Bandar Seri Begawan - Runners looking to jog their way into 2013 are in for a treat as the registration for the annual athletic event - the Standard Chartered Half-Marathon Brunei - was officially launched at a press conference held at Radisson Hotel, in the capital yesterday.

Slated for Sunday April 7, runners can register online through the official website www.scbruneihalfmarathon.com or by calling SCB's Phone Banking at 2658000. Branch registration will only open on January 14.

The first 500 registered runners will receive a limited edition SOLEUS goody-bag. Registration will open till March 17 and/or upon reaching the maximum total of 6,000 participants.

Registration fees for the four main categories are $45 for Half-Marathon, which is capped at 600 participants, $35 for the 10km and $25 for 5km (both categories are capped at 2,000 participants) while the Fun Run is only open for a maximum of 1,400 participants with a registration fee of $20.

This year's 21km race will start at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, which will bring the participants past some of Brunei's most famous landmarks and will also feature some additional highlights.

Among them include; an increase in total prize money by over 60 per cent, addition of a veteran category for the Half-Marathon category, special Great Eastern Women's 10km Run that will include Great Eastern placement trophies alongside prize money branded New Balance T-Shirts for all runners and volunteers, a cheering competition and SOLEUS Running Watches for all winner, as well a slightly different route for the 21km runners.

The main prize money has been increased to $2,500 for the fastest athlete competing in the Half-Marathon (male and female open). Meanwhile, the prize money for the Half-Marathon in the local Brunei and the new veteran category is now $1,500 for finishing in pole position. Runners competing in Half-Marathon and 10km categories will receive finishing medals and downloadable certificates while runners of the 5km and 2.4km will receive downloadable certificates of participation.

Charity remains the focus of the Standard Chartered Half-Marathon Brunei 2013 and this year fund raised will benefit Learning Ladders Society, SMARTER Brunei and SCB's Seeing is Believing.

In her welcoming remarks, Lai Pei-Sei, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank stressed that at the bank, we are passionate about running.

"Across the globe, we feature nine marathons in Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jersey, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Nairobi, Singapore and Stanley and four races - Standard Chartered Great City Race, London; Standard Chartered Indonesia Half-Marathon, Standard Chartered Taipei Vertical Marathon and our Half-Marathon here in Brunei," said the CEO.

"Moreover, marathons capture the essence of the Standard Chartered's "can-do" attitude and our brand promise - Here for good," she added.

She went on to say that apart from carrying the Standard Chartered name and logo for being a title sponsor, Lai Pei-Sei hopes that it can bring a focus to causes like 'Seeing is Believing' and other causes.

"There are few events that can bring a community together like marathons, whether people are participating, supporting or volunteering. At the same time, through our marathons and races, we have been able to build and deepen our stakeholder relationships. Our staff, for one, are engaged through the opportunity to participate or volunteer. These events are also a great fund-raising opportunity to contribute back to the local community. We are a long term supporter of encouraging individuals to lead healthier lifestyles and our runs are one way which we can make a difference," she said.

Meanwhile, the official sponsor, Great Eastern Life has a special category named after them the Great Eastern Women's 10km Run. Participants in this category will receive a special Great Eastern Life gift in their running bags and also invitations to special Great Eastern Life events. On top of this, winners in this category will also receive special Great Eastern Life placement trophies.

Caroline Sim, Assistant Head, Brunei Branch, Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Lte said, "At Great Eastern, we're no longer just a life insurance company, but a Life company. We believe that while insurance is important, each individual is irreplaceable and there will never be another you to love your family as you can."

The recently launched Great Eastern's Live Great programme is the first integrated health and wellness programme of its kind to actively help customers live healthier, better and longer. She hoped that through introducing the category, it will help empower women to take ownership of their health. "The Great Eastern Women's 10km Run is an excellent platform to promote the wonderful benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. We believe that 'Life is Great' when one is healthy and well.

"We would like to encourage as many women as possible in our inaugural Run and start living great," she noted.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin