By Alex Frank, health and wellness reporter
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, 343 firefighters died while responding to the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City. Twenty-five years later, people are still remembering and honoring the lives of those first responders but also the thousands of others who lost their lives in the attacks.
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2026, members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the Blacksburg Fire Department, and several sports teams met at Lane Stadium at 5 a.m.to take on the 110-story remembrance climb to signify the 110 flights of stairs it took to reach the top of the Twin Towers.
Members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets participating in the stair climb the Morning of Sept. 11, 2026. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
In addition to the morning climb by first responders and the Corps, many other community members took their own remembrance climb. Throughout the day, members of the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg communities climbed the steps in the stadium.
While the stair climb is a great physical challenge, it isn’t the workout that is the main purpose; rather, they are meant to serve as a reminder of the sacrifice of the men and women who responded to the attacks on that day in 2001, as well as the thousands of other victims.
The significance of remembrance on the day of 9/11 is not lost on many, even those who weren’t alive on the day of the attacks.
Ryan Storm is the head Air Force physical fitness officer for the Virginia Tech Air Force ROTC. Storm is one of the cadets tasked with planning and coordinating the stair climb event. When reflecting on what 9/11 means to him, Storm explains, “I know the sacrifice that those men and women make each and every day, and on September 11th, when their nation called on them, they ran towards the fight with no hesitation.“ Despite not being alive for 9/11, Storm is inspired by the bravery of the men and women who responded to the call that morning. Storm says the morning stair climb is “an incredible way to bring everyone together with one common goal of paying our respects and helping those participating gain a small perspective into the true pain and sacrifice.”
One hundred ten flights of stairs are no easy task, though. It amounts to more than 2,000 stairs, and it’s easy to want to quit. Cid Wyler is a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, and he explains that, despite the difficulty, he had a strong reason not to quit. “I kept going because of the challenge itself and the desire to honor those who served on 9/11. Pushing through discomfort felt like a small way to recognize their strength and sacrifice.”
Storm hopes those who participated in the morning stair climb understand that the event is not just about climbing stairs, but about taking time to recognize the magnitude of the events of Sept. 11th. Storm wanted a way for everyone there to be able to grasp the scale so he came up with a plan, “When participants entered Lane, they were given a slip of paper with a name on it. A large number of the participants were even given a second name. Nearly twice as many people who participated in the stair climb (this morning) lost their lives that day.”
Others also completed the stair climb, in addition to the Corps of Cadets and fire department. Throughout the day, people could be seen making the trek to the top of Lane Stadium, down, and right back up again.
A woman climbs the stairs on her own early in the morning of Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Photo by Alex Frank.
One participant, Ryley Crabtree, when asked about why he decided to participate, said this: “It was tough to get out of bed this morning, and I’m not a big runner, but it felt like something I had to do, and it felt like the right thing to do.”
The number of people who participated in the climb throughout the day shows just how much significance remembering the Sept. 11th attacks has a quarter-century later. Many of the young people who participated were not alive, but the impact of the stories they have heard and the connection that is felt through the shared hardship of stairs is something that continues to resonate. Crabtree said, “On days like today it really feels like no matter who you are or what you believe we can all come together for a greater cause.”
Crabtree and his friends climbing the stairs Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Photo by Alex Frank.
As participants continued making their way up and down the stairs of Lane Stadium and elsewhere throughout Blacksburg, the climb became more than a simple test of endurance and strength. To those who took the time to do it each step became a chance to remember those who werre lost in the attacks 25 years ago while also serving as a reminder of the commitment and bravery of the first responders who answered the call the morning of September 11, 2001.
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