Team Fatbird Eastside Lunar New Year Run

Running along Changi Broadwalk

Once again, when I should be enjoying my sleep, I dragged my butt off the bed and headed out for a run. Sometime I wonder why I do this weekend in and weekend out especially as it was a glorious public holiday and time to relax. Nevertheless a commitment had been made and so we dutifully went up to Changi Beach to join a lot (I think there were over 70) of likewise crazy people who prefer running to feasting for the - by now the annual Team Fatbird CNY Run in the East.

We started off along the scenic Changi Boardwalk, a narrow 2.5km path parallel to the sea. The sights were great (there was the sea, the sun, fishermen and fish and birds) and I think everybody enjoyed themselves along this stretch of the run. The only sorry sight was the vast amount of litters left behind no doubt by the hordes of anglers over the long holiday.

From there, we proceeded along Cranwell Road to Loyang Ave. Too bad there wasn’t time to pay a visit to the Old Changi Hospital (this will have to do), a place that always give me the creep whenever I pass by. Down long boring Loyang Ave, and finally we reached the 2^nd highlight of the run – the Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple.

Outside the Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple

The temple itself had relocated a few years ago from its original site at the end of Loyang to its more central location among the factories. Because it was the Chinese New Year, there were some festivities going on in the temple. There were huge paper mache figures of the 12 animals in the Zodiac; the usual deities and dragons and best of all, free soya milk and bee hoon! We spent I think an inordinately long time there with some runners enjoying the food, some praying for blessing and of course some looking for 4-D numbers!

Changi Museum & Chapel

Next we went to Tanah Merah Besar via Old Tampines Road where the runners gathered to gawk at the airplanes taking off. An u-turn later, we found ourselves at our 3^rd highlight – the Changi Museum and Chapel where we took a moment to remember the war heroes who perished in the Changi Prison. Of course, there was the usual madcap photo before we move off. 9km done!

Back to Loyang Ave but enroute, some runners took an unofficial detour to look at the Johore Battery. I stayed with the few stragglers; had been staying with them since the start of the runs and we went straight but still, the detoured runners soon caught up and dashed off back to Changi Beach while we continued our stroll back.

Total distance taken: app 15km. Total time taken: 3 hours 3………. So did I regret getting out of bed for this so short and yet so long run? Well, it was kinda tiring to take so much time to do this distance but on the other hand, I have to admit I did have some fun so it wasn’ really too bad after all.

Look at the sights here.