Empire State Building run not for the faint of foot
Suzy Walsham of Australia crosses the finish line as the female winner of the 2008 Empire State Building Run-Up. It was her second win. She is trying for a sixth on Wednesday, February 4, 2015.(Photo: Diane Bondareff/AP)Think running for a bus is somewhat of a strain? Then you probably won't be among the elite runners from around the world who will climb 1,576 steps and 86 floors in the annual Empire State Building Run-up Wednesday evening.Now in its 38th year, the event's men's and women's champs from last year, Norwegian Thorbjorn Ludvigsen, 26, and Australian Suzy Walsham, 41, are returning to defend their titles.While visitors can reach the building's Observatory via elevator in under a minute, the fastest male runners cover the 86 floors in about 10 minutes, with the women just a couple of minutes behind.The event, which begins at 8 p.m. ET has been dominated by international athletes in recent years, with Walsham having won a record-setting fifth title in 2014 with a time of 11:57. Her previous wins came in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2013."No other female has won it more than four times so I wanted to be the first and I am really proud of that record," Walsham told Race Results Weekly last year. "Among the tower running community, this is the one everyone wants to win," she added.In the 2014 men's race, Ludvigsen won in the second-fastest time on record, 10:39. "It was a good fight," he told Race Results Weekly. "The season's just started and I'm off to a great start," he said, clutching the winner's trophy.The top American, Tim Donahue, placed fifth in 11:17. The tower climb is organized by the New York Road Runners, which also puts together the New York City Marathon.Wondering how they don't crush one another in the stairwells? Don't worry – the starts are staggered to avoid a melee of people all trying to get up the stairs at the same time.FUN FACTS ABOUT THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING RUN-UP 1,576: Steps climbed in the race1,050 feet: Distance climbed in the race (approximately one-fifth of a mile vertically)9:33: Men's course record, set by Paul Crake of Australia in 200311:23: Women's course record, set by Andrea Mayr of Austria in 20067: Most race victories in Men's Invitationals, held by Thomas Dold of Germany (2006–11)5: Most race victories in Women's Invitationals, held by Suzy Walsham of Australia (2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014)Dramatic video shows plane clip bridge before crashFeb 04, 2015
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น :
แสดงความคิดเห็น