Archive for the ‘Upcoming Events’ Category

World Championship 2018: Belotti ready to push for the title

Posted: May 1, 2018 in News, Upcoming Events
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Italian mountain running legend Valentina Belotti will attempt to add a tower running world championship title to her long list of achievements when she races at Taipei 101 on Saturday.

The in-form Belotti returns to the venue where she won from 2011-2014, with the hopes of mounting a challenge against race favourite Suzy Walsham.

A four-time medallist at the World Mountain Running Championships (one gold and three silver), Belotti’s participation in tower running events has been sporadic in the last four years.

But she returned to winning ways this past weekend, taking victory at the second edition of the 535 in Condotta event in Moio de’ Calvi, Italy.

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Belotti on her way to victory at 535 in Condotta (photo by Demis Milesi)

 

The course is very similar to that at the popular Valtellina Tube event and consists of a continuous staircase, 1.25km long, 2,527 steps straight up, with a 535m height gain.

Belotti finished the race in 20.53, ahead of Nives Carobbio (22.30) and Cecilia Pedroni (22.44).

The course at Moio de’ Calvi has very deep steps and an almost 80% incline at its maximum point, plus a 75% incline for the final 400m. That’s perfect preparation for the notoriously tall steps at Taipei 101.

Belotti is one of only two women to have run Taipei 101 in under 13 minutes. She set her fastest time of 12.54 back in 2013, although she hasn’t competed at the venue since she won in 2014.

But despite her absence from the competitive tower running scene in recent seasons, this performance on a particularly demanding course, plus her extensive experience in Taipei, puts her firmly in the mix for any discussion about who might come out on top at Saturday’s World Championship.

Even with reigning world champion Andrea Mayr out of the championship through injury, it will definitely not be plain sailing for Suzy Walsham. The Australian world number one will have to be at her very best to hold off strong challenges from Belotti, the Czech Republic’s Zuzana Krchova and American Cindy Harris.

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A guide to the tower running World Championship 2018

Posted: May 1, 2018 in News, Upcoming Events
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The tower running World Championship 2018 is almost here. On Saturday 5th May, the world’s best tower runners will do battle on the stairs of Taipei 101 to decide who will be crowned world champion.

We take a look at the venue, the course records, previous winners and the World Championship race format to keep you in the know ahead of Saturday’s big event.

The venue

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Formerly the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101 stands just over 509m tall. With the completion of the Burj Khalifa in 2010 it was knocked to second tallest building in the world, and in the years since then it has been eclipsed by eight other super towers. It’s worth having a read of the Wikipedia entry for Taipei 101, as it’s a very interesting building from an architectural and engineering standpoint and has also been internationally recognised for its ‘green’ credentials and sustainability efforts over the years. It’s a really prestigious venue for the World Championship.

The race stairwell is right-turning and has 2,046 steps, spread over 91 floors (of the building’s eponymous 101). The bulk of the steps at the building are notoriously tall. Somewhat uniquely, the landings include two additional steps between flights; so you reach the top of one flight, pivot 90°, take a step up, pivot again 90° and go up the next flight. That unfamiliar step layout is sure to throw a few racers out of their rhythm on race day and previous race experience in the tower will likely be a factor in the final standings.

Australia’s Alice McNamara won the Taipei 101 Run Up in 2016 and spoke about her experience there:

‘Taipei 101 has the challenge of a very steep, continuous staircase…there are no landings, just a 10-2-7-2 stair configuration all the way up. It is almost like climbing a steep spiral staircase on the 2 stair “landings” so it was very important to use the handrail on my right hand side to partially pull myself up.’

American stair climb legend, Kristin Renshaw (nee Frey), detailed her experience of the race in 2012 where she finished third, and the stairs sound pretty imposing when you read her description:

‘When I hit the monster steps, I knew it! They were exponentially larger than the ones we started climbing [on the lower floors of Taipei 101]; these steps were taller than any I’d ever encountered. I thought the steps in my training building were of decent size, especially the last two floors where they get taller and steeper, and Sears is known for having some giant steps, but those paled in comparison to the steps in the 101 tower.’

Course records

Taipei 101 got straight onto stair climb events when it opened, hosting its first race on Sunday 20th November 2005, less than a year after officially opening to the public.

