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Did you know that Kristen Frey of Schaumburg is the world's top female stair-climber.  Most recently, Frey did Hustle Up The Hancock in 12:34 and the Empire State Building in 14:47.  While stair-climbing is an amateur sport, towerrunning.com has been listing rankings for stair-climbing for 10 years.   It also is gaining in popularity, last month's Hancock event (94 or 52 floors) sold out in 90 minutes.  Most of these events are fund-raisers for various charities and entry fees usually include a fund-raising requirement.  Other stair-climbing events for charity in Chicago are Fight For Air benefiting the American Lung Association and takes place in the Presidential Towers (45 floors in each tower and participants can do one or all four); SkyRise Chicago benefiting the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and takes place in the Willis Tower (103 floors or 2109 steps);  Kohl's Step Up For Kids benefiting Children's Memorial Hospital and takes place in the Aon Center (80 floors or 1643 steps); Fight For Air also holds a race in Oak Brook Terrace Tower (31 floors or 681 steps although participants can choose to do it one to three times). Suggestions for participating in a stair-climbing event:  walk, don't run up the stairs.  "It can zap your energy by floor 10" according to Joel Africk who heads the Hustle Up The Hancock event.  Experienced stair climbers tend to take the stairs two at a time.  Eric Leninger of Geneva, who won Milwaukee's Fight For Air Climb suggests you pace yourself and use the handrails.  iPods are encouraged since stairwells races are not known for their scenery.