Malaysia has officially hosted its first ever major international tower running event in the Towerrunning World Association (TWA) circuit! The 3rd Towerrunning Asian & Oceanian Championships 2025 – known locally as The Sky Race at Merdeka 118 – was held in conjunction with Merdeka Day, in the very vicinity where Tunku Abdul Rahman declared independence on 31 August 1957.
The event saw over 5,800 participants from 70 countries successfully registered in conquering the 2,845-stairs challenge to Level 118 of the world’s second-tallest building during the Merdeka Day weekend.
Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh was present for the ceremonial flag-off, accompanied by Dato’ Tengku Ab Aziz bin Tengku Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of PNB Merdeka Ventures.
The Sky Race at Merdeka 118 event has also made history with a spectacular double achievement for the Malaysia Book of Records in two categories: Highest Towerrunning Race at 503-metres and Most Finishers in a Towerrunning Race/Event with 5,700 participants.
The historic dual record achievement saw Malaysian tower runner Soh Wai Ching claim victory in the Asian & Oceanian Championships male category with an impressive time of 15:37, followed by Australian Mark Bourne in second place at 15:56 and Taiwanese Lo Ching Chun securing third with 16:46.
In the female category, Yuko Tateishi from Japan dominated with a finishing time of 19:59, ahead of second place Le Qinghua of People’s Republic of China at 20:20 and Chao Jui Chuan from Taiwan coming in third at 21:32. Their achievements marked not just personal victories, but Malaysia’s definitive arrival as a premier destination for vertical running sports and tourism.
The Sky Race at Merdeka 118 attracted participants across six competitive categories; including Open (18+), Junior Veteran (40-49), Veteran (50-59), Senior Veteran (60+), and Juniors (13-17), plus Team categories for men, women, and mixed teams of three. Notably, 74% of participants were first-time tower runners, demonstrating the event’s broad international appeal and accessibility.
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
