Soh Rui Yong


Soh Rui Yong is a Singaporean national long-distance runner, and holder of the national marathon record. In 2017, Soh became the first Singaporean male marathoner to win back-to-back SEA Games titles when he won gold again at the Southeast Asian Games.

Early life

Soh was born in Singapore in 1991. Soh's mother is a teacher, and his younger sister Romaine is also an accomplished runner.

Education

Soh graduated from the University of Oregon in the United States, where he studied business administration.

Career

Soh won his first marathon gold at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games and became the first Singaporean male marathoner to win back-to-back SEA Games titles when he won gold again at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games despite almost being expelled from the team a week before the race.
In August 2017, Soh courted controversy when he was given a formal warning by the Singapore National Olympic Council over a breach of regulations regarding the promotion of personal sponsors on social media during the Southeast Asian Games. In September, after winning the marathon gold, he protested having to donate 20 per cent of his $10,000 Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme prize money to Singapore Athletics, as he said he retained his gold medal "without any coaching help from SA".
On January 20, 2019, Soh set a new half marathon national record of 66:46 at the 2019 Aramco Houston Half Marathon, breaking Mok Ying Ren's 3-year-old record of 67:08.. This makes him the only Singapore man in history to concurrently hold the 10,000m and half marathon national records.
On March 17, 2019, Soh broke the Singapore marathon record after finishing the Seoul Marathon in 2:23:42.