The 11th Frankfurt SkyRun - Europe's highest stair climb - took place this year in the bright sunshine, with runners from around the world attempting to climb the 1,202 steps of the MesseTurm in record time. 1,119 participants, made up of single runners and corporate teams, tried to break the record of 6:25.5 minutes up 61 floors, set last year. A little slower and with the greatest effort, almost 500 firefighters, complete with full apparatus and respiratory equipment, ascended the narrow stairwell to reach the top at 222 m, the perfect training for emergency situations. The fastest firefighters reached their goal in just 10 minutes. Thankfully, the way down was made easier by the service lift.
Although no new records were set, the day was a complete success: almost €50,000, made up of the start fees and voluntary donations, was handed over to Arque (the Working Group for Paraplegics). Their second chairman, Michael Lederer, launched the SkyRun in 2006 and has been organising it with great dedication ever since.