Malaysian towerrunner Muhammad Hazim Zuhairi Azahari, 24, is heading into the season-ending Shanghai Tower Running Tour Final with an intensified focus and renewed hunger, armed with a World Top 10 ranking and critical advice from his mentor, Soh Wai Ching.

The athlete, who is scheduled to face the challenge of climbing 119 floors and 3,398 stairs at the Shanghai Tower on 22 November 2025, said his new ranking has shifted his perspective from simply competing to truly belonging among the global elite.

“Breaking into the World Top 10 is a dream I’ve been chasing,” Hazim told ToughASIA. “It gives me confidence, of course, but more importantly, it reminds me of the responsibility I carry, not just to myself, but to Malaysian athletes and the sport back home. Being in the Top 10 doesn’t make me relax; it makes me hungrier. Instead of stepping onto the global stage feeling intimidated, I’m stepping in knowing I belong there and I’m ready to prove that I can fight against the very best.”

Facing the daunting 552-metre vertical climb, Hazim revealed that strategic discipline and smart running are his top priorities, noting that the sheer calibre of the competition forces athletes to be calculating.

“You cannot chase people blindly in a race this long. If you burn yourself early, the tower will punish you,” he asserted. “My strategy is to run my race, lock into the rhythm I’ve trained for, stay disciplined, and only attack when it matters. Whoever breaks first loses, and I don’t intend to be that athlete.”

Hazim’s execution-focussed approach is heavily influenced by Soh Wai Ching. The most crucial piece of advice the Malaysian veteran imparted for tackling a “super-tall” building was: “Don’t fight the tower, understand it.”

 

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“For super-tall buildings, every section has a different demand. The early floors, the mid-point, the final push, they all require different energy and mentality,” Hazim explained. “So instead of going in with one fixed speed, he encouraged me to treat the tower like phases: conserve when needed, flow when it’s efficient, and strike when every step counts. That mindset has changed the way I approach ultra-long climbs.”

As he prepares for the biggest race of his career so far, Hazim is determined to carry the spirit of Malaysia to the top of the tower.

“To everyone supporting me, terima kasih from the bottom of my heart,” he concluded. “I will climb every step with the Jalur Gemilang in my mind and Malaysia in my heart. I hope that my performance inspires more Malaysians to push boundaries and chase their greatness. Whether I finish first, third, or tenth, I will give everything I have up there.”