By way of introduction, the Great Wall Marathon is probably one of the most difficult marathons in the world. Now, I know there are plenty of more difficult races out there, but things like running 200 miles through Death Valley while fighting off bandits and rattlesnakes is in a completely different category for me. The run itself, despite the name, features only about 8 miles on the Great Wall itself, the other 18 miles are run through the beautiful countryside surrounding Beijing. The Marathon is set up as follows:
Runners start in a little courtyard formed by old looking walls, although I don't think it was part of the actual great wall. Leaving that courtyard, runners make their way up a hill, which winds up the mountain for a few miles. Then comes the great moment: you reach the Wall. You run over the wall, back through the courtyard, make the 18 mile loop and finally back over the wall and into the finish in the courtyard.
Let me interject some backstory here. Jenn and I prepared actively for four months (we had run semi-regularly previously). A four month preparation for a very difficult marathon as our very first marathon might not have been the most intelligent thing I can pride myself in, but that is how it went down. We were living in Beijing during that preparation and had the opportunity to prepare ourselves in the ice-cold and pollution filled weather in the northern capital. Running through freezing smog is quite an experience and one that does not exactly inspire further exercise. However, being as tough as we are, Jenn and I were not dissuaded from achieving our goal.
Having said that, we could not just ignore the pollution levels, which at times rose so high that birds would fall dead from the sky like flies. In order to survive, Jenn and I purchased some hardcore looking pollution masks, which I am not sure if I have described previously or not. Anyhow, let it be said that Jenn and I drew even more stares than usual running through the streets looking like members of the SWAT team.
On the day of the marathon, we rose way before the rooster gave his first call. I can't remember exactly, but it was around 2 AM. We had ordered a taxi to pick us up at 2:30AM but the Taxi Driver felt that we should be ready before, so we got a call at 2 telling us to come down. After informing that we had indeed ordered the Taxi for 2:30 and no, we were not ready yet, the driver agreed to wait until the appointed time. Thus, in the middle of the night, we made our way to the Beijing International Hotel, where the shuttle buses would leave to take us to the wall at 3AM. Arriving at the hotel, we saw masses of other marathoners already gathered, with their bright multicolored running gear and backpacks. Everybody looked very fit, which was just a little bit of an intimidation.
Nevertheless, we got on the busses and began a long and winding drive towards the start of the run. The idea that we would be able to catch up on some sleep was quickly smashed by the ugly hammer of reality, as the constant turning and shaking bus did not allow us to get too comfortable.
Finally we arrived at the wall. There was a mass run on the restrooms as everyone was getting ready. Jenn and I had just come in our running outfits and were not prepared for the seemingly sub-zero winds. We made our way up to the courtyard were the run was to begin and were welcomed by a fully equipped brass band playing songs from various cultural backgrounds. Beethoven and Jingle Bells rang in our ears as we took pictures and waived to the many excited spectators already gathering. The rest of the race preparation consisted of people spending hundreds of dollars on running gear, going to the bathroom and participating in an zumba warmup led by two very spirited Chinese girls.
Then it began. The first wave of runners gathered at the starting line and, with the fire of a gun, started the run. I was in wave 3, but Jenn was assigned wave 4, so we both started with wave 4. By the time we made our way to the starting line, the adrenaline definitely had started circulating in my veins. There was a lot of excitement and nervousness in the air, as neither Jenn nor I had ever run the marathon distance of 26 miles, to say nothing of running up and down mountains.
And then, with the sound of a gun, we were off.
Now, since we spent the next 7 hours and 51 minutes running, I won't be as detailed describing what happened. But what follows is the gist of what happened.
Starting our run, we ran in high spirits. Taking a slow but steady pace, we ran together with many other half-marathoners and participants of the fun run. As we made our way up the initial mountain to the wall, we walked mostly, as did everyone else besides the over-enthusiastic fun runners. "You have no idea of the pain I will be in" I kept thinking as I saw these kids with no care in the world run by us.
Eventually, we came to the part everyone had been looking forward to, running on the great wall of China!
However, "running" on the wall turned out to be much harder than anticipated. This was because there were just so many people! We had started in the last wave, which meant that we were running with the fun-run people. The wall sections include many very narrow stairs and half-stair-half-climbing parts and we were literally stuck in traffic. Standing still and walking slowly happened frequently. If I would have known how close we would come to breaking the 8 hour time limit on the marathon, I would have felt much more urgency going through this part.
