Among the Upstate students and staff who participated in a six-week Stairs Challenge are five future doctors who walked away with gift card prizes from Sports Authority, Eastern Mountain Sports, Fleet Feet Sports, Strong Hearts Cafe and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Yev Freyvert, a second-year medical student, was the top finisher, having walked up 1,396 flights of stairs. Behind him was Vince Calleo, also in his second year, with 941 flights.

Maya Silbert, in her second year, walked up 653 flights, just edging out Allison Barz, a fourth-year medical student who walked up 651 flights. The fifth winner was first-year medical student Kartik Shah, with 541 flights.

Participants tracked the flights of stairs they took up -- going down did not count -- aiming for walking 5,334 feet by March 2. That‘s the height of New York's highest mountain, Mount Marcy. One flight of stairs equals 10 feet, so participants had to climb 534 flights — 12 flights per day — in order to be eligible for the prize drawings.