First of all, I would like to claim the below review is base on my own account of this event and I do have quite a number of views on this whole event but this post isn't meant to criticize the event but more of hoping to see them improve in their future events. *peace*
I've never attended a marathon that rained on the actual day and had lasted for sooooo long! It's heaven will to not let us run I guess.
Anyway, I'm afraid that if I do not turned up at the event and the race went on, I couldn't get my medal + plush toy right? The race pack is already not that fantastic and I hope that it's not so pathetic after all to not get the medal and plush toy.
The race pack.
Derp and I went ahead to leave home and head to Yew Tee to take the shuttle bus. I'm glad Derp did not influence me to not to go for the run because We somehow have the strong belief that "since the race start at 8am, there might be chance that the rain will stop and the race will continue"
The management sms-ed us at 6:40am and the sms goes like this:
"Dear participants, due to the wet weather condition; the Exit B pickup point at Yew Tee MRT has been changed to EXIT C(Near cheers). We are still monitoring the situation and will continue to update you if the race will be cancelled. Thank you for your patience and understanding"
Thumbs up for the management for informing us early regarding this.
Here comes #COMPLAIN 1.
When Derp and I reached Yew Tee Mrt, We reached Exit C as instructed, the previous shuttle bus was almost full and the volunteers were shouting for "2 more! Anybody?"
Derp and I stood there and asked the volunteer can We go up? The volunteer nod her head and some other volunteers pass us the poncho and When We walk over to board the shuttle bus, the shuttle bus DROVE OFF infront of us. Seriously, WTF?
You told us there were 2 seats, We wanted to get up and You saw us, but the next moment, the driver drove off. All the volunteers sort of system hanged and none of them SPOKE. Is there any communication at all or are your just doing it for the sake of doing it? I really wonder.
Anyway, We went to join in the queue then and managed to board the next bus. I'm glad We manage to squeeze up the next bus since the crowd haven't start pouring in yet due to the rain, everyone was sort of late for the race.
Once We alighted the shuttle bus, here comes #COMPLAIN 2
Everyone headed to the event site which is probably just at the carpark of Kranji NSRCC to I-Don't-Know-Do-What because it's still raining. There's no attendance to sign so what's the point in hanging around there right?
I know, there's poncho provided by them, Derp and I intend to head towards Kranji NSRCC to seek some shelter since We saw some runners (wearing the mario tee) standing there too.
BUT GUESS WHAT? THE CARPARK MARSHAL OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT CHASED US OFF AND KEPT SHOO-ING US OFF TO HEAD TOWARDS THE EVENT SITE!
I'm seriously pissed at that time because they don't let us go in and for goodness sake WHY? Okay you can call it for safety reason they afraid that a car might just come and knock us down the next moment so that it will be safer for us to head towards the event site to do I-DON'T-KNOW-WHAT. You'll probably understnad why I'm so piss when you read what happen when I went to the event site.
So I was chased off to the event site and everyone was hiding in the Medics shelter or whatever shelter they can find la! Of cause la! Who so crazy want to stand in the rain! For goodness sake, the rain at that time is not drizzling type, is big droplets rain!
Derp and I went to the Medics shelter and decide to take some photo before wearing the poncho and dispose our bags. But less than 5 minutes I'm in the shelter, here comes #COMPLAIN 3
A volunteer came over to tell us to kindly "GET OUT OF THE MEDIC TENT AND GO TO KRANJI NSRCC TO SEEK SHELTER." When I hear the word "seek shelter at Kranji NSRCC", I really went WTF because I JUST CAME FROM THERE! I WANTED TO GO THERE AND THEY DON'T ALLOWED BECAUSE OF WHATEVER STUPID REASONS AND NEXT MOMENT THEY ASKED ME TO HEAD BACK THERE! -___________-" I think my blood pressure went up high after I hear thatt sentence from the volunteer.
I quickly took a photo and got out of it because the volunteer was dying to ask us to get to Kranji NSRCC as though the Medic tent caught fire. I'm not joking seriously, no difference from fire drill.
Derp and I went to a volunteer booth(the provide free drink station) to seek shelter next and pack my bag so that I can dispose my bag off at the bag deposit station. I've got no time to pack my stuff when I'm at the Medic Tent because I was CHASED OFF! Thank god the volunteers at the drink station didn't chase us off. Thanks! :):) You all are really kind though I think you all look at us with the O.O face thinking what We want and We looked really pathetic. But no worries, We just want to seek shelter and pack our stuff and thanks for not chasing us away and never 'disturb' us in anyway :)
I feel as though I've met some kind angels after a shitty morning. After depositing our bags at the bag deposit, We headed back to the Kranji NSRCC. The thought of ":JUST NOW I WANT GO THERE YOUR DON'T LET ME, NOW YOUR WANT ME GO THERE" was still in my head. BTH!
Btw, the one who chase us away from Kranji NSRCC is not a volunteer from Kranji Countryside Run2013, I strongly believe is the marshal from Kranji NSRCC because he's not wearing the volunteer t-shirt.
View of the event site from the Kranji NSRCC. Ya I know it's near, but seriously WTF to keep chasing us here and there. Evnetually, all the runners head to Kranji NSRCC straight after the instructions were passed down to the car marshals of Kranji NSRCC.
The emcee was around to lift up the dampen mood, thumbs up again for doing a good job and keeping us udpated of what's the management decision. They postponed the 8km run from 8-8:30am and eventually it got cancelled due to the persistent rain but the 4km fun walk will continue.
We didn't went ahead with the 4km run/walk because firstly, the whole width for the run is really damn small. Just imagine a normal 1 lane road being divided into 2 lanes, 1 lane is for shuttle bus, another lane is for you to run on, it's not a really ideal marathon road afterall. And with the fact that there's family pushing baby strollers , and rain plus running in poncho, I think I would rather give it a miss and just collect the plush toy + medal at the end.
We took some photo and went to have breakfast and happily thinking to just go for the farm tour since We are there already after collecting our plush toy + medal. We do not wish that it will be a wasted trip.
:)
We went to see their booth while We were still pinning high hopes that there will be farm tour later on.
Here comes #COMPLAIN 4 which is the final complain. I apologize if the post is super lengthy but there's just some things I need to put across hoping that whichever management saw this would improve this run next year if they are going to have it again.
We took our plush toy + medal after our breakfast and We saw a bus queue. Our first instinct, this bus is the farm tour bus. But to our horror, the bus is heading back to Yew Tee MRT! -_____-". And following many shuttle buses came which were all heading back to Yew Tee MRT, So where's the farm tour? I can hear many of them who boarded the bus went like "I thought this bus is for farm tour? Okay nvm lor, like that I go home liao:
When We were queuing for bus, there's no one telling us the bus is heading towards where, We just board. Later on facebook, I saw people asking the volunteers and they themselves also unsure about it. The emcee at the event didn't say much about where's the farm tour bus queue and etc. Just keep encouraging us to go to the farm tour but WHERE'S THE BUS???!!!
After typing so much, I must give credits to those volunteers who stood there in the rain and etc but seriously if information were passed on more clearly, I think this whole event would be a more successful one. There's a serious lack of mis communication somewhere. I guess they weren't really trained to handle in-case-of-rainy-day plan and things got chaotic but however manage to save it from sinking.
A memorably day I would say rather than a memorable run. No idea if I would participate again in this run next year again because I might not be at the west area anymore, but still I hope that their management skills would be better if they are holding it again next year. :)
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