Tania Tan: Another race, another record

It seems like every month—and every race she enters—CNMI track star Tania Tan is setting and breaking national records while also notching personal bests. Her most recent achievement: a sub-five-minute 1,500m, clocking in at 4:55.54.

At the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival at UCLA’s Drake Stadium on Friday, Mar. 27, Tan reached her sub-five-minute goal, winning first place in her heat with her record time and finishing eighth overall.

Just last February, Tan set a time of 5:20 1,500m in New York which broke her previous 1,500m outdoor national record, which she set in Tonga last year. Now with a sub-five minute 1,500m, her next goal is a sub-4:50.

Tan owns national records in every distance event from the 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m, 10,000m and the half marathon.

On how she felt winning first place in her heat, Tan, who’s competed stateside a few times said, “I usually never win races in the US because it’s just so competitive, so it feels nice to get the win this time.”

Her main goal, she said, has always been to run sub-five minutes. “I’ve always wanted to run sub-5 in the 1,500m and I was so close in Tonga in October 2025 (I ran 5:00) so I really wanted to get under that barrier.”

With her races part of her training for the upcoming Oceania Athletics Championships 2026 in from May 18-23, she said her training has been going well. “I’ve just been stacking consistent weeks of running + workouts + strength work. I’m working to run the 1,500m and 5,000m in Darwin so that’s the main goal,” she said.

She then attributed her achievement to trusting in herself, her training, and the process.