For the first time, Resorts World Sentosa opened up a walkathon route across the resort, beginning at Universal Studios Singapore. Here’s what it was like.
What’s the Steps of Hope Walkathon at Resorts World Sentosa?
RWS Cares Festival is Resorts World Sentosa’s new community festival, held for the first time this year in support of the President’s Challenge. Its centrepiece is the Steps of Hope walkathon, a 1.4km route that cut through the resort’s attractions back to back. More than 3,000 participants took part, alongside a second highlight, the Green Living Fair, a two-day showcase of local eco-friendly brands and social enterprises.
I’ve walked through Universal Studios Singapore more times than I can count, but never at 6:30am, and never in one continuous stretch through WEAVE, Singapore Oceanarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark.
Universal Studios Singapore – Before Sunrise on 22 August 2026
With the sky still dark, it oddly felt like I was there to cover Halloween Horror Nights.
Stepping through the park gates, the mood couldn’t have been more different, bright blue stage decor and a warm, friendly atmosphere all around.
987FM’s Joakim and Sonia had the crowd moving, while walkers streamed in and gathered excitedly at the starting point, a banner held up as Kung Fu Panda‘s Po, Elmo, and Poppy from Trolls mingled among the early arrivals.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam arrived shortly after for a group photo at the start arch, pausing to interact with some of the guests, much to their excitement.
CEO Lee Shi Ruh took to the stage next. As she put it, the festival was about turning collective spirit into meaningful impact, because every step counts, and every step brings hope.
RWS Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay then presented a donation of S$818,688 to President Tharman, part of RWS’s contributions to the President’s Challenge that now exceed S$2 million in total.
With both on stage, they flagged off the Steps of Hope walkathon together.
The morning air was still cool at that hour, confetti drifting slowly, and with the large crowd it felt like the HHN rope drop moment was about to happen.
Instead of the kind where guests come sprinting down Hollywood Boulevard the second they’re allowed to move, the walkers today walkers set off calmly, happy faces all around, in no rush to get anywhere except toward the characters ahead.
The VIP entourage, including President Tharman, Chairman Lim, CEO Lee and representatives from the President’s Challenge beneficiaries, joined the walk around Universal Studios Singapore before arriving at Mel’s Drive-In for breakfast.
The President made his way around multiple tables, keen to meet everyone in the room. While the walkathon carried on outside, this was a quieter, closed-door segment before I made my way back out.
Through Universal Studios Singapore
I rejoined the walkathon with the 8AM wave. With none of the rides running, the walk around USS felt less like a theme park visit and more like being present in the themed zones itself, along with whichever characters happened to appear.
Minions and Gru turned up in Minion Land, followed by Shrek stationed in front of the Far Far Away castle.
Over at The Lost World and Jurassic Park, Dolores the Aquilops made an appearance, and it’s possibly a highlight for many walkers.
At Ancient Egypt, two Anubis Guards welcomed walkers through and silently cheered everyone on.
Sci-Fi City had Megatron in typical form, roasting walkers without holding back, charity event or not.
While I didn’t meet a character on New York street, it was exciting to see the park getting ready for Halloween Horror Nights 14, with street decor for The Raveyard installed overhead and at the New York Library stage.
Poppy from Trolls was stationed nearby, near Pantages Hollywood Theatre.
The route then cut through Vine Street into a back-of-house stretch normally used to queue for haunted houses during Halloween Horror Nights. Walking it in broad daylight still felt strangely familiar. Along with a hydration station – which mirrors the F&B cart usually found at some queue points.
A side gate that regular guests never use led straight out of the park and into WEAVE.
WEAVE and Singapore Oceanarium
At WEAVE, the route led directly to the POP MART RWS store, where Twinkle Twinkle greeted walkers with its usual little dance.
I’d assumed the Oceanarium leg would loop around the building’s exterior on the way to the finish line, so it caught me off guard when the route actually took us inside.
Mika the manta ray was there to greet walkers, and many took the chance to see CRY ME AN OCEAN, the crybaby-themed overlay wrapping up on 30 August.
The path through the Oceanarium ran more condensed than a regular visit, though walkers could still take in the first three zones, including the sea jelly kreisel tanks and resident axolotls, before a side exit bypassed the fourth zone and brought us out just minutes from the finish line.
Completing the RWS Walkathon at Adventure Cove Waterpark
The finish line splits two ways, one path to the Green Living Fair, the other into Adventure Cove Waterpark. I headed into the waterpark first, where rows of park crew lined up to applaud walkers coming through.
The waterpark is closed for the walkathon until 4PM, so it was a rare quieter window to take in the Hapidanbui experience featuring the Sanrio characters, including Hangyodon, with park admission included for all participants.
Green Living Fair on 22 and 23 August 2026
After a short walk around the waterpark, I made my way to the Green Living Fair, browsing eco-friendly products from local brands and social enterprises.
A lineup of workshops and performances was running as well, though I didn’t have time to stay. The fair is open to the public and continues on 23 August.
That was my morning at the inaugural RWS Cares Festival, four attractions, one route, and a fair still going the next day. With a three-year commitment to the President’s Challenge behind it, this is likely the first of several. I hope I can join the next one.
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