Race up the Gherkin for Childline

Since I first heard about the race up the Gherkin in Tower 42, I have been moved by the fact that people are willing to run up over 1,000 steps for charity.

The Gherkin is an internationally renowned architectural building designed by Norman Foster and Arup engineers, and it dominates the skyline of London. The Gherkin leads the way in hot property in London and has starred in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Basic Instinct 2 and Match Point.

The 38 floors, the 1037 steps and 108m sheer climb are enough to make anybody’s heart start racing, and this year brave athletes raced for Childline (NSPCC).

Many of us wish to be fit and athletic and I checked out Patrick Traynor (personal trainer to the Step Change NSPCC) competitors’ top tips on building core strength, muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness. His latest advice includes a warm up of a three-minute walk, 20-minute jog and specific exercises of squats, burpee pull-ups, calf-raise, step-ups, plank exercises and hamstring curls. Luckily for us, it is all presented in a short video; so watch, learn and get training!

The reason that it has got many of us excited is of course raising money for a worthwhile cause, Childline. What really puts the icing on the top of this Gherkin is the breath taking views that can be enjoyed when finally reaching the top. Everyone who has taken part will be allowed into the exclusive 40/30 bar and celebrate with a lovely and much needed glass of bubbly.

Even if you cannot handle the stair craziness and I don’t blame you, you can still apply for a “champagne lift-pass” and yes, you do still have to donate, it’s for charity after all!

Interested in taking part next year? Then check out the NSPCC website by clicking here.

Paula de Burgh
Photo: Paula de Burgh