By Les Tan
On July 8th, 2008, the Punggol Central Running Club celebrated its first birthday. Part of the Punggol Central Constituency Sports Club, the running club was founded by Mr Michael Kang. To date, it has about 60 members and about 20 regular runners who meet every Sunday morning for runs. Red Sports caught up with Michael and found out more about how the club came about.
Red Sports: How old are you and what is your current occupation and employer?
Michael: I am currently 46 years old and I am a Senior Credit Officer at the National Service Resort & Country Club.
Why and how did you start the Punggol Central Running Club?
When I moved into Sengkang, I noticed that there were many joggers in the Sengkang and Punggol areas. Many of the joggers ran alone and even though I often meet the same people during my regular jogs, we never stop to chat.
Knowing my interest in jogging, a neighbour of mine suggested that I form a social running club for residents so that they will have a place where they can mingle and make friends with people who love to run. A friend put me in contact with Mr Andy Hoe, Senior Constituency Manager of Sengkang Community Club, and he subsequently introduced me to Mr Joseph Yong, Chairman of the Punggol Central Constituency Sports Club. With the help of Mr Tony Kok, the road-run convenor, we started the Punggol Central Running Club on 8 July 2007 and began recruiting members for the running club.
What is your role in the club?
I am the Chairman of the club and a believer of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. Every Sunday morning, I will gather our members for a run. Through this activity, residents can come together, make friends and stay healthy. This is also my way of giving back to the community.
How many members are there in the club?
At the moment, the club has almost 60 members, with the numbers increasing by the month. There is a strong sense of esprit de corps in the group as we often share running tips and experiences with the younger runners and even help each other train for marathons. Sometimes, we will even arrange for discounts for running shoes and apparels for our club members!
How often does the club meet for runs?
We meet every Sunday morning for a run at 7am. To help familiarise members with the different places for jogging and to help create interest, we often visits different places for our weekly runs. We also meet up for other running events like the Wave Run, SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run & Army Half Marathon, Singapore Marathon, etc.
Does the club organise anything else besides the weekly runs?
As the club just turned 1, we are still trying to consolidate our membership, encourage more to join the club and focus on introducing new running venues to our members. However, we are also actively involved in the Constituency Sports Club's events, having recently planned the Punggol Central Run 2008.
Are there any criteria in becoming a member?
There are no fix criteria for people to become a member. We welcome all, regardless of age, race and religion. As long as he/she can jog 5 km, they are welcome to join in our weekly runs. If there is one criteria that we require, it is a passion for running. In the club, we have a buddy system where newer members will be looked after and paired with more experience runners so as to ensure safety while running.
Where can I find out more information about the club?
People who are interested to find out more about our club can visit our blog at http://punggolrunners.blogspot.com/. The blog serves as a platform to reach out other runners as well as a communication tool to let our members stay updated and informed of the latest news and upcoming events.
As the chairman, do you have any goals for the club?
It has been heartening to see many die-hard runners attending our weekly morning runs as we travel far and wide looking for ideal running locations. I hope that there can be a sporting culture in Singapore so that Singaporeans can lead healthy lives and make friends with their neighbours. However, I will need the support from all members as well as residents of Sengkang and Punggol to come and forward and join us for the regular weekend runs so as to get to know one another better and bond as a community.
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