KUALA LUMPUR: Long distance runner S. Poo Vasanthan has been handed a tough challenge by his dad-cum-coach P. Subramaniam for the Tokyo Marathon on March 5.
Subramaniam, who has been coaching Vasanthan for the last 14 years, wants his son to dip under the 2-hour, 30-minute mark in Tokyo.
And he believes that Vasanthan, 24, is capable of achieving it. Vasanthan's personal best (PB) currently stands at 2:36:77s, which he set at the Putrajaya Marathon last year.
"I know that I have set a tough challenge for Vasanthan, but I have faith and trust in him. I know that he can achieve it, nothing is impossible," said Subramaniam today.
"I helped Vasanthan improve his 10,000m personal best by almost two minutes at the Malaysian Track and Field Championships (MTFC) last week to qualify for the Phnom Penh Sea Games.
"I am pushing him hard in training and believe that he will have a memorable outing in the Tokyo Marathon, which is sponsored by Asics."
Vasanthan, who is from Pahang, said he is keen to rise to the challenge.
"I have been training twice a day and run 20 kilometres in the morning and 15km run in the evenings," said Vasanthan.
"I am hoping to run the race of my life in Tokyo. The conditions will be chilly and there will also be top runners competing there."
Despite his young age, Vasanthan is already an accomplished marathon runner and had ended the dominance of five-time winner Muhaizar Mohamad at the KL Standard Chartered Marathon last November. Vasanthan won the Malaysian category of the race in 2:37:56s.
He had also won the Penang Bridge International Marathon (2:37:59s) in December. Muhaizar, 37, will also be competing in Tokyo.
