Runner’s Low, the running community Matthew Foh co-founded at 14, will defend its 24 Hour Race KL title at Taylor’s International School Puchong on 21 and 22 November, running to raise funds and awareness to end modern slavery and human trafficking.

Matthew told ToughASIA the team arrived last year as underdogs, the youngest on the track with very little experience, yet still won the race and set a record.

This year eight runners make up the relay roster, and the aim is to break that record. Matthew, the captain of the 24-hour race team, said the runners are now older, fitter and have a year of experience and smarter training behind them.

“We aren’t just defending a title; we’re ready to show how much stronger and sharper we’ve become since last year,” Matthew said.

The club began in January 2024. Matthew and his two best friends, Matteo Alessandro and Haku Sasaki, were running every day when a four-day school residential trip forced a break, and the three spent their free time in the pool talking about running.

“That was when we realized running meant something deeper to us as it wasn’t just a personal hobby, but a passion we wanted to share with others,” Matthew said.

What started as a fun initiative grew as the three recruited more runners, and they later made it official with structured running schedules so the whole team could train and improve together.

Alessandro, a national runner in Indonesia who logs 100km a week, recently ran 17:41 for a new 5km personal best. Haku, a Negeri Sembilan state runner over 400m and 800m, has a 5km best of 19:01, while Matthew, also a Negeri Sembilan state runner over 400m, has run 19:11.

Zhang Liangli and Yeat Nai Jac, part of last year’s record-breaking team, return with 5km bests of 19:57 and 19:59. Jiwoo Byun, Ryan Foh and Jinhuan are the three new names, chosen for what Matthew called “the exact commitment and mentality the team needs to break the record”.

To avoid a crash “like last year”, the eight will rotate in short, continuous shifts on the school’s loop to keep their pace high and avoid burning out early, Matthew said. A logistics crew will track every lap live so the next runner is warmed up and waiting in the transition zone.

Runners off shift will follow strict rest blocks to put their legs up, hydrate, fuel with DEVER energy gels and sleep for 45 to 90 minutes. Matthew said this year’s partnerships, including DEVER Malaysia for gels and hydration, give the team “a huge boost”.

Moving from cross-country racing to a 24-hour relay has meant training for hours of endurance instead of short, fast intervals, building the strength to handle the long pounding and getting used to running tired, he said. The team also has to manage night shifts, sleep loss and strict food and water schedules.

When exhaustion hits in the middle of the night, Matthew said, the runners focus on the path right in front of them rather than the full 24 hours, taking the race lap by lap and leaning on each other.

Last year the team raised RM6,667 for the same cause, an experience Matthew said “completely shifted our perspective”. This year’s campaign had raised RM3,450 from 21 givers by 9 November. Readers can donate on the team’s Give.asia donation page.

“Choosing such a gruelling endurance format reflects the harsh reality of the cause itself; ending modern slavery and human trafficking takes relentless, exhausting effort,” Matthew said.

He hopes the club’s story shows young athletes in Malaysia that their ideas are worth chasing.

“If a few friends talking in a pool can turn into a community that runs around the clock, raises thousands for charity, and changes the local youth running culture, then anyone can make their mark,” Matthew said.