Tower runner Wai Ching conquers Taipei 101 to become world champ

 

Soh Wai Ching previously finished third in the Towerrunning World Championships in 2018 before it was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. (File pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Tower runner Soh Wai Ching emerged as the world champion in the 2024 Towerrunning World Championships after conquering the Taipei 101 in Taiwan yesterday.

Wai Ching, 30, who finished third in his debut in the 2018 edition, claimed the title with a time of 18 minutes 36.62 seconds.

The biennial event, which had been postponed since 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, attracted 6,000 participants from more than 40 countries.

Wai Ching completed the first round of the full 91 floors (390m elevation gain) in 11:35.61s, and took 7:1.01s to climb 59 floors (256m elevation gain) in the second round.

Japan’s Ryoji Watanabe (18:40.04s) and Australian Mark Bourne (19:33.12) finished second and third, respectively, according to the championships’ official website.

Malaysia Towerrunning Association president Ravinder Singh said Wai Ching had set a significant milestone in the sport for Malaysia with his win.

“After four years of maintaining his high performance, he has earned the ultimate tower running accolade,” he said in a statement.

Towerrunning World Association president Daniel Cecetka was open to the idea of Malaysia hosting the next world championships in 2026.

“Kuala Lumpur, with its impressive skyline and ranking as the seventh city with the most buildings over 300m, could serve as an ideal location for larger tower running events,” he said in the same statement. - FMT