Piotr Lobodzinski from Poland was the first man to finish the vertical race, during last year's race. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lobodzinski thought vertical running was a fun sport and that everybody should try it.

"It's impossible to run a marathon without special training, but most amateur runners without special training can finish the vertical run in 20 minutes," he said before taking part in last year's race. "But it is more intense and exhausting than a flat race."

Female champion Walsham's advice for first time runners is to take it easy and start slowly.

"A lot of people get excited and they sprint off, but if you hit that wall, there's no going back," she told media last year. "It's not like a flat race, you can slow down and sort of get your breath back. You never get your breath back. So start out slow, and try to stay focused."