Stepping Up for a Good Cause, 1,336 Times at the Swissôtel Vertical Marathon

Zurich, Switzerland, November 13, 2008 --(PR.com)-- “We are giving back, when others are cutting back. Despite the current economic climate, we still want to do our part for society and continue to give to people in need. As a good corporate citizen, it is important for us to do what we can to support worthy causes like the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore (SCAS), which provides special education, rehabilitation services, vocational training and gainful employment for children and adults with cerebral palsy in Singapore,” says Aiden McAuley, General Manager of Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore and Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

Since its humble beginnings in 1987 with only 180 participants, the Swissôtel Vertical Marathon has grown to be a much-anticipated event in Singapore’s sports calendar, building up a steady following over the years. Local and international sports enthusiasts, competitive runners, young and old athletes, couples and families, are among the many who join the 226m race to the top of Swissôtel The Stamford, where they are rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of Singapore on the hotel’s helipad, 73 storeys above ground.

Winners of the Men’s and Women’s Open categories will be flown to New York to participate in the prestigious invitation-only Empire State Building Run-up in 2009, where they will face a gruelling 86-storey climb to the Observatory deck atop the Empire State Building.

While the average participant takes 15 to 20mins to reach the top, the ultimate Swissôtel Vertical Marathon record yet to be broken in the Guinness Book of World Records is 6mins and 55secs, set by Balvinder Singh in 1989.

The Swissôtel Vertical Marathon is a signature sports event staged annually by Swissôtel The Stamford since 1987. This year, it will be held on 16 November, Sunday, from 7am to 2pm. Participants face a gruelling 226m climb, 1336 steps up Singapore’s tallest hotel. The vertical race culminates at the hotel’s helipad 73 storeys above ground on an exhilarating high, topped with breathtaking panoramic views of Singapore. Part of the hotel’s corporate social responsibility efforts, the event has both a public and corporate charity race, where monetary proceeds from the latter go towards the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore. The public race has 12 categories of competition – Men/Women Under 20, Men/Women 20-29, Men/Women 30-39, Men/Women 40-49, Men/Women Above 50, and the Men’s/Women’s Open.

Champions of the Men’s and Women’s Open will each win a trip to New York and be invited to participate in the prestigious invitation-only Empire State Building Run-up in 2009, where they will face a gruelling 86-storey climb to the Observatory deck atop the Empire State Building. They also win a one-night stay at the luxurious Presidential Suite at Swissôtel The Stamford, among other prizes.

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