Soh upbeat about 10,000m bid after double triumph

“I’m never doing that again.”

- Joel Chang

That was the first thing that two-time SEA Games marathon winner Soh Rui Yong said after clinching a unique double at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) on Dec 7 by claiming the national championship title in the men’s marathon with a time of 2hr 46min 23sec.

The Singaporean edged out fellow SEA Games-bound compatriot Aaron Tan by four seconds to finish 16th overall at the finishing line at the Padang and seal his sixth consecutive national marathon crown, just a day after winning the half-marathon national title in 1:14:58. Darren Chong was third in 2:46:45.

They finished over 30 minutes behind elite men’s marathon winner Abel Sikowo of Uganda who clocked 2:15:40. Kenyans Mathew Samperu (2:15:46) and Wisley Kimeli (2:15:53) took the remaining places on the podium.

While the outcome may be impressive, Soh’s quests were far from smooth sailing as the 34-year-old recalled how running the two gruelling races in 24 hours took a toll on his body.