.”
Though overtaken in the final kilometre, Najib’s silver medal represents more than a podium—it reflects the reward of risk, the belief to fight for the front, and the confidence to break new ground as an athlete.
A Top-10 Debut for Raymond Sng
Also in the half marathon, Raymond Sng completed his first National Championship with a top-10 finish, clocking 1:21:01 to finish ninth overall.
His performance wasn’t built on perfect preparation—training was inconsistent, and race execution felt challenging—but Raymond showed that competitive breakthroughs often come from staying committed when things aren’t ideal. Supported by his training community, he leaves SCSM with valuable experience and a milestone result of achieving a top 10 finish on his debut against a competitive field of runners.
“Even though the training block and race execution was far from perfect, it was a pleasant surprise to squeeze into the top 10.”
Supported by his training partners, Raymond embraced the experience with gratitude:
“I feel immensely blessed to have gone through this roller coaster ride with my constant pillars of support.”
Young Talent Rising: Nicholas Rachmadi
Multi-sport athlete Nicholas Rachmadi added another highlight for Team adidas, finishing third overall and second-fastest local in his race category with a time of 16:59. His rapid rise signals the depth of talent coming through Singapore’s running scene.
He shares post-race: "This is my first time racing the 5km at SCSM and I must say it was a great experience. The race course was definitely challenging with a few up slopes and a long false flat along Nicoll Highway and maybe I was a little too ambitious when I said I wanted to break 16min."
"I started out the first 2km right on pace but had to abort the plan knowing that I burnt a couple of matches trying to get a gap from my competitors on the first two up slopes. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the challange and the competition and I'm glad I managed to finish 3rd overall."
Women’s Strength: Bernice Tan Secures Fifth
In the women’s event, Bernice Tan produced a strong 1:39:32, placing 5th overall in her category and 13th in her gender. Her consistency throughout the race shows her growth and adds to the wave of female runners pushing competitive standards in Singapore.
It was her second local half marathon in less than a month, and the experience offered her meaningful progress:
“The entire race experience was super happening — run clubs were out in full force, cheering and hyping up the route. I really soaked up all their energy to keep pressing on.”
While still building toward her ideal timing, Bernice reflected on the growth she found in the race:
“While my timing still wasn’t quite where I want it to be, I gained a lot more control this round and even got a teeny tiny bit faster. So overall, a really solid and meaningful race day for me.”
She also shared the tools that helped her stay confident through 21.1km:
“The Adios Pro 4 is honestly my go-to racing shoe… soft yet still so responsive — it gives me that comfortable, confident ride all the way through.”
Her performance highlights the strength rising through women’s competitive running in Singapore — backed by preparation, consistency, and support on the course.
The Honesty of Struggle: Desmond Ang’s Marathon Fight
While podiums often headline race recaps, the truest measure of an athlete’s heart can be seen in how they respond to challenges. For Desmond Ang, the Men’s Marathon National Championship became a test of resilience.
He made a bold decision to race with the lead pack of sub-3-hour marathoners—knowing it carried risk. A strong opening pace showed his intent to compete, but the effort caught up before halfway. At 28–29 km, he stopped, sitting on the curb, questioning whether to continue.
What makes his race powerful isn’t his 3:48:08 timing, but his why:
“I didn’t do this for social media… I do this because I FREAKIN LOVE this. All of it.”
His words reflect the essence of sport—showing up, trying hard, and respecting the journey even when the outcome isn’t ideal:
“This means you’ll see me again.”
What makes Desmond’s race meaningful isn’t his time of 3:48:08, but the fact that he chose to stand again and finish the race. He refused the safe route. He embraced the pain, the doubt, and the reality of a tough day. His message was simple: he runs for love of the sport, not the applause.
His story reminds us that performance isn’t defined by a perfect result, but by the willingness to keep moving when success seems out of reach. It is this kind of honesty that inspires communities, not just podiums.
A Culture of Performance and Purpose
From breakthrough personal bests to authentic expressions of passion, Team adidas Singapore showed what modern competitive running truly looks like at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. These athletes support one another, celebrate the wins, and share the tough moments openly—not as setbacks, but as fuel.
Their performances demonstrate that running is a journey, not a single race result. And SCSM 2025 will be remembered not only for medals, but for the inspiring choices made in pursuit of personal limits. #adidasRunning #SCSM2025