KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — National tower running ace Soh Wai Ching started 2024 with a bang as he conquered the Qingdao Vertical Marathon in China in record-breaking style today.

Wai Ching ran up the 2,121 steps of the 81-storey tower in a new record time of 12 minutes and 17 seconds (s).

The 29-year-old’s effort saw him erase the previous mark for the 331-metre (m) high tower of 12:45s set by home runner Shi Ai Ai.

"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 in a statement. — Bernama