Dong'ao half-marathon set on spectacular course

The 2018 Zhuhai Dong'ao Island First International Mountain Half Marathon on May 6 will see 320 enthusiasts navigating winding tracks as they take in fresh ocean breezes and picturesque islands.

Contestants will set out from Gree Dong'ao Hotel and run 1.4 km (.9 miles) to the south part of the island before circling three laps totaling 18.3 km (11.4 miles) on Dong'ao Island. Then they will return to the hotel the way they came. The course, which features breathtaking sea views and 4A-grade scenic spots, is 21 km (13 miles) in total.

Winners in individual and group categories will receive prize money of 10,000 yuan ($1,590) each. Those coming in second and third places will be granted 5,000 ($795) and 3,000 yuan ($477) respectively. Contestants placing from fourth to sixth will be given 1,000 yuan ($159) each.

Heading for prizes [File photo]

Leading the lineup are national first-level athletes Si Guosong and Fan Fengjuan. Si won the Guigang International Marathon 2018, the first race of Running China serial marathon, and the gold medal in Domestic Group at the 2018 Haikou Marathon. He took second place in the 2017 Handragon Gold Cup Hangzhou Ultramarathon with a score of 265.3 km (164.8 miles) within 24 hours, his personal best in ultramarathon. 

Equally competitive, Fan also has a career of distinction. She once trekked 339 km (210.6 miles) and climbed 30,908 m (33,801 yd) to complete the world's most difficult cross-country marathon -- Tor des Géants -- in Aosta Valley, Italy on Sept 16, 2016. Not only did Fan make it, she did it in 110 hours and 39 minutes, a long-distance record among Asian women.

Marathon is a symbol of vitality, health, and strength. The event, which promises to be an extravaganza of sightseeing, entertainment, and culinary delicacies, will have participants stay at the five-star Gree Dong'ao Hotel. They will have a chance to experience the local fishing culture and enjoy the harvest of the sea.