Great Wall Marathon
By Jordan Snyder
长城马拉松
长城马拉松赛是世界上最艰难的马拉松赛程之一。比赛始于1999年，自2003年以来每年都举行。下两次的比赛将于5月的第三个星期六（2019年5月18日和2020年5月16日）举行：
注册比赛
2019年比赛的注册现已结束，因为2019年4月18日之后将不会接受参赛者。2020年活动的截止日期可能是在2020年4月16日。您可以在https://great-wall-marathon.com/race-info上找到相关详细信息
开始和截止时间
在报名表上，您必须说明您的标准或成绩，这将决定您的开始时间。跑步者以十分钟的间隔分组开始，所有跑步者都将一个计算机芯片嵌入其运行编号中，这样可以准确计算每个跑步者的表现。
训练
有几种方法可以完成山地训练。最简单的是在丘陵地带定期跑步。您需要的山丘高度在50到100米之间。在山地训练的第一周，只能以缓慢的速度进行短跑，当感觉到适应之后，你可以增加训练的强度。
The Great Wall Marathon has the reputation for being one of the world’s toughest marathon courses for competitors to compete on. The race began in 1999 and has been held every year since, with the exception of 2003. The race takes place on the third Saturday in May (18th of May, 2019, and 16th of May, 2020) and is actually run over three distances:
1. A full marathon route of 42.2km (26.2 miles)
2. A half marathon 21.1km (13.1 miles)
3. A 8.5km Fun Run
The Fun Run was introduced in 2013 and replaced events of 10km and 5km.
Registering for the race
Registration for the 2019 event has now closed, as no entries will be accepted after the 18th of April, 2019. A cut-off date for the 2020 event is likely to be on the 16th of April, 2020. There are several packages available for whichever event you may like to sign up to. You can find the relevant details at https://great-wall-marathon.com/race-info
Start and Cut-off times
Elite runners are all entered into the first group of runners to set out. On the entry form you have to state your running standard or grade and this determines your start time. Runners leave the start in groups at ten minute intervals. All runners have a computer chip embedded into their running number and this gives accurate timings of each runner’s performance.
There is, however, a cut-off time of 8 hours and runners with a finishing time in excess of 8 hours will receive FNT, finished no time on the result sheet. Runners that are still on the route at this time will be picked up by vehicles and brought back to the finishing area.
What section of the Great Wall is the race run on?
The race is held at Huangya Pass or Huangyaguan, the Tellow Cliff Pass in Ji County, 126km (78 miles) north of Tianjin city.
Description of the race route
The race begins at the Yin and Yang Square in the fortress at Huangyaguan. The race route takes runners along the Jinwei Highway for one kilometre, before turning onto the Changcheng Highway. You now have a 4km climb up to the entrance to the Great Wall. After another kilometre, you reach the first steps of the wall and then run along the wall itself for 3km. At the 7km point of the route there is a steep downhill section, known as the ‘goat track’; this section is 700m long. You will then round the walls of the fortress and arrive back at the start/finish area. For the fun runners, this is the end of their race.
The marathon and half marathon runners continue on, heading south alongside the river, until they reach the 13km point at Duanzhuang village. At that point the two routes split, with the marathon course continuing southwards to Xiaying. At the 20km point there is a six km loop through the village of Qingshanling. This takes runners on to Chedaoyu village and a steep climb before entering Duanzhuang village for the second time and merging with the half marathon route once again. Runners now follow the Jinwei highway back to the start/finish area, where the half marathon ends.
Marathon runners have now reached the 34km point and have a second attempt along the Great Wall. This is a cut-off point for marathon runners in excess of 6 hours running time. Any runner outside of that time will not be permitted to continue from this point.
For the runners that have made it this far and continue on to the ‘goat track’, receive a wrist band as proof they have completed the wall section two times, before returning back along the wall and into Yin and Yang Square.
Differing surfaces to be considered
The majority of the route is on asphalt roads with good surfaces, although the wall section consists of steps of varying height and width. Some sections of the wall have ramps, which can become slippery. In some of the villages along the route, the surface is made of gravel and dirt, so extra care is needed on these sections.
Who can take part in this event?
The Great Wall Marathon is open to all levels of runners, new or experienced. Training is essential, but anyone can conquer this event. For this type of marathon distance training is vital, as is specific interval training for the types of terrain you will encounter. in addition to having the mental strength to get through such a demanding event.
Comparisons with a city marathon
City marathons are traditionally run over a fast, flat route, where sponsors want to attract world class athletes with the hope of records being broken, to further highlight the importance of that event on the world calendar. The Great Wall Marathon is very different, because it is a race of adventure over a hilly route with lots of steps. Runners competing in the full marathon have 5,164 steps to negotiate along the sections of the Great Wall. In addition to the steps, there are sections of cobblestones, unpaved terrain, as well as steep ascents and descents.
Follow a suitable training regime
For anyone, who would like to be participant in this race, it is imperative that they take part in a suitable training program designed specifically for this event. You will need to find the level of training that best suits you, whether that is every day or three times a week. You will also have to choose between long steady runs or shorter intensive sessions of training. Whatever method you decide on, another important aspect that you cannot avoid is hill training.
Training for the hills and steps
There are several ways you can complete hill training. The simplest is to run regularly in hilly terrain. You will need hills that offer elevations of between 50 and 100 meters in height to be comparable with those encountered along the route. If this is new to you, then ease yourself into it. During the first week of hill training tackle only short runs at a slow pace, and when those feel comfortable, then you can increase the intensity of your training. A good way to build up your stamina is to participate in other shorter races that use hilly terrain.
To train for all those steps, the best methods are to practice on a flight of stairs. If you work in an office, use the stairs and not the elevator. Begin by walking the stairs and gradually increase the intensity as your muscles get acquainted with this type of exercise. Another option is to use a step machine at a gym. This will help to strengthen your thighs, calves and buttocks. It also reduces the risk of injury to your Achilles tendon.
If you have trained adequately, you should have no problem in completing the next event you sign up for.
