Brunei’s Muhammad Arif bin Zulkifli won the 10km at VA Run 2026 in Bandar Seri Begawan in 35:34, a race he told ToughASIA was a crucial checkpoint in his preparation for a half marathon in Switzerland in 2027.
The official results list him first overall and first male in the race on 1 November, with the same gun and chip time of 35:34 and an average pace of 3:34 per kilometre.
“My actual 10km personal best is 33:53, so running 35:34 at VA Run 2026 was a controlled, tactical effort rather than an all-out race,” Arif said.
Arif is a national athlete who competes under MS ABDB, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council.
His plan was to lock into a steady rhythm of around 3:34 per kilometre, stay relaxed with the lead pack early on and test his aerobic endurance in the second half.
Starting at the front kept him out of the early traffic. He did not lead from start to finish: he said he traded positions and surges with a few strong contenders in the first half before taking control of the pace and pulling away towards the finish.
The race finished on the track inside the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, which he called “always an electric feeling”.
“Because of my background competing on the track as a national athlete, stepping onto that familiar surface gave me an instant mental boost to switch gears and unleash a strong 300-metre kick to the line,” he said.
He said the morning humidity and the course profile in Bandar Seri Begawan call for disciplined effort management. Controlled breathing and a steady effort from the early kilometres kept him from overheating as the sun came up, he said.
His current training block mixes structured track intervals, fartlek sessions and high-mileage base runs with his coach and team, aimed at building the aerobic engine he needs for the half marathon.
Arif said balancing his roles as a national athlete, MS ABDB serviceman and running coach comes down to strict time management, military discipline and the support of his family, team and sponsor.
The biggest challenge, he said, is managing accumulated fatigue while juggling full-time military commitments, coaching duties and high-volume training.
He sees the sport growing at home.
“The road-running scene in Brunei is growing rapidly and becoming much more competitive. More young, talented runners are stepping up in the open categories,” he said.
He described Victory Athletes’ plan for a full marathon in Kuala Belait in 2027 as “huge for Brunei’s running community”.
Arif said he is already moving towards longer distances, with the half marathon in Switzerland as his major goal, while still aiming to sharpen his speed and lower his 10km personal best of 33:53.
For recreational runners chasing 10km milestones, he recommended consistent structured speed work, especially weekly threshold and interval sessions, without neglecting recovery and gear care.
“On race day, avoid going out too hard in the first two kilometres; stay patient, run an even pace or negative split, and save your energy for the final push,” he said.
