For some runners, a marathon is about the clock. For others, it is about proving something to themselves, getting healthier, or simply finishing what they started.

This December, a record 12,000 runners will take on the BYD Marathon, the flagship 42.195km race at the BYD Singapore International Marathon 2026 presented by adidas. And with the entire local allocation selling out more than three months before race weekend, it is clear that Singapore’s appetite for distance running continues to grow.

The BYD Marathon has 9,000 places reserved for Singapore-based runners and a further 3,000 for international participants. While the local allocation is now fully taken, a limited number of international places remain available.

The adidas Half Marathon is also nearing capacity, with just under 30 per cent of its 18,000 places still available ahead of the 30 September entry deadline.

But perhaps the most telling sign of the running boom is not simply the number of entries. It is who is lining up at the start.

Across the BYD Marathon and adidas Half Marathon fields, close to 40 per cent of participants will be taking on their respective distances for the first time.

More than 60 per cent of these debutants are Singaporeans, while runners from 95 countries have registered across the race programme,highlighting both the growing local running community and the event’s expanding international appeal.

For Daryl Yeo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Development) of Sport Singapore, the strong turnout is an encouraging sign of a more active community. “A sell-out marathon field three months before race day shows the popularity of running within the local community. Sport Singapore has worked closely with SGIM to improve runner experience and safety from course design to runner preparation. The strong turnout of first-timers is particularly encouraging, and we hope their journey inspires more to get active,” says Daryl Yeo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Development) of Sport Singapore.

For first-time marathoners, however, the challenge can feel very personal. Joyce Tan’s 18-year-old son, Ethan Sam, is among those preparing to tackle the full 42.195km for the first time. While proud of his decision, Tan admits she initially had some concerns about whether he would be ready for the distance. “When my 18-year-old son told me he had signed up for his first marathon, I was proud that he had taken up the personal challenge, but I won’t deny that I had some worrying thoughts. While he is athletic, I don’t know if his body could handle running 42km at a stretch. What reassured me was how much thought has gone into looking after new runners like him: a route planned around our climate, a free training plan covering everything from pacing to staying injury-free, and medics running alongside them during the race. I’ve sent all the race information to him to read carefully and be well prepared.”

For returning runners, meanwhile, the marathon can represent something different: a chance to see how far they have come. Kelvin Chua, 48, will run his fourth Singapore marathon this December. His journey into endurance sport began after the pandemic, when running and cycling became a way to get moving again. Along the way, he lost 15kg and discovered a passion for endurance racing. “I don’t race to win; I race so my children can see what it means to keep going. After Covid, I started running and cycling simply to get out of the house and get moving again. I lost 15kg, and what began as a way to rebuild myself became a passion for endurance racing. The marathon in December has become my way of closing the year with one final challenge. The organisers announced the route early this year, which helps me plan how to run the full 42km, and the training guide has been very useful, with its week-by-week plan and advice on training injury free. Pushing your limits is about knowing when to push and when to listen to your body,” said Chua, a regional sales director for commercial kitchen equipment.

That balance between ambition and preparation is especially important when running 42km in Singapore’s tropical climate.

This year, runners got an early look at what awaits them, with the confirmed routes for all race categories revealed 16 weeks ahead of race day. One of the biggest changes to the BYD Marathon course is the positioning of the West Coast Highway climb. Previously encountered around the 32km mark in 2024, the climb has been moved to approximately the 8km point.

The change means runners will tackle the incline during the cooler, darker early hours rather than having to face it during the closing stages of the marathon, when Singapore’s late-morning heat can make an already demanding distance even more challenging.

The 2026 course is also 99 per cent mono-directional, with the only exception being a 300-metre stretch across Marina Barrage. The design aims to reduce congestion caused when runners share the same stretch of road in opposite directions.

Over at East Coast Park, runners will enter via the cycling path before returning along the service road, a new arrangement made possible by permission secured by the organisers. And then there is the landmark many runners will be looking forward to: Benjamin Sheares Bridge. The bridge returns as a defining feature for both the BYD Marathon and adidas Half Marathon, offering runners a memorable Singapore skyline moment, as well as a serious late-race test.

