Vertical marathon concluded in Changsha

Poland's Piotr Lobodzinski took home the men's and the Czech Republic's Zuzana Krchova won the women's championship in the China Vertical Marathon League & Tower Running Tour Final concluded in Changsha, the capital of Central China's Hunan province on Jan 13.

Lobodzinski finished ahead by 5 minutes and 48 seconds and Krchova established a one minute 11 seconds gap. Zeng Wenbo, a runner from Hunan province, placed third in the men's group; he climbed all the floors in a time of five minutes and 57 seconds.

Zeng is the first Chinese competitor so far to rank among the top three in an international vertical marathon contest. 

The three competitors, together with another 1,000 plus contestants, finished mounting each stair in the 46-floor CITIC Tower, a total of 1,210 steps.

Poland's Piotr Lobodzinski starts the vertical marathon in Changsha, Jan 13. [Photo/icswb.com]

According to the Deputy Director of the Hunan Provincial Administration of Sports, Yang Zaihui, "The successful hosting of the international competition helps showcase Changsha and its strength. We expect more quality sports events to be held in Hunan province, attracting more global participants."

"Participants can well appreciate the landscape and historical and cultural charm, being a boost to local tourism development," Yang added.

Sponsored by the General Administration of Sports of China, the China Vertical Marathon is the very first state-level competition in the field, which has been growing in popularity among active Chinese.

The Jan 13 event was part of more than 1,000 vertical marathons, including championships and challenges, targeting different groups of people in multiple cities.