Most of us put in our best efforts to complete the Cross-Country competition, despite the gruelling distance and unbearable heat. However, that was not the only effort put in for this event …
The sunrise on the morning of the Cross-Country competition (Source: Vidyuth)
Normally, one would expect morning assembly to be in class on a Friday, not as a school next to a fountain at Marina Barrage. In addition, everyone was decked out in the five house colours, not in the black polo tee.
What, then, was this special event?
It was a beautiful morning on 8 March 2024, when all Year 1-4 students of Raffles Institution gathered at Marina Barrage for the annual Inter-House Cross Country.
This year’s route was 3.8km long, a 300m increase from last year. The organisers made sure that it was extra scenic – on the way, you could see the famed Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore Flyer and many other skyscrapers along the coast of the Singapore River.
Source: Raffles Photography and Art Club
While we all had an enjoyable time, not everyone knows the effort that went behind the scenes in this massive undertaking. We conducted an interview with Mr Steven Lim in order to find out exactly how this event was organised, to find out the behind-the-scenes perspective.
Mr Steven Lim was instrumental in the planning of the cross-country event, including the venue. The original venue of the event this year was in fact, the SIngapore Sports Hub. However, the OCBC area was required to sell merchandise for the upcoming Taylor Swift Concert. Left with few options, the school chose the Marina Barrage for the famed cross country venue for this year.
Throughout the organising and planning stages of the event, Mr Lim was faced with many challenges. For one, the Marina Barrage was not under the control of NParks. As a result of this, the school had to approach Gardens by the Bay and PUB, which would not be an easy task. Moreover, the PE Department found it difficult to choose an appropriate route for the event.
Despite the multitude of challenges, the team-in-charge pressed on with organising the event at Marina Barrage. Mr Lim told us that cross country is the only event where the entire school is at an external venue. In turn, cross country was a very unique event to oversee and execute. He wanted to ensure that the event was a great success, which would allow the whole school to end the first term on a high note.
Therefore, he worked with the PE department to overcome challenge after challenge. Mr Lim and his team sought help from the Iron Man Company, which had been involved in organising a similar event at Marina Barrage in the past. Through close collaboration, the Iron Man Company was able to help out in negotiations and requests to PUB and Gardens by the Bay to consider the cross country event. In the end, they were able to successfully ensure that cross country would go as smoothly as possible in Marina Barrage.
Far from just the negotiations, the PE Department was also involved in planning the route for cross country. Mr Lim and his team needed to go to the Marina Barrage in advance to collect information of a suitable route, including the start and end point.
Ultimately, Mr Lim felt that his hard work had not gone to waste. The annual inter-house cross country event was a chance for the entire student cohort to challenge themselves, and many do not have the chance for this event. The cross country event holds a big significance to the school, as it provides everyone with the opportunity to compete and contribute to their house, and ultimately, it strengthens the Rafflesian spirit in all.
As we reminisce about this memorable event, let’s not forget all the hard work our teachers and peers put in to make this year’s cross country episode so special. Special thanks to Mr Lim, the PE department, and all teacher and students helpers for creating this unforgettable opportunity for us all.
