From Start Line to Start-Up — The Story Behind Running Brand Nordic Tigon
- jeremy kuhles
- Apr 22
- 6 min read
If you happened to be standing near the finish tape of the Nanjing Half Marathon in China in March, you might have glimpsed a flash of fluorescent yellow; a blur of motion clocking a top speed of 2:57 per kilometer in a final, furious drive to the line, chasing down one last competitor on her way to a new personal best.
What you saw was a burst of purpose. A runner with a mission.
Meet Moa Ståhlberg, a Swedish-born equestrian turned distance runner who is now one of Singapore’s fastest. She trains with Kenyan elites, documents every step, and, alongside her father, is just months away from launching Nordic Tigon, a running brand they’ve built from scratch.
This isn’t your typical running origin story.
So where did it all begin?
I sat down with her to find out.
A Life on the Move
Moa is no stranger to transitions. Born in Sweden, raised in France and Brazil, and now living between Singapore, Taiwan, and wherever her next race takes her, Moa has been in motion most of her life.
As a child, that motion took the form of horseback riding, specifically dressage, show jumping, and a high-adrenaline discipline called Mounted Games, a sport that combines speed, agility, and precision as riders vault on and off galloping horses in a series of relay-style challenges. Moa didn’t just participate; she excelled, representing her country at the World Championships.
But when the family moved back to Sweden from Brazil, everything shifted. With no horses, no team, and the practical realities of starting over, her riding days quietly came to an end. “From doing something every day, your whole life, to suddenly having nothing, I felt like... so now what?” she recalls.
The answer came from her dad. Running had always been a quiet thread in their family life — morning jogs on holiday, trail runs in the mountains, and when they lived in Brazil, her parents often ran together through the streets of São Paulo.
So when Moa was searching for a new outlet, her father suggested they take on a challenge together. They signed up for the Stockholm Half Marathon. Moa trained from scratch. She beat him in that first race — after briefly turning back mid-course to look for him — and hasn’t looked back since.
The Shift from Therapy to Training
At first, running was Moa’s release valve. A ritual. A refuge. “If I was feeling stressed with whatever, running would always help me get my feelings out,” she says. It cleared her head. Balanced her emotions. And for a while, that was enough.
But something shifted. She started shaving minutes off her times, first gradually, then consistently. With each race, she tested new strategies, followed online training plans, and trusted her instincts. The improvements were addictive.
Then came a turning point: a fifth-place finish at the Kuala Lumpur Marathon. Not only was it a breakthrough performance, but it caught the attention of a coach who trained Kenyan athletes at camps in Taiwan. He invited her to join the group.
She said yes.
And with that, Moa’s casual obsession began to transform into something far more serious.
Getting Up to Speed
“I remember turning up to training in Taiwan; I’d never even been to a track,” Moa admits. But suddenly, she was lining up alongside 15 elite Kenyan athletes for her first-ever speed session. “It was intimidating — these guys shot off the line, and I was just trying to hang on.”
The early sessions were brutal. Her legs ached, her lungs burned, and the workouts felt impossible. But she kept showing up. No excuses. “At first, I couldn’t keep up at all,” she says. “But after a few weeks, my body started to change. I was absorbing the training. I was learning.”
Running is often framed as a solitary pursuit: one person, one path, one clock to beat. But Moa discovered that progress doesn’t always happen alone.
Over time, a couple of athletes started to take her under their wing. They ran alongside her during sessions, offered encouragement mid-workout, and pushed her to go harder when it counted. “They would position me between them and say, ‘Stay with us, Moa,’” she recalls. “If I dropped back, they’d slow slightly to bring me forward again.” Their belief in her never wavered, and slowly, her belief in herself grew to match it.
Her track splits sharpened, and her road times dropped. But chasing faster finishes wasn’t the only thing driving her. She was building something bigger.
