Marathon enthusiasts rise to the challenge in Dubai

About 160 runners raced to the top of the 52-storey Jumeirah Emirates Towers building to benefit a medical charity.

Young participants take part in the seventh annual Vertical Marathon at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai that benefits Médecins Sans Frontières.

DUBAI // Not only did 160 people take on the challenge of running up a 350-metre, 52-storey building yesterday - they started doing it at 8am. Yet the early start failed to put off the runners who lined up to take part in Dubai's annual Vertical Marathon. Lawyers, teachers and mothers sprinted or puffed their way up 1,334 stairs at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers alongside athletes and coaches.

It took the winner, Thomasz Klisz, a personal coach from Poland, a mere 8 minutes and 29 seconds to ascend the 52 floors. The leading woman was Jo Phillimore, a British national and Dubai resident, who reached the top in 12 minutes, 22 seconds. In the team event, a three-strong group from Dubai Holding won with a time of 15 minutes, 42 seconds. Their efforts raised a total of Dh115,000 for the aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

"I love this. This is my hobby," Mr Klisz said. His hobby has taken him racing up towers in nine countries including the US, Austria, Singapore and Germany. The 29-year-old has also participated in mountain races in Europe. It was Ms Phillimore's first vertical marathon. The mother of three, who conducts fitness classes, said she would return next year to compete. "I could have gone faster. I shouldn't have looked at what floor I was on. I thought I was high up, so I looked," she said. "When I saw it was the 26th floor, I was destroyed."

She learnt soon enough not to check the floor markings and instead kept pace with other participants. A group of three teachers from Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Private Academy won an award for raising the highest funds, totalling Dh11,255. The Canadian nationals said they raised the money through school fundraisers. "We did this because it's for MSF and to show our students what can be achieved," Kerri Birnes, a business schoolteacher, said. "It's also a great way to challenge yourself."

Many competitors had participated in one of the previous six vertical marathons and said it helped gauge their fitness levels. Rolf Majcen, an Australian lawyer who placed second in the men's section, had travelled with his parents to Dubai for the marathon, the 19th city he has visited in the 11 years since he began running up towers. "It is a great way to see the world. It is a fantastic sport, the best way to save your back if you sit in office all day," Mr Majcen said. "So this is how I keep fit."

One of the youngest participants was three-year-old Caleb Jennings, who rode on his father's shoulders in a baby carrier. Mr Jennings, a geography teacher with Raffles International School, said hauling an extra 17kg on his back was gruelling, but worth the effort. "He kept asking me questions on the way up and I had to chat a bit, so that was tiring. But we enjoyed it," said Mr Jennings, a South African national. He plans to race with his younger daughter next year.

"People think I'm a bit crazy, but we spend so much time at home with two small kids that it's nice to show my son that dad's not someone who stays home," he added. MSF's executive director Marc Sauvagnac said the Vertical Marathon helped the aid group connect with people. "We remain an international humanitarian organisation that relies on private funds to help us intervene in emergencies," he said. "This event helps people's understanding of us."

Sarah Meech, a Canadian national, said raising money for a good cause had driven her to participate in her third vertical marathon in Dubai. "It's tremendous fun and feels wonderful to be doing something for the greater good," said the mother-of-two. @Email:[e-mail]