KUALA LUMPUR — Mass-participation sports agency Fresh Events Asia has announced that the IHH Sky Race Merdeka 118 will return this August, designating healthcare provider IHH Healthcare Malaysia as the official title partner for the next three years. The large-scale stair-climbing fixture is scheduled to take place over a multi-day format on August 22 and 23 2026, welcoming up to 9,000 domestic and international participants to Malaysia’s tallest building.
The specialized athletic event offers participants a vertical route ascending Merdeka 118, which stands as the second-tallest structural building in the world. Following an oversubscribed inaugural launch, the 2026 iteration expands into a two-day schedule to safely accommodate the increased athlete capacity. Competitors will tackle a physical course consisting of 118 individual floors and 2,845 vertical steps to reach the finish line situated at Level 118.
Vertical Disciplines and Athlete Framework
The tower running format diverges significantly from traditional flat-surface road races, utilizing enclosed structural stairwells that require specific pacing and unique lower-body muscular endurance. The technical regulations allow participants to register under either the Individual Category or the Team of 3 Category, with all fields completing the entire vertical ascent before utilizing high-speed elevators to descend back to the ground level event village.
The athlete tracking roster is structured to accommodate a wide span of physical capabilities, drawing elite vertical marathon racers, local running clubs, fitness enthusiasts, and corporate teams. Technical race directors noted that the early public response indicates the fixture has rapidly transitioned into a highly anticipated event on the local mass-participation calendar.
The multi-year institutional alignment with the medical network will introduce enhanced pre-event training programs, community physical wellness clinics, and extensive on-site medical operations staffed by specialized trauma and emergency teams to monitor athlete safety across the intensive vertical course.
Sports Tourism and Global Ranking
The competition has been officially sanctioned by the Malaysian Towerrunning Association, the national governing body regulating vertical running disciplines. The mass event has also secured institutional backing from the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, an agency operating under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, which recognizes the fixture’s long-term contribution to regional sports tourism and international destination marketing.
Also Read: KLSCM Named Official Preliminary Selection Event for 2027 SEA Games Marathon
The event organizers aim to establish the local race as one of the premier vertical running events globally, positioning Kuala Lumpur alongside iconic international skyscraper climbs such as the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York, the Shanghai Tower International Vertical Marathon, the Eiffel Tower Vertical Race in Paris, and the Taipei 101 Run Up.
Registration is now open at www.theskyrace.com.
