Two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee is no stranger to grueling tests of endurance, but his next challenge looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen him tackle. On October 8th, the British triathlon legend will line up at the start of the Empire State Building Run-Up – a race that sends athletes straight into the sky, climbing 86 floors and 1,576 steps inside one of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers.
“Not quite the Yorkshire Dales,” Brownlee joked to the different environment than home, “but I’m looking forward to seeing how the legs handle it.”
Different is putting it lightly. For most visitors, the journey to the building’s 86th-floor observation deck takes just a minute by elevator. For the world’s top stair runners, it’s a lung-busting, leg-burning effort of around ten minutes. For others, it can take considerably longer. Either way, the challenge is brutal: relentless vertical meters, no respite, and nowhere to hide.
For a taste of what Brownlee is about to experience, check out the highlights from the 2023 edition. It might just leave you dizzy before you even take the first step: