KUALA LUMPUR: The Naza Tower Run powered by NX113, scheduled to take place in the capital on May 19, will feature world No. 1 towerrunning champion, Soh Wai Ching.
The 30-year-old aims to maintain his winning streak after recently clinching the world championship title in Taiwan, where he conquered the Taipei 101 Tower in 18 minutes and 36.62 seconds.
However, Wai Ching's participation in the Naza Tower Run powered by NX113 is not merely about adding to his impressive collection of titles. It's about popularising the sport of stair climbing.
Organised by Hybrid Management Sdn Bhd, the Naza Tower Run powered by NX113 is sanctioned by the Malaysian Towerrunning Association.
Wai Ching is eager to conquer the Naza Tower, located not far from the Petronas Twin Towers, for the first time.
With an elevation gain of 190 metres, the Naza Tower presents the challenge of climbing 49 floors with 1,139 steps.
"This will be my first attempt at conquering the Naza Tower. There's always a sense of joy whenever I race at a new venue," said Wai Ching.
"I always feel obliged to participate in as many competitions as possible in Malaysia. It's my responsibility to defend home ground competitions from international participants and promote towerrunning in the country.
"Congratulations to Hybrid Management for organising this race. My hope is that towerrunning events are held more frequently in Malaysia.
"Hopefully, many more event organisers will consider hosting towerrunning events because the sport has great potential in Malaysia, considering the country's abundance of iconic skyscrapers."
Wai Ching also shared some useful tips for those new to the sport.
"Try your best to climb two steps at a time and fully utilize the handrail to pull your body up," he advised.
Meanwhile, race director Rex Lim confirmed that they have received a total of 200 entries so far, including athletes from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Canada and Kenya.
Four categories will be contested: Men's and women's Open (aged 18-44) as well as men's and women's veteran (aged 45 and above).
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Naza Group for graciously offering us their iconic tower building as the venue for this spectacular race," said Rex.
"With the recently crowned world champion, Wai Ching, leading the field, we anticipate a thrilling showdown to determine who will ascend to the top in record-breaking time.
"As organisers, we have meticulously ensured that all safety and emergency procedures are in place, collaborating closely with relevant parties to ensure the utmost safety and well-being for all participants."
Hybrid Management previously organised the Komtar Tower Run in Penang, also won by Wai Ching, on March 10.
Malaysian Towerrunning Association president Ravinder Singh hopes Wai Ching's feat of winning the World Championships in Taiwan will boost the popularity of the sport among Malaysians and encourage participation in the Naza Tower Run powered by NX113.
"I believe the towerrunning community in Malaysia is about 20,000 and rising. Existing road runners can also easily venture into this sport at any time, so we expect competitive tower runners to reach 100,000," said Ravinder.
"Stair climbing, I'm very sure, is the most effective sport for modern urban life as it only requires 20 minutes a day. Staircases can be found anywhere, they are also free, safe, open 24 hours, and protected from weather.
"Our association's goal is to organise at least one event monthly, with the ideal number being between 15-20 events per year. We also plan to host the next World Championships in 2026, using Merdeka 118 as the venue."
For more information, log on to https://neptunex113.com/naza-tower-run