S’pore runner Shaun Goh rewrites half-marathon national record in Valencia
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Shaun Goh now owns national records in five different events.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SHAUN GOH
- Shaun Goh set a new Singapore half-marathon record of 1:04:58 in Valencia, beating Soh Rui Yong’s 1:06:45 mark at the same race.
- The 29-year-old said he felt anxious before race day, but praised the warm conditions and said he was proud of his result after nearly two years away from the distance.
- Goh’s professional move has helped his form. He has broken several national records in 2026, with support from Betterment Sports, Embed Financial Group Holdings, coach Jordan Donnelly and training partner Najib Mooiz.
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SINGAPORE – In his first half-marathon in nearly two years, Singaporean runner Shaun Goh rewrote the national record for the distance as he clocked 1hr 04min 58sec at the Valencia Half Marathon on Oct 25.
With his effort in Spain, the 29-year-old eclipsed the previous national mark of 1:06:45 set by Soh Rui Yong at the same event three years ago.
Apart from the half-marathon record, Goh also owns the national marks for the mile road, 5km (road), 10km (road) and 2.4km (track).
Goh said: “It’s my third road race in two months, and I still can’t quite believe I got to cap off my European road season with this result.
“I spent all of taper week anxious about getting sick or picking up an injury, so when I made it to race eve healthy, I knew I had to make the most of it.
“The conditions were great, if a little warmer than the previous editions I’ve ran in Valencia before, and I’m so glad I put together a race I can be proud of.”
The last time he competed in the event was in 2024, when he clocked 1:07:30.
In the weeks leading to the race, Goh, who became a full-time athlete earlier in 2026, had been training against a mountainous backdrop at St Moritz in Switzerland.
In September, he set a national record in the men’s road 5km with a time of 14min 47sec at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
That came just a month after he claimed the 2.4km national record by clocking 6:47.01 at the Pocari Sweat Run 2.4km National Championships.
In 2026, he also set the mile road national record with a 4:18.60 timing at the Big Mile Series in Utrecht, the Netherlands and rewrote the men’s 10km national road record twice.
Goh had worked as an information security analyst before signing a two-year contract with Betterment Sports in February, making him the first athlete under the sports management company’s Professional Athlete Scheme.
As part of the scheme, Goh receives a monthly salary, with full employment benefits such as health insurance and performance bonuses.
Betterment Sports, which also manages his image rights, has also brought on a sponsor – financial institution Embed Financial Group Holdings (EFGH) – which provides Goh with additional funding and support.
His decision to turn professional has already paid dividends as he has bettered his times across various events over the last few months.
Goh credited his coach Jordan Donnelly for guiding him in training and for coming up with the game plan for the half-marathon, as well as his training partner Najib Mooiz.
He added: “More races are on the horizon, but for now I just want to savour this one. Moments like these are never guaranteed.”