Today I Learned: Singapore's Marina Bay Loop Is a Scenic 3-km Run

Running has become one of the world's increasingly popular sports in the last year or so. It seems that we have (finally) discovered both the exhilaration and calmness in getting our steps in. There's even a running joke (pun intended) that people in their 30s (a.k.a. the overwhelmed millennial generation) are using it to escape our long list of mid-life crises. And we totally understand.

If you're one of those who can't miss a quick cardio session even while on vacation or a work trip, Singapore—a popular destination for both leisure and business—has many running routes to choose from. One of which is along Marina Bay, a well-lit and scenic loop that's more or less three kilometers.

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Marina Bay Loop

The Marina Bay Loop is mostly a flat running track with either a tarmac or pavement surface. It's good for running in the morning, if you can tolerate the humidity; and at night, given how safe Singapore is. (Singapore was ranked the fifth most peaceful country in the world in the 2024 Global Peace Index.) The loop is lined with iconic buildings and soaring skyscrapers, a view of the calm bay, and food stalls. The latter is ideal if you need to stop for a break, but very tempting if you're on a strict diet.

You can start anywhere—it is a loop, after all. The route is surrounded by its landmarks, just follow the water:

• Marina Bay Sands
• Red Dot Design Museum
• The Promontory
• One Fullerton
• Merlion
• Jubilee Bridge
• Esplanade
• Helix Bridge
• ArtScience Museum

Most of the restaurants and hotels surrounding Marina Bay have access to the boulevard so that you don't have to go to the main road.

Because we 'walk the talk' here.

What to See in Marina Bay

Marina Bay in Central Singapore is part of the country's land reclamation work that started in 1954 to create 360 hectares of a prime waterfront site. Some of the areas removed and turned to land were the Inner/Outer Basin, Telok Ayer Basin, and Inner Roads. The Marina Centre (where the Marina Square and Esplanade stand) and Marina South (which is mostly Gardens by the Bay) were completed in 1992. The Marina Barrage was built in 2008.

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is easy to spot. It's that skyscraper with three towers topped by the Sands Skypark (a.k.a. the one that looks like a ship). Opened in 2010, MBS houses a luxurious hotel, a convention center, a mall called The Shoppes, a museum, a large theater, high-end restaurants, and an atrium casino.

View of the Marina Bay Sands from the Esplanade

Palm trees in front of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Olympic Walk

The Olympic Walk, which is marked by the—well, Olympic rings—is located between Marina Bay Sands and Red Dot Design Museum. It is lined with trees, which are dedicated to each National Olympic Committee that participated in Singapore 2010; it is also a commemoration of the friendships and camaraderie forged through the Youth Olympic Games.

Olympic Walk between Marina Bay Sands and Red Dot Design Museum

Red Dot Design Museum

This boutique museum along the Waterfront Promenade takes after the Red Dot Design Award, which is one of the largest design awards in the world. It houses over 500 design works on exhibition, a design shop, and a museum cafe.

The Promontory

Basically, an expansive patch of green shaped like a triangle connected to a rectangle when viewed from above, The Promontory is often used as a viewing platform for water sports events in Marina Bay.

One Fullerton

After (or before, depending on which direction you're running) The Promontory are several hotels and restaurants, including Super Loco Customs House, The Clifford Pier, Monti at 1-Pavillion, and then the shopping mall called One Fullerton. Don't worry about getting lost and going in and out of these structures, as public access is available.

Boardwalk beside The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Merlion Park

Have you even been to Singapore if you didn't have a photo (or with) of the Merlion? The Merlion Park, located on one side of One Fullerton, bears the official Singapore "mascot": a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It has been used as the country's emblem since 1964. The original Merlion Park, which stands at the mouth of the Singapore River, officially opened in 1972; but the present-day Merlion Park, which was relocated to a new pier, opened in 2002.

Singapore's Merlion

Jubilee Bridge

The Jubilee Bridge is strictly for pedestrians, and parallel to it is the Esplanade Bridge, which is open to vehicles. It was built to commemorate Singapore's 50th year of independence.

The Jubilee Bridge connects Merlion Park to the Esplanade.

View of Kris Flyer (left), Helix Bridge, ArtScience Museum, and Manila Bay Sands (right) from the Jubilee Bridge

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The Esplanade is sometimes called "The Durian" because of its exteriors reminiscent of the fruit. It's a performing arts complex with a 1,600-seater concert hall and a 2,000-seater theater.

The Waterfront Promenade by the Esplanade is lined with benches and food stalls.

Helix Bridge

The Helix Bridge is hard to miss. It's a pedestrian bridge with red canopies made of fritted glass and perforated steel mesh that is made to look like—obviously, a DNA helix. If you look closely at the floor, there are colored letters "c," "g," "a," and "t" in either red or green lights, representing the four bases of DNA: cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine. You have the whole 280 meters to figure out what those are if you didn't get it immediately. We didn't—until we stopped to Google it.

If you're following the route from the ArtScience Museum toward the Youth Olympic Park, you'll have to go up a concrete staircase to get to the Helix Bridge.

The Helix Bridge has viewing decks where you can stop and take photos, either with the bridge as your background or of the other landmarks across the bay.

View of the ArtScience Museum (left), The Fullerton Hotel (center), and the Esplanade (right) from the Helix Bridge

ArtScience Museum

The building that looks like a lotus flower is the ArtScience Museum, which opened in February 2011. It features interesting exhibitions celebrating the interconnectedness of art, science, culture, and technology. It has 21 gallery spaces that total 6,000 square meters.

Other Running Routes Around Marina Bay

If you want to go for a longer run or other routes, the nearby Gardens By the Bay is free of charge. You can start off at Marina Bay Sands, then cross to Sheares Avenue, and enjoy the lush greenery of the park. Weave through the Serene Garden, The Meadow, the iconic Supertree Grove, the Chinese Garden, and the Flower Dome.

You can also go the distance (literally) and run both areas of Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Loop.