Punning/running: Punderdome and the Empire State Building Run-Up

Champ: Tim “Forest Wittyker” Donnelly, 31; writer-editor; Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Claim to fame: Five-time Punderdome winner
How he got into punning: “I was working at Trader Joe’s; it’s a very boring job, but they love puns there. So my friend and I would spend a lot of time behind the register just thinking of food puns. And we turned out to be a dominating force right away.”
His advice: “Building your puns into a story draws the audience along; you make a puntastic voyage out of it. Start with the word you want to get to, and work your way backwards—don’t try to take it top-down. And a little bit of alcohol always helps.”
Sample pun: Given the category “Colonial Williamsburg”: “My head was cold, and I went into this haberdasher and he said, ‘Try cornered hats!’ ”

Champ: David Allard, 65; designer and inventor; Great Barrington, MA
Claim to fame: Nineteen-time Run-Up competitor
How he got into running: “When I heard there was a race that went up the Empire State Building, I was thrilled, but I thought that it was probably over my head. At the time, I felt like I was old because I was in my midforties. But now, I’m in my midsixties, and I’m feeling younger every day. I’ve run around 50 marathons, run up Mount Washington [in New Hampshire, the highest peak in the Northeast] eight times, and I did the Sears Tower in Chicago on my 60th birthday.”
His advice: “Pace yourself. On the eighth floor, you find all of the guys who don’t know what they’re doing leaning against the wall, ready to have a heart attack. Also, use the handrails and take the stairs two at a time. And be courteous—the space is only 44 inches wide. We’re a team when we go up that building.”
Why it’s worth it: “It’s so exhilarating. When you do a lap around the observation deck, there’s no other feeling like that. I hope to do this into my nineties—I’ll crawl up the stairs if I have to.”