Outstanding Performances by Singapore Athletes at Box Hill Burn in Melbourne bode well for Singapore Athletics in SEA Games 2025
Melbourne, 10 March 2025 - Vanessa Lee has shattered her own Women’s 5000m National Record with a brilliant 17:06.69 run at the Box Hill Burn on 6 March 2025, as the 27-year-old obliterated her previous mark of 17:26.62, set at the Malaysia Open last June, by nearly 20 seconds.
Adding to the excitement of the day, Vanessa wasn’t the only one to break the old record. Her friend, training partner, and coach, Nicole Low, also went under the mark, finishing in 17:21.29. The duo delivered a strong performance, placing 11th and 13th respectively in the Women’s A race.
Competing in Melbourne, Australia, on 6 March 2025, the Singaporean distance running icon's sensational performance and timing achieved (average of 3:25 per kilometre) also exceeds the 5,000m qualifying mark (17:13) for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in December this year.
She shared: “Going into this race, my goal was to meet the SEA Games qualifying mark. It was a strong field of competitive women and I knew I just needed to stay on target pace. Whenever I sensed a competitor ahead slowing down, I pushed forward to overtake and keep my pace,” Lee said after the race.
“The cool weather was a game-changer, making a huge difference compared to the heat and humidity at the Malaysian Open last year. With 500 meters to go, I knew I was on track to break the national record."
This was my first time racing the Box Hill Burn, and I’m thrilled to have not only set a new national record but also met the SEA Games qualification time. I’m also happy for my fellow PUMA athlete, Shaun Goh, Singapore’s 10km road national record holder, who achieved a personal best in the Men’s 5,000m.”
Shaun Goh clinched third for the men's A race behind Jonathan Neethling and Matthew Venour with a blistering time of 14:57:44 to become only the fourth man in Singapore's history to dip under the 15 minute barrier, moving up to 3rd all time from 6th with his performance in the men's 5000m. Shaun edges out Nadarajan Ganesan (14:57.61) and now trails only Soh Rui Yong (14:44:21) and Mok Ying Ren (14:51:09) and is now within 2% of the SEA Games qualifying standard of 14:43:45, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the Games
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