The Dual Citizen of Running: Aiman Haiqal’s Return to the Road
For years, Mohamad Aiman Haiqal bin Mohd Zani belonged to the trails.
He learned how to suffer in silence, how to find peace among roots and ridgelines, how to listen to his breath when everything else fell away. Trail running didn’t just shape his legs, it shaped how he saw himself. Patient. Enduring. Unshaken.
But this November, Aiman is stepping back onto the road at the 2025 Garmin Run Asia Series in Putrajaya. He isn’t leaving the trails behind, but proving something else: that he’s not just a trail runner. He’s something in-between.
“I want it to show that I’m a versatile runner,” he says, “someone who’s not afraid to step out of my comfort zone and take on new challenges.”
It’s not the distance that unnerves him, it’s the speed. After placing first in his category at the 25-kilometre UTMB Amazean Jungle, Aiman could’ve stayed in the world of ultras. He had the chops, the grit, the muscle memory. But instead, he chose something less forgiving: a half marathon. On tarmac. Under city lights. With nowhere to hide.
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Trail and road aren’t just different disciplines, they’re different cultures. On trails, time bends. One minute you’re climbing. The next moment, you’re knee-deep in mud. It’s chaotic, but comforting. On roads, you’re locked into a steady pace with no natural interruptions. The rhythm never breaks. The pavement never forgives.
“Honestly, road racing feels a bit boring compared to the adventure of trails,” he admits, “but it’s also tougher in its own way because I need to maintain the speed. There’s no terrain to break the rhythm, so it’s pure intensity from start to finish.”
“There’s no terrain to break the rhythm, no room to slow down,” Aiman says. “It’s just you, your legs, and the clock. That makes it both exciting… and brutal.”
The shift has forced him to rewire everything, both physically and mentally. Where his trail training used to focus on hill repeats and technical strength, his road preparation now revolves around tempo sessions, threshold runs, and laser-focused pacing. Every workout has a pace goal. Every step has intent.
Even his nutrition strategy has evolved. “I usually take electrolytes and simple carbs before and during the race,” he says. “And I make sure I’m well-fueled from the day before since the effort is short but intense. Usually I will take the DEVER Energy Gel.” It’s a routine built for efficiency, helping him stay light, fast, and focused from start to finish.
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What the 2025 Garmin Run Asia Series represents to Aiman isn’t just a test of performance. It’s a test of identity. This isn’t a comeback, it’s a reintroduction. The Aiman who once trained for 100-kilometre ultras now wants to know if he can hold a consistent 4:00 per kilometre pace on dead-flat asphalt. He’s not chasing a podium. He’s chasing adaptability.
“More than anything, I’m going in with curiosity,” he says. “I haven’t followed a strict half marathon training plan, but I want to explore what I can do.”
Still, curiosity doesn’t mean complacency. Aiman may be loose about expectations, but not about effort. When race day arrives, he’ll give it everything. Not to impress, but to evolve.
In some ways, this race is symbolic. Aiman isn’t switching allegiances. He’s expanding the territory he claims as his own. During the week, it’s flat roads and race pace. But weekends still belong to the trails. That mix, that balance, is where he feels most complete.
“Trail running taught me patience and mental strength,” he says. “But road racing is teaching me discipline and speed. They both challenge different sides of who I am.”
After the 2025 Garmin Run Asia Series, he’ll return to ultras, likely 100-kilometre events that demand strategy, durability, and the kind of solitude he’s come to respect. But road races will stay in the rotation. Not for the medals, but for the growth.
At a glance, Aiman might look like a trail runner testing the road. But watch him run, really watch, and you’ll see something more nuanced. Someone who’s just as fluent in winding switchbacks as he is in perfectly timed splits. Someone who understands that versatility isn’t weakness, it’s freedom.
He’s not here to choose between trail or road. He’s building a passport that lets him move through both.
Because for Aiman Haiqal, the terrain will change. But the mission stays the same: to keep showing up, to keep growing, to keep running forward.
