Singapore’s top runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record for the 5km road event.
At a race held in Battersea Park, London, on Sep. 13, Soh came in at 15 minutes and 8 seconds, shaving off 7 seconds from his previous best timing achieved in August 2023.
The achievement was announced by the Singapore Athletics on Facebook.
Was feeling under the weather
The 33-year-old said he had a bit of a "throat/ chest cold" leading up to the race, and noted how the London weather has been changing "drastically".
In fact, he was considering whether racing was the best course of action.
After doing a hard training session a few days prior, he felt he could "tough through the race as long as he stayed positive”.
Running in the dark
Soh said there were sections of the park that were not well-lit, with some sections having hazards like bumps, trees and bollard posts.
"So it's possible to run fast there because of the pack, but it's also important to see where you're going and stay on your feet," he said.
"I usually go for the conservative option and stay off the back of the elite men's field so I can see where I'm going, then work my way up if I can towards the end. This means I don't place very high up, but when everyone is going fast and tightly bunched I can still achieve my time goal, which is the main point of doing this race."
Soh added that racing in the dark was "disorienting and scary, but a fun change of racing conditions".
Reflecting on his new record, he said it was a "good start" to his new age.
"Glad to continue proving that we can age strongly by training smart and taking care of our bodies and I look forward to my next big race - Valencia Half Marathon on Oct. 27."
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Top photo from Singapore Athletics/Facebook and runsohfast/Instagram