Singapore Runner Keane Ko Was Chasing National Records in Europe — Now Two Decathlon Theft Charges Have Put His Career Under a New Spotlight
SINGAPORE — Singapore distance runner Keane Ko, who has represented the country at an international championship and spent months training in Europe in pursuit of national records, is facing criminal charges over the alleged theft of running equipment from a Decathlon outlet in Kallang.
Ko Wen Qiang, Keane, 26, is accused of stealing a pair of KD900X running shoes worth S$139.90 from the sporting goods retailer in July 2025, followed by a set of training cones worth S$25 from the same outlet about two months later.
Channel NewsAsia reported that Ko was charged on July 1 and is scheduled to return to court on October 2. He was seen leaving Singapore's State Courts on September 4.
The allegations have attracted attention partly because Ko is no ordinary recreational runner.
He has competed internationally for Singapore and, until recently, had been publicly focused on pushing his athletic career to a considerably higher level.
From representing Singapore to chasing records in Europe
Official World Athletics results show that Ko represented Singapore in the men's half marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.
He completed the race in 1 hour 21 minutes 55 seconds, finishing 90th. Two other Singapore athletes were also entered in the race.
His performances improved significantly in the years that followed.
Ko later finished runner-up in the men's half-marathon national championship at the 2024 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
By 2025, his ambitions had expanded to the full marathon.
The Straits Times reported in January 2026 that Ko ran 2hr 33min 57sec at the Gold Coast Marathon in July 2025, fast enough to meet the qualifying standard he had been targeting for the 2025 SEA Games.
However, fellow Singapore runners Richard Heng and Henry He recorded faster qualifying performances and secured the available marathon places.
Ko continued pursuing his ambitions overseas.
After spending time at a training camp in Slovenia, he relocated there from late October 2025 while working remotely as a business developer.
Training under former Slovenian national runner Tomaz Plibersek and alongside athletes from Kladivar Celje athletics club, Ko told The Straits Times that he believed the European environment could help him reach another level.
Among his goals were Singapore national records in the 3,000m, 3,000m steeplechase and marathon.
He also produced a personal-best 1:10:36 at the 2025 Verona Half Marathon, where he finished 13th overall.
That sporting trajectory makes the court case an unexpected turn in what had largely been portrayed as the story of an athlete sacrificing financial security and moving thousands of kilometres from Singapore to pursue elite performance.
Ko remained active in Singapore's running scene
Ko was still appearing prominently in Singapore running coverage earlier this year.
In February 2025, he won a Singapore Athletics 10,000m race in 33min 35.89sec amid a separate controversy over the organisation of the mixed-gender event.
Speaking about that competition, Ko argued that athletes and organisers both had a responsibility to understand and follow the rules.
More recently, The Straits Times featured him ahead of the June 2026 Singapore leg of the On Squad Race World Series, where he competed with members of his Zephyr Running Club team.
At the time, Ko spoke positively about Singapore's expanding running community and said he hoped events would encourage participants to continue training and taking part in races.
Those appearances underline how visible Ko had become within Singapore's increasingly competitive distance-running scene before the criminal case entered public view.
What happens next?
For now, the allegations remain just that — allegations.
No finding of guilt has been made against Ko, and the facts surrounding the alleged incidents have yet to be tested through the court process.
Under Section 380 of Singapore's Penal Code, theft committed in a building used for the custody of property can carry a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.
That is the maximum penalty provided by law, not an indication of what sentence Ko would receive should he eventually be convicted.
His next scheduled court appearance on October 2, 2026, could provide further clarity on how he intends to deal with the charges.
For an athlete whose public narrative only months ago revolved around European training camps, international races and attempts to rewrite Singapore's record books, the focus has shifted dramatically.
The stopwatch is no longer the only thing people are watching.
Now, attention turns to the courtroom — and to what the case could mean for the next chapter of Keane Ko's running career.