Video and photos by Liu Xudong

Croatian tower runner Ivan Vuletic returned to Shenzhen to compete in Saturday's 2026 Ping An Finance Center International Vertical Marathon, his second attempt at the event.

The competition took place Saturday at the 599-meter-tall Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center, where athletes scaled a total of 3,201 steps. As the tallest building in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the tower attracted over 1,500 runners from across the world to this premier sporting event.

Participants begin their ascent during the vertical marathon held at the Ping An Finance Center in Futian District on Saturday.

Malaysia’s Soh Wai Ching claimed victory in the elite men’s division, smashing the course record with a time of 19 minutes and 23 seconds. In the women’s elite race, Croatia’s Tea Faber successfully defended her title, clocking in at 22 minutes and 41 seconds. Both champions achieved personal bests, leading a formidable field of professional athletes from 15 countries and regions, including Spain, Austria, and Singapore.

Malaysia’s Soh Wai Ching (C) prepares to start his climb en route to winning the elite men’s division.

Croatia’s Tea Faber defends her title in the elite women’s race with a winning time of 22 minutes and 41 seconds.

Ivan Vuletic, the world’s seventh-ranked tower runner, set a personal best of 21 minutes and 33 seconds. “I’m satisfied with this result,” he said. A veteran of stair climbs worldwide, including events in China and Malaysia, he highlighted the unique demands of the Shenzhen course.

“The race in Ping An is specific because we have to change the staircase eight times, which breaks your rhythm,” he said, referring to the flat sections between stairwells. “My strategy was to start slowly and get into a rhythm. The flat sections disrupted it a bit, so you have to stay focused to finish strong.”

World No. 7 tower runner Ivan Vuletic shares his thoughts with a Shenzhen Daily reporter after setting a personal best of 21 minutes and 33 seconds.

The difficulty posed by these transitions was echoed by elite female runner Laura Manninen of Finland, who secured second place. “During the eight flat areas, people were catching up to me. My strength is endurance on the upward climb,” she said, identifying those sections as the most challenging.

Despite the hardship, Manninen described the overall competition as a joyful experience. The 53-year-old IT consultant, who lives in the Finnish countryside with hardly any stairs, said she began running at the age of 34. “It’s never too late to start,” she said, encouraging others to take up the sport. “Racing in this tower is where I can feel happiness.”

Finland’s Laura Manninen proudly displays her silver medal after finishing second in the elite women’s division.

Vuletic praised the venue. “The place is fantastic. There’s no building this tall in Croatia,” he said.

For Polish participant Pawel Szyl living in Shenzhen, it was also his second attempt at the event. “It’s a great test to pace myself to be as fast as possible, and to see if I can keep the same pace on the 90th floor as on the 10th,” he said.

An avid trail runner who has completed a 168km race in Hong Kong, Szyl views vertical marathons as essential training. “It requires coordination of your knees, ankles and lower legs,” he said.

The event, certified by the Towerrunning World Association (TWA) and Asia Vertical Association (AVA), was held for the seventh time this year.

More photos