I'm 19 & in poly. Here's why I saved up & paid S$188 to join the BYD S’pore International Marathon 2026.

On Apr. 27, 2026, registration for the 2026 BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by adidas officially opened.

The full marathon event on Dec. 6, 2026 morning costs S$188 for local runners.

I will be one of them.

No stranger to 42.195km

At 19, this will be my second full marathon.

I was one of the 55,000 runners who took part in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) in 2025.

I was 18 then.

Most 18-year-olds who run leisurely and have rational decision-making skills would most likely pick the 5km, 10km, or maybe, if they are ambitious, the half-marathon for a first attempt.

I, for some reason, decided the full marathon was the move.

I would not consider myself a very fit person.

A month before race day, my mileage was nowhere near what most marathoners would consider proper preparation.

I mainly signed up because I wanted to end the year by taking on something genuinely difficult.

It was kind of like booking a year-end holiday, except instead of relaxing, I was paying for my own “suffering”.

My father, who ran the SCSM three times, was understandably concerned.

Barely survived

To put it simply, I barely survived.

I was ranked 75th in my category with a time of 5 hours 15 minutes 27 seconds — short of where I hoped to be.

My trip home was not the most glorious either.

I still had to stand in a packed train with a pair of dying legs.

The price is a bit pricey

I dreaded the registration fee for the upcoming BYD Marathon the most.

S$188 is a hefty expense, especially for me, a lowly intern now.

In 2025, I paid the tier two price of S$169 to enrol in SCSM.

That was S$19 cheaper than the 2026 event.

The new pricing meant that I had to save up a considerable amount.

I had to be mindful of my spending in the lead-up to payment, which meant postponing other purchases, such as new running shoes.

Running long distances produces a lot of wear and tear.

After all, I admit that I am not a very prudent individual.

Seeing that this year’s event cap was at 52,000, the race entries felt limited, and I did not want to be left out.

This was further reinforced when I factored in the uptick in the trend of running in Singapore over the past three years.

So why...

My first marathon gave me new perspectives.

Initially, I saw it as something tough that I wanted to do, but I ended up discovering more about myself and human nature along the way.

In a world where everyone is rushing, it is easy to feel like people do not care about one another at all.

Yet, along the marathon, I met strangers who provided me with support and hope when I needed it the most.

I also learned that the body gives up long before the mind does, but if it refuses to surrender, the body somehow follows.

That lesson stayed with me.

It will be different

As mentioned, I was not prepared for my first marathon.

The consequences for my lack of preparation were genuinely insufferable.

While I have a perception of how the cramps feel, I hope that my efforts to prepare will make the pain tolerable at least.

I am prioritising mileage buildup to focus on consistency rather than last-minute training.

I also adopted zone two heart rate training, where runs would be performed at 60 per cent to 70 per cent of my maximum heart rate to develop endurance.

Friends

I am also not going to be alone this time.

Some of my closest friends, inspired by my experience last year, have signed up as well.

For them, it will be their first marathon.

I would also want to make sure they don’t have to go through it alone, and that when they cross the finish line, someone is there to share that moment.

S$188

There are definitely many other ways S$188 could be spent.

Choosing difficulty in a society that optimises comfort and convenience sounds bizarre.

It almost feels out of place.

However, the discomfort in doing something difficult allowed me to understand my limits and what people are capable of.

I do not have a clue if this year’s race will be as challenging as my first race.

But I will be there.

Editor's note: Rafael's marathon registration fee will be sponsored by Mothership if he finishes reading Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's memoir "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" before Dec. 6 and writes about his marathon experience post-internship.