Pole wins inaugural Eiffel Tower 'Vertical' race

Nearly 60 athletes have puffed and panted their way to the top of the Eiffel Tower in the inaugural race up the Parisian landmark.

The race, known as "the Verticale", attracted 57 competitors from 16 countries ranging from top class athletes to an amputee who tackled the 1,665 steps.

The winner, Piotr Lobodzinski, battled the cold weather and high winds on Friday night to climb the 324 vertical metres to make it to the top in 7 minutes 50 seconds.

After his win he said: "It was a very nice race and I am happy I am here in the first edition of Eiffel Tower Run.

"It was quite long, almost eight minutes, 7.50 minutes. 276 meters vertical, really strong athletes, but I am the winner and so I am really happy, very glad and hope to be back here next year."

Another competitor, 46-year-old Madeleine Fontillas-Ronk, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, said: "It's worse than a sprint, worse than a marathon and worse than giving birth."

"It's 10-15 minutes of all out effort. You feel your lungs, your throat, your brain is telling you to stop. But you want to finish."