That show of heroism brought together nearly 400 UC students, faculty and staff, area first responders and members of the community for the university’s second annual 9/11 Stadium Stair Run.

Each climber was challenged to scale 2,071 steps, or 110 stories— the height of the World Trade Center towers— in honor of the more than 400 first responders and nearly 3,000 civilians who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.

“It’s humbling that so many took time out of their busy morning to come join us,” said Terence Harrison, program manager of the Veterans Programs & Services Office, who organized the event with UC’s Army and Air Force ROTC detachments.

“The day of Sept. 11, 2001, should never be forgotten,” he said. “We would like the region to know that our school will never take their sacrifice lightly.”

Sprinting up dozens of flights of stairs is no easy feat for even the most physically fit, as Nick Knight soon learned. The panting third-year political science major and Army ROTC cadet stopped to catch his breath before hurtling down another flight of stairs.