Roughly 3,000 people climbed 75 floors and 1,664 steps to the top of the US Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles this week, part of the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA's annual fundraising trek up the city's tallest building. Others opted for a gentler route, joining a self-guided scenic walk called the Urban Hike that started and ended at the same spot as the stair climb. The event wrapped with a block party and beer garden for climbers and walkers alike.
The climb marked the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA's 33rd annual Stair Climb, according to the Daily News, which reported that money raised went to support the downtown community center. The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles lists the event under that same 33rd-annual designation on its Ketchum-Downtown branch page. The Ketchum-Downtown YMCA offers free and low-cost programs for children, teens, families and seniors, and organizers have said that none of those programs would be possible without funds raised through the Stair Climb and Urban Hike, per the YMCA's virtual event page.
Who Made the Climb
Among those who completed the 75 flights inside the US Bank Tower were Jillian Fowler, Kathryn Handler, Jenny Moro, Robert Wieder, Mark Ewell and Nadia Sohail, all named in the Daily News account of the climb. Two participants pushed themselves further by carrying extra weight the entire way up: Nayar Brera climbed the 75 flights while hauling 160 pounds, and Justin Spina made the same climb carrying 60 pounds of gear. Photographer Sarah Reingewirtz documented the event for the Daily News.
The event also offered a virtual option this year, letting participants pick any day between September 25 and October 1 to complete the climb or hike on their own schedule. The virtual version mirrored the in-person course, according to the YMCA's virtual climb page, offering the same 75 floors or 1,664 steps as the tower climb.
A Fundraiser With Decades of History
The Stair Climb has grown substantially since its early years. Participation in the open class rose from 700 people in 2004 to 3,376 climbers in 2015, according to the Beverly Press, which reported that more than 3,300 people ran or walked up the tower's 75 stories that year. That 2015 event raised approximately $710,000 for Ketchum-Downtown YMCA programs and services, the outlet reported, and it also drew 115 active military members, firefighters and police officers who competed in a full-gear category. More recently, the 31st annual event in 2024 attracted over 3,000 participants, per a report carried by marketscreener.com.
The exact step count attributed to the course has shifted slightly across the years of coverage. This year's virtual event materials describe the equivalent climb as 1,664 steps over 75 floors, while a 2013 report from nbclosangeles.com described the same US Bank Tower ascent as 1,679 stairs across 75 stories.
Elite Times and Full-Gear Feats
The climb has a history of producing standout performances. In 2015, 18-year-old Lucas Matison won the elite class and set a new event record at 8 minutes and 56 seconds, while Pasadena's Jeff Dinkin, competing for the ninth consecutive year, posted a personal-best time of 10:51, the Beverly Press reported.
This year's participants also carried extra weight up the tower for the cause.
