Beijing marathon relay marks 20th anniversary
By Shan Juan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-04-01 14:49

Beijing International Marathon Relay 2005 will hit the road on April 11, marking the 20th anniversary of the annual game of world friendship.

Han Xiufeng, deputy executive director of Beijing People's Association For Friendship with Foreign Countries, answers questions from reporters at the news conference, April 1, 2005. [21dnn.com]

This year, 3,000 long-distance lovers, a record number, will compete in six groups representing both the professionals and the amateurs in the race themed as "Beijing, Friendship, Relay."

Organizers said three factors -- strong line-up of athletes; artistic taste of opening/closing ceremony; enthusiastic game-serving volunteers - will help make the coming event a successful modern game.

China, as the host, will send top-ranking athletes to compete in the international women group of for the event: Athens Olympic gold medallist Xing Huina and Asian Games gold medallist Sun Yinjie.

Celebrating the game's 20th birthday, a grand 2,000-member chorus will sing at the opening ceremony to glorify the athletic unyielding spirit and blessing the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, said Han Xiufeng, deputy executive director of Beijing People's Association For Friendship with Foreign Countries, which launched the spring mass jogging a decade ago and has sponsored it every Spring ever since.

About 430 capital college students volunteer to serve the match and cheer up runners en route of the 42,195-kilometer march.

China has so far claimed the top title in this group nine times, summarized at an April Fool's Day news conference by Shen Chunde, vice president of China's Track and Field Association, saying "We are heading to a tenth victory, which would be our 'grand slam.'"

This year's race starts from Tian'anmen Square, continues around the city along the city's Second Ring Road and returns to the finish line, also in Tian'anmen in the center of Beijing.
The total route is divided into 6 sections, with distances of 5km, 10km, 5km, 10km, 5km and 7.195km respectively.

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