Some of the top runners from across the region are ready to set the roads of Cyberjaya ablaze at ASICS’ Annual 10KM Road Race
The ASICS META: Time: Trials is back!
After a successful Bangkok, Thailand debut in September 2022, participants and supporters can expect to witness another adrenaline pumping event this month.
While the 10-kilometre road race is meant to challenge every participant to beat their personal best, the spotlight inevitably turns to the top runners representing their countries from across Southeast Asia who will be toeing the start line. Just who will come out tops in 2023?
Here we turn the spotlight on 10 regional ASICS athletes (5 male, 5 female) you will want to keep a lookout for at this year’s ASICS META: Time: Trials Malaysia.
ARTHIT SODA
Thailand
28 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
32min 13sec
At the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Subic, Philippines, Arthit Soda won the gold medal with team Thailand in the Duathlon mixed category. A seasoned athlete, Arthit clocked his personal best 10km time at the 2022 Buriram 10KM event, putting 32:13 on the clock.
Despite the disappointment of a DNF for the inaugural edition of META : Time : Trials on home soil in Bangkok last year due to an injury, 2023 has been a great year for Arthit and the triathlete is expected to be part of the lead pack in what is anticipated to be an exciting race.
Making the podium for multiple 10KM races this year, Arthit will be donning the METASPEED™ SKY+ and is targeting a sub 32-minute finish to break his personal best.
SERENA TEOH
Singapore
36 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
38min 52sec
Representing Singapore in the marathon at the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2019 and finishing in fifth place overall, Serena Teoh’s athlete journey saw her begin as a biathlete before becoming a runner.
More known as a marathon runner, Serena rarely competes over the 10KM distance, but that changed in 2023 with her taking on no fewer than three 10km races in the 2XU Compression Run, Sundown Marathon and the Gold Coast Marathon.
Having missed out on the first edition of the ASICS META : Time : Trials in Bangkok, Serena is hoping to make her mark in Malaysia with a good time as part of the preparation for her next marathon and is excited to run with local and regional ASICS athletes, many of whom she doesn’t usually get a chance to run with because of different disciplines (i.e. duathlon and triathlon).
Suffering several injury setbacks including a stress injury just before the 2019 SEA Games, Serena believes life’s challenges have made her a stronger athlete today and she is using the ASICS META: Time: Trials as a fitness gauge in her training, with her main goal and eye on the marathon distance.
SONNY M WAGDOS
Prosperidad Agusan Del Sur, Philippines
30 years-old
Season’s Best 10-KM Time
31min 18sec
A former University of Mindanao track star, Sonny M Wagdos began his amateur running career in Davao city. He possesses a vast collection of medals from local, regional, national, and international events but considers his 2021 Hanoi SEA Games bronze medal in the 5000m event his most prized as he had to overcome a knee injury in order to clinch the podium finish.
Sonny has made a meteoric rise over the years in his performances across multiple events, and recently won the 10000m gold at the Taiwan Open this year, clocking 31min 18 sec to add to the silver he won in the 5000m event. He also took silver at the Southeast Asian Games this year with a time of 14:36.45, just 2 seconds shy of Thailand’s gold medalist Kieran Tuntivate.
Sonny will be making his debut at the ASICS META : Time : Trials in Malaysia this month, and will be sporting his favourite ASICS METASPEED™ EDGE+ racing shoes, adding to an already feisty contest for the race for top spot as he looks to finish on the podium and go under 31-minutes while at it.
JOIDA G. GAGNAO
Old Poblacion Buenavista, Guimaras, Philippines
27 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
37min 22sec
A multi-disciplined Southeast Asian Games athlete in the 3000m Steeplechase, 5000m and 10000m distances, Joida Gagnao is a SEA Games medalist who has represented the Philippines at the 2019, 2021 and 2023 SEA Games and is more accustomed to the track than road races.
She will be making her ASICS META : Time : Trials debut in Malaysia this month and nonetheless has an eye on a podium finish and also breaking her own personal best record of 37min 22 sec achieved at Trilogy Championships.
Sporting the METASPEED™ SKY+ as her chosen one for the race day, Joida is targeting a new personal best at the ASICS META : Time : Trials and will be gunning for the title.
ROBI SYIANTURI
Indonesia
25 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
30min 43sec
Indonesian distance runner Robi Syianturi is known for his undying spirit, and widely dubbed as the successor to Agus Prayogo. Despite being absent from racing for three years and facing numerous obstacles, Robi has made an incredible impact on his return this year, clinching gold in Indonesia's 2023 National Athletics Championships in Surakarta, Central Java in June this year.
