As leaders of the team, Brunsvold and Drobeck have a well-thought-out method to their athletic madness.

With a limited supply of air on his back, Drobeck keeps his eyes on the prize and doesn’t look at the floor number until he thinks he may be about halfway to the top. Dressed in layers of gear with hundreds of stairs to go, he resists the urge to sprint at the beginning. Instead, he takes two steps at a time and speeds up the pace at the end of the race.

Brunsvold’s plan, of course, was to keep pace with Drobeck and try to pass him at the end.

“There was a time in that thing when I thought Ben was not going to give up,” Drobeck said. “But I guess that’s why it’s a race.”

Brunsvold and Drobeck acknowledge the competitive nature of their friendship, but Drobeck said that, in part, is what makes Missoula’s firefighters such fierce competitors. Their toughest contenders are the other Missoula firefighters they train with.

“I like seeing a competitive field,” Drobeck said. “I would rather see like 10 guys and really have to fight for that top spot. It’s never really fun without a challenge.”