Taipei 101 Run Up Race Returns After Three-Year Hiatus
3,500 athletes from around the world signed up for this year's Taipei 101 Run Up Race. Malaysian runner Soh Wai Ching took the top spot at the event, the first to be held in three years.
Transcript
00:00 [whistle blows]
00:02 [crowd cheering]
00:03 And they're off.
00:04 And with that, Taiwan's most famous running event is back on track.
00:08 Taipei 101, Taiwan's tallest skyscraper,
00:10 is marking its first run-up race since the COVID-19 pandemic,
00:14 and athletes here are happy to be hitting the stairs again.
00:17 I usually go to the gym to train,
00:20 and I also run and climb mountains.
00:23 I came here with my colleagues to sign up for the event.
00:25 I thought I wouldn't have a chance to report,
00:28 but I did, and I'm happy.
00:30 This year's event was smaller than previous ones.
00:32 Fewer people were allowed to join,
00:34 and organizers did not send targeted invitations
00:36 to start runners from abroad.
00:38 But that did not stop them from sprinting to sign up.
00:41 The 3,500 spots were booked in less than 20 minutes,
00:44 and several famous runners flew in to compete.
00:47 Completing the race means scaling 91 floors,
00:49 or 2,046 individual steps.
00:51 And with a total distance of just 390 meters,
00:54 it may not seem like much on paper,
00:56 but for many, it's a tall order.
00:58 These runners are getting ready to run to the top
01:01 of one of the tallest buildings on Earth.
01:03 And while their runs will be timed,
01:04 most are just here for a challenge.
01:06 But a few have eyes on the top spot,
01:09 and if they break a record,
01:10 they could win up to US$6,000.
01:13 Top stair runners like Australian Mark Bourne,
01:16 Japan's Ryoji Watanabe,
01:17 and Hiroshi Kato,
01:18 and Malaysian Saul Wai Ching
01:20 were among those lining up.
01:21 And while each of them finished with standout times,
01:23 it took a lot out of them.
01:26 (crowd cheering)
01:29 And what drives these people to push themselves so hard?
01:42 (speaking in foreign language)
01:46 Ryoji Watanabe ended up placing second.
01:58 The top spot went to Saul Wai Ching.
02:00 He rocketed to the top in just a hair
02:02 over 11 minutes and 40 seconds.
02:05 But he's not one to rest on his laurels.
02:07 He's got his eyes on the upcoming
02:08 tower-running world championships at Taipei 101 next May.
02:12 Next year will be the world championship,
02:14 so I have to come here this year
02:16 just to get used to the stairs,
02:18 because the stairs here is way tougher
02:20 than any other buildings around the world.
02:22 While some athletes are already eyeing bigger targets,
02:24 most of today's runners are just happy to make it to the top
02:27 and to see Taipei's most famous race back in stride.
02:30 Alex Chen, Sandy Chee, and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.
02:34 - Oh!