Runners in Singapore have moved their training sessions indoors as worsening haze affects air quality, with one group completing long-distance runs inside a shopping centre to maintain their routines.
Runners in Singapore have found an alternative to outdoor training by running through shopping mall corridors as haze continues to affect the city-state.
On Saturday, 17 October, members of X-Run Singapore gathered at Marina Square for an indoor running session organised with Key Power Sports. The event allowed participants to continue their training while avoiding exposure to the outdoor air pollution.
According to reports Mothership and The Straits Times, runners completed distances ranging from 9km to 21km during the morning session. One participant, Elmer Loy, ran 19km inside the shopping centre.
The session took place before most shops opened, allowing participants to use the quieter corridors across different floors of the building.
Loy, who normally runs outdoors up to six times a week, had been unable to follow his usual routine for more than a week because of the worsening air quality.
Speaking about the indoor alternative, he said: “It beats running on a treadmill,” as quoted from Mothershipsg.
Loy also noted that the shopping centre offered a cooler environment for running.
Shopping Malls Become Alternative Training Spaces
The indoor session was organised by X-Run Singapore and Key Power Sports, with permission from Marina Square’s management.
Participants ran laps across the second and third floors of the building. According to the reports, the routes offered different distances depending on the floor, enabling runners to accumulate kilometres without going outdoors.
Another participant, Nathan Jon Sing, completed a half-marathon during the session. Other runners also welcomed the opportunity to continue exercising despite the haze.
Runner Adel G described the need to adapt to the conditions, saying: “You can’t run outdoors in this haze, so you have to get creative.”
She also expressed a preference for running inside a shopping centre rather than spending the session on a treadmill.
Joseph Estrella, a retail associate at Key Power Sports and a run leader for X-Run Singapore, said the event was designed to help runners continue preparing for marathons without compromising their well-being.
The organisers also plan to make indoor mall runs a regular alternative when air quality makes outdoor training unsuitable. The next session was scheduled for 24 October.
The initiative highlights how running communities are adjusting their routines to maintain fitness while responding to environmental conditions.
Lihat postingan ini di Instagram
Haze Disrupts Outdoor Sports and Activities
Singapore has experienced an extended period of unhealthy air quality since early October, with haze linked to fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia. Changing wind conditions have carried smoke across the region, affecting outdoor activities in Singapore.
On 18 October, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in western Singapore reached 230, a very unhealthy reading and the highest recorded in the city-state that year at the time. Air quality began improving in several areas on 19 October, although conditions remained uneven across the country.
The haze has also affected sporting events and community activities. Several outdoor sessions were cancelled or postponed as organisers assessed the potential health risks.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency advises residents to monitor hourly PM2.5 readings when deciding whether to exercise outdoors. Older people, pregnant women, children and those with chronic heart or lung conditions should take particular care when pollution levels are elevated.
For runners, indoor training offers one way to maintain their routines while reducing exposure to outdoor haze. However, the appropriate level of physical activity still depends on individual health and the prevailing air quality.
As the conditions remain changeable, running clubs are adapting their plans and looking for alternatives that allow members to stay active without unnecessarily risking their health.
