The Ultimate Hotel Workout

The Jumeirah Emirates Towers

USA Today: How many minutes do you think it would take to climb all 1,334 steps of a 52-story hotel tower?

If you've ever wondered and you get to Dubai around this time each year, you might join the Jumeirah Emirates Towers' annual "Vertical Marathon."

This year, the fastest of the 236 people who tried it made it in an astonishing 8.49 minutes, a piece on breakingtravelnews.com says.

Brazilian national Gustavo Ayres Netto was the first man to reach the top in that breathtaking time, while the first woman - Jo Phillmore - did it in a still-incredible 11.57 minutes. Participants were timed using computerized timing chips.

It's an intriguing fitness challenge, to be sure, but the contest has a purpose: It was the ninth annual fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders. A local landmark, the towers include a 400-room Jumeirah hotel, shopping and offices.