Firefighters step up for stair-climb race

Twenty-five flights of stairs. As much as 75 pounds of full firefighter "turnout gear," helmet to boots to air bottle. A stopwatch, and a resolution.

The men and women in Norfolk Fire-Rescue's Station 1 downtown wanted to get fit in 2010. The Up Center - formerly Child & Family Services of Eastern Virginia - wanted to raise awareness and money for its nonprofit programs by sponsoring a race up the stairs of Dominion Tower.

Together, they've come up with a training opportunity and a publicity boost: At least 11 firefighters and officers will make the April 25 "Step Up" climb outfitted as if to fight a fire. They started training in January.

They're part of an event touted as the first of its kind in the area, and modeled on similar skyscraper races in New York, Chicago and around the world, many of them also for charity. At 26 stories - the top story won't be accessible for the race - Dominion Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the region. Race organizers are hoping for 500 to 1,000 participants.

"We're hoping to make this a signature event for our agency," said Mary Rogelstad, an Up Center spokeswoman.

Registrants age 8 and older, individually or in teams, competitively or for fun, will be able to climb the steps once, twice or - for trained athletes and military - four times.

Prizes will be awarded, particularly for the top fundraisers.

A free "boot camp" to help participants train is scheduled to begin March 28, Rogelstad said.

The 31st-ranked stair-racer in the world will come down from Toronto to coach, she said.

Participants and their burning thighs may be glad to know that they won't have to hike back to ground level. For safety reasons, Rogelstad said, all will have to ride down in an elevator.

The Up Center serves more than 10,000 people annually, such as by providing homes for abused children, aid to those with disabilities and counseling for military veterans.

Because their fire station serves the city's skyscraper district, the stair-training isn't wasted effort, Lt. Glen Williams said.

"It has given us a little motivation to get in shape for the new year," Williams said.

The gear, designed to keep heat out, also holds body heat in, he said. "You start sweating on the third floor."

So far, they usually finish in 6 to 8 minutes, he said. By comparison, February's winner of the 33rd annual Empire State Building Run-Up, one of the more famous of the skyscraper stair races, covered 86 floors in 10:16, according to the race's Web site.

But that guy wasn't wearing a heavy jacket and rubber boots.

Matthew Bowers, 222-3893, matthew.bowers@pilotonline.com