The current men’s and women’s course records were set that day in 2005 and no one has come particularly close to beating them in the intervening years.

Former competitive cyclist Paul Crake (AUS) set the men’s record of 10.29. There’s an excellent interview with him on YouTube, which we highly recommend, where he talks about his life before and after the accident that left him paralysed.

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Australian Paul Crake setting the course record in 2005 at the inaugural Taipei 101 Run Up

It’s important to put Crake’s record time at Taipei 101 into context for those perhaps unfamiliar with his tower running accomplishments. In 2015 world number one Piotr Lobodzinski won at Taipei in 11.08 and in 2016, current world number two, Frank Carreno won the race in 11.47.

Australia’s Mark Bourne (current world number five and last year’s winner) has come closest to Crake, taking victory in 2013 in a time of 10.52 and in 2014 in 10.54. Former world number one, and seven time ESBRU winner, Thomas Dold (GER) managed to finish in 10.58 at the 2008 event, while Piotr Lobodzinski also managed a sub-11 time of 10.58 in 2014, when finishing second behind Bourne.

Impressive as they are, those sub-11 times are still quite some way off the incredible record set by Crake.

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Course record holder Paul Crake (left) received a lifetime achievement award at the Taipei 101 Run Up 2017

Reigning world champion Andrea Mayr, who sadly is out of this year’s event, set the women’s record of 12.38. In a similar way to Crake, Mayr’s time has remained largely unrivalled since 2005, and she is one of only two women to have gone under 13 minutes in the event’s history.

Mayr also clocked 12.54 in 2007, while Italian Valentina Belotti managed 12.54 on her way to winning in 2013.

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Andrea Mayr sets the women’s course record of 12.38 in 2005.

Taipei 101 Run Up winners: 2005-2017
  • 2005 – Paul Crake (AUS) 10.29 and Andrea Mayr (AUT) 12.38
  • 2006 – Paul Crake (AUS) 10.31 and Andrea Mayr (AUT) 13.28
  • 2007 – Marco De Gasperi (ITA) 11.39 and Andrea Mayr (AUT) 12.54
  • 2008 – Thomas Dold (GER) 10.53 and Jenny Hsiao-yu Li (TWN) 14.53
  • 2009 – Thomas Dold (GER) 11.05 and Suzy Walsham (AUS) 14.20
  • 2010 – Marco De Gasperi (ITA) 11.09 and Melissa Moon (NZL) 14.16
  • 2011 – Thomas Dold (GER) 11.19 and Valentina Belotti (ITA) 13.51
  • 2012 – Mark Bourne (AUS) 11.26 and Valentina Belotti (ITA) 13.21
  • 2013 – Mark Bourne (AUS) 10.52 and Valentina Belotti (ITA) 12.54
  • 2014 – Mark Bourne (AUS) 10.54 and Valentina Belotti (ITA) 13.22
  • 2015 – Piotr Lobodzinski (POL) 11.08 and Suzy Walsham (AUS) 13.16
  • 2016 – Frank Carreño (COL) 11.47 and Alice McNamara (AUS) 14.23
  • 2017 – Mark Bourne (AUS) 11.24 and Suzy Walsham (AUS) 13.36
Race format

The World Championship event will be played out over two races, with the climber scoring the most points from the two races combined becoming the 2018 world champion.

The first heat will be a shorter race up to the 35th floor (824 steps). That will start at 7.30am local time (12.30am UK time), with runners being set off every 30 seconds. All TWA registered stair climbers in attendance will take part. Points will be assigned to the top 50 finishers in the male and female categories.

The final will start at 8.30am local time, and will be a full run up 2,046 steps to the the top of the tower. Again, runners will be set off at 30-second intervals and points will be assigned to the top 50 finishers in the male and female categories.

This new race format is a marked shift from the 2015 World Championship. At that event in Doha, Qatar the final was limited to the top 30 finishers in the male and female divisions in the first heat, which unlike this event was open to all. What’s more, finishing positions in the second heat that year determined start positions on an F1-style grid format in the final the following day.

