Against a backdrop of glowing bridges and wide boulevards, 13,000 runners turned up in Putrajaya, Malaysia last night for the 2025 PUMA NITRO Night Run. At the sharp end of the 10km Open, it was Singapore who walked away with a double victory, as Shaun Goh and Vanessa Lee took top honours in the Men’s and Women’s categories.
Coming in second in the Men’s Open was Sanjay Manimaran of Malaysia, with Marthinus Kipsang Ngetich of Kenya in third. Over on the women’s side, Philippines’ Christine Organiza Hallasgo took second place, followed by Hung Chi-Wen form Taiwan in third.
This race marked an early test for Goh’s build-up to December’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Just a week removed from his off-season, he admitted the warm conditions and rolling terrain proved a challenge.
“My goal for this race was simply to put in a hard effort and gauge where my fitness was. I’m just a week back from my off season, as I start building towards the SEA Games in December,” the 28-year-old cyber security analyst said. “The race itself was tough, with hot and hilly conditions. I’m pleased to take the win. It was also great to connect with fellow SEA athletes and exchange training experiences.”
The women’s race unfolded differently. Lee shadowed Hallasgo for much of the 10km before making her move in the closing kilometre.
“I followed Christine from the start and started kicking from the last 200 metres,” the 27-year-old sales professional recalled. “Some slopes were expected based on the race route research and weren’t really a surprise when they came. Weather conditions were similar to Singapore so it was nothing we couldn’t handle.
“It feels great knowing that both my teammates also won their categories. Overall, I was really happy to meet the SEA team and race with them as well.”
Singapore’s presence was further felt in the 5km race, where Ben Khoo crossed the line first. While the category was billed as non-competitive, his effort added to a strong showing from the Singapore contingent.
“After consecutive weekends of racing, my goal was to put in a strong effort. I’m pleased to see that my form is coming along nicely for the SEA Games,” the 34-year-old business executive at a Swiss MNC commented.
