Malaysian tower-running world champ Soh Wai Ching powers up Penang Hill in under 26 minutes on Merdeka Day

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Malaysian tower-running world champion Soh Wai Ching, 32, has established another national record by completing Penang Hill's 3km Heritage Trail in just 25 minutes and 55.25 seconds. This feat marked his fifth Malaysia Book of Records achievement this year, following his previous record from climbing the 68 floors of Komtar in 7 minutes and 2 seconds.

Soh, known as a "Penang son-in-law" due to his wife Chan Yi Chin's origins in George Town, expressed that the hot weather made the trail more challenging than expected. Nonetheless, he credited his peak fitness and mental preparation for his success. He had previously completed the route in 31-32 minutes five years ago, and this time, he visualized each part of the route and had friends cheering for him at various checkpoints to boost his motivation.

The conditions were ideal, with cloudy weather, no rain, or haze. Soh's climb at Penang Hill is a regular part of his training regimen, visiting the hill around 20-30 times since 2016. He aims to break this record again by training at least three times a week and becoming more familiar with the trail's terrain. He hopes his achievement will inspire Malaysians and tourists to explore Penang Hill on foot instead of just using the funicular railway.