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Piotr Lobodzinski takes off from pole position on the grid at the 2015 tower running World Championship in Doha, Qatar

The grid was set 150m back from the tower entrance and athletes had to run in to the stairwell. This allowed for a few position changes before the athletes even hit the stairs, which didn’t sit well with some.

Obviously, logistics mean that the event at Taipei 101 needs to be done and dusted on the Saturday, but the very limited recovery period (90 minutes) between the first round and final seems unduly harsh on the competitors. The short recovery period is certainly going to unstick some of them, and make their second climb unpleasant. It would be fairer to have the final at the very end of the day’s events, after all the non-elite and corporate teams have finished.

The removal of a pre-run into the tower is welcomed, though. As purists, we think all races should start as close to the stairs as possible.

We won’t get into a full discussion of what we consider all the pros and cons of the differing race formats, but we do think there should be a move towards uniformity at future championships, where possible. But of course the World Championship is very much in its infancy and some experimentation with the format is to be expected at this stage.

The World Championship was initially scheduled for 2017 in China, with the plan for the tower running World Championship to follow the biennial pattern of its track and field cousin. Last year’s very late cancellation was a bitter disappointment for fans, but the Taipei 101 race is sure to be an excellent one and we are super hyped for this exciting event.

Will Showtime Lobodzinski retain his world title or can Mark Bourne take victory for a record fifth time at Taipei 101? With reigning world champion Andrea Mayr out of the event, is there anyone left to pose a significant challenge to the almost invincible Suzy Walsham?

Keep an eye out later this week for our guide to the top athletes taking part in the 2018 tower running World Championship.

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Upcoming stair climb races in the UK in 2018

Posted: January 9, 2018 in Upcoming Events
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Found this but looking for a tower running race in 2020? For a full list of upcoming stair climb event in the UK check out our race calendar.

The 2018 UK stair racing season gets under way in just over five weeks, and here are three of the best events we think you should be looking to sign up for in the coming months:

1. The Christie Tower Run
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Beetham Tower has 798 steps and is the 11th tallest tower in the UK.

What is it?

This challenging, charity stair climb event returns for a second year, giving runners the chance to climb 798 steps to the top of Beetham Tower, Manchester’s tallest building. Entry is £15, with participants asked to commit to raise £150 sponsorship.

Why should I do it?

Firstly, it’s an excellent cause and charity that deserves support. The Christie charity is one of the largest hospital charities in Europe. It exists to raise funds for all those extra special services that help patients to cope with the impact of cancer on their daily lives.  Donations also contribute towards their cancer research programmes, capital building projects and the purchase of state of the art medical equipment.

Secondly, if you’re in the north of the country you’ll know that stair races are thin on the ground up there. We’ve seen more events popping up outside of London year-on-year, and last year this event heralded the welcome return of stair climbing to the north west. For those north of the Midlands this is a brilliant and easily accessible race to try. For stair climbers in the capital, it’s a welcome chance to escape London and climb one of the other tallest buildings in the UK.

Thirdly, it was a really popular event last year, with climbers universally praising the organisation and atmosphere on the day. It’s definitely not one to be missed.

When is it?

Sunday 25th February at Beetham Tower, 303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ.

How do I sign up?

The Christie Tower Run registration

2. Step Up: Ellenor’s Tower Climb Challenge

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What is it?

A challenging, charity stair climb up the 877-step Broadgate Tower in the City of London.

Why should I do it?

It’s hard to get into one of the big London towers for a race without committing to fundraising a sizeable minimum amount of money for a charity. But this event has no minimum fundraising amount, although fundraising is encouraged to help this brilliant charity that works to support people with a terminal illness, and their families.

Broadgate Tower is one of the big London towers and is a great venue to climb.

It’s also a great chance for those signed up for Vertical Rush on 15th March to make sure they’re in race shape while experimenting with race-day planning and stair climb pacing.

When is it?

Saturday 3rd March at Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3AB.

How do I sign up?

Step Up: Ellenor’s Tower Climb Challenge event details and registration information.

3. LOROS Tower Run

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What is it?

A sprint event up the 351-step St George’s Tower in central Leicester.

Why should I do it?

It’s cheap. Just £17 entry with no fundraising commitment, or free entry if you can fundraise £50 or more for LOROS. With most UK races requiring you to raise sponsorship in excess of £100 on top of your entry fee, this friendly and very well-organised event is an absolute bargain.

