Representing the 2nd People’s Defence Force, Colin Tung clocked 1 hour 17 minutes and 7 seconds (nett time) to top the AHM Men’s Closed category (for SAF active servicemen and SAF NSmen only). (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Padang, Sunday, August 31, 2014 — On his eighth attempt at the Army Half Marathon (AHM) since enlisting for national service in 2007, 25-year-old Colin Tung, representing the 2nd People’s Defence Force, clocked 1 hour 17 minutes 7 seconds (nett time) to emerge as the fastest Singaporean in the race for the first time.
Fang Jian Yong of the 9th Division, who, in July, clocked the season-leading marathon time (2:38:37, with 1:19:50 and 1:18:47 halfway splits) for a Singaporean at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, finished runner-up. Jian Yong clocked 1:17:57 to beat third-placed Su Yen Bing (1:18:13) from Armour, rounding up the podium places in the AHM Men’s category [for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) active servicemen and SAF NSmen, who consist of Operationally Ready National Servicemen, MINDEF Reserves & Ex-NSmen].
Colin was the 10th man overall to cross the finish line, behind Singapore permanent residents Lim Kien Mau and Stuart Haynes, who finished 8th and 9th in the Men’s Open category in times of 1:16:01 and 1:16:22 respectively.
Having had previous best finishes of fourth (2009) and fifth (twice, in 2011 and 2012), Colin said, “This is a significant victory for me because the AHM traditionally gathers one of the strongest competitive fields of any race. So, though I had hopes of running faster than 1:17 in this race, I am happy and honoured to top the category this year and join the likes of Mok (Ying Ren) and (Soh) Rui Yong as runners who have won this race.” Mok Ying Ren and Soh Rui Yong are national record holders in the 5,000m and 10,000m respectively. Ying Ren also holds the national best mark of 1:07:29 for the half marathon.
Joseph Mwangi Ngare was the Men’s Open champion in a time of 1:05:25. Hosea Kogei and James Munyi Marego finished second and third in times of 1:05:32 and 1:06:06 respectively.
The fastest Singaporean woman on the morning was 26-year-old Renuka Satianathan. She clocked 1:29:11 to finish fifth in the Women’s Open category behind a quartet of African women.
Having run her last half marathon in 2011 at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon in a personal best 1:23:24, Renuka, who studied in Queensland, Australia, from 2007 to 2011, said it was a “big surprise” to go under 1:30 again, “I didn’t have any pace or timing goals and was just running scared for most of the first 15km, unsure how I’d survive my first 21km race in a tropical climate in seven years.
“It was an exhausting run, taking quite a bit out of the legs, and I can’t imagine how I’ll get back to 1:23 shape anytime soon! But it was a good first half (marathon) in awhile and a starting point to build on.”
The half marathoners, 21,800 of whom were flagged off for their race at 5am, made up a part of the total 46,000 runners who participated in the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon, which also included a competitive 10km distance, and a 5km fun run and Families for Life 800m father-and-child challenge aimed at promoting family bonding.
BG (NS) Tung Yui Fai, director of National Service Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and vice-president of SAFRA, commented on the fact that 35,000 of the participants were SAF regulars and national servicemen, “We are very happy to see more servicemen taking ownership of their fitness and challenging themselves to run longer distances. We hope for more servicemen to be motivated to make fitness part of their lifestyle.”