As it was, it was nice to take it slow while climbing over the wall and enjoying the scenery. The climb was difficult, as all the stairs, both up and down the hill made my legs tired and slightly shaky on the final decent, but nothing too crazy. As we descended, we could make out the courtyard where we had started. This meant that we were just about to start the long running part through the countryside. I also tried to picture us running down the hill in a few hours in preparation for the final decent to finish our marathon. That we would be immensely exhausted was certain, so I tried my best to picture us running into the courtyard, finally finishing the race. I would, however, be disappointed, since the final lap actually went the other way around; but more about that later.
Running through the courtyard to begin our long lap, we still felt positive. This was what we had prepared for, running a long time on a straight road without stopping. So, we ran.
Details blur together, but I do remember that it was hot. The cold wind quickly gave place to the sun, although I must say that it really wasn't too bad for most of the run. We shared our trail with the half marathoners for a while until we hit the restroom tent. This tent, for the record, was just a tent built over a hole in the ground. Actually, it wasn't a hole, just a spot were the ground kind of was more uneven than at other parts. Alright, back to the story. After this primitive outhouse, the trail separated and it was just us marathoners among ourselves. We felt much more at home now, running together with only the toughest of runners, almost like being part of an elite club that we had finally earned membership in. Honestly, I did no exactly feel qualified to be part of this club. After all, a lot of these guys were actual serious runners, already on their 55th marathon and plugging along like little steam engines that could. Nevertheless, we already felt much more serious just running with these guys, especially when, at times, we passed an elderly gentleman or lady.
This long part of the marathon ran mostly along streets that still had open traffic, so we had to look out for vehicles. The area was beautiful, running through green hills and small towns with plenty of little kids happy to give us a high five and handing us flowers. Much of this part looked like our bike ride through the countryside around Guilin, the towns looking very small and deserted, were it not for the many people standing at the sidelines.
We did not talk much during this long part of the run, but still did not feel bored as all of our faculties were required to keep our legs moving. Even though we were off the wall, big parts of the run were still up and down hills, with some of the inclines lasting for miles. Running downhill was almost harder than walking uphill, as it made every single joint in our bodies hurt like there was no tomorrow.
Alas, there is not much more I can say about this part of our run. It lasted several hours, and our joints, muscles and bones became more sore with every passing minute. Whatever was left of the overcast was now gone, and the sun shone mercilessly upon our heads. Most of the local people had left their posts and I didn't fail to notice that some of the cars passing us were buses, carrying runners who had already completed their run, back home to the hotel. We ate pounds and pounds of bananas handed out during the run and drank liters of water, yet never felt the urge to use the restroom, as sweating took care of all water output needed. This banana and water-only diet did eventually became a challenge and our stomachs loudly demanded something with substance and delicious, like saltine crackers. That's how bad it was; saltine crackers sounded about as good as a filet mignon from Ruth's Chris.
But we kept running. What else was there to do, besides running? Using my phone, we tried to keep track of the time limit. There were two time constraints: You had to reach the courtyard within 6 hours and you had to finish the marathon within 8; that gave you two hours to finish the final wall part.
As we were running on the long stretch leading towards the courtyard, we felt assured that we would have enough time. Fighting off fatigue, we made our way back into the courtyard. The cheering of spectators and the announcer proclaiming that Daniel and Jennifer were making their way up back on the wall, energized me and with newfound speed, we started on the first few steps back up the wall.
This final stretch on the wall was different, in that it was in the opposite direction of the first time. This meant that we would start with a long staircase up the wall, and would end with a long but smooth road back down the mountain.
It took only a few steps up the stairs for our newfound energy to completely evaporate. What followed was the most exhausting thing, physically and mentally, I ever did.
