Singapore actor Shane Pow found himself in an unexpected running challenge after an older man in slippers casually overtook him during a recent jog.
Pow, 35, shared the amusing encounter on Instagram on Sept 18, showing himself running in a T-shirt, shorts, sunglasses and proper running shoes when the older man, dressed in a white singlet and shorts and wearing slippers, cruised past him.
The first clip jokingly described the moment as getting “smoked” by an uncle in slippers. Pow then tried to keep up, but the older runner continued pulling away.
In another part of the video, Pow sprinted after him while joking about how fast the uncle was running. By the end, the gap had grown so large that the man disappeared into the distance. Pow then dubbed him “the man” and “the legend”.
The unexpected showdown quickly amused fellow celebrities and online followers. Actress Kym Ng and Taiwanese actor Weber Yang were among those who reacted, while netizens added their own jokes about the mysterious runner’s impressive pace.
Running is not exactly new territory for Pow. The actor has previously spoken about becoming increasingly committed to the sport and even started the Sunbaked Club, a running group that brings people together for weekend runs.
In 2024, Pow said he had progressed to running about 8km to 10km in under an hour and hoped eventually to complete a half-marathon and full marathon.
But this latest run offered a very different lesson: having proper running shoes does not necessarily guarantee victory.
For now, the identity of the slipper-wearing speedster remains a mystery — but after leaving a fully equipped runner trailing behind, the uncle may have already earned himself a small piece of Singapore internet fame.
