Oklahoma City competitive stair climb: Little Willie's Trip Dog Dare

It's called Little Willie's Triple Dog Dare — a competitive stair climb in skyscrapers Beffort co-owns. It's apparently the first in Oklahoma City.

Some 200 stair climbers — runners, walkers, and surely some people just along for the trudge — will take either the Dare, the Double Dog Dare or the sinister Triple Dog Dare, all in a festive holiday atmosphere starting at 8 a.m. at Leadership Square, 211 N Robinson.

• The Dare: Run or walk up and down the North Tower of Leadership Square, 22 stories — GASP!

• The Double Dog Dare: Run or walk up and down Leadership Square plus up and down Oklahoma Tower, 210 Park Ave., 31 stories — GASP, GASP!

• The Triple Dog Dare: Run or walk up and down Leadership Square, Oklahoma Tower and the South Tower of Leadership Square, 16 stories — GASP, GASP, GASP!

Of course, it's not as crazy as it might sound. Competitive stair climbing is its own sport, it turns out.

“Every year, several stair climbing races are held around the world with the competitors running up the stairs of some of the tallest buildings and towers in the world,” it says at www.stairclimbingsport.com, a website that promotes the events. “World class athletes from running and cycling regularly compete in such events, and some have specialized in stair climbing races only.