- Title: Athletes scale the heights in gruelling Beijing vertical run
- Date: 31st August 2019
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (AUGUST 31, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SIGN OF CHINA WORLD SUMMIT WING BUILDING, BEIJING, TOP OF CHINA WORLD SUMMIT WING BUILDING AND FLAGS VERTICAL WORLD CIRCUIT SIGN VARIOUS OF ELITE MEN PREPARING TO RACE ELITE MEN STARTING RACE VARIOUS OF ELITE WOMEN PREPARING TO RACE ELITE WOMEN STARTING RACE VARIOUS OF VERTICAL RUN PARTICIPANTS RUNNING UP STAIRS (AT AROUND THE 64TH FLOOR) ELITE MEN WINNER RYOJI WATANABE CROSSING FINISHING LINE/COLLAPSING ON FLOOR MEDIA LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 2019 BEIJING VERTICAL RUN, ELITE MEN'S GROUP WINNER, RYOJI WATANABE, SAYING: "I really liked the race today. When I got to the finish (in first place) I felt that all that effort was worth it. I felt amazing!" ELITE MEN'S GROUP PARTICIPANT MARTIN PEDERSON CROSSING FINISHING LINE PEDERSON LYING ON FLOOR ELITE WOMEN'S GROUP WINNER, SUZY WALSHAM, CROSSING FINISHING LINE MEDALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 2019 BEIJING VERTICAL RUN, ELITE WOMEN'S GROUP WINNER, SUZY WALSHAM, SAYING: "Yeah I was really happy. This is the seventh time I've raced here. (I) wasn't feeling a hundred percent in the warm-up and a bit nervous so really happy to come away with my seventh win." PRESS TAKING PHOTOS VARIOUS OF WALSHAM LIFTING WINNER'S PLAQUE PLAQUE BEING HELD (SOUNDBITE) (English) 2019 BEIJING VERTICAL RUN, ELITE WOMEN'S GROUP WINNER, SUZY WALSHAM, SAYING: "I've done a lot of races. It is part of the secret. You know I've done more than 120 stair races over the last sort of 12 years. I train a lot on the stairs. I live in Singapore. So that helps me a lot. And this is pretty much the main sport that I'm doing at the moment. So focusing on just the stairs." MEDIA WALSHAM AND WATANABE CELEBRATING TOGETHER WALSHAM RACE ORGANISER BLOWS HORN TO BEGIN AMATEUR WOMEN'S RACE VERTICAL WOMEN'S RUN PARTICIPANTS STARTING VERTICAL MEN'S RUN PARTICIPANTS STARTING VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS RUNNING UP STAIRS PARTICIPANT RUNS UP THE STAIRS ORGANISERS SUPPORTING RUNNERS WITH FOAM BATONS FEMALE PARTICIPANTS WALKING ON, MALE PARTICIPANT SAYING (MANDARIN): "IT'S SO EASY. TOO EASY!" PARTICIPANT GIVING A THUMBS UP AND SAYING (MANDARIN):"COME ON. COME ON!" AND WALKING ON PARTICIPANT FINISHING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) AMATEUR PARTICIPANT, MR. GAO, WORKING IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT, SAYING: "The steps you have to climb are endless. It's like climbing to your peak in life. You can't see the top. It's only when you approach (the top) that you can experience its greatness and that sense of joy!" RUNNERS FINISHING RUNNER RECEIVING MEDAL MEDALS BEING HELD (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) AMATEUR PARTICIPANT, LI JING, IT WORKER, SAYING: "It's the first time I've taken part in this kind of vertical run. Before I only took part in marathons on the flat. So it's a challenge for me and it's really fresh (and exciting)." CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING CHINA WORLD SUMMIT WING BUILDING
- Embargoed: 14th September 2019 17:45
- Keywords: Vertical run marathon Beijing steps Walsham Watanabe
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Athletics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUJR049
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Elite and amateur athletes tackled one of Beijing's tallest buildings in the city's seventh annual vertical run on Saturday (August 31).
Around 900 participants from 32 different countries climbed the 82 floors of East Beijing's China World Summit building, covering a total of 2041 steps.
With the finish line 330 metres above ground level on the building's roof, it was a gruelling task for those competing.
The queen of the Beijing vertical run, Suzy Walsham from Australia, picked up her 7th straight victory in the elite women's race, finishing in a time of 11 minutes 59 seconds that was only bettered by the top three men.
Chartered accountant Walsham - who finished 50 seconds ahead of the rest of the women's field - puts her consistency down to training and extensive race experience which has seen her compete in over 120 stair races.
Ryoji Watanabe from Japan took victory in the men's race in a time of 10 minutes 37 seconds, 32 seconds ahead of his rivals, as he improved on last year's second-placed finish.
The Beijing vertical run is part of an annual vertical world circuit which covers skyscrapers in cities across the world including Milan, Paris, London, Shanghai, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Both Walsham and Watanabe are targeting top spot in the rankings when the season reaches its climax in Hong Kong on December 1.
(Production: Martin Pollard) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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