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Dold and Moon are in the sky

Full ISF release

More than 2,300 runners took part in the Swissôtel Vertical Marathon on Sunday, November 21st, the final of the eight-race circuit. With 1,336 steps, 73 floors and 226 metres high, it is this one of the tallest hotel buildings in South East Asia.

Race favourite and reigning world champion Thomas Dold confirmed his prowess as the number one specialist in this fast growing sport by winning the race in 6’51” – five seconds short of his own record last year. Second was Omar Bekkali in 7’23” and third, Italian Fabio Ruga in 7’27”.

Melissa Moon, ranked second and at her first attempt this year in the circuit, didn’t disappoint and rocketed to the finish line in 8’57”. Earlier this year Moon won the Vertical World Circuit® stages in New York and Taipei and a new race in San Paolo in Brazil. Sixteen seconds later in second place was Australian Suzy Walsham, record holder (8’29”) and winner of this race for four consecutive years, now the proud mother of a three month-old baby. Italian Cristina Bonacina (ranked third) reached the finish line, third, in 9’28”.

The growth of this new sport and the success of the Vertical World Circuit® is easily expressed in numbers: 7,000 runners from thirty nations took part in the 2010 circuit and athletes from ten countries head the final ranking. (See www.verticalrunning.org) for full information). National circuits are springing up in Germany, Spain and Great Britain, with London leading the way.

Interestingly, many of the top runners competing in this “indoor” sport are accomplished runners “outdoors”. Gruelling races across the world’s mountain ranges are their bread and butter and include names such as six times World Mountain Running Champion, Marco De Gasperi, from Italy, or this year’s Skyrunner® World Series runner up, Anna Frost from New Zealand.

High altitude, whether in the mountains or the city, is the exclusive arena of the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF), which governs, promotes and sanctions skyrunning and skyscraper racing worldwide. (See SkyRules).

A research project on stair running carried out by the ISF reveals some interesting results for the ordinary man in the street who can safely use stair climbing to help lose weight fast and as a general health benefit.
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 the Milan Vertical Sprint included monitoring heart rate frequencies, lactic acid accumulation and tests on a number of athletes wearing Vibram Fivefingers® rubber footwear, now a favourite among top athletes competing in skyscraper racing.

The vertical running trend is taking off around the world so look out for the exciting 2011 Vertical World Circuit® calendar with new races up the world’s tallest skyscrapers to be announced shortly.

2010 Vertical World Circuit®

Milan – Vertical Sprint – January 24
New York – Empire State Building Run Up – February 2
London – NSPCC Step Change – February 7
Basel – Basler Romanda Tower Run – February 21
Berlin – Berlin Skyrun – May 22
Taipei – Taipei 101 Tower Run Up – May 30
Sydney – Sydney Tower Run Up – August 22
Singapore – Swissôtel Vertical Marathon – November 21

• VERTICAL WORLD CIRCUIT® RANKING POINTS SYSTEM
  bq. The ranking is based on the sum of the best four results obtained in the circuit.
  Each race assigns points based on the winning men’s/women’s results according to the ranking points breakdown: 100-88-78-72-68-66-64-62-60-58-56-54-52-50 etc. The first 30 men and 10 women are included in the ranking. **The ranking points in the final race will be increased by 20% for all Vertical World Circuit® competitors.

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