On a blizzard of a morning in Denver on Sunday, over 1,300 took to the stairs of Republic Plaza for the Fight for Air Climb hosted by the American Lung Association.
Protected by the warmth and cover of the tallest building in the Rocky Mountain West, participants were set off in waves that spanned from 8am to 2pm, including individual competitors and teams alike.
32-year old Jess Palmer of Indian Hills, CO defended his 2012 title successfully with a finishing time of 6:29, bettering his 2012 time by 15 seconds. 35-year old Rob Kosick of Denver followed up close behind in second in a time of 6:35, with third place finisher Alan Obye of Boulder finishing in 6:57.
2012 second place finisher Melanie Mitchell of Denver took top honors in the women’s division with a climb time of 8:31, bettering her 2012 time by 14 seconds. 36-year old Anna Kraus took second in 8:48 with 45-year old Steph Popelar of Parker rounding out the top three in 8:51.
The American Lung Association has been fighting for the right to breathe for years, and the Fight for Air Climb is just one of their major fundraisers to help those in need. Each year, too many lives are lost to lung disease and this is the chance to climb, raise money and make an impact in their honor.