Competitive mrt walker aims to hike 50km along downtown line

Kow, 21, was unwell on the day Kam walked the NEL and did not join the hike, but went with his friend on the Circle Line trail. “I thought it was amazing,” he tells The Straits Times. “Except for the part where we got to a cemetery. I chickened out.”

During their walk from Caldecott to Botanic Gardens, the friends came to the perimeter of Bukit Brown cemetery at night and had to reroute because of a warning sign deterring trespassers.

Kam shares video reels of his MRT walks on his Instagram account @3vuhhh and TikTok account @trevuh2.

He used to work for a media company leading video content creation between August 2025 and May 2026 before pivoting to creating content for himself. As at Aug 19, he has about 2,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. He hopes to hit 10,000 followers on Instagram by the end of 2026.

He got hooked on “side quests”, or random adventures, in 2025, when he challenged himself to do things he had never done before. These included learning to breakdance; singing in front of an audience of 400 people, taking ice baths and knocking on people’s doors during Halloween.

“It made me realise how much more exciting life could get,” he says.

He has created a Telegram group, sidequest central, dedicated to the MRT walking challenge. The group has over 400 subscribers as at Aug 19, 5.30pm.

Kam will share updates on his progress on Aug 21 and people are welcome to join and leave the walk at will. “I want people to test their limits, but also to take care of themselves,” he says. “Don’t push yourselves too hard. Everyone needs to go at their own pace.”

He is a self-confessed “homebody”, who averages 2,900 steps a day. He logged over 30,000 steps on the NEL trail and over 67,000 steps on the Circle Line trail.

Suddenly upping his step count left him with muscle aches, a blister on his left pinky toe and a suspected injury on his right foot.

“Even now, if I step in a certain way, the pinky toe on the right foot is sensitive,” he says. However, he is not giving up. “I’m just dealing with it.”

The Circle Line adventure was punctuated by a 90-minute toilet stop caused by an upset stomach. He was also delayed by needing to charge his phone at one-north to keep filming.

On Aug 21, he will be carrying a power bank, an extra shirt, a towel and water. He will also take stomach medicine in advance.

He suggests that people joining the walk take along water, an umbrella and “whatever you will need to sustain yourself”.

People do not have to match his pace. They can always rest and rejoin at a later stop, he says. “Ultimately, we’re doing this for the vibes.”

Tips for long walks

Planning on an endurance walk? Physiotherapist Calvin Goh of private practice MyPhysio warns that people who have not trained for long distances should first consult a doctor to see whether they have any medical conditions that could put them in danger.

If cleared to proceed, they should wear light clothing with UV protection during the walk. They should also drink water with hydration salts.

“Take deep inhalations and long exhalations,” he adds. “You will be in pain the day after and for the following days.”