Athletics: Long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong breaks 41-year-old 10,000m national record

National long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the 10,000m event at the Portland Track Festival on Saturday (United States time) with a time of 31min 15.95sec, just a shade under the old mark of 31:19. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
National long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the 10,000m event at the Portland Track Festival on Saturday (United States time) with a time of 31min 15.95sec, just a shade under the old mark of 31:19. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

National long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the 10,000m event at the Portland Track Festival on Saturday (United States time) with a time of 31min 15.95sec, just a shade under the old mark of 31:19.

The previous record was set by P.C. Suppiah in Nov 1973, at the Asian Track and Field Championships in the Philippines.

"Getting this 41-year-old mark is very, very special," said the 22-year-old Soh, a Sport Singapore scholar studying business administration at the University of Oregon.

He ran the race alone, but says that made the record even sweeter.

However, despite becoming the new holder of the national 10,000m mark, he has yet to decide on his pet event.

"Right now, the half-marathon seems to be my best," said Soh, who also races in the 5,000m on the track and 10km and half-marathon events on the road. "I might try the marathon in the future since I seem to get better with distance."

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