Omar Bekkali of Belgium won the inaugural Landmark 72 Hanoi Vertical Run on Sunday, setting the overall fastest time up the Landmark 72 – Vietnam’s tallest building. Winning the event is Bekkali’s first victory on this year’s Vertical World Circuit, placing him second on the men’s ranking. The 34-year old Belgian finished in a time of 10 minutes and 6 seconds to take home the winning prize purse of US$1,500. “This was a very tough race and my fellow competitors pushed me to the very end, so I am very happy to have come here and win Hanoi’s first vertical race. Landmark 72 is the second highest building on the Vertical World Circuit which makes the climb extremely difficult, but the fantastic view over Hanoi when reaching the finish line, made the whole effort worthwhile. I hope to take part again in next year’s race,” Bekkali said. Fabio Ruga of Italy placed second, 3 seconds behind, clocking 10 minutes and 9 seconds. Clement Dumont of France came third in 10 minutes and 52 seconds. In the women’s division, Australia’s Suzy Walsham climbed to her fourth win of the year, finishing in 11 minutes 20 seconds, beating Italy’s Cristina Bonacina by 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Local hero Dung Loan Thi of Vietnam finished third in 14 minutes 19 seconds. Ho Thi Hue, silver medalist at the Asian Para Games, who is an amputee, also participated in the climb. "Although I did not finish, I hope my participation will give motivation to other people with disabilities in Vietnam to be more active and engage with the local community," Ho said. “The official charity East Meets West Foundation have been extremely supportive and without their support, my participation in here would not have been possible.” Mr Ha Jong Suk, President of Keangnam Vina said: "We are extremely proud to host an international sports event at Landmark 72. This is a great opportunity to promote Vietnam and Hanoi’s international image.” He said. “It is exciting to be part of a race that focuses on the runner’s experience, especially those that help raise funds for charity.” As the official charity of the event, all proceeds from paid race entries will be donated to East Meets West Foundation’s (EMW) INSPIRE Sports, a programme supporting disabled people in Vietnam by providing sports and recreational activities.