KUALA LUMPUR – World-number-one tower runner Soh Wai Ching’s most recent win in the elite men’s division at the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles, the United States did not come without its share of hardship.
Although his time of 9min 22sec was miles ahead of second placed Charles Supapodok’s 11min 41sec, Wai Ching had to battle through narrowing vision and trying to stay conscious during his ascent of the 75-floor tower today.
“The flag off was at 11.30am sharp, I started with a fast pace and decided to stay at a pace of 110 beats per minute throughout the whole journey.
“I was already on the 20th floor in the first two minutes, and I felt great to keep going. Two minutes later I was on the 37th floor and this is where I started to feel the tiredness in my legs,” he said in a statement.
Wai Ching took about 4min 6sec to reach the midway point at the 38th floor of the tower, which is also the home to the tallest stairwell on the US west coast.
“At this point, my mind went on to do the calculations, whether I could still complete 75 floors within my target time of 8min 15sec.
“Turns out it was no longer possible, so I switched my focus from breaking the course record to giving it my best and finishing strong,” said the 28-year-old.
The current record for the US Bank Tower is 8min 46sec, set by Lucas Matison in 2016.
At the eight-minute mark, Wai Ching said he was on the 63rd floor and did not feel good as his vision started to narrow.
“I kept digging deep even though I wasn’t feeling good, and the blackout feeling kicked in for the last 12 floors.
“But I remembered the support I got from Malaysia, my friends, and training partners. I had to give it my all and finish strong,” he added.
After giving a final push on the last stretch and crossing the line in 9min 22sec, Wai Ching collapsed and rested for several minutes.
“It was a great run even though I did not hit my target time of 8min 15sec, but I will definitely come back again next year and aim for it.
“I am so grateful to have so much support around me. Thank you to everyone that believed in me to wave the Jalur Gemilang on the world stage and this time at the tallest stair climb competition in LA,” he added.
Wai Ching will now prepare for his next stair climb in the US on Monday at the Seattle Space Needle, followed by another race in New York’s Empire State Building on October 6, where he will be looking to defend the elite men’s division title he clinched last year.
His final competition in the US will be in Florida at the One Tampa City Centre on October 8. – The Vibes, October 1, 2022
