Whelan did not give the opponents the chance to run past him right from the start and finished the race in 16 minutes and 2.19 seconds.
“There was one more clipping,” he said but he kept picking up the pace and maintained the lead all the way to the final lap.
He was even feeling good in the last 200 and then, picked it up in the last 800.
Whelan was aware of the one on his right trying to beat him but he had to keep a lot of reserve by taking it a little bit slow.
“Then mentally I said, three laps to go and I will start to gradually pick it up in the last two laps, which I did,” he said.
Asked how he feels about the Half Marathon Open on Saturday, Whelan said “I will win it.”
Running next to Whelan was French Polynesia’s Tupuhoe Tahi who finished the run in 16 minutes and 12.54 seconds.
Compatriot, Teiva Izal came third with 16 minutes and 13 seconds.
