Taipei 101 Run Up draws 5,000 stair climbers from around the globe

Taipei, May 9 (CNA) More than 5,000 elite athletes and amateurs converged on Taiwan's tallest skyscraper for the 2026 CTBC Taipei 101 Run Up on Saturday.

Sanctioned by the Towerrunning World Association (TWA), the 19th edition of the competition drew 5,147 competitors from 32 countries.

Due to exterior renovations at Taipei 101, the finish line was moved to the 88th floor this year, with participants having to conquer a 2,046-step climb, according to Taipei 101.

To honor the hard work of firefighters, Taipei 101 Chairperson Janet Chia (賈永婕) tackled the climb wearing a 7-kilogram firefighter suit.

Taking over half an hour to finish, Chia panted heavily as she reached the 88th floor and asked, "Did I ruin my makeup?"

She thanked New Taipei City Fire Department Commissioner Chen Tsung-yueh (陳崇岳), who accompanied her during the climb. "Thank you for protecting us," she said.

A total of 20 firefighters from Taipei and New Taipei wearing 30-kilogram full gear, including helmets, face shields and 7-kg gas cylinders, took part in the race.

Sports Minister Lee Yang (李洋), movie star Ivy Chen (陳意涵) and baseball star Ngayaw Ake (林智勝) also took part.

The event attracted world-class tower running athletes, including the No. 1 ranked TWA man and woman, Malaysian Soh Wai Ching and Croatian Tea Faber.

Faber, the reigning champion, was once again the fastest woman to cross the line in a time of 14 minutes 07 seconds this year.

Japanese athlete, Roj Watanabe, won the men's race with a time of 11 minutes 25 seconds, extending his streak from 2025.

Taiwan's top tower running atheletes, including Lo Ching-chun (羅清駿), the nation's only full-time tower runner, and Taiwan's top-ranked female runner Chao Jui-chuan (趙瑞娟), also participated.

Lo, currently ranked seventh in the world, said at a press event after the climb that his time of 11 minutes 46 seconds was a personal best since 2025.

Although Taipei 101 is famous for its stairs, which are steeper than those in other international tower races, Chao said, "I can still laugh -- I feel good."

After receiving exclusive medals and customized runner tags, participants were offered on-site sports massages and gait analysis.

Fifteen percent of the registration fee from elite, solo challenger and team challenger categories will be donated equally to the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, Good Neighbors and the Taiwan Sport Forward Association, according to Taipei 101.