Singapore runner Mok Ying Ren has set a new national mark in the half-marathon, clocking 1hr 7min 53sec at the Ageo City Half Marathon in Japan on Sunday morning.

It is an improvement over the 1:08:18 the 25-year-old set in March 2011 at the Bareno Run in Kuala Lumpur.

The result also qualifies Mok, who is slated to compete in the marathon at next month's SEA Games, for the World Half Marathon Championships in Denmark next March.

He said: "This event is known to have a very strong level of competition and even with my timing, I could only finish 300th. But the good weather made it quite favourable conditions to run in."