Note:
If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
SAFRA Running Club - Manned by Warm and Friendly People
Picture 1 - (Left to Right) Melvin Lee, Ong Say Cheng, Rameshon, Ning Wen Long and Jimmy Chow. We decided to take a photo at Mt Faber (SAFRA). The SAFRA Committee members were warm when I met them.
Today I did my 10km run with my friend Gorlden. We started from CCAB Bukit Timah, ran to MacRitchie Reservoir and then came back. The day was cooling and refreshing.
Later on, I proceeded to SAFRA (Mt Faber) to meet the committee members of SAFRA Running Club who are passionate runners themselves. I met four of them. They told me that there are 17 of them together. I will mention the four people that I met. Their names were Ning Wen Long (Chairman), Ong Say Cheng (Vice-Chairman), Jimmy Chow (Special Project) and Melvin Lee (Operation for Sponsor). At present, Wen Long told me that SAFRA running club has no coach and the runners are self-coached and they are a motivated group.
Later, the topic went from running to Hong Kong 100km Trail Walk event. I told them that SAFRA did well on the trail walker event which was held a few years back.
Subsequently, they gave me a brief history of the SAFRA running Club. I was told that SAFRA club was started by Tony Lam in around 1994, who became the first Chairman (Bukit Merah). It was a recreational and leisurely club at first. Later on, the club had some successful runners who did well in some competitive events like the Standard Chartered Marathon 2011. Now, Melvin told me that the club is more structured as compared to the past.
I was told that their training days are Tues, Thurs and Sundays. The runners meet at Mount Faber. Once a week or twice, there are interval training/hill repeats. There are 2 runners who came in top 10 in this year's Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon race - 1 for men and 1 for women. In men Open, local section, Ning Wen Long, 34, came in 6th, running in a time of 2hr 59sec. Wen Long told me that he saw Ashley Liew at Marina South. While overtaking Ashley, he told me that he was encouraging Ashley to tag along to the finish. It was nice of him and a mark of a true sportsman to show such expression of friendship, especially during the race.
There is another runner by the name of Stella Lee, 36, came in 9th in the women open, local section. This indeed is a real achievement. I also come to find out about Melvin Lee and Jimmy Chow's achievement on an ultramarathon, which I will feature in my future article. I realised that SAFRA has many successful runners as well and wondered whether there is an avenue for any growth in running the running program. They told me that that is not in the pipeline at the moment. I was wondering that it would be good for SAFRA to expand itself and compete with Wings and SWIFT Club one day. There is a shortage of real running clubs in Singapore. With 230 members in their wings, SAFRA, I hope, could one day be competitive as well as cater to casual runners.
They told me that they do welcome expatriates to join this club. Ong Say Cheng told me that they even have a person who is 66 years of age. Students who are 16 could also join them for runs before they go into National Service. The registration fee is $32 for a period of 2 years.
Ong Say Cheng told me that they will do an assessment of the people to test for some form of stamina before joining them. Melvin and Jimmy told me that they do run at Mt Faber, Labrador, East Coast Park, and various parts of Singapore running routes.
Melvin elaborated on the perks on joining SAFRA as a Running Club. There is 40% off for New Balance shoes. They also have discounts from companies for compression tights. The runners will get 50% off for running in SAFRA events like Standard Chartered Marathon and Army Half- Marathon annually.
On top of that, Melvin told me that they have one social gathering per term for team bonding and team cohesion. One of the events that they do is celebrating birthdays. Carbo-loading a day before the marathon is also one of the social gathering. These are to name a new of their social gathering events. http://s6203062.wordpress.com/
Those interested in joining the club are to contact Ning Wen Long through this e-mail.
www.runningcoachsg.com
By Narayanan
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
