Runners to head up 102 flights of 1 WTC

The Tunnel to Towers One World Trade Center stair climb takes place Sunday, May 15 to benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Approximately 1,000 runners are expected to make the climb. The event is intended to honor the memory of the rescuers who climbed the stairs in the Twin Towers on 9/11.

This year's race almost didn't happen after the Durst Organization, which leases and manages One World Trade Center, told the group they couldn't have the stair climb, citing logistical concerns.

Following a report by FOX 5 News, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Port Authority, which owns the building, got involved. They convinced the Durst Organization to reconsider and sit down and talk with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Frank Siller and his family started the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in memory of their firefighter brother, Stephen. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he ran from Brooklyn through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to Manhattan wearing his full gear and lost his life at the Twin Towers.