days i cant run a recap of my xiamen marathon
It's been almost a month since the Xiamen Marathon on January 5th. Since then, I have been taking a break from running. The novel coronavirus, which is rampant in Wuhan, Hubei, is coming on fiercely. All parts of the country are also intensively carrying out epidemic prevention and control. As ordinary people, we should wear masks when going out, avoid crowded places, and ensure our health.
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I ran the Xiamen Marathon once in 2016 and was lucky to get a spot again in 2019. Let's run it one more time.
More pictures, fewer words. You can quickly go through it by just looking at the pictures.
After getting off the train, I had a bowl of seafood noodles for 15 yuan. My friends on social media commented, 'You're not eating noodles; you're flaunting your wealth.'
This is the satay noodles I had the next day. The meatballs and vegetables in the bowl are optional, and the value of the noodles depends on them.
I went to the convention center to pick up my race materials. The Xiamen International Convention Center was also hosting the 4th China Marathon Expo (Xiamen) at the same time. This year's Xiamen Marathon is the 18th edition.
The race course starts right next to the convention center. On that day, the convention center was also hosting other exhibitions, so there were many people.
35,000 participants will start from here in different zones.
Following the diversion channels to enter the convention center to collect the gear. The weather has been good these days, with suitable temperatures. Coming from the cold north, I really envy this weather.
Swipe your ID card to enter the convention center.
Collect the clothes and race pack.
Chip verification.
Display of race participants' clothes.
Free shuttle bus routes, and the subway was also free on the day (with a race number).
This is the environmental theme of this year's Xiamen Marathon. The outer layer of the Xiamen Marathon gear is made of recyclable plastic.
Exhibits of well-known domestic marathons, including Guangzhou and Wuhan marathons. These are the medals from previous Beijing Marathons.
This is this year's Xiamen Marathon medal. It changes every year, and the design is just average.
The expo features various brand exhibition areas. This is the queue in front of a certain brand's exhibition area.
Xtep is the main sponsor. This is the first large-scale event after the launch of the national speed project.
Xtep's name wall.
Display of Xtep's racing 160X running shoes. This should be the most successful running shoes in Xtep's history. Their signed athlete Dong Guojian wore them to run under 2:10 twice, achieving the best marathon results for a Chinese in nearly 10 years. Many people were buying these shoes at the expo.
Saucony, the Rolls-Royce of running shoes, at the expo.
Saucony brought a Rolls-Royce into the venue. I wonder who first connected them, and no one opposed it.
Group photo of the pacer team. The pacers are all truly strong. Every time I run a marathon, it shatters my dream of becoming a pacer. It's too hard.
Why run? Can these answers solve your question?
The first gun goes off at 7:30. I caught the earliest bus and arrived around 6:00. On the way, I heard that the volunteers had left at 2:00 AM. Respect to them. The temporary bag storage area is on the left, and the post-race bag collection point is inside the convention center.
Waiting in front of the check-in area. The bag storage area is outside. Not in a hurry to store the bag, I kept my clothes on to stay warm.
This guy is from the Taiyuan Long-distance Running Association. Can you guess his age? He looks younger the more he runs. He ran 3:10 at the Guangzhou Marathon last month. I really admire him. I ran in Taiyuan, Datong, and Zhengzhou last year and met him at all of them. I hope I can run at his age.
I planned to run 3:30 before the race. The first half went well, but I completely collapsed in the second half. My usual running volume is still not enough.
Post-race finisher's pack made of recyclable plastic. Volunteers manually put on the medals and distributed bananas.
The recovery area inside the convention center after the race. The volunteers holding signs were very considerate, guiding the flow of people efficiently. Everything was orderly and looked very comfortable.
Walking out of the convention center, seeing such words really warms the heart.
The shuttle bus after the race, free to the transfer hub.
Thank you for reading this far. The record ends here. Let me summarize briefly.
I previously said that small marathons are small and beautiful. Xiamen Marathon is a large marathon with over 30,000 people, organized in an orderly manner. It feels particularly good. This is all thanks to the event organizers. Let me share my thoughts on the organization of the Xiamen Marathon, which can be used as a reference for other events.
1. Free shuttle buses and subways before and after the race.
2. Bag storage points are arranged numerically, with the plan printed on the race number in advance. For example, I stored my bag at point 18. It's easier to find than by race number.
3. Staggered starts in different zones, with enough space between zones to avoid crowding.
4. In addition to mobile toilets, there were also large tent-style urinals that could accommodate many people.
5. Because of the out-and-back course, I saw the tail-end utility vehicles and environmental vehicles promptly collecting tools and cleaning the course.
6. Ample supplies, including water, drinks, snacks, salt tablets, energy gels, and medical spray.
7. Ambulance support. I saw two people lying on the ground during the race.
8. Volunteers holding signs for guidance, answering questions, and providing various tips in the post-race relaxation area.
That's all I can think of for now. Xiamen is a tourist city with its own halo. The Xiamen Marathon fully utilizes this advantage, interpreting the concept of 'falling in love with a city through running,' leaving a very good experience.