Racers ditch 60-second elevator and take Empire State stairs

Hundreds of people will take to the stairs at the Empire State Building on Wednesday night, climbing from the lobby to the 86th floor observatory. They’ll be going up the 1,576 steps as part of the 38th annual Empire State Building Run-Up. Participants come from around the world and are led by the elite women’s and men’s groups. The general field follows, with staggered, seconds-apart start times for racers so as to avoid a crush of people all trying to get into the stairwell at the same time. Last year, Australia native Suzy Walsham won the women’s event for a record fifth time, in 11 minutes and 57 seconds. Thorbjorn Ludvigsen, of Norway, won the men’s race in 10:06. Both were expected to take part in this year’s race.

Life is not an elevator ride up to the top; it’s one step at a time – even if it’s 86 flights, 1,576 steps.

Melinda Mizrachi from Miami, who is running to raise awareness for autism

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