Banjamin Quek tops U-25 category with 33:58 finish at Nike We Run SG 10K

Banjamin Quek won the U-25 category in a new PB of 33:58. (Photo courtesy of Banjamin Quek)

Republic Boulevard, Sunday, November 3, 2013 – Banjamin Quek, 21, swept home in 33 minutes 58.32 seconds to win the Under-25 category at the 2013 Nike We Run Singapore 10K. It was a new personal best (PB) for Banjamin, whose previous 10km PB of 36:04 was set at the 2013 U Run.

He fought off the challenge of Fang Jianyong who finished just three seconds behind in 34:01.49. Emmanuel Tapie was third in 34:31.04.

“Jian Yong, being a strong competitor as always, overtook me slightly after the 8K mark,” said Banjamin. “I panicked but wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I tried my best and put in one final surge to take the lead at the 9K mark again to finish only three seconds before him. It is definitely not possible to run at that pace without him pushing me along.”

Banjamin, a first-year mechanical engineering student, is currently a member of the National University of Singapore cross country team.

“It’s off-season period for me, so I came down with my teammates, still felt the jitters but did not have any race plan in mind. I was just planning to do my best.

“The first 3km was too fast – 10:16. It was about 3:20 plus min/km. Wasn’t prepared to run at that pace, but followed the first pack anyway.

“At the 5K mark, I almost lost sight of the first pack. To my surprise, I was leading the second pack, and it’s my first time having to take up front running. The first and second runner-up were very close to me.

“At the 8K mark, I was out of steam, my lungs were burning and I could feel fatigue in my legs.”

For Banjamin, the memorable part of the race came in the “last 2km of the race” because “I could see the 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd runner”.

Remarkably, Banjamin, who attended Tanjong Katong Secondary School, did not run track or cross country then.

“I was a leisure runner back in secondary school days. I was pretty chubby in secondary school. I started out running to keep fit! I started out competitive running in VJC (Victoria Junior College), took part in Nationals cross country in 2009, 2010, and Nationals track for 5000m,” recalled Banjamin.

In the women’s U-25 category, Mok Ying Rong topped the field with a timing of 40:24.09. Eliza Ng was second in 42:12.65 while Lee Jingci was third in 43:55.01.

According to the organisers, Nike Singapore, 18,000 runners took part in the 10km race. Runners could choose alternate routes at various points along the way.

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Individual Male Under 25 years old
All timings are gun times
1st Banjamin Quek – 00:33:58.32
2nd Fang Jianyong – 00:34:01.49
3rd Emmanuel Tapie – 00:34:13.04
4th Loh Yuting – 00:35:56.51
5th Wilbert Ho – 00:36:09.04
6th Su Yen Bing – 00:36:23.75
7th Shi Ronghua – 00:36:44.23
8th Giebert Foo – 00:37:09.41
9th Lui Ran Tan – 00:37:28.82
10th Buddha Rai – 00:37:34.49

Individual Male 25 years and above
1st Elkana Kiptum Ruto – 00:32:28.71
2nd Shahrudin Hashim – 00:33:41.46
3rd Stuart Haynes – 00:33:41.98
4th Patrick Coles – 00:33:51.57
5th Lim Kien Mau – 00:34:11.53
6th Foo Gen Lin – 00:36:18.81
7th Jagat Bahadur Magar – 00:36:45.54
8th Alessandra Fiascaris – 00:36:51.14
9th Mohamed Iskandar – 00:37:05.05
10th Jamie Chambers – 00:37:09.68

Individual Female Under 25 years old
1st Mok Ying Rong – 00:40:24.09
2nd Eliza Ng – 00:42:12.65
3rd Lee Jingci – 00:43:55.01
4th Abigail E Xuan Sim – 00:44:11.95
5th Hoon Suan Neo – 00:44:30.52
6th Lee Mei Hui – 00:44:47.93
7th Fleur Lrgrain – 00:44:52.87
8th Viola Jelagat – 00:45:09.53
9th Lynette Tung – 00:47:30.94
10th Denise Chia – 00:47:50.27

Individual Female 25 years and above
1st Anne Qi Hui – 00:37:31.72
2nd Vivian Tang – 00:38:38.39
3rd Jie Shi Neo – 00:40:54.20
4th Renuka Satianathan – 00:41:55.05
5th Yew Cheo Ng – 00:42:52.92
6th Nicole Quah Wei Ling – 00:43:32.04
7th Michele Tan Bee Kiang – 00:44:22.90
8th Fridah Jepkite – 00:45:08.92
9th Sharon Wee –  00:45:48.10
10th Martine Craen – 00:46:01.38

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