Wednesday, March 2, 2010 – After years of increasing participation numbers, the 2010 Osim Singapore International Triathlon will need a final sprint down the stretch to match the record of 3,600 who took part in 2009.

To date, only 2,300 have signed up for the various categories. As a result, the organisers, the Triathlon Association of Singapore (TAS), have dropped the “Late Period” category of fees and have extended the “Normal Period” fees to March 29th. The original closing date for registrations was March 2nd, 2010.

According to the official site, www.triathlon.sg, the organisers are aiming for 3,800 entries for this year’s event which is scheduled for the weekend of April 10th and 11th, 2010, at East Coast Park.

The event, from just 800 participants in the 2003 event, has seen a yearly increase in numbers over the years as the sport of triathlon developed a strong following. It was becoming common for the organisers to close registration early because of demand.

Despite the slower pace of registration this year, title sponsor Osim have decided to renew their sponsorship for another three years.

"Triathlon in Singapore has grown from a niche sport for hardcore endurance junkies, to an event that has introduced fun, fitness and a healthy lifestyle to thousands of athletes of all ages and backgrounds,” said Mark Tay, president of TAS. “… we have to thank Mr Ron Sim for his personal support and that of OSIM's for the past eight years! Sports without corporate sponsorship will never grow.”

"As we embark on another three years together, we look forward to continuing our close partnership with TAS to foster the development of triathlon,” said Alan Tan, the Osim Head of Branding and Strategic Marketing. “Efforts will be deployed to discover and groom young talents who can become sporting ambassadors of this multi-disciplined sport, as well as reach out to more people to adopt triathlon as a healthy lifestyle."

For safety reasons, the organisers have made a major change to the swim route. Swimmers only have to head out 150m from the beach before turning to swim parallel to the shore. Previously, swimmers had to swim out 300m.

To register for the event, go to http://www.triathlon.sg