MALAYSIAN tower running ace Soh Wai Ching started 2024 with a bang as he conquered the Qingdao Vertical Marathon in China in record-breaking style yesterday.
Wai Ching ran up the 2,121 steps of the 81-storey tower in a new record time of 12 minutes and 17 seconds.
The 29-year-old's effort saw him erase the previous mark for the 331-metre (m) high tower of 12:45s set by Chinese runner Shi Ai Ai.
Soh expressed happiness at the encouraging start to the new year, and conveyed his appreciation for the support he received from various quarters.
He said that he was aiming to break Shi's record, having trained and prepared for the race.
His target is to now attain as much success in racing endeavours in the rest of the year.
"Happy with the overall champion position but super happy with the course record as I was aiming to break it.
"Thanks everyone for the support. I will keep this spirit going all the way in 2024," he said on his Facebook page. – The Vibes, January 2, 2024.