RunningAHEAD - Topic: Great Wall of China

tiggerunner

posted: 1/11/2008 at 10:40 AM

Hi, Has anyone ever run this race? I am doing the 1/2 in May and any advice would be greatly Big grin

appreciated. Thanks

JakeKnight

posted: 1/11/2008 at 10:49 AM

Quote from tiggerunner on 1/11/2008 at 10:40 AM:

Hi, Has anyone ever run this race? I am doing the 1/2 in May and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Seriously?

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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tiggerunner

posted: 1/11/2008 at 11:16 AM

Yes, I am serious. I know it's warm and my training is stairs and distance. Just want any tips on what to take. KMS

ODONNELL

My sweet new crank!

posted: 1/11/2008 at 11:17 AM

First, have you been to China? If not, I can offer some simple China advice as I have been going for years, but, I know nothing about the race.

Ryan O'D Gurnee, IL by way of Madison, WI via Wichita, KS via Denver, CO

tiggerunner

posted: 1/11/2008 at 11:23 AM

I haven't been to China, but my husband travels there all the time, so I feel good about the travel. We also have people who will show us around(you HAVE to do this race as part of a tour). Thanks very much

jdmcgregor

All business

posted: 1/11/2008 at 11:31 AM

I know nothing about that race either. I just wanted to say that i'm a little bit jealous of you right now.

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason." J. Handy

tiggerunner

posted: 1/11/2008 at 11:48 AM

My husband and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and in July I turn 50, so it had to be a good one!

JakeKnight

posted: 1/12/2008 at 1:22 AM

Quote from tiggerunner on 1/11/2008 at 11:16 AM:

Yes, I am serious. I know it's warm and my training is stairs and distance. Just want any tips on what to take. KMS

Sorry, Tigger. Wasn't necessarily doubting you - but it was the "half" part that threw me. I couldn't imagine going that far and running half the distance. Maybe you get to China often. But I don't. So if I had the chance, you can bet your Tight lipped

that I'd be running the full marathon. I didn't even know they did a half. Unless you are a frequent visitor to the Great Wall, run the full. You've got 5 months. Get busy. Who cares if you have to walk half of it. It's the frickin' Great Wall of China. I guess if your husband gets there all the time, maybe you can always do it later. But if not ... run the whole thing. P.S. If you make your log public, you'll get better advice around here. P.P.S. Whatever you do - please write up a good race report when you get back. I want details!

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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tiggerunner

posted: 1/12/2008 at 5:02 AM

Sticking with the 1/2. My husband was talking to customers from China last night and they are setting up a bunch of fun stuff to do before and after the race, so I want to be walking. I have no shame in not doing the full, just want to RUN on the wall. The race is only on the actual wall for about 3 miles and the rest is in the local villages. It's suppose to be brutally hot and humid. I would run the school stairs, but have to work that out. The local school doesn't let people on the track during certain hours, sooo I'll see what else I can do. I have an appt at my new gym, so hopefully some advice there. Thanks again and yes I will post when done. KMS

Peke98

posted: 1/12/2008 at 8:29 AM

Wow. Jealous is an inadequate word. Short of a hill climb up the Great Pyramid I can't think of anything cooler. I just read the course description on the race website. I particularly like the description of the part of the Widow's Tower "For quite a while along this stretch there will be no wall on your left hand side,which means a potential free fall!" Definitely want a full report when you get back.

perfesserr

Imminent Catastrophe

posted: 1/12/2008 at 8:48 AM

All I know is that the President of the Marathon Maniacs has done almost 200 marathons and he lists Great Wall as the toughest. Enjoy!

"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016

Western States 100 June 2016

GaReb770

posted: 1/12/2008 at 2:52 PM
modified: 1/12/2008 at 2:58 PM

Maybe you get to China often. But I don't. So if I had the chance, you can bet your Tight lipped

that I'd be running the full marathon. I didn't even know they did a half. I strongly considered this race this year and still may do it. After reading past runners comments about the full and 1/2 marathon I'm not even considering the full. Before I read that article (Running Times a couple of months ago, I think) I would have thought running the full would be a good idea too. The description by the full marathoners about their experience just didn't excite me. I'm sticking with the 1/2 if I go to China. Good luck if you do the full. Good luck tigger. Look up the Running Times magazines for the past 3-4 months. I'm pretty certain there was a very good article in there about several runners and the Great Wall of China run. My office staff keeps asking me if I'm going to run it this year.

USAF Marathon, September 19 Atlanta 1/2 Marathon, Nov 26 Breast Cancer Marathon, Feb 21, 2010

kcam

posted: 1/13/2008 at 3:30 PM

Quote from tiggerunner on 1/12/2008 at 5:02 AM:

Sticking with the 1/2. My husband was talking to customers from China last night and they are setting up a bunch of fun stuff to do before and after the race, so I want to be walking. I have no shame in not doing the full, just want to RUN on the wall. The race is only on the actual wall for about 3 miles and the rest is in the local villages. It's suppose to be brutally hot and humid. I would run the school stairs, but have to work that out. The local school doesn't let people on the track during certain hours, sooo I'll see what else I can do. I have an appt at my new gym, so hopefully some advice there. Thanks again and yes I will post when done. KMS

If all you want to do is 'just run on the wall' then just do it (sorry about sounding like Nike). I visited the GW a few years ago (at the Badaling site) and I just walked about 1/4 mile past where everybody was and started running. I went as far as I could and got to a little outpost with one Chinese soldier there and me. He saw me and smiled and said "Mei Gou Ren?" (American?) and offered me a cigarette! Friendly people there.

Great Wall of China (Read 576 times)