JUNE 2018 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK 051the race) â regales us with stories of Francisco Sanchezâs record-breaking ascent in- âHe had incredible powerâ he enthuses. âHe was like an antelope â it was the
Niesenbahnâs âwere you there?â moment.â
I quiz Urs about expansion of the race whose limited places are known to sell out
quickly. Thereâs clearly scope to internationalise it: the highest-placed non-Swiss
runner is 38th and Iâm one of just three Brits among 227 finishers. Rather than just
a few hours a year why not take the railway over for a day? Make a party of it? Have
music at the top? A festival atmosphere? Clearly Iâve had too much beer.
Urs indulges me but isnât entirely convinced. A bigger field would have its benefits
sure but at what price to this raceâs considerable charm?
I speak to Patrick Gallagher on my return to the UK. Heâs a huge fan of
the Niesenbahn stair race but sees the event as something of an anomaly on the
circuit (âuniquely differentâ he calls it) though an important component in raising
the profile of the sport â and in helping it to earn the respect he believes it deserves.
âIt does annoy me the way that stair running is treated in some quartersâ he
says. âIâve seen races screened on TV with commentators treating it as an absolute
running joke. But that doesnât make any sense: the men and women at the top level of
the sport are 30-minute 10K runners. And I can tell you this: itâs certainly not a joke
for anyone who has trained for one or who has actually stepped up and done one.â
As I finish my beer collect my sodden kit and join the queue for the Niesenbahnâs
long slow treacherously steep descent I can certainly vouch for that.
PHOTOGRAPHS: BRUNO PETRONI/NIESENBAHN
HIGH TIME
(top to bottom): Duncan at the inish; from
this height paragliding is not a problem;
the inal few agonising paces to the summit
the inish line and an ill-advised beerGIANT STEPS