Written by: Bobby Cai Rong Edited by: Leung Lok Heng & Choa Zhao Xiang Photos by: EusoffWorks
The long awaited Road Relay meet had finally arrived, as twelve elite athletes were set to conquer the arduous and unforgiving route. The women sought to defend their title while the men were ready to reclaim theirs.
The girls event was set to start first as our captain Violet was leading the charge, the usual bubbly vibe disappeared as a serious and focused Violet patiently waited for the sound off. The air horn broke the tense silence in the air and Violet sprinted off.
With confident strides and a well managed pace, Violet soon took the lead. The runners from other halls realised judging one’s competence by their size is a big big mistake as they struggled to keep up with violet’s speed. Violet finished first with a timing of 7 minute 48 seconds, securing us a 3 seconds lead.
Violet kicks start the race for Eusoff
The second runner was Vera. Some were concerned if the intense trainings from four sports will affect her performance, but Vera’s equally outstanding run helped us extend the lead by a mad 1 minute 6 seconds. The senior finished her run in 7 minute 55 seconds.
Jess was our third runner and had to compete with one of the best runners in NUS from KR. Unfazed, Jess was able to keep her cool and maintain a good pace, as she finished off with an impressive timing of 8 minute 18 seconds. Despite Jess’ strong efforts, KR’s talent put them in a massive lead. From a leading position, the ladies’ were trailing behind by around one minute after the third leg.
Our second freshman Ning Xuan was the fourth runner. The pre-match jitters and banter didn’t affect her as Ning Xuan was able to close the massive gap KR created. Living up to her name, The Ningja finished in 7 minute 50 seconds. The pressure started to mount on KR as our runners neared theirs, even before our heavy hitters began running.
Ning Xuan kept her cool despite the looming pressure that the race was approaching the end.
Despite the huge pressure to catch up with KR, our fifth runner Stacia was able to maintain her pace well to finish her run in 7 minute 56 seconds. The previous Road Relay captain successfully shortened the gap from 1 minute to 28 second, desperate to claim her first gold medal for IHG, after coming agonizingly close from the Touch Rugby carnival.
Shouldering the responsibility to close the gap was our president Hui Xin, who started off trailing behind the KR. Anticipation and nervousness filled the air along the slope and the bottled emotions erupted into cheers of fervent support as Hui Xin emerged first at the foot of the CLB slope. Given the previous lead was more than 1 minute, to many outsiders it would seem like a miracle, but most Eusoffians were unsurprised by the power of Hui Xin. The NUS Aquathlon captain displayed her prowess on the slope, undeterred by its difficulty.
The scream from the supporters did not distract Hui Xin a single bit. With intense focus and determination, Hui Xin maintained a strong lead and finished first at the finishing line with a jaw dropping 6 minute 56 seconds. 6 minutes 56 seconds. An insane sub-seven run, a timing that even most guys dream of. With the terrific turnaround, our ladies successfully defended their title.
Every year Hui Xin appears on our article for Road Relay because she always slays it. She wraps up her Eusoff career with this race.
The celebration soon subsided and attention was redirected to the men as they took the starting line.
Bala is our first runner, the handball legend, as he showed us that his speed was not only limited to the handball court. Competing against the best runners across all halls, Bala finished well with an impressive timing of 6 minute 19 seconds. Position wise, we were seconds behind Temasek and KE7 after the first lap.
The second runner was JunYang, the stylish man managed to put up an amazing performance, overtaking KE7 (kudos to Jun Yang for the hard work and great performance despite having to prepare for SEP this semester). The experienced runner finished strong with a timing of 6 minutes 17 seconds.
Jon, our third leg, capitalized on the shortening gap. His performance confirmed the rumors of him having 3 lungs as he managed to pass the leading runner on top of the slope which drove the supporters into a frenzy. Jon finished in 6 minutes 3 seconds, complete madness. His insane run would prove to be crucial in the conclusion of the race, as the floorball vice-captain blitzed past the slope like it was nothing.
Those who have runned alongside Jon for training before have ended their running careers out of embarrassment. He was clutch for Eusoff when we needed it most.
Our fourth runner was freshman Dylan. Although the previous runners have built a lead, the pressure to keep our lead was still tremendous. Not letting his comrades down, Dylan emerged first at the start of the slope, with the second runner nowhere to be seen. Dylan finished in 6 minutes 10 seconds, widening the lead to a staggering 52 seconds. At this point of the race, Eusoff’s lead was almost unbeatable, as we approach our big clutch racers.
The only freshie in the team Dylan ran an insane race. Much to come from this young blood.
The second last leg was Joel. The senior just came back from exchange and was ready to remind us what he is capable of. The tracker reaffirmed Eusoff dominance in the relay, as he finished first with a timing of 6 minutes 14 seconds. Pulling the lead to an insurmountable 1 minute 3 seconds
The last runner Wei Shien soon launched off. The Eusoff legend never disappoints. The decorated Road Relay captain emerged first at the CLB slope with a huge lead, totally smoking the second runner. The Eusoff Number 1 finished first and clocked the a monstrous 5 minute 54 seconds.
Wei Shien’s career in Eusoff was mixed with triumphs, defeats and memories. This win will undeniably be one of his favorites. Thank you for everything legend.
The stellar performance by our men clenched the second champion for Eusoff. Simply incredible performance by our runners as all of them ran their best races.
What we see as supporters from the sideline is only a very small part of the runners’ sacrifice. Such amazing results would be impossible without the runners’ hard work and the captains’ leadership. Besides the dedicated athletes and captains, Claire and Cedric, the team manager, also made significant contributions that paved the way for the victory.
It was a perfect ending for our runners, but the battle has yet to be won for IHG. Stay tuned and continue to support our fellow athletes.
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