VietNamNet Bridge - Suzy Walsham (Australia) - the winner of the vertical climbing competition at the Empire State Building in New York for three consecutive years - will go to Hanoi.

A stair-climbing race will kick off in Vietnam’s tallest building, the Kaengnam Landmark Tower, in Hanoi on September 30. This is the first competition of its kind held in the capital city of Vietnam.

Runners will have to conquer the 350m high tower, 72 stories with 1,914 steps. Those who finish first will receive cash prizes worth $300 to $1,500.

This competition is one of the stair climbing competitions around the world in 2012 (Vertical World Circuit - VWC). VWC 2012 consists of nine races at high-rise building around the world, from New York to London, from Milan to Basel and Berlin to Taipei, Hanoi and Singapore. Sao Paolo (Brazil) is the venue for the final lap to pick out the male and female world champions.

This year's competition will bring the world's best athletes to Vietnam, including Suzy Walsham (Australia), the three-time winner of the New York Empire State run-up.

Walsham won four gold medals for the women’s 1500m and 800m races in her country. She then moved to compete in stair climbing competitions and has been the champion of the Empire State Building stair climbing contest in New York. As a leading runner, Suzy hoped to do well at the Landmark 72 Vertical Run to defend her number-one position.

In late 2011, She conquered the building Swissotel Vertical Marathon (226m, 1,334 steps) in Singapore in just 8.23 minutes. She is also a four-time champion of these competitions.

Besides Suzy, the competition in Hanoi will have the particpation of Omar Bekkali from Belgium, who currently rank third in the VWC’s rankings for men.

In addition, the competition will have the presence of Ho Thi Hue, a disabled athlete from Quang Tri province. Hue is the first disabled athlete of Vietnam who won a silver medal for swimming at the Asian Paragames.

East Meets West non-governmental organization has been selected as the official charity partner of this contest. The entire revenue from the competition will be used to purchase sports equipment for sports clubs for the disabled in Quang Tri.

In 2011, Sporting Republic organized a similar race named Bitexco Vertical Run in Ho Chi Minh City. This event, the first in Vietnam, attracted more than 500 attendees. Germany’s defending world champion Thomas Dold claimed the title, finishing the 1,002 step climb to reach the 49th floor in less than five minutes.

Participants can register for the race this year on website in www.hanoirun.com. The participation fee is $15 per person.

Appearing for the first time in the '70s, stair climbing has become a global sport with many clubs in the U.S., Canada, or Europe and Asia.

This is a relatively new sport, but stair climbing has developed rapidly.

Compiled by S. Tung