Posted: January 28, 2005

Athletics: Defending Champions and Chico Back for Run-Up

NEW YORK - (Jan. 25, 2005) - Defending champions Rudolf Reitberger and Andrea Mayr, friends and training partners from the same small town in Austria, and the ageless 93-year-old Chico Scimone of Italy are back for the 28th running of the Bank of America Empire State Building Run-Up on Tuesday, Feb. 1 it was announced by New York Road Runners officials.

Reitberger and Mayr of Julbach, the event's first Austrian champions, lead an expected field of 130 runners from more than a dozen countries and a dozen states who will race up from the lobby to the 86th floor observation deck of the historic skyscraper.

Reitberger, 33, covered the 1,576 steps in 10 minutes, 37 seconds. Second and third place went respectively to Israeli identical twins Ran and Dan Alterman, who are both expected to return.

Mayr, 25, toppled last year's champion Cindy Moll-Harris of Indianapolis, winning and setting a Run-Up record in 12:08 (previous record 12:19 by Belinda Soszyn of Australia in 1996). Moll-Harris, the only four-time women's champion, is back as is third place finisher Amy Fredericks of Greenwich, Conn.

Scimone is returning for the 15th time and despite finishing last year, more than 30 minutes slower than Reiteberger, he was hailed as a champion by family members, including his then 19-month-old great granddaughter, Isabella Jameso, and other competitors last year as he crossed the finish line.

"A lot of people ask me, do you see a doctor?" Scimone said after finishing. "I have one checkup a year - if I get to the top of the Empire State Building, I'm OK."

Source:Richard Finn/Maeve Mullally, NYRR Media, (212) 423-2229/2294

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
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