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Mountain routes set the pace
By Xu Wenwen |
October 20, 2010, Wednesday
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HANGZHOU'S beautiful natural landscape is an ideal place for leisurely outdoor pursuits but for more experienced athletes looking for a challenge it also plays host to an annual cross-country run. Xu Wenwen checks out the race and the local running environment.
West Lake is known as a fabulous place to take a walk or a bike ride, and paved and unpaved trails winding through the bush-clad hills around the lake also make it a paradise for runners and joggers.
It's no wonder then that every autumn in Hangzhou, hundreds of runners from home and abroad gather for the West Lake Mountain Race, an event now in it's ninth year and dubbed by the competitors as "the country's most romantic trail-running race in a city."
Compared with other cross-country races held in the countryside, the annual West Lake Mountain Race boasts trails stretching 28 kilometers, mostly set in the hills around the picturesque lake.
Since 2006, the route of the race has been fixed. It starts and finishes at the Yellow Dragon Stadium, and meanders up and down 12 peaks.
Firstly it runs westward to Fengting Mountain, and then southward to Jiangjun Mountain, Lingfeng Mountain, North Peak and several hills. When reaching Pingfen Mountain, the route heads north and ends up at the starting point.
Last Sunday, this year's race took place and more than 250 runners participated. The event this year was organized by Hangzhou Rock Climbing Association and FxOutdoor, and was sponsored by Vasque Outdoor Footwear.
At 7:15am, the mass of runners were off the mark with much pleasure and excitement. They followed marks on trees, stones and trails, passing through stunning tea fields, gorgeous rocky ridges and charming villages.
Local runner Shen Zhengyu finished the race in the first place, completing the entire route in two hours, 39 minutes and six seconds.
Since the race is held in a mountain area full of narrow lanes and vertical drops, the number of entrants is limited to avoid overcrowding and ensure the runners' safety, says the organizing committee of the race, and there are no plans to expand the numbers next year.
Although the event is held in Hangzhou, there were more than 50 foreign and 180 non-local runners taking part.
Simon Grimmer, a New Zealander living in Shanghai and competing in the race for the fourth year, said the reason he takes part again and again is because "the scenery here is unforgettable and impressive, and to run in Hangzhou gives me different feelings every time."
"There are dozens of contestants who keep attending the race, including some expats," said Luo Xiping, a race organizing committee member who takes charge of contacting foreign contestants.
"As the event is more and more popular, and expats spread the news by word of mouth, the number of foreign athletes has increased in recent years," Luo confirmed.
But the lack of local runners doesn't mean locals do not like running, explained Zou Jie, the secretary of Hangzhou Rock Climbing Association.
"It's because the race is so popular that some foreigners send emails to register as early as the beginning of the year, and many even come to have a trial run in the spring.
"Since those early birds catch the worm, local runners have to wait until the next year," he added.
Although running in the mountain area is cool, it's not like running 28 kilometers on flat ground.
The course covers around 6 kilometers of flat running, so only trained runners are invited.
West Lake is known as a fabulous place to take a walk or a bike ride, and paved and unpaved trails winding through the bush-clad hills around the lake also make it a paradise for runners and joggers.
It's no wonder then that every autumn in Hangzhou, hundreds of runners from home and abroad gather for the West Lake Mountain Race, an event now in it's ninth year and dubbed by the competitors as "the country's most romantic trail-running race in a city."
Compared with other cross-country races held in the countryside, the annual West Lake Mountain Race boasts trails stretching 28 kilometers, mostly set in the hills around the picturesque lake.
Since 2006, the route of the race has been fixed. It starts and finishes at the Yellow Dragon Stadium, and meanders up and down 12 peaks.
Firstly it runs westward to Fengting Mountain, and then southward to Jiangjun Mountain, Lingfeng Mountain, North Peak and several hills. When reaching Pingfen Mountain, the route heads north and ends up at the starting point.
Last Sunday, this year's race took place and more than 250 runners participated. The event this year was organized by Hangzhou Rock Climbing Association and FxOutdoor, and was sponsored by Vasque Outdoor Footwear.
At 7:15am, the mass of runners were off the mark with much pleasure and excitement. They followed marks on trees, stones and trails, passing through stunning tea fields, gorgeous rocky ridges and charming villages.
Local runner Shen Zhengyu finished the race in the first place, completing the entire route in two hours, 39 minutes and six seconds.
Since the race is held in a mountain area full of narrow lanes and vertical drops, the number of entrants is limited to avoid overcrowding and ensure the runners' safety, says the organizing committee of the race, and there are no plans to expand the numbers next year.
Although the event is held in Hangzhou, there were more than 50 foreign and 180 non-local runners taking part.
Simon Grimmer, a New Zealander living in Shanghai and competing in the race for the fourth year, said the reason he takes part again and again is because "the scenery here is unforgettable and impressive, and to run in Hangzhou gives me different feelings every time."
"There are dozens of contestants who keep attending the race, including some expats," said Luo Xiping, a race organizing committee member who takes charge of contacting foreign contestants.
"As the event is more and more popular, and expats spread the news by word of mouth, the number of foreign athletes has increased in recent years," Luo confirmed.
But the lack of local runners doesn't mean locals do not like running, explained Zou Jie, the secretary of Hangzhou Rock Climbing Association.
"It's because the race is so popular that some foreigners send emails to register as early as the beginning of the year, and many even come to have a trial run in the spring.
"Since those early birds catch the worm, local runners have to wait until the next year," he added.
Although running in the mountain area is cool, it's not like running 28 kilometers on flat ground.
The course covers around 6 kilometers of flat running, so only trained runners are invited.
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