Vertical marathon: the Empire State Building Run-Up
Don't like waiting for the elevator? Then why not take the stairs? The Empire State Building Run-Up takes place for the 40th time.
40th Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Runners from around the world race up 86 flights of stairs to reach the top of one of New York’s most iconic towers in the 40th annual Empire State Building Run-Up. While visitors can reach the building’s Observatory via elevator in under a minute, the fastest runners cover the 86 floors in about 10 minutes.
Iconic art deco skyscraper
The race to the top takes in 86 flights of stairs. That's a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck. Other famous Run-Ups take place "Tower 42" in London and the "Taipei 101" in Taiwan.
Entering the stairwell
Congestion is guaranteed as hundreds of runners enter the stairwell. One contestant reported that "you can see people getting trampled, their faces smashed into the floor. It’s like trying to run out of a nightclub that’s on fire."
Will he make it?
A runner uses the railings to save his legs. He is struggling with the staircase as he approaches the 86th floor after a long journey
Vertical marathon
Thomas Dold from Germany (pictured here in the red shirt in 2005) became the youngest-ever winner of the race in 2006 aged 21. Dold ended up as a seven-time champion. By the way, the longest single-staircase race is the "Niesen Treppenlauf" in Switzerland with 11,674 steps.
And the winner is...
Polish runner Piotr Lobodzinski took the honors in the men's event. It took him 10 minutes and 31 seconds to reach the top of the Empire State Building.
Eight-time champion
The winner of the women's race was Suzy Walsham from Australia. Her time of 12 minutes and 11 seconds secured her an eighth title. The event attracts everyone from competitive stair climbers to those participating for charity.