In doing so, he set a personal best in the men's 10,000 metres, paving the way for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Robi had also won the men's 5,000m the night before at the National Athletics Championships and continued his rich vein of form when he then went on to break his own personal bests for both 5,000m and 10,000m at the Asian Games.
Robi is targeting a 30:35 finish and looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming ASICS META : Time : Trials in Malaysia, and to compete with the best athletes from across the region.
AMELIA BINTI MUSA
Malaysia
37 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
38min 46sec
She may be nicknamed “keciikk”, which means small in Bahasa Melayu, but there is nothing small when in comes to Amelia’s achievements on the road and on track.
Apart from being a regular podium finisher in the local races, Amelia has also represented Malaysia in the marathon at the 2021 Hanoi Southeast Asian Games.
This will be Amelia’s second appearance at the ASICS META : Time : Trials after winning bronze at the last edition in Bangkok. She crossed the finishing line with a time of 40:57, just behind Singapore’s Goh Chui Ling (39:15) and Thailand’s Woraphan Nuanlsri (40:43).
Amelia is eyeing a podium finish on home soil at this year’s ASICS MTT and to clock a new personal best time in her ASICS METASPEED™ SKY+!
SUBAS GURUNG
Nepal
26 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
31:55
Subas Gurung is widely considered as one of the toughest athletes in Singapore. He clocked a personal best time of 31min 55sec for the 10km road race category in his maiden ASICS META : Time : Trials in Bangkok last September, taking runners-up spot just behind Malaysia's Muhammad Ikbolasen (31min 31sec). He then bettered that record with a new time of 31 mins 18 seconds on the track in the Singapore Interclub Championships this year.
Armed with his favourite ASICS METASPEED™ SKY+ racing shoes, Subas has not kept secret his desire to win this year's ASICS META: Time: Trials Male Elite Invitational category.
He is eyeing a sub 31-minute finish which would give him a fresh PB, and shared: "I believe in my training. I am always working closely with my coach and I am fully focused on the ASICS META : Time : Trials as I look to defend my title as defending silver medalist.”
WORAPHAN NUANLSRI
Thailand
32 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
38:00
Coming in less than half a minute behind winner Goh Chui Ling in the inaugural ASICS META : Time : Trials, former Thai national mid-distance runner Woraphan Nuanlsri will be looking to emulate her success in this year’s Malaysia edition of the META : Time : Trials.
Woraphan is a SEA Games athlete, having represented Thailand at the 2019 edition of the Southeast Asian Games, placing 5th in the 5000m and 6th for the 1500m event.
She will be looking to adopt a more conservative start and see how the race develops as she focuses on her own game, but is expecting a fast and exciting race in Malaysia.
MUHAMMAD IKBOLASEN
Malaysia
21 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
31:31
He won last year’s ASICS META : Time : Trials in Bangkok in his maiden trip out of Malaysia. Despite his early successes on the track both at home and abroad, 21 year-old Muhammad Ikbolasen is not resting on his laurels and is looking to defend his title on home ground this year, beyond targeting a personal and season’s best timing.
Otherwise known as “Ikbal”, Muhammad Ikbolasen has made his debut at the Southeast Asian Games, representing Malaysia in the 5000m and 10000m events. The Perak born athlete will be a definite front runner for the ASICS META: Time: Trials 2023 title and one to watch with his fiery ASICS METASPEED™ SKY+ shoes.
GOH CHUI LING
Singapore
31 years-old
Personal Best 10-KM Time
36:28
A multi National Record holder for Singapore in the 4x400m, 1500m, 2400m, 3000m, 5km road and 10km road distances, Goh Chui Ling is the defending champion of the Women's Elite category for the ASICS META : Time : Trials. She stormed to first place in Bangkok last year with a time of 39min 15sec, ahead of home favourite Woraphan Nuanlsri (40:43) and is looking to replicate her success this year in Malaysia.
Her personal achievements include representing Singapore at the highest level - competing in no fewer than six Southeast Asian Games (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023) with 4 bronze medals and a silver medal, two Asian Games appearances in 2014 and 2023, as well as competing in three Asian Championships 2017, 2019 and 2023.
Donning the ASICS METASPEED™ SKY+, Chui Ling’s attention now turns from the track to the roads as she looks to defend her title at the ASICS META : Time : Trials. She targets to go under 39 minutes, with her current personal best time of 36min 28sec.
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