Athletes and creators will run up on Varso Tower for “Young Minds”! See Who’s Favored to Win
This Saturday, September 20, the fourth edition of the Run Up Varso Tower will take place. Top athletes and popular internet creators will face the 1,400 steps of the tallest building in the European Union to support the “Młode Głowy” project by the UNAWEZA Foundation of Martyna Wojciechowska.
This year’s competition will miss a key contender: Japan’s Ryoji Watanabe, who has won the race for the past two years. The Towerrunning World Association’s top-ranked athlete is taking a short break from competing - an opportunity that reigning world champion Wai Ching Soh of Malaysia will be eager to seize. He has yet to claim victory at Varso Tower and now stands before perhaps his best chance to do so.
“Wai Ching Soh – the current world champion in towerrunning / photo: Sport Evolution”
Another strong contender is Italy’s Fabio Ruga, currently third in the world rankings. Among Polish athletes, Paweł Ruszała - the highest-ranked local competitor - is also expected to fight for a top spot.
“Running up Varso Tower is a fixed point in my race calendar. It’s the longest stair race in Poland, and I’m hoping to improve my personal best here and break the 7-minute mark. After a well-structured summer of training, I know it’s possible,” Ruszała said.
Paweł Ruszała / fot. Sport Evolution
The women’s field promises equally intense competition. Warsaw will host the top five stair-runners in the world, led by current ranking leader Tea Faber from Croatia. She will be challenged by all three previous Varso Tower champions: Japan’s Yuko Tateishi and Poland’s Klaudia Krajewska and Iwona Wicha. Experienced Italian runner Valentina Belotti is also a strong candidate for the win.
“It’s hard to imagine a stronger women’s line-up. So far, a different runner has triumphed at Varso Tower each year. I think Tea Faber or Valentina Belotti might continue that tradition,” said the organizers, Piotr Jakóbik, Sport Evolution.
“Last year’s women’s podium, from left: Ines Możejko, Klaudia Krajewska, Iwona Wicha / photo: Sport Evolution”
Internet Creators Run for “Młode Głowy”
Beyond the elite competition, Run Up Varso Tower offers a unique sporting challenge to nearly a thousand amateur runners who, on Saturday, September 20, will tackle almost 1,400 steps leading to the finish line in the newly opened Highline Warsaw space on the 53rd floor of Varso Tower.
Every participant who finishes the race will help support the “Młode Głowy. Talking Openly About Mental Health” initiative by Martyna Wojciechowska’s UNAWEZA Foundation. For every finisher, HB Reavis will donate 30 PLN to the cause, with the total estimated contribution exceeding 25,000 PLN.
The fourth edition of Run Up Varso Tower shows how the event has become a permanent fixture on Warsaw’s sports calendar. Each year, the race combines athletic challenge with a charitable mission, enabling participants and partners to support meaningful social initiatives. For Varso Tower’s hosts, it is particularly important that the event builds a sense of community - not only among professionals and amateurs but also among those working at Varso Place. Our tenants are also engaged and supportive, making the race a true sporting celebration for the building and its surroundings.
This year’s line-up will also feature many internet creators. Confirmed participants include Ania Małysa, Julia Maciuszek, Ania Bosak, Kuba Nowosiński, Maciek Duda, Jasper, Michał Słania, as well as accomplished runners Kornelia Lesiewicz and Dominika Stelmach.
Who will prove the fastest? We’ll find out this Saturday, September 20. The race kicks off at 10:00 a.m. For details, visit www.wbiegnijnavarso.pl.
The event is organized by HB Reavis and Sport Evolution agency. Official Sponsors: Highline Warsaw, PZU Zdrowie, and CMS law firm. Supporting Partners: Singu, CIC, NYX Hotel Warsaw, and Zdrofit fitness clubs. Media Partners: NowaWarszawa.pl, MaratonyPolskie.pl, and DDOB agency.