Singapore's Shaun Goh breaks men's 10km road race national record in Melbourne

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.