NYRR Empire State Building Run-Up Crowns Dold and Walsham as Champions
New York, February 6, 2007—Thomas Dold of Germany defended his title at the NYRR Empire State Building Run-Up with gusto today, yelling and swiping at the tape as he crossed the finish line in 10 minutes, 25 seconds, on the Observation Deck of New York’s tallest building. On the women’s side, Australian Suzy Walsham upset the favorite, Cindy Moll-Harris of Indianapolis, to win her first Run-Up—and only the second tower climb of her career—in 13:12. A total of 201 people finished the 30th annual Run-Up, an event record.
The Run-Up has been held each year since 1978, when it was won by New York City firefighter Gary Muhrcke (also the first New York City Marathon champion) and Marcy Schwamm. Entrants in the invitation-only event are selected based on previous Run-Up performances and other athletic achievements. Most participants are distance runners who feel a because-it’s-there desire to climb the building’s 1,576 steps (approximately 1/5 mile). In the words of third-place finisher Fiona Bayly, a New Yorker who has completed seven Run-Ups: “I see the Empire State Building almost every day, but by taking part in this race, I can say that I truly know the Empire State Building.”
Dold, a 22-year-old student and member of the German national mountain running team, is as close to a professional tower climber as the sport has to offer, with a website, several sponsors, and a list of victories around the globe. His brash persona has won him many New York fans, and he relished returning here to claim his second straight title. “The start was the hardest ever this year,” said Dold, referring to the mad scramble across the Empire State Building lobby to the stairwell door. Though he began the climb in approximately 10th place, Dold steadily passed other runners—including those in the women’s race, which had started five minutes before the men’s—before bursting into the bright sunlight of the Observation Deck to cross the finish line with all of Manhattan at his feet.
“That’s a great feeling—there’s nothing else like it,” said Dold, who walked back onto the course following his victory to cheer on his compatriot and training partner Jahn Matthias, 23. Matthias placed second in 10:56, followed by third-place finisher Rickey Gates, 25, of Boulder, Colorado (11:02).
While Dold had been heavily favored to win, Walsham was on nobody’s short list to claim the top spot. Recently retired as a middle distance track racer after placing sixth in the Commonwealth Games 1500 meters in Melbourne last March, the 33-year-old now resides in Singapore, where she won the 73-story Swissotel Vertical Marathon in November. It was Walsham’s first-ever tower climb, and the champion’s prize was a trip to New York for the Run-Up.
“Last week I practiced three times at my condo, which has 12 floors—I went up and down three times,” said Walsham of her preparations. “Other than that, my fitness is just what I’ve carried over from running. I was very surprised to do as well as I did.”
Moll-Harris, 38, who won the Run-Up in 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2003, and was third last year, took her defeat by Walsham in stride. “You never know who is going to show up,” she said. “It’s an international sport and lots of people come to it from other sports where they’ve competed at a high level. It’s not a sport you can make a living doing, so we all just have fun chasing each other.” Moll-Harris’s time was 13:24, with Bayly, 39, just one tick back in 13:25.
As much fun as they claim to be having, most Run-Up finishers consider the race the most challenging event on their athletic calendar. “It’s harder than a marathon,” said Bayly. “You’re going at maximal effort right from the start. You don’t want to go any harder, but you have to go harder.” Walsham said the only way she was able to mentally survive the race was to deliberately lose track of her time and progress: “You just concentrate on the few steps right in front of you and on maintaining a rhythm.”
The race’s oldest finisher this year, 77-year-old Al Puma of Brooklyn, completed his 15th consecutive Run-Up in 27:16. “At about the 50th floor, I said to myself, ‘Al, you’re getting too old for this,’” he said. “That said, I’ll probably be back next year.”
In conjunction with the 30th NYRR Empire State Building Run-Up, New York Road Runners donated $10,000 to the Australian Cycling Federation Support Paul Crake Appeal in honor of five-time Run-Up champion (1999-2003) and record-holder (9:33) Paul Crake of Australia. Crake, 29, turned to professional cycling in 2004 and was severely injured in an accident during the Tour of Southland in New Zealand on November 11, 2006, fracturing vertebrae in his back and neck. For more information on the Australian Cycling Federation Support Paul Crake Appeal, click here.
Click here to view race photos.
Thomas Dold of Germany defended his title at the 30th annual NYRR Empire
State Building Run-Up, finishing in 10:25. Click here to view race photos.
