Mok Ying Ren crossing the marathon finish line in first place at the SEA Games. (Photo 1 by Peh Siong San for SSC)
Myanmar, Monday, December 16, 2013 – Mok Ying Ren, 25, of Singapore won the marathon at the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this morning in a time of 2 hours 28 minutes 35.13 seconds. Mok’s marathon personal best (PB) is 2:26:30 set in July 2013.
Thaung Aye of Myanmar was second in 2:29:49.82 while Eric Panique of the Philippines was third in 2:30:29.53.
It is Singapore’s first ever SEA Games men’s marathon gold, and also the first track event gold at the Games for the Republic since 1975. Mok, a medical doctor, also won a triathlon gold at the 2007 SEA Games. K. Jayamani won the women’s marathon gold at the 1983 SEA Games in Singapore.
Ashley Liew, Singapore’s other marathon runner, clocked 2:42:54.18 to finish eighth in a field of nine runners. Ashley was the fastest Singaporean marathoner at the 2012 Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore with a time of 2:45:06.
Ying Ren took a month off to train in Japan for the SEA Games but in the last two weeks in the lead up to the marathon, he has been undergoing National Service in the Medical Officer Cadet Course (MOCC) and only flew in for the marathon yesterday.
Mok won this year’s Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore in a time of 2:54, a race he was using to acclimatise after spending a month in Japan.
While in Japan, Mok set a new Singapore national half marathon record of 1:07:53 at the Ageo City Half Marathon. He also came close to breaking the national open 10,000m record of 31:19.00 while he was there. He stopped the clock in a personal best of 31:55.55 at the Nittaidai Sports University time trials.
Mok will fly back to Singapore immediately to resume his NS training.
Results
1st Mok Ying Ren (Singapore) – 2:28:35.13
2nd Thaung Aye (Myanmar) – 2:29:49.82
3rd Eric Panique (Philippines) – 2:30:29.53
4th Kuniaki Takizaki (Cambodia) – 2:32:53.62
5th Nikolas Albinus Sila (Indonesia) – 2:33:31.44
6th Soe Naing (Myanmar) – 2:35:14.31
7th Yahuza Yahuza (Indonesia) – 2:36:32.00
8th Ashley Liew Wei Yen (Singapore) – 2:42:54.18
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