Stairway to Heaven: How to Sign Up for This Year’s 82-Floor Vertical Run

Step by step, it's time once again to showcase your fitness level before enjoying one of Beijing’s best views. That's because this year's annual Vertical Run has been announced for Aug 31 at 2pm.

Beijing's leg of 330-meter Vertical Run heads again to China World Summit Wing, where competitors will need to climb 2,041 steps over 82 floors before reaching the finish line. Once there, they can catch their breath and celebrate against an unbeatable backdrop of Beijing's CBD.

Daunting as that skyward-bound distance may sound, one of its most dedicated participants encourages runners of all levels to take part. “The Vertical Run is not as hard as a full marathon, and you can choose to finish it at your own pace. As long as you take your time, anyone can do it,” says Clemence Jiang, a 33-year-old blogger and entrepreneur who has participated in every Beijing Vertical Run since 2015.

In fact, Jiang says this run is so accessible that one time while hurrying up the stairwell at the Shanghai Vertical Run, she “met a senior citizen runner who asked if I could take a photo for him. He was 72.”

Jiang has also laced up for Vertical Runs in Seoul and Hong Kong. “It feels good that you have a special reason to travel to those locales, and you get the see the city form the tallest buildings,” she says.

Beijing is one of 11 cities to host the race. A statement on their website says: "Since 2009, the annual Vertical World Circuit has been uniting race organizers, creating new events, and recruiting and managing elite athletes on some the world’s most iconic skyscrapers."

That means that even if you can't make the Beijing run in August, you can heed Jiang's advice and take part in the Shanghai, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, or Hong Kong Vertical Runs before the year's end.

To register for this year’s Vertical Run, click here.

Photos courtesy of the China World Summit Wing, Vertical Run