By Alipate Pareti
“My biggest motivation is my family, my country and the dream that through my journey, I can inspire young Fijians to believe that anything is possible. I love running because it gives me hope, strength and the chance to represent Fiji proudly. It has opened doors to friendships, opportunities and dreams I never thought possible.”
A proud son of the humble sugarcane farming area of Yaladro in Tavua, Yeshnil Karan is currently Fiji’s best long-distance runner. His latest achievement saw him win gold at the 5000m and the half marathon events at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau in July.
It has been another great year for the 24-year-old runner. In April, Karan set a new national 10,000m record whilst competing in the UniSport Australia Nationals Athletics Championships in Queensland.
The previous record set by Usaia Sotutu back in 1971, had stood for five decades.
Known for his endurance, pace and power, Karan was able to clock a time of 30 minutes 9.92 seconds.
“It was one of the proudest moments of my life. Breaking a 54-year-old record set by a legend like Usaia Sotutu was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, sacrifice and belief. I feel very blessed and grateful to my coach, coaching team, training partners, family and everyone who supported me along the way,” said Karan.
Amid his success Karan pays homage to his roots; emphasising where it all started for him, and why he gives his best every time he competes.
“I have a very supportive family. My parents are farmers and I have one sister and two brothers. I am married and blessed with a young son who inspires me every day. I divide my time between Fiji and Australia to pursue my training and competitions. When I am back home in Fiji, I help my parents by working on our vegetable farm,” he said.
Like other high-level athletes, Karan worries about injuries, time away from family and financial limitations. “I manage these by staying disciplined, using recovery techniques like ice baths, stretching and self-massage and by keeping mentally and spiritually strong.”
“Over the past 37 months, I have made four short trips of four to five months each, spending a total of 18 months training in Brisbane and competing across Australia”, added Karan.
He says living on the riverbanks of Tavua presents its own challenges. “During the rainy season, flooding often leaves roads inaccessible for weeks at a time, forcing me to cut back on training whenever I am at home”, said Karan.
Karan began to seriously focus on running when he was competing as a school student in the 2019 Coca Cola Games. He won two gold medals for Tavua College that year.
He claimed bronze in his first international competition at the 2022 Oceania Championships in Mackay, Australia. That same year, Karan won one gold and one bronze medal at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan. He then represented Fiji at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The following year Karan won three gold medals at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara in the 5000m, 10,000m and 3000m Steeplechase events.
“I am proud to hold three national records in 5,000m, 10,000m and the Half Marathon. I am ranked number two on Fiji’s all-time list in another three events, namely the 1,500m, 3,000m and 3,000m Steeplechase”, said Karan.
Karan is currently on a scholarship from the Fiji National Sports Commission, secured through the support of Athletics Fiji. This has been instrumental in helping him reach new heights. Karan acknowledges former athlete Noel Singh and his personal coach and mentor Atma Maharaj, who have helped him to become a better athlete since 2020.
When asked what could improve athletics and long-distance running in Fiji, Karan said: “I would help identify young talent early and create better training environments with proper coaching and facilities. I would also push for more international exposure and scholarships for our athletes and stronger partnerships with regional and international sports bodies. With the right support, Fiji can produce more international-class runners.”
Karan inspires many amateur runners across Fiji, including fellow members of the Suva Marathon Club. That club’s coach and trainer, Ed Hawkes, is full of praise for the young runner. “He has joined a few of our events per year over the past few years. Last year he participated in both the Suva Marathon (where he ran the half marathon and broke the national record), and he also ran the Namosi challenge.
“It’s exciting to have such a high standard of running in Fiji. He is not just a good runner locally and at our events; he is the best distance runner in Fiji and the Pacific outside of Australia and NZ. Last year, in the half marathon, he was 16 minutes faster than the next best runner. When the next runner finished, Yeshnil had finished, took photos, had a drink and was off to take a shower”, Hawkes exclaimed. “Yeshnil has shown that it is possible to be an elite runner after finishing school. In Fiji we have fantastic sports competition and programs for school kids, but participation in sport drops off after people leave school. Yeshnil is the inspiration for many people to keep running and stay fit after leaving school, particularly people in their 20s, 30s and 40s”, said Hawkes.
This article first appeared in Fiji Traveller Issue 10. Since it was published, Karan passed another milestone at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking a personal best of 3:50.77 in the Men’s 1500m and celebrating the birth of his second child.
