CARDIFF - Singapore's SEA Games marathon gold medallist Soh Rui Yong clocked a season-best time at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff on Saturday.

Amid pouring rain, the 24-year-old completed his race in 64th position with a time of 1hr 7min 56sec, which fell short of the national record of 1:07:08 set by 2013 SEA Games marathon gold winner Mok Ying Ren in Arizona in January.

It was also 35 seconds slower than his personal best of 1:07:21 set last September in San Jose.

The University of Oregon graduate is attempting to qualify for the marathon race at the Rio Olympics, and to do so, he needs to clock 2hr 19sec before July 11. Saturday's race is an important build-up to his next attempt to meet the mark, at the April 24 London Marathon.