Great Wall Marathon celebrates 20th anniversary

On May 18, 1,565 runners arrived at the base of the Great Wall of China to take on the Great Wall Marathon, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary.

People from all over the world traveled to China to take part, with people from 67 nations competing this year.

The race is on Forbes Top 10 List of Marathons Worth Travelling For. During the race, runners faced a grueling 5,164 steps, many of which are uneven and so steep that many people had to use their hands to climb. Runners also passed through landscapes and villages of the rural province of Tianjin, where a number of villagers showed their support.

This year 697 people took part in the full marathon, 635 in the half marathon and 233 in the fun run, which is 8.5 km.

Douglas Wilson from Australia won the men’s trophy this year with a time of 3:25:25, and Kali Cavey from the US won the women’s with a time of 4:12:27.