Axel Breme, Vice President of Brand Management, coordinated this seventh run, which has been organised by Swiss Post since 2003. "For me, the times are one thing," said Breme, "but the emphasis should be on having fun." The organisers were pleased with the level of international participation. The athletes' home countries included China, India, the USA and Ukraine.

After crossing the finish line at dizzy heights, professional firefighter Jan Meiers said, "The first pain came on the 15th floor." Jennifer Sabel shared this experience. She also struggled: "I had to breathe super fast, I was fanning myself." Nevertheless, it was worth it for her. At the top she was amazed: "The view is fantastic."

There were four GA readers at the start. Thomas Weber, Jessica Schwiering, Jennifer Sabel and Peter Effelsberg. They all made it to the top. The Post Tower is not usually open to the public. Only on such a special occasion do a limited number of the public have access. And this access had to be fought hard for, literally run for. "It's not to be underestimated," said Jessica Schwiering, " there' s no fresh air in the stairwell."

What drives the runners? Franziska Wierig from the basic training course of the Bonn fire brigade sums it up: "Sporting fitness is important. It's just fun together. The team is in the foreground for us." Police colleague Vivian Eichhorn: "Being there is everything." The Bonn police had a colourful mix of responsibilities: Traffic police, forensics, members of the hundred squad, criminal investigation department. All were there for the first time.

But there are also many old hands among the stair runners. One of them was Claudia Henneken, who was the fastest female runner of the day with a time of five minutes and 36 seconds. She has already booked her ticket for the World Championships in Hawaii on 6 October.

A stair run demands the utmost from all participants. Her professional colleague Matthias Gall took part in the German Championships in the Media Tower. At the Post, he came out on top with four minutes and 38 seconds.

Of the 260 starters, 179 were from the Post crew. Company physiotherapist Frank Clever, who was fast at six minutes and 50 seconds, summarised: "Prevention and health promotion are very important to us. Running is a very big topic." In 2003, he himself had clocked a time of under six minutes.

Besides the athletic performance, everyone had the same goal. Julia Williams, who brought her husband and both daughters along, put it in words: "The main reason for me was to enjoy the beautiful view with the children." Her daughters beamed. Someday they want to run with us, they said. At 28 degrees and with a perfect view, the panoramic view of the cathedral was fascinating. Verity Raeese, who had travelled from Florida, visibly enjoyed the view. She travels the world to climb staircases.

Görge Heimann of Towerrunning Germany, a club of athletic stair runners, also travels around the world. Heimann is ranked third in the world: "For me, it's like a summit experience among mountaineers." His motivation: "We want to feel our limits." The professional believes that anyone who can still stand and talk when they reach the top has not given it their all. And so, after crossing the finish line, many first dropped to the ground, completely out of breath. Afterwards they received a medal as a souvenir. This was also the case for Tobias Pantel from Königswinter, who needed seven minutes and 43 seconds to climb the 828 steps: "On the tenth floor I thought: Oh dear. On floor 25 I thought: Oh God! From the 30th floor: The sky is getting closer.

Nicolas Friedrich (24) from Bonn put his experience into words: "At the beginning I tried to jog, from the tenth floor onwards I always walked up two steps, pushing myself up with my arm on the railing. In the end, for him as for all those who made it, it was clear: "A super feeling."