THE 2025 Ping An Finance Center Vertical Marathon took place Saturday, with 1,000 top runners from around the world competing to race up the tallest building in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The 599-meter-tall Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center hosted the event, drawing global runners as a premier sports event in the region. Officially recognized by the Tower Running Association (TWA), the marathon offered a top prize of 10,000 yuan (US$1,364) and was designated as a “Towerrunning 200” event. Japan’s Ryoji Watanabe, currently world’s No.1 staire climber, triumphed in the elite men’s division, setting a new course record with a time of 19 minutes and 24 seconds. Croatia’s Tea Faber won the elite women’s race. They both broke their personal bests. Among the international contenders were top marathoners from Slovakia, Italy, Australia, Malaysia, and Japan, with world-ranked athletes from the Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai marathons also competing. The event featured a diverse mix of participants, including local teams from Shenzhen’s police, traffic police, and fire departments, as well as runners from over 30 running clubs and top universities in the GBA. (Song Yingwen) | 