Did you know that Overijssel’s tallest tower hosts the 10th edition of the Dutch Championships Tower Running? Sunday 10 December vertical runners ascend as many as 450 stairs at the Alpha Tower in Enschede. The holder of the track record finished in less than two minutes.
The challenging race (‘Upstairs Open NK Trappenloop’ in Dutch) starts outside at ground level and finishes at the observation deck after climbing a vertical distance of 101 meters. The tower runners are rewarded with an amazing view of Twente and can see as far as Germany.
Alpha Tower
The annual race is held at Alpha Tower in the city center of Enschede. With a height of 101 meters this is the tallest building in the province of Overijssel. The 28 floors are all occupied by residential appartments. The tower was completed in 2008.
Race categories
There are race categories for men and women, for children up to 12 years and teens from 13 up to 16 years. Firefighters tackle the vertical climb in full gear (17kg!) including oxygen masks.
Registration
Want to test your stamina? The deadline for online registration is Thursday 7 December. Event day registration is possible unless the quota is full. The registration fee is €5 per person (children up to 16 years: €2.50).
Tip for tower running
Practice taking two stairs at a time. This might seem harder but it actually takes less energy and is faster than climbing one step at a time. The only way is up!
Track records NK Trappenloop
Men – Jeroen Vochteloo (2015) 1:56min
Women – Chantalle Wiggers (2014) 2:30min
Firefighters – Maarten Janssen (2015) 3:20min
More vertical runs in the Netherlands
Stair climbing, also known as tower running, is becoming an increasingly popular endurance event in the Netherlands.
On Friday 15 December 2017 there is a vertical run for students in Nijmegen at the Erasmus Tower (20 floors).
Another vertical run in the Netherlands is scheduled for Thursday 28 December 2017 at Rotterdam’s Euromast. Participants will face the challenge of running up 589 steps to a height of 185 meters.
Check out the website for the Vertical World Circuit with runs to the top of the world’s tallest buildings i.a. Dubai, London, Sydney and Hong Kong.
