KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s towerrunning star, Soh Wai Ching, secured his 107th career victory at the Hangzhou Towerrunning Race 2024, clocking a time of 8 minutes and 22 seconds to win the men’s gold.
The race, held earlier today at Raffles Tower 2, saw Wai Ching cement his status as the world’s top towerrunner, having already clinched the title of World Champion and maintaining the number one ranking.
The gruelling climb of 60 floors, 1,647 steps, and a 250-metre elevation gain was no easy feat, but Wai Ching’s performance once again showcased his dominance in the sport.
With this victory, he maintains a remarkable career-winning rate of 71.33%, having triumphed in 107 out of 150 competitions. Moreover, 70.09% of these wins have been record-breaking performances.
Though he was hoping to break his own course record, he was still satisfied with his performance today.
Before the race, he was confident that, given his current form, he would eventually break the record.
“Wai Ching’s target coming into this event is to break the course record of 8 minutes and 21 seconds set in 2023.
“Due to some technical issues, Wai Ching only managed to complete the 60 floors climbed with a time of 8 minutes 22 seconds.
“The placement of the starting timing mat at the flag-off area rather than directly before the stairs cost him six seconds, preventing him from surpassing his previous mark,” he said in a statement.
In the men’s race, China’s Ye Zhao Yang took silver with a time of 8 minutes and 41 seconds, while Hao Hong Peng earned bronze with 9 minutes and 11 seconds.
The women’s event saw Le Qing Hua from China win gold in 10 minutes and 39 seconds, with Hong Kong’s Li Zhi You and China’s Wu Xuan Xia finishing in silver and bronze, respectively.
The event, which attracted 800 participants across various categories, including men’s open, women’s open, and family, was also notable for introducing a bonus prize for any record-breaking performance.
Looking ahead, Wai Ching is already setting his sights on the Towerrunning Tour Final – Shanghai Tower International Vertical Marathon 2024, where he will face the challenge of climbing 119 floors and 3,398 steps at the iconic Shanghai Tower. — November 17, 2024