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Hundreds of runners climbed a “steel mountain” in downtown Shenzhen yesterday, which was Double Ninth Festival, a special day when people usually climb mountains.

A runner sets out in the third PAFC International Vertical Marathon Masters yesterday. Sun Yuchen

The third PAFC International Vertical Marathon Masters was held yesterday afternoon at Ping An International Finance Center in Futian District. A total of 300 people in different age groups challenged themselves to conquer the tower’s 116 floors with 3,201 stairs. The event was the first “vertical marathon” held on the Chinese mainland this year.

After showing the negative results of the nuclear acid test, green health codes, and temperature being tested, the contestants set out for the finish line at a 541-meter height.

Both the men’s and women’s crowns of the professional group went to domestic runners. Liu Qinhua, who participated in the event for the third time and finished second in 2018, arrived at the top in 19 minutes and 40 seconds, while Chen Liqin overtook the top-seeded female runner with 23 minutes and 53 seconds.

Liu, who is from Hunan Province, said that to prepare for this competition, he climbed a 29-story building and a mountain in his hometown several times recently. There were also regular exercises such as running and cycling in his daily life before the event. “It ended well, I’m satisfied,” Liu said.

Additionally, the performance of the runners in the public group was beyond expectation, as both the male and female champions finished close to the second-place runner of the professional group.

The event, which is one of the most influential “vertical marathons” in the world, has been certified by the Towerrunning World Association (TWA), and the results and points from this event will be included in TWA tournaments.