Taipei 101 Run-Up
Italy’s Marco De Gasperi and Kiwi Melissa Moon won the race up the world’s second tallest building, the Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan on Sunday (May 30). The 6th leg of the Vertical World Circuit® ascended 2,046 steps to the 91st floor of the 101-story building…
De Gasperi, five times World Mountain Running Champion, won the race here in 2007 and was second in 2009, but he was on top form again on Sunday and beat fellow Mountain Running World Champion, New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt in his first attempt at this race, and standing Vertical World Circuit® champion and current ranking leader, German Thomas Dold.
De Gasperi’s winning time was 11’09”, Wyatt was second in 11’23” and Dold, who won here in 2008 and 2009, third in 11’28”. Taiwan’s Chen Fu-tsai was fourth with a time of 12’15”.
In the women’s category, Melissa Moon won the race in 14’16”. In February this year, she won the second Vertical World Circuit® race on New York’s Empire State Building, and after today’s win, moves up to third position in the ranking.
The challenge of running up the 391m vertical climb of the Taipei 101 Run-Up, the highest race in the Vertical World Circuit®, was met by 6,000 requests for entry. In a draw, 2,500 runners were selected and participated in the race today.
De Gasperi (L) and Moon do a Dold sandwich
Heading the provisional Vertical World Circuit® ranking after today’s race are:
Men
Thomas Dold (GER) 378 points
Fabio Ruga (ITA) 328 points
Igancio Cardona (SPA) 278 points
Women
Daniela Vassalli (ITA) 360 points
Cristina Bonacina (ITA) 270 points
Melissa Moon (NZL) 200 points
The vertical running trend is taking off around the world and races in London, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and China are lined up for next year’s exciting calendar.
Everyone can take a stab at vertical running as a fascinating ISF research project reveals: tests carried out since 2007 on athletes and runners in skyscraper races have confirm that stair climbing is a valid tool in getting fit fast and as a general health benefit.
See www.verticalrunning.org for full information and ranking
