Mark Bourne, 2014 Shanghai race winner. (c)Sporting Republic
A record attendance of more than 1,400 runners are lining up for Sunday’s Vertical World Circuit at the Race to Shanghai IFC where the world’s top specialists will compete to score ranking points in the circuit’s semi finals.
1,460 steps up 54 floors is the challenge awaiting the runners. Heading the ranking is 2014 Vertical World Champion, Poland’s Piotr Lobodzinski with already four straight wins in London, Tapei, Paris and Beijing in his pocket.
He will be challenged by last year’s winner, Australian Mark Bourne, currently ranked 4th and Italian Emanuele Manzi, 5th. Ma Zeng Tong, 15th, from China will join them and Rolf Majcen, ranked 16fh, from Austria, will continue his passion for skyscraper racing, having competed in more than 100 tower races.
London Vertical Rush winners Svabikova and Lobodzinski heading for Shanghai. (c)iancorless.com
Following on from her wins in London and Paris, the women’s field is headed by Lenka Svabikova from the Czech Republic. She will be challenged by Italy’s Cristina Bonacina, ranked 2nd, and China’s Gan Xue who placed second here last year. She’s ranked 10th after her excellent 2nd place in Beijing.
Vertical World Champion Australian Suzy Walsham who has won this race three times, will not be racing, with already four wins on the circuit to her credit in New York, Taipei, Sydney and Beijing.
The records to beat are 7’55” set here by Bourne last year, and 9’20” by Suzy Walsham.
Set in Mainland China’s financial centre Shanghai, Race to Shanghai IFC is fast becoming a favourite with a field of more than 20 elites and a record of more than 1,400 entries.
Gan Xue, China’s race favourite. (c)Sporting Republic
All eyes will be on Sunday’s exciting race on the Sun Hung Kai Properties landmark tower, the Two Shanghai International Finance Centre. The Race to Shanghai IFC is the seventh race in the eight-race 2015 Vertical World Circuit which stretches across the world from America to the heart of Europe, Oceania and Asia.
After New York, London, Taipei, Paris, Sydney and Beijing, the Vertical World Circuit continues in Asia, in Shanghai on Sunday, October 25.
The VWC grand finale will be held in Hong Kong on December 6 where the World Champions will be crowned at the SHKP Vertical Run for Charity – Race to Hong Kong ICC with a prize purse of 100,000 HKD at stake.
*The VWC world champion titles are awarded on the score of four out of eight races, with 20% extra points awarded at the final.