Some of you may have noticed that in recent times, a certain superhero from a galaxy far far away has turned up in our local races. Is it a bird, is it a plane? It’s Superman. Perhaps due to old age, Superman has stopped flying and is now running – in our tiny little red dot – perfect to match his tiny little red underwear! 

Sorry to disappoint folks, but this Superman is no Clark Kent but Mr Simon Trevor Wood, who in his old words: 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a costume. When I put it on, it’s like a Rocky moment. The outfit empowers you, and you become something different.”

As a photographer who specialises in covering running events, nothing makes me happier than spotting a runner turning up in full costume despite Singapore’s sauna weather.

But seeing Superman racing in our local events got me thinking…

What happened to all our other running superheroes? Pre-covid we used to see at least 2 or 3 at each event but nowadays it only Superman and once in a while, good old Spidey. But like the other superheros, he seems to have gone missing in recent months. Has he finally run out of web? 

Going further back, we had a whole Justice League of running superheroes. The most famous of them all must surely be Batman, complete with full armour. Unfortunately, he appears to have retired to the Batcave and has not been spotted at local races for years.

 And where there is Batman, there is usually Catwoman. She was certainly a sight for sore eyes back in the days especially when she occasionally transformed herself into a zombie, skeleton, or some other creature that made runners suddenly pick up the pace.

Another regular from the DC camp was Wonder Woman. She used to appear at races frequently, bringing superhero flair to the running scene. These days, it seems she has traded her lasso of truth for resistance bands and has become a fitness instructor instead. A wise career move perhaps, but definitely a loss for Singapore’s superhero running community.

Over in the Marvel universe, besides Spiderman—and yes, we even had a Black Spidey at one point—

We also had Captain America, complete with shield. He stills running but it appears that he too has finally hung up his uniform and handed over his shield in retirement.

Then there were the heroes who weren’t technically superheroes but were still crowd favourites. Zorro was one of them, along with a colourful cast of characters who brought smiles, laughter and plenty of photo opportunities to race days. Sadly, almost all of them seem to have disappeared from the running scene as well. What a pity.

Part of the fun of local races isn’t just chasing a PB. It’s spotting familiar faces, quirky costumes, and the occasional superhero sweating bravely through 30°C heat and 90% humidity while pretending that wearing a cape is perfectly normal.

So here’s the questions:

Have you seen any of our running superheroes lately? If so, tell us where and when.

Do you know any of these superheros and why they are now “retired”? Share with us their stories.

Are you one of the superheros featured in this story? If so, we love to hear from you – what drives you to put on the costume and why stopped now.

Last but not least – perhaps you’re secretly planning to become the next one at your upcoming race? Daredevil, Thor, Supergirl, Ms Marvel? anyone? If so, let us know.

Singapore’s running scene could certainly use a few more heroes.