Vertical marathon on the rise in China

Australia's Suzanne Walsham won the women's vertical marathon title in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdon province, on Saturday.[Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Poland's Piotr Lobodzinski won men's and Australia's Suzy Walsham won the women's titles in a vertical marathon in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

Both runners, together with other 600 competitors, finished climbing and running on a 149.6 meter-tower in the city's Panyu district on Saturday. Lobodzinski finished ahead by 4 minutes and 0.3 seconds and Walsham with a 4 minutes 52 seconds gap.

The event was part of a series of vertical marathons held in 30 cities across the country this year, jointly organized by the Vertical Marathon Alliance and the Towerrunning World Association.

Vertical marathon, or running the stairs of a very tall building, was originated in the US. It has become an actual sport and according to organizers of the 2015 Asia Pacific International Vertical Marathon, it's been growing in popularity amongst active Chinese.