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Click here to view a photo slideshow of the event.
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Unless you throw up, faint or die, keep going.
That isn't the official slogan of the annual Trek Up the Tower, but several runners adopted it as their own Saturday to scale the stairs at Omaha's First National Tower.
At 633 feet, it's Nebraska's tallest building. Nearly 1,600 people climbed 40 of its 45 stories in the sixth annual event.
“It's a blast, once you get done,” said Kenton Hicks, 27, laughing.
Hicks, a corporate wellness specialist, signed up for the Trek with about 35 co-workers at FirstComp Insurance in Omaha. He finished in less than 7 minutes. About half finish in less than 11 minutes, organizers say.
It takes much longer, though, for your legs and lungs to recover, said Ryan Wolf, who came in second. Wolf said the pain registers between floors 15 and 20.
For some, it starts sooner. One racer looked to a volunteer for inspiring words during a water break on the seventh floor.
“Only 33 more to go,” he told her. She laughed and said, “That's not encouraging.”
By floor 17, any friendly chatter is rare.
By floor 32, not even a whisper. The only sound is shoes slapping the stairs and people gulping air. They grip the railing, using it to pull themselves up and take the weight off their legs.
Someone holds out a cup. “Water?” Most shake their head and power through.
Floor 40 brings a sigh of relief.
Ivan Marsh, 37, reached it first. He conquered the tower in 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Marsh, of Ashland, Neb., won the event for the sixth consecutive year.
Nikki Perry of Lincoln was the first female finisher. She reached the top in 5 minutes, 54 seconds.
One racer started every six seconds to avoid overcrowding in the staircase.
Cathy Basham of Omaha said the volunteers' encouraging words helped. “At every flight there was someone cheering for you.”
Training made it a little easier, too, she added. “I made a point of attacking the hills in my neighborhood rather than avoiding them.”
The Trek attracts a range of fitness levels, from marathon runners to averages Joes.
Though some people do run competitively, most participate simply to challenge themselves, said Rebecca Vinton Dorn, executive director of the Wellness Council of the Midlands, the group that organizes the race.
She expects Trek Up the Tower to grow next year. Registration for the 2013 event opens Nov. 1.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1071, katy.healey@owh.com
twitter.com/KatyHealey5
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