AN OVERNIGHT relay run by more than 1,200 health-care workers and two Cabinet ministers raised more than $360,000 for this year's President's Challenge.

The 80km run ended yesterday morning, eight hours after it started at midnight at the Singapore General Hospital.

A total of 17 teams took turns to run past 17 different health institutions across Singapore.

The 204 runners from eight public and private health-care organisations were joined by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan and Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan and 1,000 others on the final 2.5km leg.

The group reached the finish line at the National Dental Centre at about 8.20am and were received by President S R Nathan.

One of the participants, Mr Patrick Anthony, 45, Changi General Hospital facility executive, started running at about 3.30am and did about 14km in all.

He said: 'I was fighting to stay awake. My mind was saying: 'Let's do it,' but my body was telling me I should be sleeping. But I wanted to do my part for charity.'

Professor Tan Ser Kiat, group chief executive officer of Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), which organised the event, said: 'We wanted to say 'thank you' to the community for giving us support during Sars, our darkest period, last year. It's also to build solidarity and fraternity among health-care institutions here.'

The money was raised through pledge cards, a charity bazaar by SingHealth nurses and donations from corporations and individuals.

The final amount raised is likely to go up to $380,000, he added.

President Nathan said: 'The purpose of the President's Challenge is to encourage the widest possible participation from the population in Singapore for the cause. Their involvement is more important than the money raised.'

The funds will go to 45 beneficiaries, including Pathlight School for autistic children.

Organisations such as the People's Association (PA) and the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis) also ended their efforts to bring in the charity dollars yesterday with final fundraisers.

A full-day family carnival in Tampines Park yesterday brought the total amount raised by Muis to $204,000. Since June, it has organised activities such as charity nasi padang and beriani sales and donation drives at mosques and religious forums.

At Marina Promenade Park, about 7,000 people took part in a PA walkathon to help raise $250,000.

It was no ordinary walk in the park but one aimed to prepare participants for emergencies by getting them to follow a 3.7km simulated evacuation route.

They collected ration items such as biscuits and water along the way.

Besides the walk, the PA also held a carnival at its headquarters in Kallang. The three-month-long President's Challenge ended yesterday.