Born with dwarfism, she’s chasing her first half marathon – taking far more steps than others

At 4.30am on Dec 6, 2025, Kathleen Zhu will begin her half-marathon race at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM). Together with thousands of other participants, she will start at the F1 Pit Building, and end her 21.1km run at the Padang.

This is the third time that the career coach is running in the SCSM – she completed 10km races in 2023 and 2024, but this is her first time running the half marathon.

The 43-year-old told CNA Women: “The distance from 10km to 21.1km is a big jump, and this will be one of the hardest goals I have set for myself.

“There is a real fear of not being able to complete the half marathon.”

Zhu’s concern is understandable. Born with dwarfism, she is 1.38m tall and has shorter limbs, which means a naturally shorter stride length.

Runners with dwarfism take significantly more steps to cover a distance and require more time and effort to complete a race.

“I enjoyed participating in the 10km runs, and decided it was time to shift to a greater goal of completing 21.1km,” said Zhu. Completing the half marathon was a goal she set for 2025, the other being skydiving, which she recently did in Dubai.

START OF A FITNESS JOURNEY

Zhu didn’t set out to be a runner nor a fitness enthusiast. She recalled at age 10, asking her orthopaedic doctor to write a memo so that she could avoid fitness tests for life.

In her 30s, she was overweight, overwhelmed with life and struggling with her mental health.

In 2022, she decided to pick up fitness by attending group classes and working with a personal trainer. Through doing exercises that were modified to her height and ability, Zhu lost 20kg and gained strength.

Daily routines such as carrying heavy groceries no longer left her feeling tired, and she could climb overhead bridges without getting breathless.

While exercising gave her strength, work was stressful and Zhu would still feel down for extended periods of time. A friend suggested that she try running, and she began doing so in 2023.

Zhu, who is single, found that running allowed her to work through her thoughts. “Running became a mental reset, a way for me to find peace, clarity and purpose,” said Zhu.

“Running didn’t just help to unload the mental exhaustion from work, but it also helped release tension on my lower back.”

THE ROAD TO 21.1KM

Zhu said that when she first considered running the half marathon, she was only 30 per cent confident of completing it.

A running mate introduced her to David Shum, a certified running coach and sports therapist. Twice a month, at Serangoon Stadium, he coached Zhu through a series of drills that help to improve the mobility of her limbs.

“Stretching my shoulder blades allows for bigger hand movements as I run, while training the thighs and hips allow for bigger and lighter running strides,” Zhu explained.

Shum also taught Zhu breathing techniques, such as taking two breaths in through the nose, and exhaling one breath out through the mouth. “Proper breathing technique makes running less tiring,” Zhu said.

On days when she is not training with Shum, she completes the running drills he has given her, such as running 800m four times with a three-minute rest in between, on her own around her home in Punggol.

Zhu runs about three times a week, with a rest day in between.

In the 19 weeks since Zhu began training with Shum, her speed times and distances have improved. “My running pace was 13-14min/km at the start but now I’m running faster at 8-11min/km,” said Zhu.

She will need to keep to a pace of less than 11min/km to be able to complete the half marathon in the stipulated time of four hours. The longest distance she is currently able to complete is 18km and is working towards hitting the 21km mark.

“While 21km is still a long distance, since training with Shum, my mindset has changed to be more positive, and he’s constantly telling me to trust the process.”

Zhu said her confidence at completing the half marathon is now at 70 per cent.

FINDING SUPPORT IN HER FITNESS FAMILY AND BEING AN INSPIRATION

While Zhu enjoys running alone, she has also found support in her fitness community and is part of her gym’s running club. “I join my fellow gym members at Revl Training for runs around the Kallang Riverside area,” said Zhu.

She also takes part in the gym’s cardio and strength-training classes. 

“Due to the curvature of my spine, strengthening my core is especially important and the strength classes are especially useful,” said Zhu, who trains at the gym twice a week. “A stronger core lessens the tension in my lower back and makes running easier.”

Her quest to complete the half marathon has even inspired her gym friends to follow suit. 

With her earbuds in place and powered by techno music, Zhu will run the race by herself. “Running is a solo affair," she said. But she knows she will not be alone, with friends and family cheering her on.

“My family, especially my mum, worry for my safety, but they all agree this will be a great achievement for me. And if someone like me with a physical limitation can do it, so can anyone else,” she said.

Zhu will be going into the race with a clear mind and positive thoughts.

“I’m not afraid of physical exhaustion, nor will the weather affect me. While there is a slight nagging thought of not being able to complete the race, I have been self-driven since I was young and know I can rely on mental resilience to power me through,” said Zhu.