SINGAPORE: Singaporean long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the road mile, finishing with a time of 4 minutes 30 seconds at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London.

The record-breaking performance comes just eight days after Soh set a new national record in the 5km road race in Battersea Park, London.

In a Monday (23 September) Facebook post, Mr Soh shared his excitement at achieving yet another milestone. He expressed his happiness in “capping the off-season with another national mark.”

The previous road mile national record of 4 minutes 32.44 seconds was set by 22-year-old Ethan Yan at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.

Soh, who is 33 years old, took the opportunity to encourage others to continue pursuing their goals.

“Having patiently built a foundation, now the real work begins as I prepare for a winter marathon. ”

According to a statement from Singapore Athletics on Facebook, this achievement marks the shortest race distance in which Soh, a double SEA Games Marathon Gold Medallist, has ever held a National Record.

Soh now looks forward to the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he will race alongside fellow Singaporean Shaun Goh.

Goh, 27, set a new national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September, placing 20th out of 188 runners.

His time beat Soh’s previous record by 37 seconds, marking a significant achievement for the young athlete.

Singapore Athletics further highlighted that the road mile record appears to be a family affair, as Soh’s sister, Romaine, currently holds the women’s national record for the event with a time of 5:24.19, also set in Riga last year.

Reflecting on his record-setting performance, Soh drew inspiration from Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes.

“Sir Roger Bannister has always been an idol of mine, not just because he was the first man to break 4 minutes, but how he did it as a medical student at Oxford University. ”

“This drew me to give it a go at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile, racing the traditional distance along the centre of London.”

Reflecting on the grueling nature of middle-distance running, he remarked, “Miles hurt in a much different way than the marathon. While my legs start to go about 2 hours into a marathon, my arms start to fall into lactic acid paralysis 2 minutes into a mile that I’m racing all out. ”

SINGAPORE: Shaun Goh, 27, has set a new Singapore national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September.

Goh placed 20th in a field of 188 runners at the race, surpassing the previous record held by fellow Singaporean Soh Rui Yong by 37 seconds.

Soh’s record of 31:37 was established in October 2023 during the Valencia Half Marathon.

Upon hearing of Goh’s achievement, Soh, 33, congratulated him on becoming “the fastest Singaporean ever over 10km, road or track.”

According to Singapore Athletics, this milestone adds to a series of record-breaking performances by Goh in 2024.

Goh, an information security analyst, went into the Melbourne race with the specific goal of breaking the national record.

He shared with Singapore Athletics that the race conditions were optimal, and he felt strong during the first 5km.

Goh said he felt relatively strong throughout the first half, which helped him maintain his pace.

In the latter half, he focused on overtaking runners who had started too aggressively.

Despite encountering a challenging stretch of headwind, Goh managed to finish strong.

“I’m very happy with how I was able to close hard at the end of this 10km, and I owe this to my coach, who prepared me well to finish strong at the end of races even though fatigue,” Goh explained.

According to Singapore Athletics, Goh’s official time of 31:00 is his “gun time,” while his net time (actual time spent running) was slightly faster at 30:58.

This marks the first occasion a Singaporean has come close to breaking the 31-minute barrier in a 10km road race.

Goh’s performance also surpassed Soh Rui Yong’s national track record for the 10,000 meters, which stands at 31:10.70.

Goh’s latest feat comes after a series of impressive performances in recent months.

Earlier in July, he clocked a personal best of 31:52 at the Southern Cross University 10km in Gold Coast.

In the same month, Goh also won the Pocari Sweat 2.4km National Championships, setting a new personal record of 6:53.90.

With this achievement, Goh’s average pace was 3:06 per kilometre, translating to a remarkable 7:26 per 2.4km segment.

Singapore Athletics noted this pace as a new benchmark, noting that Goh “has shattered the Men’s 10km Road National Record” and set a challenging precedent for future races.

Goh’s next target is the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he hopes to surpass his current personal best of 69:53.

Looking ahead to this event, Goh expressed confidence, stating that he aims to further improve his form and continue breaking barriers on the international stage.

Singapore Athletics has highlighted the increasing competitiveness among long-distance runners in Singapore, with several national records being rewritten in 2024.

Alongside Goh’s achievements, female runner Vanessa Lee also set a national record in the women’s 10km road race earlier this year, marking a trend of fast times on the road exceeding track performances.