NAYPYIDAW — With no “live” television coverage available, information filtered through that Singapore’s Mok Ying Ren was fourth in the final 7.62km loop of the South-east Asian (SEA) Games men’s marathon final yesterday morning.

As the media scrum assembled at the finish line at Naypyidaw’s Wunna Theikdi Stadium to catch the first glimpse of the new SEA Games champion, a lone cry of “It’s Mok, it’s Mok” echoed around the arena, as a red singlet-clad figure was spotted entering the final 100m stretch of the 42km race.

Excitement soon rippled through the crowd as the 25-year-old made an unexpected entrance, sprinting to the finish line to claim the Republic’s first SEA Games gold in the event in 2hr 28min 36sec, ahead of Myanmar’s Thaung Aye (2:29.50) and bronze medallist Eric Panique (2:30.30) of the Philippines.

Mok was visibly overcome by the significance of his win, which ended Singapore’s 30-year gold drought in running events at the SEA Games after K Jayamani’s title in the women’s marathon in Singapore in 1983.

“I’m very happy and it’s great I won Singapore’s first men’s marathon gold,” said Mok, who only arrived in Naypyidaw on Sunday after enlisting in National Service two weeks ago. “This is an unexpected win for me ... I didn’t have a good rest as I had just enrolled for my medical officer course. The situation was not ideal and I really surpassed my expectations.”

Ashley Liew, Singapore’s other representative, finished eighth in the race (2:42.55).

The win capped an excellent year for Mok, who was the Games’ favourite after his personal best time of 2:26.30 at the Gold Coast Marathon in July topped the region’s season’s best list, ahead of Thaung Aye (2:27.12) and 2011 Games runner-up Panique (2:30.21).

A month-long training stint in Japan also saw Mok clock a national half-marathon record of 1:07.53 at the Ageo City Half Marathon.

Racing in 17°C conditions against a seven-man field that included defending champion Yahuza of Indonesia, Mok held off as Indonesia’s Nikolas Albinus Sila surged into the lead on the fourth 7.62km loop, and when rivals from Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines sprinted ahead in the last leg. However, his patience paid off as he powered home in the final 5km. “When the Indonesian broke away, I stayed with the pack as Yahuza was faster based on my research. Maybe his strategy was to tire us out,” said Mok.

“There was quite a big difference at the 7km mark and I thought I would be happy with bronze, but fatigue set in for them and I finally went past the Myanmar runner before entering the (Wunna Theikdi) gate, and knew I got the gold medal. My strategy was not to go for timing, but position, and it paid off today.”

Yesterday’s win was also an emotional one for Mok’s father Yew Cheong and mother Tan Chwee Hoon, who watched from the stands. Said the senior Mok, a Housing and Development Board engineer: “He just booked out from NS and I didn’t expect him to do so well. He really deserves this for all his hard work and efforts.”

To qualify for the 2016 Olympics, Mok plans to train full-time after completing his NS in April 2015, and wants to defend his SEA Games marathon title on home soil later that year.

He said: “This proves I’m going in the right direction for 2016. My plan in 2015 is to spend one to two months training in Japan or Kenya, or train with the Brooks team in the United States. I want to go for the national record (of 2:24:22) in 2015.”