Andrew Singer, of Millstone, always knew his son was fast, but he didn't know that Jason would get faster and go farther.

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Matthew Singer, 9, and brother Jason, 12, both competed in a New York Club Runnerssponsored event March 1. Matthew won the .5-mile fun run and Jason, a club member, had the third best time of the 12-year-olds who ran the Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrock 5K, his first official run with the club. Jason, 12, has always enjoyed racing neighborhood kids and has rarely met an opponent his own age or even a little bit older that he couldn't beat. Running was merely a fun pastime for him up until 2007 when an ad in the local newspaper helped change his destiny.

One summer day in 2007, Andrew wanted to find something for Jason and his brother Matthew, who is now 9 years old, to do besides playing video games. He saw an advertisement for a fun run in a nearby park and decided to take the children on a family outing.

Jason wound up winning the 100-yard dash and Matthew won the 50-yard dash in the New Jersey Road Runners-sponsored event. Then, the boys both decided to compete in the .5-mile run at the same event. Jason earned second place, coming in behind a teenager six years older than him, and Matthew came in sixth.

After the event, Jason showed more of an interest in running. He joined the Millstone Township Middle School cross-country team. During his first year on the team, he consistently finished races with one of the top five best times.

Andrew supported his son's new passion and took him to a friend, Pat Menasche, a gym teacher and track coach at Forest Hill High School in Queens. Menasche's wife, Seni, is a professional runner whose family members from Ethiopia, including cousin Hailie Gebrselassie, are among the most elite runners in the world.

Pat and Seni agreed to assess Jason's talent in August 2007. Jason has continued to train under their guidance and as a result started finishing middle school cross-country races with one of the top three times in most events.

"He's been training under a rigorous program since October, through all kinds of nasty weather," Andrew said. "He's been doing negative splits and speed workouts in everything from 8 inches of snow to rain to sleet and high winds. He goes out there and runs three to six times a week, 2.5 to 3.5 miles. At 12 years old to be that dedicated is so important."

Under the direction of his coaches, Jason joined the New York Road Runners Club. He recently ran his first official race as a club member through the streets of New York City March 1.

"His coaches hoped he would finish his first major race in 27 to 28 minutes," Andrew said. Jason finished the Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrock 5K in 23 minutes and 46 seconds.

Out of about 6,000 runners of all ages and running levels, Jason came in 1,164th. Of the 12-14 year olds, he placed 12th and of the 12 year olds he came in third.

Jason said his method for running the race was to lock into and keep pace with a 25-year-old runner in front of him. He said other runners tried to push him aside, but he never lost focus of that runner.

The kicker for the Singer family was Matthew, 9, decided to enter the .5-mile fun run that day and came in first, earning a medal.

"In the last 200 yards, he put it into another gear, blew the kid away and won," Andrew said.

Matthew said he looks forward to joining the middle school cross-country team once he graduates from the elementary school.

Jason said he can't wait to run track at the middle school in the spring and would like to run cross-country and track in high school. His coaches would like to see him compete in three to four more New York Road Runner sponsored races this year, his father said.