SINGAPORE: Congratulations to national marathoner Soh Rui Yong for two recent significant milestones.
Thirty-three-year-old Soh is the first Singaporean male marathoner to win back-to-back SEA Games in 2015 and 2017 and holds six national records: the 5,000m (track and road), 10,000m (track and road), half marathon, and marathon.
As of this month, he can add two achievements to an already lengthy list.
On Sunday morning (Sept 15), he shared photos over Facebook from his graduation from University College London, writing that he had obtained a “UCL Law degree at 33.”
“Finally walked that stage last week for 10 seconds, concluding a 3-year-long journey that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended in a 10,000-word research essay,” the runner added.
He also wrote that going back to school at the age of 30 had been a “scary decision”, and there had been many times when he had been unsure if he’d be able to accomplish his goal.
However, Soh had a strong support system in the form of family and friends he acknowledged and for whom he was “beyond thankful.” This included “a certain lady who eventually became my wife,” who got a special shoutout.
Soh revealed a year ago that he and his fiancee, Nantacha, got married, and both shared photos of the special occasion on their social media accounts.
Read related: Soh Rui Yong shares details of his ‘first records as married man’ in Valencia Half Marathon
“I say this often in sports but I think it applies to life even more: the heart that dreams is always young. You’re never too old to try something new. Let’s chase those dreams!” the runner added, along with congratulations to his fellow newly minted UCL law graduates!
On Sept 13, Soh set the national record for the 5-kilometer men’s road race at the Friday Night Under the Light 5K in Battersea Park, London. His time, 15:08, was seven seconds faster than his previous record of 15:15, which he set in August 2023.
Soh wrote that he managed this despite a throat and chest cold due to London’s “drastically” changing weather that left him wondering if he should participate in the race at all.
“While my breathing felt slightly off, I felt I could tough through the race as long as I stayed positive.
15:08 for a new record is a good start to my new age – I turned 33 in August! Glad to continue proving that we can age strongly by training smart and taking care of our bodies and I look forward to my next big race – Valencia Half Marathon on 27 Oct,” added the runner. /TISG
Read also: Soh Rui Yong launches his very own “Run Soh Fast” Marathon Academy