The Vertical Marathon World Tour is a "stair climbing" competition held in iconic skyscrapers of major global cities.
This year’s China stop of the Vertical Marathon World Tour is set to take place at Beijing’s China World Summit Wing.
On August 3, 2013, the Shangri-La China World Summit Wing, situated in the capital’s tallest building, will co-host China’s first Vertical Marathon World Tour event with the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF). This 330-meter skyscraper has been chosen without question as the mainland China debut location for this internationally renowned sporting event. World-class professional vertical marathon runners, athletes, celebrities, and sports-loving citizens will all compete here for the title of the King and Queen of Beijing’s skyline.
This year, Beijing has been selected as an official race venue for 2013. The Vertical World Circuit is the world’s first and only organizer of professional vertical running tours, holding races annually in numerous iconic skyscrapers around the globe, including the famous Empire State Building in New York. Throughout the competition, the Vertical World Circuit will rank vertical runners based on cumulative scores, with the highest-scoring male and female athletes crowned as world champions at the end of the year.
The champion among top professional participants from around the world will win a prize of $1,000 USD. The China World Summit Wing has also prepared an even bigger surprise for amateur participants — the amateur champion will receive a free round-trip flight from Beijing to London and a three-night stay in a suite at the Shangri-La Hotel London. The upcoming Shangri-La London, set to open this autumn, is located within The Shard, the tallest building in the European Union. Sponsors of the event have also prepared special gifts for the top three amateur finishers.
Currently, confirmed participants in the professional field include Australia’s Mark Bourne and Suzy Walsham, who will be competing in the China stop of the Vertical Marathon World Tour at the Beijing China World Summit Wing. Mark won the New York Empire State Building stop earlier this year and is also a strong contender for the overall year-end championship. Suzy is the defending women’s professional champion and has won the New York Empire State Building stop four times. She currently ranks first in the world for women in this event.
Stair climbing was first termed "vertical running" in the 1970s. Since then, it has grown into a global athletic competition spanning the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, with professional athletes training annually for these events and preparing to conquer towering skyscrapers around the world. Although still a relatively new concept in China, this competition has rapidly attracted a large following of sports enthusiasts worldwide.
According to statistics from event organizers, whether considering building height or the number of steps, the race at the Beijing China World Summit Wing will be one of the most challenging stops on this year’s world tour. The entire building will challenge participants with 82 floors and a total of 2,041 steps. Even so, top athletes are expected to reach the summit in under ten minutes. Current top runners in the 2013 competition have already successfully tackled iconic structures such as Taipei 101.
The Shangri-La China World Summit Wing is situated in the upper levels of Beijing’s tallest building, making it the perfect venue for this international sporting event. This part of the China World Trade Center Phase III, completed in 2010, is located in the heart of the capital’s Central Business District and stands 330 meters tall. The finish line of this Vertical Marathon will be on the 82nd floor sky terrace, offering participants panoramic views of Beijing, including breathtaking sights such as the Forbidden City. This highly challenging course welcomes athletes from around the world to climb 82 floors and conquer 2,041 steps.
“We are truly honored to bring the Vertical Marathon World Tour to China this year at the China World Summit Wing. This is a truly international competition, and we hope to promote a positive spirit of athleticism and healthy lifestyle through this event,” said Thomas, General Manager of the China World Summit Wing. “We anticipate that over a thousand sports enthusiasts from around the world will participate in this race, and through their efforts, help raise funds for charity. The hotel will donate all registration proceeds from this event to charitable organizations.”