The 15th edition of GEWR also kicks off with the first physical all-female elite race in Singapore since 2019

Mr Colin Chan, MD, Group Marketing, Great Eastern & Mr Keith Chia, Head, Group Brand and Marketing, Great Eastern flagging off the elite runners.

SINGAPORE, 14 November 2021 – Today marks the start of the month-long first ever virtual edition of the Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR), with close to 4,500 participants. The ladies will be running across a total of five different race categories, with a special 113km category to commemorate Great Eastern’s 113th anniversary this year, and will clock in their distances via a mobile app from now until 15 December.

In conjunction with the 15th edition of GEWR, Singapore also welcomed the return of the competitive half-marathon segment this morning. The well-anticipated race saw 15 invited local elite runners competing ‘live’ in the first all-women physical race in Singapore in two years, and the longest competitive road running race organised this year.

The elite runners were flagged off at 5.30am at Stadium Riverside Walk by Colin Chan, Managing Director of Group Marketing, and Keith Chia, Head of Group Brand and Marketing, Great Eastern.

Rachel See won the elites’ race in 1hr 23min 14sec at the Singapore Sports Hub. Runner-up Hu Xiuying clocked 1:27:28, while Vanessa Chong finished third in 1:30:43.

At the prize presentation ceremony held later in the morning, Guest-of-Honour Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade & Industry, and Khor Hock Seng, Group Chief Executive Officer of Great Eastern presented the trophies and cash prizes to the top three Elite winners.

Winner Rachel See, 39, said: “It was a very good run, because we haven’t run for so long. It’s been almost two years and we didn’t really know what speed to go at or what to expect, it was just about coming here to have fun with the other ladies because we’re all friends. The route is very simple. The path was very clear, there was completely no blockage, and the race lead cyclist was good – he was helping me navigate and would point out the water points to me.”

To mark the return of GEWR after the cancellation of the race last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 15 local elite runners, together with Great Eastern staff and financial representatives, also led a fund-raising initiative. Donated monies will go towards the two selected beneficiaries – Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) and Daughters Of Tomorrow (DOT). More than S$101,000 has been raised for women with breast cancer and to help underprivileged women in society lead a better life.

Colin Chan, Managing Director, Group Marketing, Great Eastern, said: “Great Eastern has always been an avid supporter of local athletes and the Singapore sporting scene. We are very pleased to be able to bring the Great Eastern Women’s Run back in a hybrid manner this year – a virtual edition for the public and the first physical competition for the top female runners. It is vital that we continuously adapt and not allow the pandemic to deter us from living life to the fullest. I trust that this year’s edition gives us all the boost and confidence in the right direction”.

“We also thank our elite runners, Great Eastern staff and financial representatives, who activated their networks to raise funds for our beneficiaries.” added Mr Chan.

Results of the Great Eastern Women’s Run 2021

21.1km Half Marathon Elite Category

About Great Eastern

Founded in 1908, Great Eastern is a well-established market leader and trusted brand in Singapore and Malaysia. With over S$90 billion in assets and more than 10 million policyholders, including 7.5 million from government schemes, it provides insurance solutions to customers through three successful distribution channels – a tied agency force, bancassurance, and financial advisory firm Great Eastern Financial Advisers. The Group also operates in Indonesia and Brunei and has a presence in China as well as a representative office in Myanmar.

The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Limited and Great Eastern General Insurance Limited have been assigned the financial strength and counterparty credit ratings of "AA-" by Standard and Poor's since 2010, one of the highest among Asian life insurance companies. Great Eastern's asset management subsidiary, Lion Global Investors Limited, is one of the largest private sector asset management companies in Southeast Asia.

Great Eastern is a subsidiary of OCBC Bank, the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932. It is now the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets and one of the world’s most highly-rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody’s. Recognised for its financial strength and stability, OCBC Bank is consistently ranked among the World’s Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore by The Asian Banker.

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