Race winners Suzy Walsham, who set a new record, and Mark Bourne. ©Sporting Republic
A new record was set on the Two Shanghai IFC, the Sun Hung Kai Properties landmark tower, on the eighth leg of the Vertical World Circuit, Sunday, October 22.
1,650 participants scaled the 1,460 steps of the building in the SHKP Vertical Run for Charity: Race to Shanghai IFC where VWC world champion, Australian Suzy Walsham smashed her own 2016 record by seven seconds to summit in 9’08”.
Australian Mark Bourne won the men’s race for the third time running in a battle with world champion Piotr Lobodzinski from Poland, to close in 7’44”, two seconds short of his 2016 record. Lobodzinski’s closed in 7’53″. In third place was Ryoji Watanabe from Japan in 8’12”.
Winner Mark Bourne and Piotr Lobodzinski, second. ©Sporting Republic
“I was very happy to get a win today and get my third win here in Shanghai,” Bourne said. “I felt good and when I got into the lead into the second half of the race, I was looking forward to the finish. I’m looking forward to the next two events on the circuit, in Osaka and Hong Kong. I’ll try to win those and see how I finish in the overall rankings.”
Second lady to the top was Japan’s Yuri Yoshizumi in 9’26” and Australia’s Alice McNamara in 10’06”.
“I had a really great race,” said Walsham at the finish. “Training’s been going well and it was an important race today. Five wins now so it’s looking good for the circuit.”
Alice McNamara, Suzy Walsham and Yuri Yoshizumi, SHKP Vertical Run for Charity: Race to Shanghai IFC . ©Sporting Republic
With eight out of the Vertical World Circuit’s ten races completed, ranking leaders Lobodzinski and Walsham remain unchallenged. Belgian Omar Bekkali ranks second and Bourne, after yesterday’s win, takes the third slot.
Walsham reigns supreme after five straight wins. She is followed by Italian Cristina Bonacina and Lenka Svabikova from the Czech Republic.
For the fourth time the Shanghai race has featured on the Vertical World Circuit after the resounding success of the “sister” event in Hong Kong, which represents the circuit’s final race.
Men’s start, SHKP Vertical Run for Charity: Race to Shanghai IFC. ©Sporting Republic
The SHKP Vertical Run for Charity – Race to Hong Kong ICC will again star as the VWC grand finale on December 3 with where the world champions will be crowned and the end of season bonus prizes totaling 106,000 HKD will be awarded.
Next and second-last stop on the circuit will be new entry Harukas Skyrun in Osaka, Japan on November 12. It featured as a VWC Exhibition race last year and will attract the world’s top runners to beat the records set by Lobodzinski and Yoshizumi.
Race results
Men
- Mark Bourne (AUS) – 7’44”
- Piotr Lobodzinski (POL) – 7’53”
- Ryogi Watanabe (JAP) – 8’12”
Women
- Suzy Walsham (AUS) – 9’08”
- Yuri Yoshizumi (JAP) – 9’26”
- Alice McNamara (AUS) – 10’06”
*The VWC world champion titles are based on the score of five out of ten races, with 20% extra points awarded at the grand finale.
Ryoji Watanabe, third, SHKP Vertical Run for Charity: Race to Shanghai IFC. ©Sporting Republic
2017 Vertical World Circuit Ranking
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