Can you beat race's mystery hurdle?

Can you beat race's mystery hurdle?

SINGAPORE - It's a mystery that sets the fifth Men's Health Urbanathlon apart.

For the first time, Singapore's toughest race will feature a mystery obstacle that will be unveiled only on that day, March 2, with organisers promising that it will "test your five senses like no other race can".

This is on top of five new obstacles that organisers say will increase the difficulty of the 14km race.

Runners will have to "untangle" themselves from a 4m-long web of bungee cords in the Wire House, and slide down a 2m pole in Leap of Faith, among other new challenges.

"The Men's Health Urbanathlon 2014 edition promises to be our toughest, and should provide a thrilling challenge for Singapore runners," said Ms Pang Lee Cheng, general manager of SPH Magazines.

Also in the race are Anne Qi Hui - who holds the national record for the women's 10km - "Blade Runner" parathlete Mohd Shariff Abdullah, and Team Singapura Everest, which comprises seven Singaporeans aiming to scale Everest next year.

The race, jointly organised by SPH Magazines and HiVelocity, was opened to women for the first time last year.

When asked what she hoped the mystery obstacle would be, Qi said: "Anything but parallel bars... I have to admit, I think we womenfolk do suffer with the upper-body obstacles somewhat."

Team Singapura Everest member Muhamad Hiwan Mohamed Idus said he hoped their Everest training will help them in the race.

"We have trained to walk on ice and snow - essentially, we need to be in peak physical condition. (We are) confident that our training for Everest will put us in good stead in the Urbanathlon."

Registration closes next Friday. Registration fees are priced at $128. Each participant will receive a race pack worth over $400.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.