Vertical runners challenge city\'s skyscraper

2018-09-16

A total of 800 runners challenged the 474-meter-high Shanghai World Financial Center, the city’s second tallest building, in a vertical running competition held on Saturday.

The 8th Sky Marathon attracted 200 professional vertical marathon runners and 600 amateur running enthusiasts including students, white-collar workers and retired workers. Aged between 16 and 65, they came from countries including China, Singapore, UK and US.

He Liangliang, one of the top vertical runners in China, won the men’s championship by using 17 minutes and 15 seconds to climb 2,726 stairs and reach the 100 floors. Yue Qinghua won the women’s championship, clocking 21 minutes and 14 seconds.

Vertical running was originated in US and it was first held in the Empire State Building in New York in 1978. Soon it became popular around the world but it arrived Chinese mainland late.

It made its Chinese mainland debut in 2013 at the 330-meter, 82-floor China World Trade Center Tower, in the capital of Beijing. Today, tens of skyscrapers across the country hold such event.