Yang Mei

yangmei_szdaily@163.com

NEARLY 300 people of different ages from all over the world challenged themselves to ascend the 116 floors, 3,201 stairs and 541 meters of Ping An International Finance Center yesterday afternoon for the 2018 PAFC International Vertical Marathon Masters. The event was the first major public sporting event held in the tower since its completion in 2016.

Ping An Group will donate to children in rural areas the first free physical examination of their lives on behalf of every runner who completed all 116 floors.

Christian Riedl, a German professional runner, was the first to climb to the top and the winner of the men’s race with a time of 19 minutes and 28 seconds. He has been participating in vertical marathons for almost 10 years and has climbed nearly 100 towers, including Taipei 101, Shanghai Tower and skyscrapers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Europe.

“The building is spectacular. It’s the fourth-highest building in the world and it’s got a great view. I’m very happy to be here,” Riedl said. “The event is great. It’s a combination of sports and charity. It’s good for everyone who wants to be healthy and help others.”

Forty three-year-old Bonacina Cristina from Italy finished the race with a time of 26 minutes and 46 seconds. She has conquered 109 buildings worldwide, including the Empire State Building in the U.S., Eiffel Tower in Paris and buildings in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Although the time was not her personal best, she was satisfied with it. “I’m happy about my result and I had a good time here. If I am in good condition, I think I can make it within 24 minutes,” Cristina said.

As an amateur runner, Pamela Code from the U.S., a copy editor at the Shenzhen Daily, completed the event with a time of 35 minutes. But for her, winning is not the goal, it is being part of it that counts. “It was very difficult but I am happy,” Pamela told the Shenzhen Daily after she finished her race.

Before the event, Pamela initiated a sponsorship call on WeChat and asked friends to support a good cause for rescued dogs. All the proceeds will go toward helping animals in need through Karuna Rescue, a Shenzhen-based animal rescue group.

“I really love animals and it was a very unique race, so I think it’s very meaningful to donate the pledge from my friends to animals in need,” she said.

This event was an important part of “Ping An Sancun Project Charity Run.” Having always been committed to the health of rural kids, Ping An Group launched the charity run at the Great Wall in Beijing on May 8 in a bid to encourage the public to run for the health of rural kids.

The event has been certified by the Towerrunning World Association (TWA), and the results and points from this event will be included in TWA tournaments.

The vertical marathon, called the King of Sports, is a skyscraper-climbing activity popular all over the world.

After the vertical marathon was officially introduced to China in 2014, towerrunning races have gained popularity in first- and second-tier cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.