Southeast Asia was ‘all in’ for running as 45,000 passionate runners came together to participate in adidas King of the Road 2012 (KOTR), the only running championship spanning across five countries within the region, clocking an impressive 84km distance – the equivalent of two marathons. As the global leader in running, adidas continued its commitment to the sport by hosting its second KOTR championship in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.
Singapore marked the grand finale of the championship with the 16.8km race originating and ending at the city’s newest attraction, Gardens by the Bay. The ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ of the KOTR championship saw Eduardo Beunavista and Mary Grace Delos Santos, both from the Philippines battle vigorously alongside elite runners to claim bragging rights as Southeast Asia’s “best of the best” in the ‘Closed’ category for males and females in a time of 53 minutes 12 seconds and 1 hour 1 minute 52 seconds respectively. Hot on their heels were two runners from Thailand, Sanchai Namkhet for the male category in a time of 55 minutes 7 seconds and Natthaya Thanaronnawat for the female category in 1 hour 4 minutes 18 seconds.
“I'm very happy with the adidas KOTR. It's nice to see the global leader in running bringing together passionate runners from all over the region. The 16.8km distance is distinctive from other running events, and I certainly would like to do it again,” said Eduardo Beunavista.
"I’m really proud to win again in Singapore’s championship race after coming first in the Manila’s leg. I have even achieved my personal best for today’s run. The adidas KOTR races have served a great use in training for my next event, a full marathon in Manila in December. I would welcome coming back next year and competing at adidas KOTR again," said Mary Grace Delos Santos.
Melvin Wong and Ivan Low flew the Singapore flag high when they crossed the finishing line in 6th and 7th position in a time of 59 minutes 28 seconds and 59 minutes 47 seconds, respectively. Sponsored by adidas, winners from the various KOTR legs (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia) around the region travelled to Singapore to compete against Southeast Asia’s top runners.
“The thing that sets adidas KOTR apart from all the other races is the route, especially for this year’s that begin and end at the Gardens by the Bay,” said Melvin Wong.
During the race, brightly coloured adidas racing vests worn by participants showcased the vibrancy of the Southeast Asia’s sports scene, making it the most colourful race in the region. As a highly anticipated running event of 2012, the adidas KOTR routes passed through some of the most scenic and exciting landmarks each city has to offer. In Singapore, runners navigated through Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, Arts Science Museum and the Singapore Flyer. In fact, KOTR was one of the first running events in Singapore to be held at Gardens by the Bay.
“Today, the spirit of ‘adidas is all in’ comes to life through the passion of all participating runners. To watch each runner aim to achieve their personal best across all five countries is truly an inspiration. This was precisely the vision of adidas KOTR when we initiated the original concept of hosting a regional running competition last year,” said Amit DasGupta, Director, Brand, adidas Southeast Asia.
“The adidas KOTR aims to bring runners together from across the region as part of adidas’ commitment to the sport. We’re proud to provide a unique platform that brings together running enthusiasts from across the region, and this year we are pleased to be amongst the first to host a running competition out of the beautiful Gardens by the Bay. adidas is grateful to all participants for making the adidas KOTR 2012 a truly successful running event for the second straight year,” added Amit.
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