- Competitive Stair Climbing Event Held in Cologne, Germany
Over a thousand enthusiastic climbers, both male and female, will surmount over 732 steps and ascend approximately 135 meters in altitude today, tackling 40 floors of the Cologne Tower. For the fourth year in a row, the German Stair Climbing Competition is happening in Cologne's tallest skyscraper, as per the announcement made by the organizers. This is the 12th iteration of the stair climbing event.
This year, the climb will reach the 40th floor of the tower, rather than concluding at the 39th. Participants comprise of stair climbing novices to seasoned athletes, from 8-year-old schoolchildren to an 91-year-old individual, challenging each other individually, in teams, or in the firefighter categories. Contestants hail from 21 diverse nations, all registered for the event. Post the climb, participants will descend using the elevator.
The struggle for the German stair climbing championship title is intensifying. The current title holder, Andreas Fruhmann from Leverkusen, will attempt to retain his crown against the 11 years elder local hopeful, George Heimann. Among the women, Verena Schmitz from Konstanz aims to protect her titles from the past two years against the previous year's runner-up, Monica Carl.
Every German resident who completes the climb will qualify for the German Championships. Besides the German contenders, international heavyweights like Omar Bekkali from Belgium and Adele Blaise-Sohnius, who resides in Siegburg, will also take part. The quickest climbers can make it to the top in less than four minutes.
Like in the previous years, the organizers will also provide a team competition for duos. Moreover, the firefighter teams, donned in full protective equipment, will compete in both individual and duo events. The record for firefighters in gear is slightly over six minutes. The races will commence at 11:00 AM.
Despite the diverse participants, everyone shares a common passion for Sports. The atmosphere during the German Stair Climbing Competition is filled with intense Sports rivalry.
