78-year-old S'pore retiree with passion for long-distance running

Retiree Bernard Moey, 78, is not letting his age define him.

- Judith Tan Correspondent

In fact, the septuagenarian is letting his legs do the “talking”, participating in marathons across the globe - from the Middle East to India, and from Papua New Guinea to Thailand.

His passion for long-distance running, however, has its roots in Singapore.

“What started me off seriously was The Straits Times Run of 2018. It had three distances - 5km, 10km and 18.45km. I took part in the 18.45km. I was 71. That same year, I signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in December and was disappointed (with myself). I managed to complete only 25km of the 42km after injuring my left kneecap,” Mr Moey said.

It did not stop him. The next year, he signed up for both marathons again - this time completing the 42.15km of the StanChart marathon. “That was my first great achievement for someone in his 70s,” he said, adding that he never looked back since.

He became a member of Masters Athletics Singapore, a nonprofit organisation that organises track-and-field, road running and cross-country competitions for athletes aged 35 and above in Singapore and abroad.

Apart from long-distance running, Mr Moey has also taken part in several vertical marathons, completing the 40-storey race up a block at Whampoa Dew in Lorong Limau in June 2024 in just 11 minutes.

His latest event was in Chennai, India, in November 2025, where he ran holding his walking stick, “in case my legs gave out”.

Mr Moey said he started his journey in sports in his childhood, thanks to his late father, who was a pole vaulter and a boxer.

“He taught my older brother and me how to box, but we did not take it up as a sport. I had always been fascinated by distance running and took part in my first national event when I was only 10. It was the Singapore Free Press Race of 1957 from Kallang to Farrer Park,” he told ST, adding that he was not placed in that event.