PETALING JAYA, Jan 2 — World No. 1 tower runner Soh Wai Ching kicked off 2026 in record-breaking fashion, becoming the first athlete to complete the 54-storey Cinda International Financial Centre Run Up in Shanxi, China, in under eight minutes.

The Malaysian star clocked seven minutes and 49 seconds (7:49), slashing nearly a minute off the previous course record of 8:48. China’s Xue Jian Dong, ranked world No. 12, finished second in 8:01, and former record holder Han Shi Ming was third in 8:22, the New Straits Times (NST) reported.