After enduring a gruelling 30 hours in the Tan Chong Car Challenge held over the Nov. 4 and 5 weekend, a 56-year-old Singaporean emerged as the last one standing.

Chan Kok Seng, a service engineer by trade, had to keep his hand on a car for the duration of the challenge, sans the stipulated five-minute breaks the contestants were entitled to.

He also survived a variety of mini-challenges and a sudden-death round, introduced this year as a way to thin the field of 174 participants.

For his efforts, Chan claimed a prize of a Nissan Kicks e-Power Premium Adventure Series car worth S$105,300, reported The Straits Times.

The latest Category B COE premium is S$150,001.

Second-oldest winner

Previously called the Subaru Car Challenge, the annual endurance contest kicked off at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza at 1pm on Saturday, Nov. 4, after a three-year hiatus.

In past years, participants were required to put their hand on the car for as long as possible, and the last one standing  would be declared the winner.

The introduction of the mini-games this year was to test the participants in aspects such as agility, flexibility and focus instead of just endurance, while ensuring it remains captivating for spectators, noted the challenge's organiser as reported by ST.

Chan is the second-oldest winner of the challenge since its inception in 2002.

The oldest-ever winner, Abdul Hamid Bin Jonid, was 58.

This was Chan's fourth time taking on the challenge.

His previous best timing was 34 hours in 2018, under the earlier format which did not include mini-challenges.

The longest record for the contest is 82 hours, 16 minutes and 58 seconds, which was set in 2014.

How he did it

During Chan's 30-hour run, he endured about eight mini-challenges and six car swops, that require participants to switch positions within seconds.

Chan said he was reenergised when his wife arrived to support him, and also kept his spirits up with meditation techniques, ST reported.

He also keeps fit with daily tai chi exercises, and occasionally does yoga and in-line skating.

Eventually, the field was whittled down to four contenders, Chan and Tan Qi Ji from Singapore, along with Vietnam's Nguyen Doan Tho and Do Dang Hoang Trung.

To determine the winner, the four men took on a "bottle cap ballet" sudden death challenge, ST reported.

They had to grip a one-litre bottle of coconut water by the cap with their left arm for as long as possible.

The arm had to be extended at shoulder height while their right palm remained in contact with the car.

Chan outlasted Nguyen, the second place winner, as the latter dropped his bottle a few seconds before him. The Vietnamese man won S$5,000.

Chan's winning moment was also caught on a video posted on TikTok by user "wafflenessa":

@wafflenessa The winner is a 56 yo singaporean uncle omg so cute!!! #subaru #subarucarchallenges2023 #tanchongcarchallenge ♬ original sound - Vanessa Chia

Top image from Nissan on Facebook / Car Challenge Asia website.