VISUALLY-impaired Michael Tam, alongside his brother Jimmy, successfully conquered the Petaling Jaya International Tower Run 2026, embodying the true spirit of resilience that defined this year’s event.
The gruelling challenge required participants to scale 552 steps over 25 floors of Menara MBPJ in Jalan Yong Shook Lin, thoroughly testing their physical strength, endurance, mental fortitude and pacing strategies.
For 79-year-old Michael, who lives in a high-rise apartment and regularly trains on his building’s stairwells, the event represented more than just physical fitness.
“It is challenging to climb one step at a time.
“In life, we also need to keep moving forward,” he reflected.
“The tower run suits my goal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and serves as a poignant reminder to keep progressing.”
Now retired, Michael is seizing every opportunity to immerse himself in sports – a passion he had no time to pursue during his younger years.
The tower run also forms a vital pillar of his training regimen for full marathons. He clocked an impressive personal best of about seven minutes at the tower run.
Held in conjunction with Petaling Jaya’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the event attracted over 300 competitors from 10 countries, including athletes from Singapore, Myanmar, the Philippines, Kenya, Australia, India, Vietnam and New Zealand.
Top tower runner
Malaysia’s own Soh Wai Ching, the world number one tower runner, successfully defended his title.
While he holds the blistering course record of 1 minute 49 seconds set in 2024, he clinched victory this year with a time of 1 minute 53 seconds.
Soh said the tower run was a sport with deep roots in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, that continued to experience a surge in popularity across Malaysia.
“We are incredibly grateful to all the mayors who have supported us.
“We hope the iconic Menara MBPJ becomes even more renowned through this event.
“Tower running is highly competitive, but ultimately it is about competing against yourself. It constantly motivates me to improve my timing,” said Soh.
“I am immensely proud to represent Petaling Jaya on the global stage. Climbing stairs is an accessible activity that everyone can do, even if it takes 15 minutes.”
City’s iconic sport
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon lauded tower running as a signature sport for the city, highlighting the council’s long-standing backing of Soh, who proudly wears the city’s emblem during international competitions.
To encourage community health, Mohamad Zahri said the city council held public tower run training sessions at Menara MBPJ every Saturday.
“We hope tower run will become a staple recreational activity for our citizens,” Mohamad Zahri said before proudly sharing his personal best time for the climb – nine minutes and 45 seconds recorded last year.
City day activities
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) hosted a vibrant, week-long celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of its official declaration as a city on June 20, 2006.
The anniversary events started on June 16 and culminated over the weekend of June 20 and 21.
Its launch at Laman MBPJ in Jalan Yong Shook Lin was officiated by Selangor housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah, alongside Mohamad Zahri, city councillors and senior management.
In his address at the launch, Mohamad Zahri emphasised that the milestone was a testament to two decades of collective effort.
He said the city’s success was measured not only through physical development, but also through the strength of the community, the efficiency of service delivery and the well-being of its citizens.
The mayor also reaffirmed MBPJ’s commitment to providing responsive, people-centred services to ensure Petaling Jaya remained the happiest and most liveable city.
Themed “Petaling Jaya: The Happiest and Most Sustainable City”, the anniversary featured 11 core programmes and six complimentary public services designed for residents of all ages.
Community and welfare initiatives took centre stage, including celebratory gifts for babies born on June 20 at hospitals besides care packages containing groceries, special needs items and RM500 cash distributed to 27 vulnerable B40 families with the support of corporate sponsors.
The city also buzzed with energy during the tower run and a lively food festival at the PJ Civic Centre carpark, while a star-studded live concert featured popular local artistes such as Ernie Zakri, Shidi Data, Thalita, Victoria, Zubir Khan and Naim Daniel.
MBPJ also offered several complimentary perks such as free on-street parking and complimentary access to all MBPJ sports facilities on June 20.
There were also free membership to the PJ Community Library and distribution of 1,000 tree saplings to the public as part of an ongoing green initiative to support citywide environmental sustainability.
