Albertson resident Ron Pechtol was one of the more than 660 participants who took part in the First Annual Runyon Up Stair Climb, held last April 3 at Four World Trade Center.
Each of the participants jogged up 72 flights of stairs as a way to raise funds for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, one that supports the nation’s most brilliant young scientists, pursuing cures for all forms of cancer.
For Pechtol, the day had a special meaning. At the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he was a member of the New York Police Department and was assigned to the Trade Center site in the weeks after the attacks.
“I’ve done this before,” Pechtol told The Roslyn News, speaking of his climbs in a similar run at The Empire State Building. “This one was better. The stairs were wider and cleaner and there was more air.”
The race, Pechtol added, also seemed shorter as the Four World Trade Center is 72 stories high, as opposed to the Empire State Building’s 86 stories to the Observatory Site.
“The people organizing the event did a fantastic job in getting people and donations,” he said. “I’ll probably do it again next year.”
The participants raised more than $174,000 for the researchers. According to the climb’s organizers, the event included both corporate teams and individual participants, ranging in age from 14 to 71 years old and hailing from across New York City and from 15 states.
The participants climbed the new tower’s 72 stories — all 1,632 steps — over the course of nearly four hours.
The fastest male climber was Tim Donahue of New York City, who took just 8 minutes and 56 seconds to climb 1,632 steps.
The top female climber was Shari Klarfeld of Plainview, who completed the climb in 11 minutes and 17 seconds.
“We thank Silverstein Properties for partnering with us at this historic moment in time. 4 World Trade Center is a symbol of innovation and resilience, and was an appropriate venue to champion commitment to the cutting-edge researchers who are making the medical breakthroughs of tomorrow,” said Lorraine W. Egan, president and chief executive officer of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.
“All proceeds from Runyon Up will allow us to support the best and brightest young cancer researchers in the nation. Our participants help make life-saving discoveries,” she added.
On April 3, the first heat of elite climbers at this milestone event launched at 6:30 p.m., followed by heats of recreational climbers. Runyon Up offered three different registration options:
Participants could climb to the 54th Floor or 72nd Floor, or opt for the virtual climb and take the elevator.
To assist fundraising efforts, participants paid a $40 entry fee and raised at least $72 — $1 per floor of the building.
In addition, scientists funded by Damon Runyon also were on hand — with more than a half dozen participating in the event — to meet and congratulate participants.
Participants included a retired police officer who worked at the 9/11 site, a group of firefighters from North Hunterdon, N.J., who climbed in full gear, parents, spouses and friends of those affected by cancer, professional stair climbers and marathoners.
The event, organizers said, marked a pivotal point in the history of the World Trade Center site.
In November 2013, officials held a ribbon-cutting at 4 World Trade Center, which will soon be the sixth-tallest building in New York City and recently was named Curbed’s Building of the Year.
For most people, this was their first view inside the 2.3 million square foot building, which is not expected to see tenants — including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — until 2015.
The Damon Runyon Foundation also holds a 5K inside Yankee Stadium each August, which has raised nearly $3 million to date.
It is named for the legendary sportswriter, Damon Runyon, a native of Kansas who traveled east to New York in 1910 to begin a career that included his induction to both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame for sportswriting excellence.
No less than 20 of his short stories became motion pictures, including the classic, Guys and Dolls.
Runyon was also the subject of several books, including a biography by Jimmy Breslin.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Memorial Fund was established after his death in 1946, with the help of fellow journalists, including Walter Winchell.
In 1949, Milton Berle hosted the first ever telethon to raise money for the foundation.
