Singapore’s Great Eastern Women’s Run Turns 20

Some races are about speed.
Some are about medals.

But the Great Eastern Women’s Run has always been about women.
For 20 years, Singapore’s only all-women’s race has brought together mothers, daughters, first-time runners, marathoners, survivors, and everyday women chasing something personal: confidence, healing, strength, community, or simply the courage to begin.

And this year, the movement returns bigger than ever.

Set to take place on 1 November 2026 at The Kallang, the milestone 20th edition of the Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR) officially opened registrations this week under a fitting theme: “20 Years, Limitless.”

Because if the past two decades have proven anything, it’s that women are capable of far more than the finish lines society sets for them.

More Than a Sporting Event

Back in 2006, GEWR started as a race designed specifically for women at a time when large-scale women-centric sporting events were still relatively uncommon in Singapore.

Today, it has become one of Asia’s largest women’s runs, but ask longtime participants what keeps them coming back, and it’s rarely just about fitness.

It’s the feeling.

The feeling of running beside thousands of women who understand the balancing act of careers, caregiving, motherhood, expectations, setbacks, and self-doubt. The feeling of being cheered on by strangers. The feeling of crossing a finish line and realising you were stronger than you thought.

At the launch event held at Guoco Tower Urban Park, Guest of Honour Goh Hanyan described the event as a platform that “brings people together and uplift one another.”

And honestly, that’s what makes GEWR different.

It has never been just a race. It’s a reminder that women do not have to move through life alone.

The Stories Behind Every Stride

One of the most emotional moments at this year’s launch was a ceremonial torch relay featuring 20 runners from past editions: a tribute to the women who helped shape the event over the years.
Among them was Joanne See, a 19-time participant whose journey mirrors the evolution of GEWR itself.

Think about that for a second.

Nineteen years of showing up. Nineteen years of choosing herself, her health, her community.
That’s the kind of legacy GEWR has quietly built over two decades, not through flashy campaigns, but through consistency, connection, and women returning year after year because the experience genuinely means something to them.

This year, the run is also spotlighting 20 inspiring women on its Instagram platform, sharing stories of resilience, courage, and personal transformation.

Not elite-athlete perfection. Real women. Real journeys.

And perhaps that’s exactly why these stories resonate.

This Year, Every Registration Gives Back

The 2026 edition is also putting greater focus on community impact.

Through Great Eastern Cares, the event is launching a fundraising campaign that supports women facing difficult circumstances, as well as cancer survivors rebuilding their lives.

Great Eastern has pledged an initial $20,000, while $20 from every adult race slot sold will go towards the fundraising effort.

Funds raised through Community Chest will support:

Daughters Of Tomorrow, which helps vulnerable women improve employability and achieve financial independence
Singapore Cancer Society, which supports cancer survivors through recovery programmes and care initiatives

There’s something deeply meaningful about that.

Women running not just for themselves, but for women they may never even meet.

A Race Designed for Every Generation

One of GEWR’s biggest strengths has always been inclusivity.

Not everyone shows up wanting to conquer a half marathon. Some women are simply trying to take the first step back into fitness. Some are introducing their daughters to movement and confidence at a young age.

And GEWR makes space for all of them.

This year’s categories include:

21.1km Half Marathon (Elite & Open)
10km Open Run
10km Team Category for tertiary students
5km Open Run
2km “Mummy and Me” Run

100m “Princess Dash” for little girls aged 3 to 6

It’s hard not to smile imagining tiny runners sprinting toward the finish line while mothers cheer from the sidelines, or run right beside them.

Because sometimes empowerment starts small.?Sometimes it starts with simply believing, “I can do this.”

Twenty Years In, And Still Growing

In many ways, the Great Eastern Women’s Run reflects how conversations around women, wellness, and empowerment have evolved in Singapore over the past two decades.

Women today are redefining success on their own terms. They are prioritising health, community, mental wellbeing, and purpose alongside ambition.

GEWR has grown alongside that shift.

Not by trying to be the loudest event in the calendar, but by consistently creating a space where women feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

And maybe that’s why, 20 years later, the run still matters.
Not because of how far women run.
But because of how far women have come.