Corrida Vertical race winner Piotre Lobodzinski
The sixth stage of the Vertical World Circuit saw a battle of the giants between Poland’s Piotr Lobodzinski and Germany’s Thomas Dold at the Corrida Vertical, São Paulo, Brazil yesterday.
It was a new record for Lobodzinski who closed in 2’54”, just 5” ahead of Dold. Belgian Omar Bekkali was third in 3’07”. Lobodzinski takes over the VWC ranking lead from Bekkali, with Austrian Norbert Lechner in third. Fifth on the ranking is another Austrian, Rolf Majen, who, after yesterday’s Corrida Vertical, establishes a first-ever record of 100 tower races to his credit.
For what Brazil’s Edificio Novo Abril lacks in height (149m, 30 floors and 672 steps), the competition is as tough as it gets with the world’s top vertical runners challenging each other here at the third edition of the race.
Anna Hahner, Corrida Vertical race winner
In the women’s field, Germany’s Anna Hahner, an accomplished marathon runner, won the race in 3’50”, almost a minute’s advantage over Italy’s Cristina Bonacina with Brazilian Angelina Das Graças Rafael, third. The women’s record still stands at 3’45” set by Suzy Walsham in 2013. At her first attempt in the Vertical World Circuit, no doubt Hahner will enjoy and excel in tower racing between road marathons. Just two weeks ago she won the Berlin Marathon in 2h27’55” with an incredibly strong 7th overall place.
Australia’s invincible Suzy Walsham, absent here, continues to lead the women’s ranking with three straight wins in New York, Paris and Beijing behind her. The VWC ranking counts the best score of four out of the eight-race Series (with an extra 20% at the final).
In just two weeks time on October 26, the Vertical World Circuit heads back East to Shanghai for the semi-finasl at the Two Shanghai International Finance Centre (sifc): 254m high, 54 floors and 1,460 steps. The records to beat? Wang Yunyan (CHN) 10’28. Tang Ningzhen (CHN) 12’26”.
Corrida Vertical winners
The Vertical World Circuit grand finale will take place in Hong Kong on December 7 at the SHKP Vertical Run: Race to Hong Kong ICC, where HKD $60,000 are at stake in the race, and the VWC Champions will be awarded HKD $100,000.
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