Runners race up Beijing's tallest building

Fed up with running on a treadmill? Intimidated by the grueling full marathon distance? Or fearful of polluted air outside? Why not try a vertical run up the stairs of the China World Summit Wing, in Beijing.

The landmark building, which towers 330 meters over the capital's central business district, is part of the Vertical World Circuit, or VWC, the world's first and only skyscraper race event, which is held annually in iconic skyscrapers across the world, including the Empire State Building in New York City and Taipei 101.

VWC runners from around the world are assigned points based on their results and the male and female competitors with the highest scores at the end of the year are declared world champion.