Sydney Tower - Sydney

Stats

Stairs: 1504
Floors: 100
Building height: 305m
Elevation gain: 268m

Men’s record: Paul Crake 6:52 (2002)
Women’s record: Suzy Walsham 8:24 (2013)

Building

Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

This is the original stair climbing venue in Australia with races having been operating here on and off for a long time and we are trying to find more results from the past.

Race

The race is currently operated by Active8Change. Entrants are required to raise a minimum amount that goes to charity.

The race starts at ground level and races to the Sydney Tower Eye viewing platform after 100 flights of stairs.
The handrail is on the left with stairs turning to the left. The handrail is the worst we’ve seen in any race. It is a narrow piece of metal mounted vertical which offers very little in the way of grip. Don’t rely too much on this.
After a couple of flights there is a long transition run to the stairs that eventually connect up with the stairs located within the shaft of the tower. Once in the shaft there is a uniform pattern of 13 steel stairs per flight. For the last few floors the walls are painted and the general ambiance of the stairs is nicer but the horrible handrail remains. There is a moderate distance run from the top of the stairs to the finish line.
Being inside the shaft of the tower means there are no doors or windows. It is quite a claustrophobic stairwell.
Competitors in the elite category set off individually in 30 second intervals. Other competitors are usually let go in waves of 4 people every 30 seconds.

Watch the Sydney Tower Stair Challenge 2014 video below to see exactly what the stairs are like. Note in this video the starting point has changed to be around the corner on Market St and there is no mass start in the elite race.

This race is considered a 40 point race for Towerrunning World Association rankings.

Event Website