Running Group

Kilometers of Friendship and Fun

by Keri Matwick

The reality of being an expat is perhaps felt the strongest during times of transition. This summer brings a lot of tears to the AWA Running Group as we bid farewell to five members of our team: Becca Meurer, Dafne Wesenaar, Kate Breslin, Christi Elflein, and Suzanne Murphy.

Becca heads to Princeton, New Jersey; Dafne to Utrecht, Netherlands; Kate to Atlanta, GA; Christi to Jacksonville, FL; and Suzanne to Virginia.

Fond Farewell to Suzanne, Becca, Dafne, Christi, Kate

Each shares her favorite run and memory being part of the AWA Running Group:

Becca:

Favorite run: My favorite is any run that ends with a good coffee and breakfast. I love the run at Pasir Ris and Green Corridor to the Black and Whites by Hort Park. And yes, I also love the run around Marina Bay even though we do it so often.

Sounds weird but if I had to go through circuit breaker (which obviously I did) then going through it with the AWA running group was definitely the best way to do it. The positive energy and motivation to keep moving that our group generated was amazing. And the connections forged with women I hardly knew before CB stayed strong even as Singapore began to open again.

Favorite Memory: Running my first half marathon in honor of one of our runner’s birthdays. I mean, who wishes themselves a 21 km run to celebrate their birthday? An AWA runner!

Dafne:

Favorite Run: Easy to answer. My only run with the AWA group was on Tuesdays at the Botanic Gardens, so that was definitely my favorite. I rarely went running on a Thursday.

Favorite Memory: Actually, very simple- the coffee and chat after the runs. But, I can tell you that running with all the AWA running group and meeting all these wonderful running mates was by far the best thing that happened to me in Singapore.

Pictured (L-R): Dafne, Suzanne, Becca, Christi, Kate

Christi:

Favorite Run: Our weekly Tuesday morning Botanical Gardens 5K.

Favorite Memory: The memory that is most vivid is my first run when I showed up on time, but Marangeli said they almost left me because the run starts right at 8am and I need to be early next time. Makes me laugh every time I think about it [because I am usually late]. But I have to say my favorite recurring memory is coffee afterward. I never drank coffee before joining this group, and now I do! I love the camaraderie and storytelling that occur mile after mile and continue into coffee. I’ve made friends in this group that I know will be lifelong.

Kate:

Favorite Run: My all-time favorite is along the Green Corridor from the Rail Mall or King Albert Park and finishing at Jimmy Monkey for breakfast. Their avo toast is in my top three! I also love running from Kent Ridge Park, which is beautiful. Of course, our regular Tuesday run in the Botanic Gardens is also great; it’s been a constant in my life over the last four years.

Favorite Memory: There are so many! And honestly, most of them happened during Covid when we were all stuck on the island without much to do! We ran a half marathon to celebrate my birthday in 2020 and raised over $2,000 for Caring for Cambodia. Bernie’s 2021 Whatever Race was a blast. I also loved supporting my friends over the years as they trained for races and ran virtual marathons during Covid.

On a personal note, my beloved dog Romeo died in 2021, and it was my running friends who showed up for me when I was really struggling. I will always remember their love and compassion.

The past couple of years have been challenging and through it all, our AWA running group has been a bright spot – we’ve supported and encouraged each other, and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way! I will always be grateful for my AWA running friends… who are among my very best friends in Singapore.

Suzanne:

Favorite Run: My favorite is everyone else's least favorite- around the Marina! Easy from home/zero commute, lots to see, a loop, and endless café options at the end. A fast course when empty.

Favorite Memory: Around the Island Run, all the creative Circuit Breaker challenges which resulted in high mileage months.

AWA Running Group Farewell Party

We also welcome a new runner, Katrin Blüchel! If you’re interested in joining the group, please reach out via the AWA Running Group page on Facebook.

Keri is a linguist and teaches writing at Nanyang Technological University. Active in the AWA Running Club and Java Junkies, Keri enjoys running and meeting AWA friends for coffee.