Happy, tired, regretful, amazed … These were some of the emotions among the runners who made it to the finish line on the 49th floor of Ho Chi Minh City’s Bitexco financial towers last Sunday.
Mike Jackson, a teacher at South Saigon International School in District 7, wipes sweat while waiting for his wife to arrive at the top.
“I climbed the Seattle's Colombia Tower a long time ago when I was 24; it’s good to do it again in Vietnam,” he says.
He loves to exercise because it keeps him healthy and thinks it is fun to participate in an event like this.
Matt Natalotto, an Australian engineer who has worked in the city for three years, says he is proud of his achievement of finishing in seven minutes, topping the 41+ category.
A sports enthusiast, he has attended the Terry Fox run in the city every year and other grueling events like marathons, triathlons, and beach runs in the country and overseas.
“I have participated in many crazy races and got injured,” he says.
However, it has not stopped him from joining the stair run. Each runner had to have a number and name or nickname on their vest, and Natalotto’s was “Don’t die, Daddy” --the advice he had got from his worried daughter that morning.
Natalotto and his vest saying “Don’t die, Daddy” --the advice he had got from his worried daughter that morning (Photo: Quynh Trung)
While for many the run was a sporting activity or a physical achievement, for some it was a way of defeating some handicap.
Dwayne Fernandes of Australia, a double amputee due to a birth defect, completed the run in a time of 14 minutes and 31 seconds.
“I participated in the run to have the joy of achievement. I want to point to the tallest tower in different cities and say I have climbed that one. By knowing how hard it is, I realize how strong I have become,” he said.
He ran up the 1,504 steps of the Sydney Tower in 2008 and set his first world record for amputees.
Thuy Dung, 25, who was in a beautiful pink skirt, says she was quickly became tired and wanted to give up in the middle of the race.
But she says with a smile: “I wanted to see what it was like to be on top, so I tried and I made it.”
Thai woman Marasri and American LaHaie, a couple living in Hong Kong, enjoyed the panoramic view from the tower after their first-ever tower run.
“We were planning to travel to Vietnam and found out about this race in HCMC, so we registered,” Marasri says.
“Although we did not manage to finish in the top three, the view was already an amazing prize.”
Rebecca, a teacher at the Canadian International School, takes photos and cheers her students and colleagues who have climbed up the 1,002 steps.
She had registered as a runner with her team but unfortunately broke a leg before the competition. Yet, she managed to limp up to the 49th floor to support her team.
“After this, maybe we will go and eat ice creams to celebrate our achievement.”
Though not aiming for the prizes, many competitors try to attract attention in other ways.
Some paint their faces or wear scary masks from the previous day’s Halloween.
Dang Khoa climbed backwards while carrying a sign saying “Vote for Ha Long Bay” in Vietnamese and English. It was a reference to the poll for the new world natural wonders this month.
“I have practiced for a month. By running backwards, I want to say that time is running out and there are only 12 days to go for the vote,” the student from the city’s Cao Thang Technical College said.
There was a 20-member Taiwanese team in uniforms and a head scarf made from their flag.
“In Taiwan, we have stair runs in the Taipei 101 tower. I have never participated in my country and I am glad I could make it here in Vietnam,” Kay Huang, one of the team, says.
Though the Bitexco vertical run is only half the distance of the Taipei 101 run, the challenge remains the same.
Thomas Dold of Germany, the reigning world champion, said he had to concentrate very hard since many of others were just a few seconds behind him.
“It was more difficult than I thought. I felt very hot and the locals were very tough and motivated.”
World Champion Thomas Dold and his smile of victory (Photo: Quynh Trung)
In the event, he won in 4 minutes 51 seconds.
Dold says he is looking forward to competing in Vietnam again.
HCMC’s first ever vertical attracted 500 participants including foreigners from 24 different countries.
The Bitexco Financial Tower was recently named as one of the world’s 20 most iconic skyscrapers by CNNGo.
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