Meet the New Yorkers Racing Up NYC’s Tallest Skyscrapers

Stair races are reaching new heights—literally. Once a niche fitness test for the ultra-committed, the sport now boasts over 200 annual events globally, with more climbing onto the calendar each year. These vertical sprints have become a thrilling, if grueling, fixture in cities filled with glassy skyscrapers and historic landmarks.

Nowhere is the sport more at home than in New York City, where the skyline offers some of the tallest and most iconic structures on Earth. Local stair races include not just the storied 102-story Empire State Building Run-Up—now celebrating its 47th year as the oldest and most iconic climb—but also newer soaring ascents like the 104-story World Trade Center Tower Climb and the 93-floor One Vanderbilt’s Climb to the SUMMIT.

Among the athletes taking these vertical challenges to new levels is David Roeske. By day, Roeske is a New York-based VP of Finance at Contra—a startup platform to connect creatives. He's also an alpinist, with a resume that reads like an adventure novel. Roeske has summited Mount Everest twice—without supplemental oxygen—as well as K2, Cho Oyu, and Broad Peak. This Sunday, he aims to capture his third consecutive win at the One Vanderbilt race.

Training for these skyscraper sprints—and Himalayan expeditions—requires a particular brand of endurance. For Roeske, that means spending long hours in the stairwells of his 40-story apartment building, often with a 30-pound pack strapped to his back. A typical training session can last up to four hours, with Roeske hiking up and riding the elevator down in endless, determined circuits.

Also a marathoner, Roeske forsakes running for stair climbing when training for his epic mountain expeditions, "I could get in the car and drive to a local mountain to train, but I think it’s better to spend those two hours in actual training, so I opt for the stairs," he said.

The unique training requirement even influenced his choice of residence. "My broker thought I was nuts," Roeske admitted, laughing. "I'd ask, ‘Is this a stairwell I can climb to the top? Can I get out once I’m up there?’ I'd inspect the railings and exits as carefully as the apartments."

With first-place victories at the World Trade Center and One Vanderbilt, Roeske has become something of a connoisseur of stairwells, despite often spending less than 10 minutes sprinting in them. He explains that the Empire State Building features steeper stairs and, after 20 zig-zagging stories, they become long, uninterrupted runs between floors—an exhausting format that differs from newer buildings like One Vanderbilt and the World Trade Center, where wider, shallower stairs allow for a more rhythmic, consistent pace.

Of all the climbs, One Vanderbilt's Climb to the SUMMIT remains his favorite. The event, which spans 93 stories and 1,100 vertical feet, ends in the glass-walled observation deck with breathtaking views of Manhattan. “It hasn’t yet drawn the same massive racing crowds as the Empire State, but it’s incredibly fun,” Roeske said. “You spend a lot more time talking about the cause: the FDNY Foundation. Fire trucks, ladders, flags, and 100 to 200 firefighters show up. You meet them, hear what your donations support, and it really has a community feeling.”

Beyond the community connection, the competitive side of the sport is no less serious. The Towerrunning World Association tracks top racers, awarding points based on race results and crowning elite runners at the end of each season.

As stair racing climbs into mainstream recognition, athletes like Roeske exemplify the grit—and elevation—that define the sport. Whether summiting the world's highest peaks or the tallest urban towers, he proves that sometimes the hardest climbs are the ones right at your doorstep.

Upcoming NYC Stair Races:

Empire State Building Run-Up

The Empire State Building Run-Up is a legendary vertical race where participants sprint up 86 flights—1,576 stairs—to reach the iconic skyscraper's observatory. First held in 1978, it's one of the most famous tower running events in the world, attracting elite international athletes, firefighters in full gear, and everyday fitness enthusiasts. The race is grueling, with narrow stairwells, no scenic views on the way up, and times ranging from under 10 minutes for elite runners to 20–40 minutes for amateurs. The current course records are held by Paul Crake of Australia (9:33) and Andrea Mayr of Austria (11:23), set in 2003 and 2006, respectively. 

The World Trade Center Stair Climb

Started in 2015, the World Trade Center Stair Climb is a memorial and fundraising event where participants climb the stairs of One World Trade Center to honor first responders who lost their lives on 9/11. Typically held annually, the event involves climbing 104 floors—over 2,000 steps—making it one of the longest vertical climbs in the U.S. Many participants are firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel, often wearing full gear, making the climb both symbolic and deeply emotional.

Climb to SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt

In its third year (this May), the Climb to SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt is an annual stair race and fundraising event organized by the FDNY Foundation in partnership with SL Green Realty Corp. The event challenges participants to ascend 1,100 feet—approximately 93 floors—to reach the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observatory in Midtown Manhattan. The climb emphasizes the importance of physical fitness for FDNY firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics, and funds raised support the purchase of stair climbers for FDNY firehouses and EMS stations. Like the WTC race, many firefighters undertake the climb in full gear to simulate real-life emergency conditions. Upon reaching the summit, climbers are rewarded with panoramic views of the city from one of its tallest skyscrapers, making the event both a test of endurance and a memorable experience.

Next, check out The Best Observation Decks in NYC