Race to the peak of China with Shenzhen’s speed—how fast can you make it?
On January 11, 2025, the answer will be revealed! The 2025 Ping An Financial Center Vertical Marathon, hosted by Ping An, will invite top vertical marathon runners from around the world to race up the heights of the Bay Area—Shenzhen Ping An Financial Center—and mark the grand opening of 2025!
In 1978, with the rise of skyscrapers around the world, a group of runners pioneered a new urban sport—the Vertical Marathon. From New York’s Empire State Building, Sydney Tower in Australia, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, global landmark buildings became their racecourses.
In 2025, these athletes will set their sights on the world’s tallest office building and the highest structure in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area—the Shenzhen Ping An Financial Center. Standing at an impressive 599 meters, this architectural marvel will challenge runners with 3,201 steps as they race to the top, feeling the pulse of their heartbeats as they climb to ring in the first summit of the New Year!
The TWA World Tower Racing Association officially recognizes this event and offers up to 200 points in the competition rankings. As a result, top athletes from the TWA world rankings, including the world’s top 50, will compete for glory. Among them is Valentina Belotti from Italy, ranked No. 1 in the TWA Women’s Division, a consistent champion. With an incredible time of 21:01, she claimed victory in the 2023 Shanghai Tower Vertical Marathon. Back in China for another challenge, she will need to give it her all to defend her title, as fierce competitors, including Yuko Tateishi from Japan and Klaudia Krajewska from Poland, ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively, are closing in on her.
The competition is equally intense in the Men’s Division. Ryoji Watanabe from Japan recently overtook Wai Ching Soh from Malaysia, the first Asian winner of the Empire State Building Vertical Marathon, to claim the world No. 1 spot. In less than two weeks, the two will meet again in Shenzhen, possibly facing off in another thrilling battle for the title of World’s Best!
But it’s not just about the glory. The event also attracts athletes fueled by sportsmanship and passion. Kamila Chomaničová, ranked 6th in the TWA women’s category, is a legendary vertical marathoner who is the only Slovak woman to have raced up the Empire State Building. Having taken on its 1,576 steps three times, her story is about relentless determination and courage, overcoming the challenges of limited training facilities in Slovakia.
As more international athletes choose China as the stage to showcase their strength, we’re also dedicated to supporting domestic runners who aspire to compete on the world stage. Ping An has also invited key local government departments, including Shenzhen Public Security, Shenzhen Traffic Police, and Shenzhen Fire Department, to form a “Professional Running Team,” proudly representing Shenzhen’s vitality and spirit to the world.
To further ignite the passion for the race, Ping An has called on runners from the 11 cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and more than 20 top business school students to form unique Bay Area Running Teams and Academic Elite Teams, spreading the love for running and fitness across the region.
As a corporate leader in social welfare, Ping An is also committed to combining “National Fitness” with “Social Welfare”. For every runner in the Open Category who crosses a milestone, Ping An Public Welfare will donate three footballs to Ping An Hope Schools, with a total of 300 footballs to be donated throughout the event.
On January 11, 2025, at 7:00 AM, the starting gun will fire. How fast can you reach the peak of the 599-meter Bay Area summit? Let’s wait and see!
