Milan, New York, London – sport not fashion
After Milan and New York, the 2010 Vertical World Circuit® uniting the world’s most spectacular skyscrapers in an exciting new sports discipline, will head for one of London’s most iconic landmarks on Sunday, February 7.
Over 250 athletes are expected to race at the NSPCC Step Change, the first-ever ascent up the 38 floors and 1.037 steps of the Gherkin as it is affectionately called, at 30 St Mary Axe in the heart of the City, London’s financial district.
The 'Gherkin'
Top ranked athletes and favourites include Italians Marco De Gasperi, Fabio Ruga and Daniela Vassalli together with Britons Andy Symonds, Ricky Lightfoot and New Zealander, Anna Frost.
Vertical running specialist Thomas Dold from Germany heads the VWC ranking after winning the Milan Vertical Sprint and the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York yesterday, where 300 athletes from 17 nations raced up the famous 86 floors and 1,576 steps.
Dold triumphed here for the fifth time, scaling the building in 10 minutes 16 seconds, followed 40 seconds later by fellow-countryman Matthias Jahn and American Mathew Byrne, in 11’29”, third.
Thomas Dold on his was to a fifth Run-Up win
The women’s race had New Zealander Melissa Moon first in 13 minutes 13 seconds, a 40 year-old at her first attempt. Americans, Gretchen Grindle Hurlbutt and Amy Fredericks were respectively second and third.
Sunday, all eyes will be on Vassalli (second in New York last year) and standing 2009 Vertical World Circuit® champion together with Dold. Both athletes won the first race of the series in Milan in a double-tower race up Italy’s tallest buildings, the Pirelli and the Altra Sede, the Lombardy Region’s spectacular new headquarters, inaugurated on the occasion.
Vertical running has been the subject of scientific research carried out by Prof Alberto Minetti of the University of Milan in collaboration with the International Skyrunning Federation and Isokinetic. The first results have been published on the physiological and biomechanical profile of this new sport (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 2009).
Research conducted in Milan on both skyscrapers included monitoring heart rate frequencies, lactic acid accumulation and tests on a number of athletes wearing novel rubber Five Fingers footwear.
The VWC next stop is Basel, Switzerland on February 21, followed by Berlin, Taipei, Sydney, Barcelona and Singapore.
