KUALA LUMPUR – There seems to be no stopping middle-distance sensation Kristian Tung, who has smashed yet another national record barely a month after rewriting the books in the men’s 3,000m.
The 21-year-old Federal Territories runner clocked 30:07 in the men’s 10km road race at the Rotterdam Big Series 10 on Saturday, erasing Sanjay Manimaran’s 31:01 mark set at the Songkhla Marathon in Thailand just last month.
It is Kristian’s second senior national record in as many months, following his 8:15.81 in the 3,000m at the British Milers Club meet in August, which broke S. Muthiah’s 40-year-old record of 8:27.00.
“I was targeting a sub-30 but just missed it. No excuses – I simply wasn’t good enough today. But it’s still a national record, so I’ll take it,” Kristian told Scoop.
The Loughborough University student has also received a huge boost ahead of December’s Bangkok SEA Games, signing a three-year sponsorship deal with global sportswear giant Puma.
“It is literally a dream come true. Their values align with mine, and they are giving me the chance to go all in on running without worrying about things like shoes or training camps. If I want to compete with the Kenyans and Europeans, this support allows me to chase that goal,” he said.
Kristian, who won three gold medals at the Sarawak Sukma last year, admitted the level in Southeast Asia remains daunting, with Thailand’s Olympian Kieran Tuntivate setting the benchmark.
“A medal (at the SEA Games) would be really nice. Considering the competition is the strongest it has ever been, it will take a few years to catch up to Kieran. But the key for me is to keep training consistently with my high-level group and staying injury-free,” Kristian noted.
Beyond Bangkok, Kristian has already set his sights on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
“The Commonwealth Games will be like a home championship for me as I’m based in the UK and all my friends can come and watch. It would be such an honour to race there,” he said.
What drives him most, however, is the belief that he can put Malaysia back on the map in distance running.
“The thing that drives me every day is to make a Malaysian compete with the Europeans and Africans. I used to think it was impossible because I never saw anyone do it growing up. But now I’ve caught up to the top guys in the UK, so hopefully I can keep it going,” he said.
Kristian believes that with proper backing from Malaysia Athletics and the National Sports Council (NSC), he can train full-time and sustain the workload needed to be world-class.
“I think if I were able to get extra funding, it would allow me to be a full-time athlete after graduating and attend training camps year-round. That’s what it takes to reach the top,” added Kristian, who not only has time on his side but also momentum firmly in his stride. — September 7, 2025