Health x Wellness
Run 24 Hours And Help The Elderly
Mount Elizabeth Hospital (MEH) is looking for 400 runners to take part in a first-of-its-kind threadmill challenge event where they will run for 24 hours to give 100 elderly patients (projected number) a free cataract surgery.
In an announcement today, MEH announced the ‘Run For Cover’ campaign, starting their call for participants in the event. The hospital will provide one free cataract surgery for an elderly patient for every 30km clocked by each team during the 24 hour period at the finale event.
The winning team, measured by longest distance run on the threadmill, will win S$5,000 worth of free healthcare insurance coverage per team member that is estimated to insure them for up to S$700,000 per year for the next 10 years.
Interested participants can register for the “Run for Cover” threadmill challenge at the event website from today. The organisers are looking for 50 teams of eight runners (with the option of two back up runners) to register.
The 50 teams will run through qualifiers in May – a 5.5km run at Angsana Green (East Coast Park) – that will whittle the total number of teams to 20. These 20 teams will take part in a second qualifying run of 10km at Casuarina Grove (East Coast Park). The qualifiers will decide the final 10 teams for the main finale event that will take place at Ngee Ann Civic Plaza on 21 – 22 June, 2014.
During the event, a MEH panel including Dr. Kelvin Loh, CEO, Mr. Alvin Neo, CMO and runners Gerrard Lin (Ah Siao) and Shariff (SG Blade Runner) shared some tips for active agers looking to take part in “Run For Cover”. They suggested active agers think about the following as they begin training for the threadmill challenge:
– Do a proper health check and screening and get the green light from the family doctor before starting training
– Build up stamina in a stepwise manner
– 60 minutes of threadmill training should include 5 – 10 minutes brisk walking followed by 30 – 40 minutes run and end with another 5 – 10 minutes of walking
– For active agers that own a heart rate monitor, to keep the BPM around 140
– Maintain a healthy lifestyle through positive thinking and proper diet
Besides taking part in the main challenge, active agers can also help by doing their part to help clock up additional mileage. There will be separate treadmills, at the finale event, for members of the public to help the organiser clock up additional mileage. The additional mileage will help add to the total distance clocked, thereby translating into more free cataract surgeries for the elderly.
There will also be booths set up at the event to register elderly persons suffering from cataracts to receive the free surgery. These applications will be verified and screened by Lions’ Befrienders.
Friends and family can support the participants during the main Threadmill Challenge by taking part in various sports and health-related fringe activities that MEH will be organising. The activities are estimated to begin up to two hours before and after the main finale event starts off. Active agers can check the event website closer to date for updated information about these activities.
Another activity taking place during the “Run For Cover” campaign includes a Running Clinic on 24 May (10.30am) with a panel discussing and debating the merits of running, diet and training. This is open to public. Registration can be done at the event website.
