Ready, set, go! Kitty fever is back

Hello Kitty mania has descended on Singapore again. All 15,000 slots for the Hello Kitty Run Singapore on Nov 1 were snapped up within 24 hours.

Yesterday, the organiser of the 5km run, Pink Apple, said that pre-registration for the run, which opened on Monday, had closed.

Those who have pre-registered will be notified when registration officially opens in the first week of next month. There was a $65 pre-registration fee. The official registration fee is $70, so those who pre-registered did so at a discount.

Participants of the run will get an exclusive runner's T-shirt and a special-edition commemorative Hello Kitty plush toy.

Pink Apple, a Singapore events management agency that specialises in sports events, said the run's route will cover "iconic landmarks around the city", without revealing details. A Hello Kitty Village with Hello Kitty-themed activities will also feature at the event.

The run, which takes place from 8am to noon, is being organised to celebrate the 40th birthday of Japanese company Sanrio's most popular character, Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty fever hit Singapore in the middle of last year, with many fans and enterprising Singaporeans queuing for hours to snag limited-edition kitty plushies from McDonald's.

This was despite the Pollutant Standards Index entering the hazardous range at one point. Fights and scuffles also broke out over the plushies.

There was also a craze here for Hello Kitty toys back in 2000.

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