The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run took place on Sunday morning.

This is a meaningful charity run that encourages the public to embrace second chances and take action to support the re-integration of ex-offenders.  

There was a 5km and 10km category. I ran the 10km.

For the first time, the event was taking place at The Kallang, not at Changi Prison. 

Race route 

The 10km race route began at Kallang and took runners down Tanjong Rhu and Bay East Gardens. It was a flat course along the riverside, a change to their signature hilly route around Changi.

There were a couple of out-and-backs and three water points along the way. 

The course was well marked out with marshals who did their job well. 

Some parts of the route was a bit crowded though, with two lanes of runners as well as cyclists passing by, as the path could not be closed off.  

While it was a very humid morning for a run, I still enjoyed myself, soaking up the vibes and race energy on a beautiful morning. 

The course measured 9.79km when I crossed the finish line.

After finishing, we collected our race medals and entered the carnival. The post-race festivities is always the highlight of the Yellow Ribbon Run. 

The carnival 

I always enjoy how they present education and information regarding the support and reintegration of ex-offenders in a very engaging format through games and interactive elements.

By successfully completing the games, we could redeem a free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream as a reward. I was looking really forward to this icy treat. 

Apart from the ice cream, we could also try our luck at the claw machine for a lucky dip prize. I was eyeing the hello kitty plushie but wasn’t lucky enough to get my hands on it. 

It was really interesting how they used real-life case studies this year about former offenders who have successfully changed their lives for the better. 

Furthermore, these people in the case studies were present themselves at the event and participants got to chat to them. This made the cause feel more real than ever and I really enjoyed meeting them.

Other than the carnival, there were also performances by the in-house band, and they were extremely talented and such a joy to listen to. 

Conclusion

While I felt the location of run being at The Kallang and not Changi did take away some of what makes this run so special, it was nonetheless still an awesome event that felt both fun, informative and educational. 

Thanks once again to Yellow Ribbon for another great edition of this meaningful run. 

Race Video