Unofficial Results*
Half Marathon
AHM Men’s Open
(all male participants including non-SAF active servicemen and NSmen, Singaporeans/PRs, and foreigners)
1. Joseph Mwangi Ngare – 1 hour 5 minutes 25 seconds (nett time)
2. Hosea Kogei – 1:05:32
3. James Munyi Karego – 1:06:06
4. Godwin Kipruto – 1:12:22
5. Nimesh Gurung – 1:12:28
6. Jackson Chirchir – 1:15:03
7. Birjung Budha – 1:15:29
8. Lim Kien Mau – 1:16:10
9. Stuart Haynes – 1:16:38
10. Russell Ericksen – 1:17:02
AHM Women’s Open
(all female participants including non-SAF servicewomen, Singaporeans/PRs, and foreigners)
1. Peninah Kigen – 1:15:09
2. Esther Karimi – 1:17:12
3. Jackline Nzivo – 1:22:23
4. Viola Jepchirchir Kimeli – 1:25:25
5. Renuka Satianathan – 1:29:11
6. Cynthia Chelangat Towett – 1:38:06
7. Claudia Knecht – 1:37:30
8. Lim Sing Yi – 1:38:11
9. Vanessa Tang Yiting – 1:39:31
10. Juliana Chua – 1:44:55
AHM Men’s
[SAF active servicemen and SAF NSmen (ORNS, MR & Ex-NSmen) only]
1. Colin Tung – 1:17:07
2. Fang Jian Yong – 1:17:57
3. Su Yen Bing – 1:18:13
4. Ivan Low – 1:19:11
5. Melvin Wong – 1:19:20
6. Banjamin Quek – 1:19:34
7. Chua Chin Yang – 1:20:50
8. Soon Suan Boon – 1:21:36
9. Gabriel Soo – 1:21:50
10. Ang Chee Yong – 1:22:30
AHM Women’s
(SAF active servicewomen only)
1. Valerie Tan – 1:48:41
2. Mabel Low – 1:50:40
3. Yoshika Murakami – 1:52:48
4. Ong Leng Hong – 1:57:55
5. Ng Qianyi – 1:58:38
AHM Men’s Masters
[SAF active servicemen and SAF NSmen (ORNS, MR & Ex-NSmen), aged 40 years old and above only]
1. Lexxus Tan – 1:21:09
2. Low Yeah Kher – 1:25:54
3. Teo Shau Meng – 1:26:19
4. Michael Hua – 1:27:28
5. Johnson Tan Hwee Chuan – 1:29:39
AHM Women’s Masters
(SAF active servicewomen, aged 35 years old and above only)
1. Chong Yuan Ping – 1:54:53
2. Tan Bee Peng – 2:02:49
3. Annie Puah Seok Hoon – 2:04:48
4. Lee Yem Choo – 2:09:15
5. Lee Siok San – 2:13:15
AHM Family Men’s
[up to three nominated immediate family members of participating SAF active servicemen/servicewomen and SAF NSmen (ORNS, MR & Ex-NSmen)]
1. Tai Yee Kit – 1:26:07
2. Zhang Kewen – 1:42:20
3. Srihari Reddy Sangireddy – 1:47:13
4. Wong Mun Pun – 1:47:55
5. Wang Wei Dong – 1:49:08
AHM Family Women’s
[up to three nominated immediate family members of participating SAF active servicemen/servicewomen and SAF NSmen (ORNS, MR & Ex-NSmen)]
1. Vanja Cnops – 1:26:12
2. Rachel See – 1:30:14
3. Lim Baoying – 1:31:45
10km
SAFRA Men’s Open
(all male participants including non-SAF active servicemen and NSmen, Singaporeans/PRs, and foreigners)
1. Gitau Kariuki – 30 minutes 35 seconds
2. Lukas Muteti – 30:36
3. Peter Keter – 30:39
4. Willy Kipkemoi Rotich – 31:31
5. James Kipkemboi Chirchir – 32:55
6. Simon Rotich – 34:16
7. Sammy Kiprono – 34:29
8. Emmanuel Tapie – 34:45
9. Shiva Rai – 35:26
10. Hum Bahadur Gurung – 36:59
SAFRA Women’s Open
(all female participants including non-SAF servicewomen, Singaporeans/PRs, and foreigners)
1. Alice Kabura Njoroge – 37:05
2. Yucabeth Bore – 37:06
3. Caroline Kigen – 38:32
4. Valentine Jepkemboi Serem – 39:25
5. Susan Jemutai Chepkwony – 40:39
6. Fleur Legrain – 43:42
7. Sue Corser – 43:48
8. Michele Tan Bee Kiang – 44:39
9. Sharon Wee Siew Kim – 46:24
10. Yuri Shona Pek – 46:56
SAFRA Men’s
[SAF active servicemen and SAF NSmen (ORNS, MR & Ex-NSmen) only]
1. Soh Hua Qun – 34:34
2. Marcus Ong – 34:44
3. Jeevaneesh Soundararajah – 35:14
SAFRA Women’s
(SAF active servicewomen only)
1. Ethel Lin – 43:06
2. Cheryl Lee – 49:07
3. Liow Soo Hui – 56:24
SAFRA Family Men’s
(up to three nominated immediate family members of SAF active servicemen/servicewoman and SAF NSmen)
1. Jacky Ong – 40:22
2. Sam Yong – 41:47
3. Lim Jing Hong – 44:24
SAFRA Family Women’s
(up to three nominated immediate family members of SAF active servicemen/servicewoman and SAF NSmen)
1. Ow Ling Xiu – 50:21
2. Cindy Teo – 50:43
3. Cheong Siok Hian – 52:01
*Times listed above are nett times and differ from gun times, which determine race finishing positions according to International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards
More photos next page
Hi All,
Just to clarify: Vanja Cnops is an immediate family member of a local guy now. Thanks!
Vanja Cnops competed in the AHM Family Women category? I thought she’s a student from overseas.
SAFRA says that Vanja Cnops will be disqualified from the category.