The 351-step building is one of the the shortest courses in the UK, so is a great introductory climb for those who want to try out stair climbing but are maybe a bit daunted by the challenge of one of the bigger towers.

For more experienced climbers, it’s a rare opportunity to go all out in a sprint and throw off the shackles of pacing that is sometimes so hard to get right during climbs in taller buildings.

It will make a great warm-up race for those doing Vertical Rush for Shelter in London on 15th March.

When is it?

Saturday 10th March at St George’s Tower, 1A St Georges Way, Leicester, LE1 1SH.

How do I sign up?

LOROS Tower Run registration

Upcoming stair climb races in the UK

Posted: August 14, 2017 in News, Upcoming Events
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The UK tower running race calendar explodes back into life again in the coming months, after a relatively quiet summer. We run through four of the best stair climb races to sign up for this coming September and October.

1. Upslide Down
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The winding stairs and slide of the unique ArcellorMittal Orbit

What is it?

This is the third and final run of this exciting new event for 2017, following its two successful runs in June and July. It’s a 455-step climb up the iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, followed by a hair-raising slide down the helter-skelter that’s been erected around the UK’s largest sculpture.

If you’ve been watching the World Athletics Championship over the past fortnight you’ll no doubt have seen images of the towering structure. If you were fortunate enough to be in the stadium, you might even have seen it peering over the top of the London Stadium.

Why should I do it?

It’s a fantastic opportunity to fuel your own athletic ambitions in the Olympic Park, and 455 steps is a great entry-level distance. If you’ve been debating doing a stair climb, but have been put off by the height of taller buildings, then Upslide Down is an excellent choice. The height is suitable for all fitness levels and the relatively shallow steps should prove slightly less demanding than some of the steeper steps you’ll find in other UK towers. What’s more, unlike most UK stair races, there’s no fundraising requirement for this one so you can pay your fee (£30 individual, or £28 pp for a team of 5) and just race.

It’s also a unique race in that the stairwell is built around the outside, curling its way up to the top of the sculpture. So, you get excellent views on the way up and exposure to cooling air that can delay you getting overheated, plus you don’t have to worry about taking any landing turns – because there aren’t any.

Then there’s the thrill of a fast-paced slide down the helter-skelter that’s been erected around the outside, which definitely offers more bragging rights and conversation opportunities than a bog-standard lift ride to the bottom.

When is it?

Wednesday 20th September – 6.30pm and 7.30pm waves – ArcelorMittal Orbit, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 2AD

How do I sign up?

Upslide Down registration

2. Spinnaker Tower-thon
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Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

What is it?

An extremely well-run, and well-established, stair climb at Emirates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. It’s 530 steps up a unique, triangular staircase and is usually less than £20 to enter.

Why should I do it?

First off, we love the vibe at this event. All the staff are very friendly and welcoming and it’s usually brilliantly organised. They are very accommodating of regular tower runners, so you should be able to take a look at the stairwell before the event and will also get a clear run up the stairs at the front of your wave if you ask for one.

While there’s no denying the 530 steps to the top are demanding, there are still far fewer than most stair climbs in the UK, so the Tower-thon makes for a decent entry-level race. It’s always a very competitive event at the business end of the standings, and is one of the more popular stair climbs among UK stair climb regulars. Times have been getting faster and faster in the last few years here, so it’s a good venue to try and measure yourself against some of the quickest UK male and female stair climbers.

There are usually considerably less people at the Emirates Spinnaker Tower-thon than you’ll find at big London races. This makes for a friendlier environment at the top, where you’ll find elites and first timers chatting and cheering on finishers well after they’ve finished their run.

Finally, entry is usually very reasonably priced and there is no fundraising required. A win-win.

When is it?

Sunday 8th October – Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, PO1 3TT

How do I sign up?

Spinnaker Tower-thon registration

3. Step Up: ellenor’s Tower Run Challenge
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The 33-floor Broadgate Tower in London

What is it?

A challenging, charity stair climb up the 877-step Broadgate Tower in the City of London. Early bird entry of £20 is available until 31 August, and after that the fee rises to £25.

Why should I do it?