Leon Lai, CEO of SG International Marathon Pte Ltd, sees the landmark as something that could become synonymous with the race. “Benjamin Sheares Bridge is an important identity of Singapore’s national marathon. Other major races have defining landmarks and climbs such as Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Boston’s Newton Hills, that runners remember long after they finish. We want Benjamin Sheares Bridge to become that badge of honour for runners here,” CEO, SG International Marathon Pte Ltd, Leon Lai, commented, on the decision to incorporate the iconic landmark as part of the route.

Recognising the challenge, organisers are planning a “Welcome to Sheares” gantry to greet runners before they begin the climb. There will also be a specially prepared food zone offering easy-to-consume local snacks alongside familiar race-day staples such as isotonic drinks and gels.

Carbonated soft drinks will also be available as a quick source of glucose, giving the fuelling experience a distinctly Singaporean touch. Volunteer cheer crews stationed along the approach will provide another boost when tired legs need it most.

For those taking on the adidas Half Marathon, much of the experience will be shared with the full marathon runners, but with one key difference: the half marathon route avoids the Marina Barrage crossing, making it 100 per cent mono-directional from start to finish.

The route takes runners past some of Singapore’s most recognisable landmarks before sunrise, including the Merlion, Lau Pa Sat, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the Esplanade. Benjamin Sheares Bridge arrives at around the 16km mark, providing the final major challenge before runners descend towards the finish inside the National Stadium. For many, it will be a very different way to experience the city, one where familiar landmarks become milestones on a personal journey.

With so many runners taking on their distance for the first time, preparation has become a key part of the 2026 event. Alongside the course reveal, organisers made the official SGIM training guide, “A Guide to Going the Distance in Singapore,” available to the public, including people who are not registered for the marathon.

Developed with Singapore’s national marathon record holder Soh Rui Yong, the guide covers pacing, heat adaptation, race nutrition, recovery and injury prevention. It also includes week-by-week training plans for all four race distances, from 5km through to the full marathon. More than 2,000 copies have already been downloaded.

For 36-year-old Lok Liang Yun, the structured preparation has been particularly meaningful. He is returning to the Singapore marathon after a decade away — and doing so after fracturing his foot in January. “My last marathon in Singapore was 10 years ago. I fractured my foot earlier in January this year, so signing up for the BYD Marathon this year was not an obvious decision. Coming back from an injury, what you worry about most is doing too much too soon. Having a structured 16-week plan written for these conditions took a lot of the guesswork out. Knowing the route in advance, and that there will be medics running within the field, makes a real difference when you are attempting the distance again.”

The BYD Singapore International Marathon has been part of Singapore’s sporting landscape since its first competitive staging in 1982. Today, it is the country’s only national marathon and Southeast Asia’s first World Athletics Gold Label road race.

The 2025 edition attracted more than 55,000 runners, including 14,000 international participants from 80 countries. This year marks a new chapter for the event, with BYD becoming the title sponsor and adidas joining as the race’s first presenting sponsor, while Standard Chartered continues its longstanding association as the Official Bank. The organisers are now setting their sights even higher, with an ambition to pursue a Platinum Label, the highest tier in road racing and one that no marathon in Southeast Asia has yet achieved.

For Leon Lai, the early response from runners is a sign that the sport is ready for the next stage. “This year, we will have 12,000 on the start line, and selling out our local places this early tells us how far distance running has come in Singapore. We’ve also made significant changes in our race operations this year, releasing information as early as possible so that runners can better plan and train for race day. Our ambition is to pursue a Platinum Label for the marathon, the highest tier in the sport and one that no marathon in Southeast Asia has ever held. Reaching that level means continually raising the standard across safety, course operations and the international calibre of the field. We have received positive feedback from runners and we will continue to build upon this progress.”

Whether they are chasing a personal best, returning after years away, or simply hoping to cross the finish line for the first time, thousands of runners will have a shared goal when December arrives.

For some, the biggest achievement may be a faster time. For others, it may be making it to the top of Sheares Bridge, surviving the final kilometres, or hearing their name called as they enter the National Stadium. But with almost four in 10 runners preparing to experience their distance for the first time, one thing is certain: Singapore’s running story is being written by a new generation of runners — one kilometre at a time.

BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by adidas 4th to 6th December 2026. More information available here