The Birth of Nordic Tigon
A lot of runners have ideas; ideas for better socks, smarter gear, or their own logo on something they’d actually want to wear. But few take those ideas beyond the run. Moa did.
The seed was planted about four or five years ago in Portugal, when a brutal case of shin splints sidelined Moa for months. During recovery, she discovered compression socks and quickly became a convert. “I wouldn’t leave the house without them,” she says.
But something unexpected happened. These socks, chosen purely for function, not fashion, started getting noticed. People asked her where she got them. On the street. On social media. Some thought they looked cool. Most assumed they were a style choice. “I was like, no, guys — there’s actually a purpose!” she laughs.
That curiosity got her thinking. If purely functional gear could spark that kind of attention, what if she created something designed to perform and stand out? What if compression socks could be both technical and bold?
At first, she considered building a compression sock brand, a focused, niche idea. But it was her father who nudged her to dream bigger. “If you’re going to do this,” he told her, “do it properly — and don’t just do socks.” That push gave the concept room to grow.
She began turning the idea over in her mind, slowly shaping the concept for what would eventually become Nordic Tigon. The name itself is a fusion of family and imagination — “Tigon” is a mythical animal she and her father invented, combining their Chinese zodiac signs: she was born in the Year of the Tiger, he in the Year of the Dragon. The brand would stand for strength, resilience, and motion.
Her father, who had first introduced her to running years earlier, quickly became her co-founder. Together, they began visiting factories, sourcing materials, and sketching out designs — often timing factory visits with nearby race opportunities. “It becomes a mix of running and working,” she laughs.
Built from the Ground Up
What sets Nordic Tigon apart is its user-first approach. Moa didn’t just sketch designs, she listened. What were athletes missing in their gear? What details annoyed them? What would help them run better?
She spoke with national athletes in Singapore. With Kenyans in Taiwan. She sent out a survey that reached runners around the world. Themes emerged: the need for functional gel pockets in women’s shorts. Lightweight materials for hot climates. Subtle design tweaks that make a big difference. One request — for socks that protect trail runners’ toes — is already being prototyped.
And the Kenyan runners?
They were unanimous. “All of them said, ‘We want a tracksuit,’” Moa laughs. “They’re always cold.” She’s not sure if that will have universal appeal, but she’s considering creating a few.
But why yellow?
Nordic Tigon’s debut color is yellow. Not by accident. It’s a nod to the Swedish flag. A symbol of energy and joy. And a practical choice for early-morning visibility. “I was doing an indoor bike workout and the whole room was dark. But you could see my yellow socks glowing,” she says. “The color really pops.”
In It for the Miles
Turns out, building a running brand and becoming a better runner aren’t all that different. You dream. You plan. You put in the work. And slowly, something begins to take shape. Progress isn’t linear — there are setbacks, detours, and weeks that test your patience. But if you keep showing up, something shifts.
Whether she’s clawing her way back from injury, pushing through the pain cave at 18K, or dealing with the frustration of a factory sample that doesn't match the spec, Moa keeps going. Many runners rely on a mantra to carry them through the hardest moments, but for Moa, it’s memory. “I think about all the hard work I’ve done. That it would be dumb not to give it everything.”
Why We Spoke
I connected with Moa through LinkedIn. She and her father had questions about the Japanese running scene, and I’ve been trying to tell those stories, so we got talking. But after that first conversation, I found I had more questions for them than they had for me.
I wanted to know how this all began. What drives someone to build a brand from scratch while training with elites, chasing PBs across Asia, and sharing every step with honesty and intention?
I discovered that with Moa, it’s never just about the spotlight. It’s about connection. Curiosity. Learning from others. Listening closely. And building something better from the inside out.
And just like her final sprint in that Chinese half marathon, it’s hard not to cheer her on.
Nordic Tigon is preparing for launch in 2025. Follow Moa Ståhlberg’s journey on Instagram and LinkedIn and stay tuned as the brand evolves with every run, every race, and every bold idea.
Comments