Standard Chartered Marathon

SINGAPORE, Standard Chartered Marathon , Elite athletes at this year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon will be paid their appearance fees, travel expenses and performance bonuses immediately after Sunday’s race.

Recent media reports had said the Singapore Sports Council was withholding payment to race co-organiser, the Singapore Athletic Association. The money set aside for the elite athletes amounts to some S$320,000.

Unlike previous years when the money was paid in advance, the sports council wanted proper documents from the association, which was going through a financial audit, before disbursing the funds this year.

The stand-off was resolved on Friday after the association provided the necessary paperwork to the sports council – much to the relief of 44 elite athletes, who can now concentrate on running the race.

Loh Lin Kok, president of the Singapore Athletic Association, said: “They wanted a form of invoice for them to be able to pay out. We have agreed to give them composite invoices from the relevant party, my external consultant, my elite athletes’ manager.”