S’pore Special Forces Soldier Stayed Awake For Over 2 Days To Run 342km, Wins Brutal Ultramarathon

Singaporean Special Forces Soldier Perseveres With No Sleep To Run 342km For Ultramarathon

Most of us can’t imagine making it through a marathon, much less one taking place over multiple days.

However, this Special Forces soldier proved the impossible by not only finishing, but also winning an ultramarathon.

Forgoing sleep for more than 2 days, he has emerged as one of the top participants in the international competition.

Special Forces soldier runs 342km for ultramarathon

The Singapore Army posted to Facebook on 25 Oct, congratulating Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Joshua Toh from HQ Special Operations Task Force on his win.

The race was for the Big Dog Ultra Satellite Team Championships, an ultramarathon consisting of 51 loops.

Each participant had to run 6.706km within every hour, 51 times in a row.

Toh emerged the winner of the marathon in Singapore, managing to run 342km while staying awake for more than 48 hours.

In addition, he is among the top 7% of over 500 participants from 37 countries. The competition is hosted simultaneously in multiple countries, continuing until organisers declare a winner in each one.

“Our Army would like to congratulate LTC Toh for his outstanding achievement, and wishes him the best at the World Individual Championship event next year,” the Singapore Army stated in their post.

Attributes success to army training

Addressing his success, LTC Toh attributed it to the training he received during his work in the Singapore Army.

“I strongly believe that training, such as the SAF Ranger Course and Special Forces training, have strengthened my resolve and mental resilience, and contributed towards my success in the race,” he said.

This race is a combination of both physical fitness and mental resilience, the latter being much more crucial in this race as compared to a regular race.

Back in 2020, LTC Toh participated in the ultramarathon for the first time. However, he dropped out at the 23rd loop.

He is the only Singaporean to have finished the race in the 2022 edition, with runner-up Deric Lau managing 50 loops.

Two years ago, LTC Toh participated in Backyard Ultra for the first time, but dropped out at loop 23.

Congratulations to LTC Toh on his achievement

LTC Toh has achieved a significant milestone by staying awake for more than 48 hours and pulling off such a huge win.

After all, some of us can’t even make it out of our beds in the mornings, much less run 342km.

MS News expresses our heartfelt congratulations to LTC Toh on his monumental win. Hopefully, he will continue making us proud at the World Individual Championship.

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Featured images adapted from The Singapore Army on Facebook.