Nepali runner Som Bahadur Kumal set a new national record in the men’s 800-metre race at the 20th Asian Games in Japan on Sunday evening.

Kumal clocked 1 minute 49.55 seconds at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, bettering his own national record in the event. He finished fifth among seven runners in Heat 1.

A total of 20 athletes competed across three heats in the 800 metres. The top two finishers from each heat, along with the next two fastest runners overall, qualified for the eight-man final.

Kumal finished ahead of 12 of the 20 competitors across the three heats but failed to qualify for the final. Two runners who recorded faster times than Kumal advanced to the final on time.

Kumal had set the previous national record just last month, clocking 1:50.25 to win bronze at a World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar, India.

He had previously held the national record since the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. Last month in India, he lowered that mark by 0.70 seconds.