Race you to the top: It’s time to start training for the YMCA 75-floor stair climb
Want to brag on Instagram that you’ve climbed the tallest stairwell west of the Mississippi River?
You can if you finish the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles, where 360-degree views and one big party await you atop the U.S. Bank Tower.
Climbing 75 floors — that’s 1,664 stairs — is no joke, so it’s a good idea to start training a couple of months before the event on Sept. 28. The YMCA holds free training sessions twice a week beginning July 31, but as long as you have stairs and a willingness to sweat, you can get race ready anywhere.
If you’re new to hardcore stair climbing, start training by climbing stairs for 10 minutes at a slow pace two to three times a week, YMCA Healthy Living director Olivia Baron-Clarke said.
“A common mistake is climbing too rapidly at the beginning of the race, which causes shortness of breath, so we encourage people to start slowly and then find a pace that works for you,” she said.
When your stamina improves, try interval training: Climb at a comfortable pace for two minutes and your maximum pace for one minute, then alternate between the two. If that gets easier, you can vary the amount of time you spend on each speed.
As for proper climbing form, remember to keep your shoulders over your hips and to “brace” — meaning to engage, or tighten — your core, Baron-Clarke said. She also suggests climbing one stair at a time on one floor and two stairs at a time on the next floor, which builds strength and endurance. Remember to stretch after each workout, she added.
There may be a record to beat — 8 minutes and 56 seconds, set by Lucas Matison in 2016 — but the climb should be fun, Baron-Clarke said.
She also suggests signing up as a team with friends, family or co-workers so you can hold each other accountable and make cool team T-shirts. (The event also serves as a YMCA fundraiser, if that helps ease the pain any.)
The event draws about 4,000 participants.
If Sept. 28 arrives and you’d rather watch than climb, you can hang out at the Stair Climb block party on South Hope Street. There will be food trucks, live music, a beer garden and a screen showing climbers as they receive medals at the top of the tower.
YMCA Stair Climb training
When: From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting July 31, for those age 18 and older.
Where: The 52-story Figueroa at Wilshire building, at 601 S. Figueroa St.
Cost: Free
Race registration: Register through Sept. 18. Cost for the race is $125 (includes a $70 fundraising minimum to support YMCA programs). Same-day race registration is $150, but availability is limited.
Info: There is a separate training program at the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA for those ages 8 through 17 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Fridays, starting Aug. 17. For more details, including training program for those under 18, go to ymcala.org/stairclimb
Prefer to train outdoors?
There are more places to climb than just the Santa Monica Stairs at 699 Adelaide Drive and the Culver City Stairs at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Check out:
- The Baxter Stairs in Echo Park, 2100 Park Drive
- The Micheltorena Stairs in Silver Lake, 3400 Sunset Blvd.
- The neighborhood stairs near Beachwood Canyon in Hollywoodland, starting just north of the intersection of North Beachwood Drive and Woodhaven Drive.
- The Hollywood Bowl, which is a public park. Climb the stairs while it’s open from sunrise to sunset.
