Fijian middle-distance runner Yeshnil Karan delivered a career-defining performance at the 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian National Athletics Championships, recording two personal bests and rewriting the national all-time rankings in both the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase events.

In just his second-ever steeplechase race—and his first on Australian soil—the 22-year-old stunned spectators by finishing in 9:02.08, slicing a remarkable 16 seconds off his previous best.

His effort earned him an 8th place finish in a high-caliber field that included multiple Australian Olympians.

Karan’s time now places him second on Fiji’s all-time list for the 3000m steeplechase, leapfrogging Olympian Davendra Rakash Singh’s mark from the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The only Fijian ever to go faster remains Usaia Sotutu, whose national record has stood since 1981.

In the 1500m, Karan added another milestone by clocking 3:51.14, improving his PB by two seconds.

The run not only pushed him past a 1971 mark by the legendary Sotutu, but also secured his place as the second-fastest Fijian in the event’s history, trailing only Rick Kermode’s longstanding national record from 1983.

The weekend’s performance signals a new chapter in Fijian athletics, with Karan proving he’s not only a name to watch in the Pacific but also a growing presence on the international stage.