European runners win the 2007 Taipei 101 Run Up

November 26, 2007 Over 2,000 people, world-class runners, corporate teams and individual people, participated in the challenge to climb 2046 steps (390 meters height), 91 floors at the 3rd 2007 Taipei 101 Run Up yesterday. Before the race, the host (Taipei 101) donated NT$204,600 to the Foundation of the 21st Summer Deaflympics Organizing Committee for the preparation fund of the 21st Summer Deaflympics.

Australian cyclist Paul Crake wasn't able to defend his championship this year, as he is currently trying to recover from a spinal injury, suffered in New Zealand last year, which may leave his legs paralyzed. The host invited Italian runner Marco De Gasperi, the champion of the 2007 Pirelli Tower Run Up, to participate in the 91-floors race instead.

De Gasperi won the title in the Men's Elite Group with a time of 11 min and 39.48 seconds. Austrian runner Andrea Mayr successfully retained her title in Women's Elite Group with a time of 12 min and 54.07 seconds. This was good attendance from both the public and media for the races. After the races in the Elite and Self-Challenge classes, the race in the Enterprise class started with participation from Synnex Taiwan, Continental Engineering Corporation, Leadtek, L'Oréal Taiwan, Taipei City Government, Taipei City Fire Department (TCFD), Taiwan Farmers' Party (led by former KMT Legislator Chun-hsiung Ko), and school members from "Cross-Strait Elite Students' Group" at "Campus of Creative Sports Industry for Cross-Strait College Students" by Chinese Development Foundation and Mainland Affairs Council of Executive Yuan.

With the Direct General of TCFD Kuang-hua Hsiung's lead and witnesses by media and public, TCFD showed their actual strengths with their greatest team-works and finally won the Champion of Enterprise Group even though they preceded the champion award to Changhua Bank, former Title Sponsor and Champion of Enterprise Group at 2006 in this race. Two teams from National Central University (NCU Taiwan) also won the 2nd and 3rd place in this race with current Principal of NCU Taiwan Dr. Luo-chuang Li's lead.

Even though "Cross-Strait Elite Students' Group" was included in the Enterprise class, but this friendship match was set for improving Cross-Strait (China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) relationships by Chinese Development Foundation. A student named Wang showed his best performance and helped his team (Department of Social Work, National Taipei University) won the group champion in this friendship race.