It’s hard to get into one of the big London towers for a race without committing to fundraising a sizeable minimum amount of money for a charity. The minimum for this event is just £87, which is definitely manageable. The money you raise will go to helping a brilliant charity that works to support people with a terminal illness and their families.

Broadgate Tower is also one of the big London towers and is a great venue to climb.

When is it?

Saturday 14th October – Broadgate Tower, 201 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3AB

How do I sign up?

Step Up: ellenor’s Tower Run Challenge registration

4. MHA Radisson Blu Hotel Stair Climb Challenge

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What is it?

A super-sprint event up the 300-step Radisson Blu Hotel in central Bristol.

Why should I do it?

Firstly, it’s only £10 to enter, plus a commitment to fundraise a minimum of £50. That’s very reasonable for a UK stair climb.

Secondly, this is the only stair climb event (we know of) in the West Country. So, if you live down that way this is your best chance to do a stair race without having to worry about a trip to London or beyond.

Thirdly, it’s the shortest race in the calendar this year by quite a few steps, which makes it a unique offering. Sprint races ask many different questions of your fitness and technique than longer climbs, and if you’re a regular tower runner this will challenge you in new and varied ways.

Finally, there are prizes for the fastest climbers so if you fancy yourself a speedster it’s worth heading to Bristol to try and claim them.

When is it?

Sunday 15th October – Radisson Blu Hotel, Broad Quay, Bristol, BS1 4BY

How do I sign up?

MHA Radisson Blu Hotel Stair Climb Challenge registration

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UK Tower Running Championship update

Posted: March 13, 2017 in News, Upcoming Events
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The 2017 UK Tower Running Championship is now well underway, with the first three races already completed. We catch up with all the action from the past couple of weeks.

Beetham Tower Run, Manchester, 2017

The first race was held on 26 February at Beetham Tower, Manchester where a hotly anticipated battle between reigning UK champion Mark ‘The Marauder’ Sims and Slovakia’s Patrik ‘The Nitra Nitro’ Schneidgen – newly resident in the UK- didn’t disappoint.

Schneidgen managed to set a new course record (4.17) at the 798-step venue and also logged his first win over the ever-strong Sims, who finished in 4.29. Full results here.

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‘The Nitra Nitro’ Patrik Schneidgen celebrates his victory at Manchester’s Beetham Tower

Conquer the Broadgate Tower, London, 2017

The following weekend, 4th March, the action was in London at Broadgate Tower. Again it was Schneidgen and Sims who went head-to-head for top honours. Sims had defeated the young Slovak track star twice before at the venue in the City of London, but buoyed by his victory in Manchester, Schneidgen entered the race with supreme confidence.

He managed to take another win, in a time of 4.21, with Sims a mere four seconds behind. Full results here.

St George’s Tower Run, Leicester, 2017

Last weekend, 11th March, saw race three of the UK championships in Leicester. The sprint event, at the 351-step St George’s Tower, drew in some well-known European tower runners, including Rolf ‘The Wanderer’ Majcen. With Schneidgen racing in Poland on the same day, it was a perfect chance for Mark Sims to make up some lost ground and win again at a venue he dominated at last year.

Not only did he manage to hold off a strong challenge from Spain’s Christian Lopez, he also broke his own course record (which he set at the venue’s inaugural race last year) by three seconds, finishing in a time of 1.32. Full results here.

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Two-time UK champion Mark Sims toasts his new course record at St George’s Tower in Leicester

UK Tower Running Championship 2017

In its third year, the UK Tower Running Championship has a simple format and is open to all UK residents. Each race in the series has points on offer, ranging from 40 for the winner down to 10 for tenth place. The full breakdown of points in descending order is: 40, 32, 26, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10.

The person with the mosts points accumulated at the end of the series is crowned UK champion.

Year on year we have added more races to the championship. In 2015 there were four races, in 2016 there were six, and for 2017 we hope to possibly top that. At the time of writing we have had three races, with one more definitely in the calendar for September. We will be adding more races as they are announced and you can track which events are part of the UK championship series by following our regularly updated UK stair race calendar.

You can see the current standings in this year’s championship below.

