Run to the Sky at the 1st Kerry Sports Manila Vertical Run

How fast can you run a 250 meters on the road? Probably less than 5 minutes, right?

How about running 250 meters vertically through 59 floors of a building.? Can you still finish it in less than 5 minutes?

Here is your chance to find out.

Join the 1st Kerry Sports Manila Vertical Run 2016 on August 14 at Shangri-La at the Fort. This is the first internationally sanctioned vertical run in the country. If I remember it right, this will also be the highest vertical run yet in the Philippines.

The Kerry Sports Manila Vertiical Run will let runners run from the hotel lobby of Shangri-La at the Fort up to the 59th floor. It would be a total elevation of 250m and 1,353 steps through the stairs.

The event is part of the Vertical World Circuit (VWC) which organizes a total of 9 vertical runs all over the world. The Vertical World Circuit is governed by the International Skyrunning Federation. The VWC is also being held in London, Dubai, New York, Paris, Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

The run will have 4 categories:

• Individual Category for single runners who will run the entire 59 floors. Runners should be at least 18 years old to join. Registration fee is 1,200 PHP.
• Fun Climb Category is best suited for beginners. Instead of running all 59 floors, the Fun Climb will just be 20 floors. Runners should be at least 12 years old to join. Registration fess is 1,200 PHP.
• Team Challenge is for a group of 4 runners who will run the entire 59 floors. The team doesn’t have to finish all together at the same. Instead, the finish time will be based on the time of the 3rd runner upon reaching the top floor. Registration is 6,000 PHP per team.
• Elite Category is for the professional runners who will climb up all 59 floors. This category is by invitation only.
  Registration for the Kerry Sports Manila Vertical Run is ongoing until July 24, 2016. You can register online at www.manilaverticalrun.com or at Kerry Sports Manila in Shangri-La at the Fort.

Vertical races has been popular since the 1970s. Some of the well known vertical runs are being held among the tallest skyscrapers in the world. There are professional athletes who trains all year round to compete in the circuit. In the VWC, the athletes who gathers the most points at the end of the nine legs will be declared the Vertical World Circuit World Champion.

The 2016 Vertical World Circuit is as follows:

• London – March 8
• Dubai – April 8
• New York – May 15
• Paris – May 20
• Manila – August 14
• Sydney – August 21
• Beijing – September 3
• Shanghai – October 23
• Hong Kong – December 4

Watch the video below to see how athletes race to the top in Milan Italy during one of the VWC events.

Joining a vertical run will be an all new experience. As they say, “The top of the world is just a staircase away.”

Be sure to sign up for the 1sr Kerry Sports Manila Vertical Run. Deadline of registration will be on July 24, 2016.
For more details and updates about the run, follow Kerry Sports Manila on Facebook at facebook.com/KerrySportsManila and on Instagram @KerrySportsManila. For inquiries, please call (63 2) 820 0888 local 7707 or email kerrysportsmanila@shangri-la.com.