LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Out of all the Las Vegas traditions, Scale the STRAT might be the most "Vegas" of them all.
Why? Because it can only happen here—only at the tallest building west of the Mississippi River and is emblematic of the giving spirit of the Las Vegas community.
"It's all about mindset, it's all about confidence and not comparing yourself to anyone else–even yourself," said Ruth Furman.
Furman is no stranger to Scale the STRAT. Before she climbed the 1,455 stairs for the fifth time, I asked her what her trick was.
For me, I try not to look down. I try to keep looking up, and remembering why I signed up in the first place. That really keeps me going and keeps me motivated.
It means more to Ruth this go around— she lost her mom to lung cancer last April.
"This year, I'll be carrying my mom with me," Furman said. "I'm wearing her earrings and I have a memento with her picture on it. My mom, Sally Hamburg, was absolutely incredible. Lung cancer is really, really hard."
The American Lung Association says lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States. 361 adults die from it every single day, according to the organization.
"Every step is a breath," said Deborah Thompson, executive director of Nevada's ALA chapter. "When you get to the top [of the STRAT] you start trying to catch your breath, you understand what it's like for someone with breathing problems."
Scale the STRAT is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Nevada office of the ALA, bringing in more than $230,000 and counting so far this year.
Thompson said more than 800 people signed up to climb in 2025, each with their own story.
The first to cross the finish line was Tyler Lebaron from Utah, with an unofficial time of just eight minutes and 34 seconds.
"There are so many people, hundreds of thousands of people who are suffering from various lung conditions, and exercising is one of the best things you can do," Lebaron said.
Local teacher Stephanie Francis scaled the STRAT Sunday morning and was running in the Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon on the same day!
"Doing Scale the STRAT is a great way for me to give back to those who are fighting for every breath," Francis said. "Like, 'I can do this, so I should do this.'"
"It's an accomplishment to make it to the top of 108 floors on foot," Thompson said. "But, to know that you're doing it on behalf of someone and that it's going to make a difference, you can't beat that."
Every single step for Ruth Furman on Sunday, all the way through the finish line, was for her mom.
"Scaling the STRAT today really puts an exclamation point on her memory," Furman said. "It's such an honor and such a privilege for me, and I'm really happy this morning."
For more information about Scale the STRAT, to donate to the American Lung Association and to stay in the loop on updates for next year's event, visit their website here.
