The 2010 Vertical World Circuit® sanctioned and promoted by the ISF, kicked off today with a double sprint up Italy’s two highest towers.  2009 Vertical World Circuit® champions, Thomas Dold from Germany and skyrunner Daniela Vassalli from Italy lived up to their reputation by scaling the 70 floors to win the season’s first race.

The 4th Vertical Sprint took place Sunday, January 24, with a first heat up the Pirelli building, 31 floors, 710 steps, followed by another heat - 39 floors and 866 steps on the Lombardy Region’s spectacular new headquarters, inaugurated today. One-hundred-and-eighty athletes from ten countries took the city by storm in this extraordinary, original skyscraper race, the world’s only double tower race.

Dold completed the two heats in 7 minutes 45 seconds 07, followed by Italian Fabio Ruga (8’02”88), Spaniard Agustì Roc (8’13”58), Slovakian Tomas Celko (8’15”00) and Briton Ricky Lightfoot (8’16”17).

Daniela Vassalli’s winning time was 9 minutes, 58 seconds 03, followed by New Zealander Anna Frost (10’23”79), Britain’s Natalie White (10’46”27), and Spain’s Tina Gomez (11’03”00).

Dold, thrilled with his victory, commented: “I’ve won the Empire State Building Run-Up four times, but I never enjoyed as much support and such an amazing spectacle as today in Milan”. Vassalli, unsure whether she would be fit enough to enter until the last minute, exclaimed, “I wasn’t sure if I could make it, but in the end I’m thrilled with my win in this amazing race and I can’t wait to tackle the next races on the circuit”.

Next stop on the nine-race Vertical World Circuit® is New York’s Empire State Building Run-Up on February 2, followed only five days later by the NSPCC StepChange, the first race on London’s Gherkin on February 7, and on to Basel, Berlin, Taipei, Sydney, Barcelona and the final in November in Singapore.

Vertical running has been the subject of scientific research carried out by Prof Alberto Minetti of the University of Milan in collaboration with the International Skyrunning Federation and Isokinetic.  The first results have been published on the physiological and biomechanical profile of this new sport (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 2009).  Research conducted yesterday on both skyscrapers included monitoring heart rate frequencies, lactic acid accumulation and tests on a number of athletes wearing novel rubber “Five Fingers” footwear.

For further information:
www.verticalrunning.org  - www.verticalsprint.it 

Men’s results
1° THOMAS DOLD (Germany) 7’45”07 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’35”85 – Altra Sede 4’09”22)
2° FABIO RUGA (Italy) 8’02”88 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’42”65 – Altra Sede 4’20”23)
3° AGUSTI´ROC (Spain) 8’13”58 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’52”21 – Altra Sede 4’21”37)
4° TOMAS CELKO (Slovakia) 8’15”00 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’52”55 – Altra Sede 4’22”45)
5° RICKY LIGHTFOOT (Great Britain 8’16”17 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’55”34 – Altra Sede 4’20”83)
6° RICCARDO STERNI (Italy) 8’17”59 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’55”72 – Altra Sede 4’21”87)
7° DAVIDE PILATTI (Italy) 8’20”71 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’56”73 – Altra Sede 4’23”98)
8° IGNACIO CARDONA (Spain) 8’23”94 (Grattacielo Pirelli 3’56”96 – Altra Sede 4’26”98)
9° PAVEL HOLEC (Czech Republic) 8’31”73 (Grattacielo Pirelli 4’06”21 – Altra Sede 4’25”52)
10° EMANUELE MANZI (Italy) 8’35”94 (Grattacielo Pirelli 4’03”77 – Altra Sede 4’32”17)

Women’s results
1° DANIELA VASSALLI (Italy) 9’58”03 (Grattacielo Pirelli 4’40”12 – Altra Sede 5’17”91)
2° ANNA FROST (New Zealand) 10’23”79 (Grattacielo Pirelli  4’55”49 – Altra Sede 5’28”30)
3° NATALIE WHITE (Great Britain) 10’46”58 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’00”81 – Altra Sede 5’45”46)
4° TINA GOMEZ (Spain) 11’03”00 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’07”36 – Altra Sede 5’55”64)
5° CRISTINA BONACINA (Italy) 11’59”20 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’34”49 – Altra Sede 6’24”71)
6° MICHELA ACQUISTAPACE (Italy) 12’09”00 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’41”00 – Altra Sede 6’28”00)
7° ELENA CASIRAGHI (Italy) 12’19”13 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’48”40 – Altra Sede 6’30”73)
8° ANNAMARIA GALBANI (Italy) 12’41”23 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’57”65 – Altra Sede 6’43”58)
9° SARA DE MARIA (Italia) 12’55”24 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’54”82 – Altra Sede 4’25”52)
10° NADIA BOLIS (Italy) 13’17”61 (Grattacielo Pirelli 5’52”96 – Altra Sede 7’24”65)