At 23, Richard Heng is set to make his Southeast Asian (SEA) Games debut in the men’s marathon this December, a remarkable turnaround for someone who once dreaded running.
A Rocky Start
As a child, Heng was on the chubbier side and disliked physical activity. His father often had to force him out the door, sometimes even picking up a stick to chase him down the road just to get him moving.
“I first started running when I was in primary school. I used to be a little bit chubbier and I didn’t like running. I was like, nah. My dad was quite an avid runner so he used to pick up sticks from the floor and starting chasing me when I just didn’t wanna run,” he called.
In secondary school, Heng stopped running and found his stride in soccer, but long-distance running still wasn’t on his radar.
Finding Running During the Pandemic
The turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic. With team sports halted, Heng began jogging alone in the parks near home. Slowly, what started as casual runs became a personal challenge. In 2022, he took the leap and joined the Running Department community, finding encouragement and structure.
The First Breakthrough
In 2023, Heng tested himself overseas at the Tainan International Half-Marathon, clocking 1:23:39. “After I completed my National Service in March, I went to do a half-marathon and I ran it in 1 hour 24 minutes, which got me thinking if I can try for a sub-3 marathon,” he said.
With the idea of breaking three hours in the marathon planted in his head, he achieved it at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM), where he dipped under three hours with a time of 2:57:42.
He started competing more in running and his first representation for Singapore was at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships.
Still, he had no thought of the SEA Games until a surprise breakthrough: placing third at the National Marathon Championship at SCSM last year, behind established names Soh Rui Yong and Ben Khoo.
Stepping Up to the Elite Level
That result spurred him to commit fully to structured marathon training and his dedication paid off this July, when he ran 2:33:25 at the Gold Coast Marathon – a time that ranked him fourth-fastest in Singapore behind Soh (2:27:49), Ahmad Arif Ibrahim (2:32:05), and Henry He Yong (2:33:16).
With Soh choosing to focus on the 5,000m and 10,000m, and Arif targeting multisport instead, Heng and He emerged as the natural selections to represent Singapore in the marathon at the 2025 SEA Games.
“I think it’s still settling in,” said Heng of his qualification for his first ever SEA Games. “I’m definitely very proud to represent my country in a major Games. My friends and family as well, have been very excited and happy for me.”
A New Chapter
From being chased down the road as a boy who disliked running to standing on the start line of Southeast Asia’s biggest sporting stage, Heng’s story is one of persistence, community, and self-belief.
December will mark not just his debut at the Games, but also the next chapter of a journey that proves how far a reluctant runner can go.
