Celebrating a decade since its inception, local running group The High Panters continues to bring the local running community together, cheering on runners at SCSM 2022
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
Their loud cheers, colourful props and quirky signboards were immediately noticeable at the recently concluded 2022 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
Sweaty high fives and shouts of "keep going" and "one more KM" echoed through the air as runners pushed on in races, with renewed vigour and motivation after crossing the cheer zone.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
This however, wasn't the first time local running group The High Panters (THP) set up a Cheer Zone at Singapore's marquee running event. In fact, the group set up its first official cheer zone back in 2019 during pre-Covid times.
With a focus on creating and building community, the running group which was founded in 2012 also had many variations of cheer zones and cheering during Covid - including a 6-runner crew that ran 31 hours and 15 mins as part of The Speed Project 2020. Back then, they set up camp along the East Coast Park stretch, with the whole THP crew on rotation to provide support, cyclists, cheering, water points, and even loaning the use of a lorry to be used as a sleep zone.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
A crew member Vincent Han also did a 119KM run across Singapore to raise funds for the Nusanta Run to provide education for the underprivileged in East Java. It ended up becoming a relay for the whole THP group, with each taking up different points and zones, with carefully co-ordinated cheer zones and squads set-up to support the runner and the cause.
Celebrating a decade since its formation, the group's main motivation continues to stem from creating community and bringing the local run community together.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
For the 2022 edition of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, the event's first mass run since 2019, the group found inspiration by Cheer Signage Making which founders Eugene and Sofie experienced at the Berlin Marathon earlier in the year.
And with the opportunity to be a part of Culture Cartel 2022 presenting itself with a store to sell pre-loved and official THP merch to raise funds for the group's adopted charity (Hope for the Family in Thailand), the group then used the space as a simple Signage Making for anyone that came by and wanted to create signs for the Singapore Marathon.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
"We hope that we can continue to build this culture and spread it to as many people of our local community in years to come," said Sofie Chandra, who is also co-founder of Studio 155 and helped start an all-girl run crew called Happy Pace Club.
Sofie added: "The plan was to always cheer any runner. As runners, we know how much it means to be cheered for and to get that one word of encouragement or high five along the route or to hear and see a cheer squad coming up. We are glad we made that small difference!"
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
With anticipated road closures and some unpredictability about the race routes and course after the event's first return in three years, the group planned a total of two cheer zone sites over the course of the two days of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
"For the 21KM and 42KM route, we had the Cheer Zone at the point where both the 21KM and 42KM would pass us and the 42KM would do a turn and end up back there again so the Cheer squad would be able to see them twice," Sofie shared.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
"It was also at a location where there was sufficient space for a whole group could place our bags, props, and be comfortable enough to move around within that space for an extended period of time."
Over 40 members of the group turned up over the course of the two days to help out with cheering duties, and it is Sofie's wish that more will do so for future races.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
"We hope that every race everyone would come out and cheer and it eventually becomes an outing for families, children, friends and friends' friends. We believe that cheering is a form of participation in a marathon too, and it is what makes a marathon what it is. And every runner can testify how much of a booster it is to be cheered on," she said.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
Spirits in the THP camp are at an all-time high, and there is little wonder as to why it is so with an equally strong, supportive and positive culture within the group from its founders to its captains and right through to every run crew.
So what next for THP in 2023, and moving forward with more races coming up on the horizon both locally and overseas?
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
"We love to do unsanctioned races - and with things opened up, we hope we can do more of these sort of runs," said Sofie.
"We did a CNY - The Rat Race 2022 where we had various check points that runners had to find and complete and we had also previously done one during National Day called Run the Red Line following our MRT Red Line, where runners had to hit various check points and complete tasks. We feel that such races not only allow us to explore our local neighbourhoods but also build teamwork amongst runners and crew."
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
Exciting times beckon in 2023, and The High Panters hopes to see more of its crew planning for overseas marathons and aiming to better themselves with local races too. And of course, all of this will be with the support and the group providing the platform for training sessions during race periods.
PHOTO: LEON WEI & IVAN KUEK, THE HIGH PANTERS
The High Panters continues to welcome new runners as well to their crew as they look to build the local run community - with their weekly Wednesday and Sunday runs continuing to function as Easy Runs to ease new runners in or for regular crew to enjoy social runs.
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