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UK Tower Running Championship 2017

Posted: February 13, 2017 in News, Upcoming Events
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The third installment of the UK tower running championship begins in just under two weeks time on Sunday 26th February with The Christie Tower Run at Beetham Tower in Manchester.

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Beetham Tower, Manchester

The first race of the planned six-race series starts at the tenth tallest tower in the UK and is hosted by The Christie Charity. Two-time UK champion, and current course record holder, Mark ‘The Marauder’ Sims will be there on the day to begin the defence of his title, as he seeks to make it three championship wins in a row.

He will be challenged by Slovakia’s Patrik ‘The Nitra Nitro’ Schneidgen aka ‘Mr Guinness’. The two standout stair climbers have had a number of head-to-head battles over the last 16 months, with Sims coming out on top in each race. But sprint specialist Schneidgen will surely welcome a race at the 798 step Beetham Tower. Having run Sims incredibly close at last year’s Broadgate Tower Run Up (877 steps), he will fancy his chances of an upset in Manchester.

Sims, however, is a man for all occasions. It was not by chance the Liverpool-based tower runner found himself in the world’s top-20 at the end of last year. His times and conditioning have been improving year-on-year. He will be determined to secure his status as arguably the greatest stair climber the UK has ever seen by making it three championship titles in a row. With a solid performance at The Climb to Abu Dhabi race last month, Sims is obviously in good shape heading into the domestic season.

The Christie Tower Run will see stair climbing return to the north of England for the first time since 2014. We know there are fast guys in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Merseyside and beyond. Personal trainer Peter Hopson is still record holder at Bridgewater Place in Leeds. Will he be racing in Manchester? Will the event attract some new talent to the UK tower running scene? Can the dominance of Mark Sims be broken by some as yet unknown athlete?

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There is still time to sign up to take part in The Christie Tower Run. The event is open to people of all abilities and there is no qualifying criteria for entry in the UK championship. The top ten finishers will be awarded points and they will carry those into the remaining races of the championship. The athlete with the most points at the end of the year will be crowned 2017 UK tower running champion.

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Step Up for Mencap this summer

Posted: May 3, 2016 in Upcoming Events
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It’s always an exciting time at Tower Running UK HQ when a new building plays host to a stair race. Last year the charity Mencap held a great event that involved three stair climbs around London, culminating in a final climb at 20 Fenchurch Street, aka the Walkie Talkie Building or the Jaguar Melter.

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This year the Mencap team return to Fenchurch Street on Sunday 17 July with a single-climb event. The unique-looking building in the City of London has 36 floors and 828 steps, in a left turning staircase that is perfect for fast times.

Competitors will be treated to amazing views from the top and a champagne reception in the popular Sky Garden, Europe’s highest roof garden. Add to that prizes for the fastest runners and highest fundraisers and you have a brilliant event for a great cause – helping support those with learning disabilities.

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All the details for the event can be found on Mencap’s event web page here. We hope to see a lot of you there.

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Sims storms to victory in Leicester

Posted: March 10, 2016 in Upcoming Events
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Mark “The Marauder” Sims took victory in the first race of the 2016 UK Championship on Sunday at St George’s Tower in Leicester.

In its first year, the race was set up by Leicester-based charity LOROS, and attracted a mixed bag of competitors ranging from local runners and first time stair climbers to some of the UK’s most established tower runners.

Around 40 competitors turned out in the city centre to tackle the tower’s 351 stairs, with runners setting off at 2 minute intervals. It wasn’t until after 10am that the competition really began to heat up, with Surrey club runner Alex Ward the first of the elite climbers to set off. 2015 was Ward’s first season in stair climbing and he showed fantastic potential with numerous podium finishes in the UK Championship. Building on his experience he set a blistering opening time of 1:41:23 to establish himself as the leader.

Next to follow was reigning UK Champion Sims. He has been the most consistent British stair climber for years and was a firm favourite entering this race. As expected he was in incredible form and stripped a full six seconds off the lead time as he reached the top in 1:35:62. Sims was accompanied on the day by his 16 year old son Isaac who was taking part in his first stair race. Geneticists  were nodding sagely as the younger Sims took a top 10 finish (2:22) and showed that athletic prowess runs in the family.

