Chicago stairclimber captures Seattle's Big Climb men's title

SEATTLE -- Jesse Lucas Berg of Chicago held off Henry Wigglesworth of Seattle by .76 seconds to capture his second consecutive men's title at Sunday's 22nd annual Big Climb at Seattle's Columbia Center.

In the women's competition, Jenn Marsh of Kirkland edged Kourtney Dexter, of Seattle, by .02 seconds for her first title.

A record 5,300 stairclimbers scaled the 1,311 steps to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The climb is expected to raise more than its 2007 total of $695,000.