Weston Volunteer Fire Brigade members Arden Black and Wade McNamara have been training seven days a week since January, ahead of the annual Firefighters Sky Tower Stair Challenge on May 11, to raise money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.
Although Mr Black said he had completed the 1103-stair challenge once before, and was determined to beat his past time of 17 minutes, he knew the pair were in for a ''tough challenge''.
However, they had prepared well for the event, which involved racing to the top of the 328m-high tower, wearing 25kg of equipment and full breathing apparatus, he said.
Mr McNamara said their training schedule involved completing one and a-half hours of fitness work in the gym every day, as well as running up the stairs at the Alliance Pukeuri meat works every Sunday.
''We run up and down the stairs out there at the slaughterman amenities block. Six flights of stairs, 16 times, which is actually a wee bit more than the Sky Tower.''
Both men said they had received ''great support'' from colleagues and the local community, who had sponsored their efforts, but there was still time for people to help them reach their $6000 target.
''We are not far off that now.''
Mr McNamara said people could sponsor their efforts through the www.firefighterclimb.org.nz website.