One of the final runners on the day was David Harris. A regular on the UK and world tower running scene, Harris had climbed the BT Tower in London the day before but was still expected to push for a podium finish. He did just that, reaching the top in 1:53:56 – only the third sub-two minute time on the day.

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The Top Three: (l-r) Ward, Sims and Harris

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UK Tower Running Final at Action on Hearing Loss’ Operation: SKYRACE

Posted: August 5, 2015 in Upcoming Events
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The final of the UK Tower Running Championship is now officially confirmed, and will take place on Sunday 13th December at The Heron Tower as part of Action on Hearing Loss‘ Operation: SKYRACE.

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At the moment the charity, which among its many goals works to support those with hearing problems while aiming to find cures for hearing loss and tinnitus, has an Early Bird entry offer at a reduced rate of £15. This will increase to £25 at the end of August so those hoping to take part are highly encouraged to sign up soon before that ends. Team entries for groups of 5 are also available. Registration is available HERE!

Action on Hearing Loss have guaranteed elite starts to all those hoping to compete for the title of UK stair running champion and there will be prizes from The Altitude Centre for winners and runners up in the men’s and women’s category.

The first stair running champion of the UK will be crowned on 13th December 2015. If you want to be in with a chance of competing for the title, make sure you sign up quickly before spaces run out.

How to win Vertical Rush

Posted: January 29, 2015 in Upcoming Events
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Soh Wai-Ching Vertical Rush 2019

If you haven’t put in the training you won’t be winning anything. But, fitness level aside, there are a few things to know that could give you an edge as you take part in Vertical Rush 2020.

The event, which is organised by the charity Shelter, takes place at London’s Tower 42 and is by far the most popular and well-established stair running race in the UK calendar.

In 2019 over 1,400 participants took part, and 2020 promises to be just as big, which leads us right into our first tip.

Get there early

To facilitate the large numbers of runners, the day is split into hourly waves with the first going at 8am. In 2018, Shelter introduced a night run so people set off as late as 8pm. This extended run of waves is expected to return again in 2020. From experience there is less hype and razmatazz in the morning waves, which will allow you to keep focused on the task at hand.

The later sessions have press, cameras, filmed warm-ups and more standing around in the early March cold. Plus the later you leave it the more hands pass along the railings and the greasier they get, which can cause your hand to slip as you pull yourself along. There also seems to be less people in the earlier waves, which leads into the second tip.

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Would Boris and his horn help keep your head in the game?

Get to the front

Unlike at other races around the world, many UK races don’t have a designated ‘elite’ start. If you email in advance and express a desire to start at the front, it will be accepted, but you won’t always find there’s someone on hand to ensure you are brought to the front of your wave of runners.

This is certainly the case for Vertical Rush, where the people involved with registration are not the ones bringing you through to the start. So, the onus will be on you to get to the front of your wave.

At Vertical Rush the registration desk and bag drop are in a separate building to the stairs. You will be led a short walk outside between the two buildings and into a small basement type area with a central pillar. The entrance to the stairs is through a door on the right hand side as you walk into the ‘holding area’. Get in line at the entrance to the door immediately.

An organiser will give a brief talk and then point to the start line, after which a slight rush happens, as people queue up. If you are not in position, you will likely end up several dozen places back and be faced with the task of passing slower climbers on the way up.

Another reason to start at the front is the haphazard staggering of runners. At previous events, runners should have been spaced by a minimum of 5-10 seconds. This does not always happen, and it is not uncommon for the excitement to overcome some people and for them to just pour onto the stairs in groups.

If you are not at the very front, or at least in the first five, you will certainly lose precious seconds on the early floors as you weave past others and wait for the numbers to space out a bit.

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The madness of a mass start at one of the earlier Vertical Rush events.

Details about the stairs

Knowing a bit about the stairs in a building prior to racing can be a real help, as it allows you to visualise the event a lot clearer and keep pre-race nerves to a minimum (click through if you want more details on how to handle pre-race nerves).

The stairwell at Vertical Rush is left turning and goes up in blocks of nine steps per flight. Each floor is numbered so you can keep a check on your pacing. The hand rail running along the inside of the stairwell is flat topped, which can make gripping slightly awkward, but it does curve nicely at the landings, making turns fairly smooth.

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