It’s no fun taking the stairs if you live in a high-rise building, and the lift has failed. Accordingly, there was much to be admired in the recent Belarusian Athletics Federation’s challenge, which invites people to ‘conquer’ Belarus’ tallest building: the Parus (Sail) skyscraper.
Reaching 35th storey in a single breath
Just 140 people were chosen for the event, as the Chairman of the Belarusian Athletics Federation, Vadim Devyatovsky, explains. Being the first such event, the organisers were keen to be cautious, and avoid possible difficulties on the stairs.
Not everyone managed to complete the climb. Alexander Obidientov has been running for a long time, taking part in several marathons, but even he admitted that it was the ‘trickiest’ race of his life. Some began walking after a certain distance, and a few dropped out around the 20th storey, longing for the elevator!
Alexander Klyuiko, aged 40, came first, being in great condition, thanks to his work with the Emergency Service. Athletes, alpinists and triathletes were among those first to finish. Mr. Klyuiko managed the climb in an amazing 2 minutes and 51 seconds, while the lift takes over 50 seconds.
By Dmitry Komarov
