Amidst the high temperatures and unforgiving humidity, four hundred individuals are all vying for a brand-new Subaru automobile in the 18th edition of the Mediacorp Subaru Palm Challenge. Officially titled, “Last Palm Standing,” its one of Asia’s toughest endurance competitions.

At exactly 13:00 (1:00 PM) Singapore time, contestants from Singapore, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam placed their right palms onto specified palm decals on a Subaru car and will keep it there until only one remains.


As with every Subaru Palm Challenge competition, contestants are given a five-minute break after every six hours. This year though, contestants get the chance to win an additional five-minute break through an online poll (details will be revealed by tonight). Moreover, contestants who cross the three-hour mark stand to win consolation prizes, and additional incentives are given for those who cross the 48-hour mark.

Ms. Debra Soon, Head of Group Corporate Management at Tan Chong International Limited, said: “This annual event has grown from strength to strength and emerged as one of the most highly-anticipated endurance competitions in Asia. Through this deceptively simple but immensely grueling contest, we hope to inspire more people to push themselves beyond their limits and achieve their biggest goals, as aligned with the philosophy behind the Subaru brand.”


The Mediacorp Subaru Palm Challenge started in 2002. Last year’s winner, Analiza Binte Mokhtar clocked in 75 hours and 17 minutes. The only non-Singaporean to have won the competition to date is Vietnamese Nguyen Phuoc Huynh in 2015. He lasted 77 hours and 58 minutes.