New York - USA

The most famous stair race and, according to the organizers, the New York Road Runners Club, oldest of its kind too is the Empire State Building Run Up, which had its 29th edition on Feb 07 2006.

It is an invitational race and the winner of some other great races all over the world earn themselves a ticket.

Race mode is mass start in two waves. The Ladies are let loose five minutes befor the Gents ! There are 1576 stairs to climb, beginning in the building's lobby up to the finish line on podest 86. Altitude difference is 303m.

In the years 1999 til 2003 the race was dominated by Australian Paul Crake, still holder of the course record and the only one so far under ten minutes!
The most successful Lady of the last years is Cindy Moll from Indiana.

The Austrian stair racers had some top places already in the last years and onFeb. 3 2004 they had their great day !

Rudolf Reitberger from Julbach in Upper Austria - two times 2nd and once 3rd in the Paul Crake era fulfilled his great dream and crossed the finish line on 86 as the winner. With some distance behind the Israeli twins Ran and Dan Alterman placed themselves, newcomers to the scene who together had won the first stair race in Israel in October 2003.

Andrea Mayr - from Upper Austria too - came, saw and won clocking a new course record too. Like two years ago to Kerstin Harbich lost to the winner of the previous Vienna Donauturm race. Since some month Cindy runs with the name Moll-Harris and in this race she was 27 seconds faster than her spouse James :o)

The two winners prepared a lot together and Andrea like at their first double win at the Donauturm profited much from Rudi´s enormous experience.

The year 2005 saw the same winners; Rudi Reitberger in a fotofinish against young German Thomas Dold and Andrea Mayr in spite of a broken wrist with new course record before Cindy Harris.

99 men and 55 women completed the 29th race on Feb 7,2006. Andrea Mayr was untouchable for the the third time in a row and clocked a new course record too. Runner up young Austrian talent Nada Pauerand third ESB evergreen Cindy Harris who led until the 20th floor. Remarkable - just 4 men were faster than Andrea und just 10 faster than Nada !
Changing of the guards at the men´s race; as Rudi Reitberger has announced after his dramatic win last year he had no chance against Germany´s Thomas Dold who led from the start to the finish line and clocked his first great international win ! Runner up last year´s champion Rudolf Reitberger who had to fight with America´s Sproule Love until the last floors. On the places Markus Zahlbruckner from Austria and Matthias Jahn from Germany.
An unbelievable mistake was done by the organisation. Markus, although he was runner up in 2003 had to start in the second slower heat. There he did a solo run and clocked a time just 5 seconds behind 3rd place. Had he been in the main heat he sure would have been a factor in the race for podium places !