Novices who sign up for running events are open to health and injury risks. STACEY CHIA reports

More people are taking part in running events. But before you sign up for one, ask yourself this question: Am I prepared?

Participants in races like the ultra-marathon category in the Adidas Sundown Marathon, for instance, cover up to 84km.

Even the 6km Dow Live Earth Run For Water this Sunday can be a challenge for someone who is not used to distance events.

“There’s no yardstick on who should run in such races, but adequate preparation is needed,” said Dr Kelvin Chew, a consultant sports physician at Singapore Sports Medicine Centre in partnership with Changi Sports Medicine Centre.

Mr Jonathan Fong, the coach and director of Racers’ Toolbox, a sports management company, agreed.

“Even though it is possible to participate in events with minimal training, there is a higher risk of injury and other complications due to the lack of progressive conditioning,” he said.

Apart from adequate training, those with a history of heart disease or any major ailment should go for a medical examination, said Dr Chew.
 
A typical training session for a new participant under Racers’ Toolbox comprises slow aerobic training with the primary focus on technique and basic fundamentals.

“This is to prevent the risk of developing bad habits that can often lead to injury as the training volume increases,” he said.

Mr Alister Russell, a senior coach from sports management company Tribob, said that of late, there has been an increase in novices signing up for pre-race training.

Last week, he held a training session for about 10 novices taking part in this week’s Dow Live Earth Run For Water. By novices, he means people who do not run on a regular basis.

“It’s not going to help improve their fitness or skill, because they are a week away from the run, but they are at least not going in completely unprepared,” said Mr Russell of the training session. He said that an appropriate training length would be six to eight months and that even regular runners should train at least three times a week over a course of four months.

If you want to start running but do not have the luxury of professional training, try walking or running for at least 30 minutes each day, three times a week, said Mr Fong.

Increase the intensity of your training only a few weeks prior to the race. “If you find yourself out of breath, you are training too fast,” he said.

With sufficient training, almost anyone can take part in endurance races.

Children generally do not need to train as much as they are naturally active and fit from regular play, said Mr Russell.Another piece of advice from Mr Fong is to limit children to shorter races, as they have bones and muscles that are still maturing.

As for seniors, Mr Russell said: “There’s really no age restriction. The World Triathlon Championship – a series held around the world – has a category for those above 70 years old.”