New York, January 10, 2014—New York Road Runners and Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) will host the 37th annual Empire State Building Run-Up on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, challenging participants to race up 1,576 steps and 86 floors of the world’s most famous office building, it was announced today by New York Road Runners President and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

“The Empire State Building Run-Up is one of the most unique tests of both mind and body,” said Wittenberg.  “Each step, each floor, brings a heightened sense of excitement and exhaustion as racers take on the ultimate urban hike to the top of one of New York City’s finest landmarks. We welcome the participants from around the world who will soon take on one of NYRR’s most thrilling events.”

The Empire State Building Run-Up was the brainchild of the late, legendary NYRR president Fred Lebow, and it may have been the first of its kind. The inaugural Empire State Building Run-Up was held in 1978 and won by Gary Muhrcke—the former firefighter who was renowned for winning the first New York City Marathon in 1970. While visitors can reach the building’s Observatory via elevator in under a minute, the fastest runners cover the 86 floors in about 10 minutes.

The event consists of racers of all abilities, including the leaders in the sport of professional tower running who will converge at the Empire State Building to take part in the Men’s and Women’s Invitationals, challenging both body and mind in what some may consider the ultimate test of endurance. An additional heat is the Broker’s Challenge, which gives select New York City real estate brokers the unique chance to view the iconic landmark from a different perspective.  A limited number of entries are still available by running for two important charitable causes: NYRR’s Team for Kids or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. More information can be found on the event webpage located here. 

In its fourth year as the official charity partner, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), a leading cancer research foundation that builds innovative collaborative models to extend lives and accelerates finding cures for cancer, will put together a team of 200 stair climbers projected to raise $800,000 towards research of this disease.

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Office Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions as the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg/.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world’s most famous office building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company’s office and retail portfolio covers 8.4 million rentable square feet, as of September 30, 2013, consisting of 7.8 million rentable square feet in 12 office properties, including seven in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 645,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio. The Company also owns land at the Stamford, Connecticut Transportation Center that supports the development of an approximately 380,000 rentable square foot office building and garage and has an option to acquire two additional Manhattan office properties encompassing approximately 1.5 million rentable square feet of office space and over 150,000 rentable square feet of retail space at the base of the buildings.

About NYRR

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to run for life. NYRR’s premier event, the TCS New York City Marathon, features 50,000 participants, from the world’s elite athletes to a wide range of recreational and charity runners, and is part of the World Marathon Majors, an alliance of the world’s six biggest marathons that determines each year’s top male and top female marathoner. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Giusti, soon after Kathy's diagnosis with multiple myeloma. The mission of the MMRF is to relentlessly pursue innovative means that accelerate the development of next-generation multiple myeloma treatments to extend the lives of patients and lead to a cure. As the world's number-one private funder of multiple myeloma research, the MMRF has raised over $240 million since its inception and directs 90% of total budget to research and related programming. As a result, the MMRF has been awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted four-star rating for 11 consecutive years, the highest designation for outstanding fiscal responsibility and exceptional efficiency. For more information about the MMRF, please visit: www.themmrf.org.