Annual Empire State Building Run-up a success

NEW YORK -- It was a race to the top - well, to the 86th floor, anyway.

People from around the world took part in a vertical race - up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building. That's a total of 1,576 steps, starting at the lobby and finishing at the observation deck.

The annual Empire State Building Run-up was held Wednesday night.

More than 600 people took part in the event, including some world-class elite athletes.

The run-up used to be held during the day before being switched to evening hours last year to allow more participation. The event is put on by the New York Road Runners, which also puts on the annual New York City Marathon.

Like the marathon, start times were staggered. The elite men and woman started before the general field, and participants in the general field were released one at a time several seconds apart to avoid crowding.

The Empire State Building race is among the more high-profile tower climbs in the world. Participants came from around the United States, as well as countries including Belgium, Japan and Papua New Guinea.

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