By any measure, 2025 marked a defining year for Fiji’s leading distance runner, Yeshnil Karan, with a season built on sustained performance across multiple events and competitions.
Karan’s performances during the year placed him number one in the Pacific across six events: the 1500 metres, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, 10,000m and the half marathon.
He also ended the year holding three Fijian national records in the 5000m, 10,000m and half marathon, while moving to number two on Fiji’s all-time lists in the 1500m, 3000m and 3000m steeplechase.
“These results didn’t come from one race or one moment,” Karan said. “They came from delivering performances consistently across a demanding competition calendar.”
Among the standout performances was his 5000m run at the Box Hill Burn in Melbourne on March 6, where he clocked 14 minutes 22.50 seconds, lowering his own national record by seven seconds.
Later that month, at the Box Hill Classic, Karan recorded a personal best of 8:17.44 in the 3000m, placing him second on Fiji’s all-time list and within four seconds of the national record set by Usaia Sotutu in 1971.
Earlier in the season, Karan claimed gold in the 5000m at the Sally Pearson Shield and silver in the 1500m at the Queensland Athletics Championships, confirming his form against strong domestic competition.
At the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth on April 12, Karan competed in the 3,000m steeplechase for only the second time in his career, running 9:02.08 to place eighth overall and move to second on Fiji’s all-time list.
He also recorded personal bests in the 1500m in both the heats and the final.
The season’s defining performance came later that month at the UniSport Nationals in Australia, where Karan broke a Fijian national record that had stood for 54 years.
He ran 30:19.92 in the 10,000m, lowering the previous mark set by Olympic athlete Usaia Sotutu in 1971 by 72 seconds and securing first place in a quality field.
“That race was a turning point,” Karan said. “It showed me that I can compete at a higher international standard.”
Away from competition, however, the season unfolded alongside major personal responsibilities.
The arrival of his second son in May meant much of Karan’s preparation during a crucial four-month period took place on the roads around Tavua and Lautoka, fitted in between antenatal appointments, periods in hospital ahead of the birth and caring responsibilities at home.
“There were days when preparation meant running early or late, with limited recovery, while trying to be fully present for my family,” he said.
“Those realities shaped how that part of the year was lived and how the performances were achieved.”
Despite those challenges, Karan delivered strongly as the season moved into its regional and international phase.
At the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, he won gold medals in the 5,000m and the half marathon, bringing his Pacific Games record to five gold medals from five events across two Games cycles.
With racing in Palau managed carefully to allow recovery, Karan went on to run a personal best of 3:50.77 in the 1,500m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, moving to number two on Fiji’s all-time rankings. Despite just five weeks of final preparation in Brisbane, he was the only athlete to record a personal best in the heats.
Across the 2025 calendar year, Karan recorded seven personal best performances, achieved amid start-and-stop preparation shaped by family responsibilities rather than an optimised high-performance environment.
“For the first time in my career, I’m entering a new season with a solid pre-season build-up,” he said.
“That gives me a stronger foundation and much greater clarity going into 2026.”
That preparation has already begun, with Karan recording 31:06.69, the second-fastest time ever by a Fijian, at the prestigious Zatopek:10, the Australian 10,000m Championships in Melbourne earlier this month.
The 2026 campaign will begin on January 10 in Tallahassee, Florida, with Karan set to make his first-ever appearance at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, followed by the Australian domestic season, the Oceania Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Beyond that opening phase, Karan’s focus will narrow to the 1500m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m, forming part of a longer-term pathway toward the Tahiti 2027 Pacific Games, the 2027 World Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Reflecting on the year, Karan said his recent conversations with Fiji athletics legends Usaia Sotutu and Rick Kermode had helped shape his next phase.
“The progress I made in 2025 has helped reset my expectations of what I’m capable of,” he said. “Those conversations helped clarify both what is required and what is possible at the highest level.”
However, he acknowledged that further progress would depend on changes both on and off the track. Currently, his preparation is split between a remote home base in Tavua and limited training periods in Australia, creating a fragmented system that restricts continuity.
“To reach the next level, I need stable, high-quality training environments, strong competition and regular international racing,” Karan said.
“Ongoing access to high-performance systems in Australia, combined with competition opportunities during the European season, would accelerate my development through experienced coaching, sports science support and elite training groups.”
With the right environment and appropriate financial backing, the progress made in 2025 shows that there is no defined ceiling to what he can achieve while representing Fiji.
He also highlighted the importance of stability away from sport.
“I want to acknowledge the sacrifice and support of my wife and our two young children, because the sacrifices required are not borne by me alone,” he said.
“Access to appropriate long-term, flexible visa pathways and the ability for my family to be with me in Australia would allow us to live a normal family life while I train and compete, rather than continuing to make compromises that are increasingly difficult to sustain.”
Karan expressed gratitude to those who supported his journey throughout the year, including Athletics Fiji and the Fiji National Sports Commission for scholarship support.
He thanked his Runco Club coaches in Brisbane, Jackson Elliott and Louis McAfee, along with his training partners, for their ongoing support.
He also acknowledged Matthew and Annie Clarke for opening their home in Adelaide and providing the opportunity to train alongside elite athletes.
He paid special tribute to Atma Maharaj, his long-term mentor and coach and to Kush Maharaj, who have been his host family and provided support and care beyond the track.
Karan also recognised the wider group of supporters, Oceania Athletics and the media who have continued to back his journey throughout the year.
“I carry these experiences forward with a deep sense of responsibility,” Karan said.
“I’m determined to continue striving for excellence while representing Fiji and my family with pride, integrity and consistency.”
