In a move to improve the physical fitness of Singaporeans, the National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) scheme just got harder.
If you thought running 2.4km was hard, you now have to do 5km instead. Red Sports understands that some officials wanted to hold back Secondary 4 students from further studies if they failed but the idea was eventually dropped as “too draconian”.
“We are Singaporeans, not Spartans,” said Ministry of Education spokesperson Mr Wo Hern Fei.
The Ministry of Defence is understandably pleased that the standards for the NAPFA test is getting harder.
“2.4km is nothing,” said MINDEF spokesperson COL Chin Chia Keen. “5km is the bare minimum.”
“If wars are fought online, Singaporeans will win,” alluding to the penchant of Singaporeans to just sit and play online video games like Warcraft all day. “But we need real men!”
The cut off time for the 5km is understood to be 35 minutes.
“Anything longer than that is just walking,” said COL Chin.
Students who make the mark will serve only one year and 10 months for National Service.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, the percentage of students passing NAPFA has been increasing steadily over the years, from 58% in 1992 to 74% in 1998, and further to 80% in 2007. This has led to comments that the NAPFA test is too easy.
Some parents are worried sick.
“5km? Are they mad? My boy cannot take the sun. It’s so hot in Singapore,” said a parent who didn’t want to be named in case MINDEF targets her boy. “I hope they allow them to run the 5km on a treadmill in an air-con gym.”
Polytechnic student Zhen Tian Chi only had one thing to say, “Like that die lah.”
ok
even though its still 2.4km, the passing standard for men 12min 30 seconds is the biggest joke i can think of in sports. we’re talking about hot-blooded young men in their 17s and 18s and 19s, and really they should be doing 8 minutes at the bare minimum. In US highschools, 5 in 10 boys at age 16 can run around 8min pace 2.4km for 5km. The very good ones run, the ones that have trained like a long distance elite athlete can run around 6min and 30 seconds pace for a single 2.4km, and 7min 2.4km pace for a 5000m. and the girls in the US high schools, the very good ones are running 8minutes 2.4km pace for 5km and about 7minutes 30 seconds for a single 2.4km. just go to http://www.flotrack.org or http://www.dyestat.org or youtube, u will routinely see 14,15 yr old girls running 8minutes for a single 2.4km. And these are GIRLS, YOUNG GIRLS, who are supposedly less hot-blooded and less muscle mass and less of every hormones u can think of, and they are thrashing bigger, stronger 18-19 yr old males in singapore? I can tell you that in singapore, the average guy runs 9.45-10minutes for a 2.4km with really really hard training, while those that dun train of course only run 11-13min. and perhaps commandos in our SAF or the Officer Cadets, they run 9.15-9.30 at most on average, but u know what, these commandos, the so called fittest of the fittest defending our country should hang their heads in shame losing to these little little 14-15 yr old girls. there’s even a 9 year old ‘baby’ girl now in america whose run a national age-group record of 8.55 for 2.4km on the way to an 11.58 for 2miles which is 3220m.
there are only a couple dozen teenagers in singapore(less than 30)currently out thousands and thousands of male teenagers from 13 years to 19 yrs of age with the ability to run 8minutes or under. so thats just not good enough.
So it seems the he-men of Singapore have chanced upon this article 🙂 At the risk of repeating ourselves, this article was an April Fool’s joke. Sorry to disappoint you but the NAPFA test is still very much 2.4km.
No wonder singapore has no olympic medallist or qualifiers in long distance running, coz our sports ministries are setting tortoise standards for our men and women. if singapore were to produce an Olympic Champion in the 5000m or 10000 or 1500m or marathon, they need to lower the standard to 20 minutes for men at the very very very least of the least. Elite marathoners from africa and other countries run 42km of the marathon at under 15min 5km pace for the whole way throughout. just imagine that. and here we are just 1 single 5km in 35min? that is ridiculous.
What the hell? 35mins? OMG. The current world record for ‘REAL MAN’ is 12minutes and 37 seconds, and the world record for ‘REAL WOMAN’ is 14minutes and 11 seconds. Looks like the man in Singapore are PUSSIES and the woman are weaklings. Damn, our passing time is 3 times slower than the world record of REAL MAN. We cant allow this to happen. In America, the passing standard for 5km for men is 20minutes and in Kenya and Ethopia, the long distance running powerhouses, you need to 15minutes and 30 seconds for man at freaking 2500m altitude in the thin mountaineous air and 17minutes and 30 seconds for women in order to pass BMT. We need to become REAL MAN and REAL WOMEN in singapore man. So ladies(or jc girls i mean), how about trying to do 20minutes for 5km? if kenyan women are doing 17minutes at lung searing altitude, dun tell me you cant do 20min at sea level? and for the men(jc boys i mean), how about trying to do 17minutes flat for 5km, at least thats easier than 15.30 for kenyan men at lung searing altitude.
This means with the new 5km (35mins passing time), you will need to run 2.5km in 17min30s X 2.
wAHAHAwahaHAHA…how difficult can this be.
Even my wife will be able to do it.
This 5km is alot easier compared to the current 2.4km (12min30s passing time) lah.
Strange i find 5km within 35mins is alot easier than running 2.4km.
The 2.4km is basically a ‘sprint’ and the passing time if i remember is 12min30s.
After some calculation. For 5km 35min(passing time) running pace is 7.00min/km this is really easy compared to the current 2.4km 12min30s(passing time) you need to run at a 5min13s/km pace.
So tell me. The new 5km is easier. Just take your own sweet time to jog but do not stop and you can even fast-walk in between a few times and you can still pass.
Fit singaporeans mentality: ‘What a discount! Die die must run man!’
Unfit singaporeans mentality: ‘Pon ah!’
i tink it should rly be changed to 5km as 2.4 is quite easi
this is one thing i love!! 1 year and 10 month for NS just to pass 5 km!! it just peanut to me
hmm…5km is a more accurate representation of one’s fitness level and isn’t THAT hard. also, running in a air-con gym treadmill is definitely harder than actually running. a suggestion is macritchie – the 5km route is quite cooling.
Les, Les, Les, what are we gonna do with you?
This is still funny, three weeks later. Hell, ya, we are spartans!
We are Sporeans. ; )
Well, glad you enjoyed the joke. Although some still think it’s true.
Oh dear.
haha. i ran 9.36 for my recent 2.4km run. 5km is nothing larh. anyway its a funny joke. wo hern fei = i very fat. chin chia keen = really fast. zhen tian chi = eat everyday. HAHAHA! nice one.
it is easy should do this in every school
woah, thats cool…
i would like to try it.
always tot that 2.4 was too short.
but… 5 km, must give longer time.
yeah, if really this happy, i think it will be fun!
WOOHOO!
if you just realised, look at the browser address on top and you’ll realise its an april fool’s day joke…
siao liao i know the other students in my class are gona die doing…2.4 cant even pass,lidat howw?? owrry for themm..
what’s the point if you set an impossible task and expect ppl to pass then set a harder one..?
but oso good for the athletes,train more;D
two words: progressive training.
Sure, 5km may be long.
But 35 mins is even longer.
Not trying to boast or anything. But I’m sure I’m able to do it.
5km in 35min is more than enough time.
try running 10km in less than 1hour.