Have you pressed a button in an elevator when you couldn't be bothered to climb the stairs even one floor?

A challenging vertical race may remind you of the sweaty and rewarding joys of climbing the stairs.

The tallest hotel in the capital, Shangri-La's China World Summit Wing Beijing, will host the first-ever vertical run in China accredited by the International Skyrunning Federation on Aug 3.

Beijing has been selected for an official race for the 2013 Vertical World Circuit, which includes some of the world's most iconic skyscraper runs, including the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York City.

World-class stair climbers, as well as sportsmen, celebrities and the general public, will compete to reach the highest point of the 330-meter tower in the China World Trade Center, the tallest building in Beijing, and compete for a cash prize, the highest being $1,000.

The fastest male and female runners from the general public will be awarded trips to the United Kingdom to spend three nights in a suite at the soon-to-open Shangri-La Hotel At The Shard, London.

All participants will be rewarded by the unparalleled bird's eye views across the whole of Beijing, including the Forbidden City and other travel attractions at the rooftop of the building, where the race will finish.

According to race organizers, the China World Summit Wing Hotel Vertical Run may be the most challenging race on the VWC this year, taking into consideration the height of the tower and the number of steps.

The tower has 82 floors and 2,041 steps. The fastest runners, however, are expected to reach the rooftop in less than 10 minutes. Other buildings conquered by runners in 2013 include the iconic Taipei 101 in Taiwan.

All proceeds from the run will be donated to the Chinese Rural Kids Care charity, said Thomas Schmitt-Glaeser, general manager of China World Summit Wing, Beijing.

Stair climbing, first known as "vertical races" in the 1970s, is now a global sport with stair climbing clubs hailing from the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, and boasting professional athletes who train year-round to be the first to reach the top of the world's tallest buildings.

Although still a relatively new sport, stair climbing has quickly caught on among fitness enthusiasts attracted not only by the physical demands of this grueling sport, but also by the novelty of competing in unique urban settings - the world's tallest structures, some of which are located in Asia.

tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/21/2013 page15)