Any strength in our legs that we thought we had left, quickly disappeared. We made our way up the long, long stairs, one step at a time. Both nauseous and feeling close to fainting, all I could do is literally focus on the next single step, take a break, and then try another step. Other people were having similar struggles; many of them were sitting down trying to catch their breath. One women had just woken up from fainting and had lost her pulse for a few moments. (Doctors were trying to persuade her to quit; however, she actually finished closely behind us.) It was during this time that I seriously considered giving up trying to finish within the time limit. We had 2.5 hours when we started back on the wall, but at the pace we were going, it seemed futile to try. In fact, I was honestly just hoping to get back off the wall without serious injury or passing out/throwing up combination. Here I must say that Jenn saved the day. She was obviously having a hard time as well, but when I voiced my doubt about the time limit, she encouraged us to try harder. Taking one step at a time, and avoiding looking up so we would not see how much longer we had to go, we moved on.
As we fought our way up the wall, we met CJ, a fellow marathoner. He had completed the Great Wall marathon multiple times before, but had injured his hip on the run this time and was thus delayed. We talked about our purpose living in China and life itself. It was a very welcomed change to have someone to talk to. His optimism and good nature encouraged us to keep going.
And then, we saw the end. Ahead of us, only a few more sections of stairs, we saw the final steps that led off the wall on on the smooth, winding road down the mountain. I was beyond excited. At that moment I felt we honestly had a shot at completing the marathon in time. How much time exactly we had left, I no longer remember, but it seemed like enough. With that hopeful thought, we started on our descent. We traveled with CJ as long as we could, but eventually we left him behind so that we could finish the race in time. Running down the mountain was extremely painful, but we knew the time was ticking. Signs on the side of the road told us how much distance we still had to cover and the journey was still longer than anticipated. Everything inside us wanted to stop, but we wanted to finish the race in time even more. So we did the only thing we could - keep running. As all of our joints and bones were seemingly about to break. As I just started to think that the sought for ending of the run would never come, we turned a corner and now just feet away from the courtyard. I barely heard the announcer say that Daniel and Jennifer finished the race as we ran across the finish line. Time: 7 hours and 51 minutes, 9 minutes before the time limit.
I would like to say that I felt a flood of excitement and joy as we completed the marathon. But to be honest, in that moment I felt mostly relief. It had been a long day, but it was completed. It took a little bit, but eventually I did feel the sought for joy and sense of accomplishment. Jenn and I had done something very difficult, something we didn't think we could do, but we succeeded, and it was only through teamwork that we did.
We welcomed the sandwiches we were handed upon completion of the run (we got one extra each because they had so many left over), although the stomach pain from eating only bananas and running for 8 hours took a while to go away. Our bodies sang praises as we sat down on the shuttle bus that would bring us back to the city. As we started driving, I thought a lot about our experience, not just today but our whole time in China. We had finished something new, exciting and difficult, and we had done it through teamwork. Our time in China was almost at its end, and the accomplishment we felt for the marathon extended to our year in China. Living in China was a great experience, and I don't mean to say that we suffered through the entire thing like a marathon. I only mean to say that it was something new for us, something to challenge us and to help us grow together, both as a couple and as individuals.
Watching the sunset as we drove away from the Great Wall for the last time, I knew that we had accomplished these goals. With that thought, or something like it, I fell asleep.
Runners start in a little courtyard formed by old looking walls, although I don't think it was part of the actual great wall. Leaving that courtyard, runners make their way up a hill, which winds up the mountain for a few miles. Then comes the great moment: you reach the Wall. You run over the wall, back through the courtyard, make the 18 mile loop and finally back over the wall and into the finish in the courtyard.
Let me interject some backstory here. Jenn and I prepared actively for four months (we had run semi-regularly previously). A four month preparation for a very difficult marathon as our very first marathon might not have been the most intelligent thing I can pride myself in, but that is how it went down. We were living in Beijing during that preparation and had the opportunity to prepare ourselves in the ice-cold and pollution filled weather in the northern capital. Running through freezing smog is quite an experience and one that does not exactly inspire further exercise. However, being as tough as we are, Jenn and I were not dissuaded from achieving our goal.
On the day of the marathon, we rose way before the rooster gave his first call. I can't remember exactly, but it was around 2 AM. We had ordered a taxi to pick us up at 2:30AM but the Taxi Driver felt that we should be ready before, so we got a call at 2 telling us to come down. After informing that we had indeed ordered the Taxi for 2:30 and no, we were not ready yet, the driver agreed to wait until the appointed time. Thus, in the middle of the night, we made our way to the Beijing International Hotel, where the shuttle buses would leave to take us to the wall at 3AM. Arriving at the hotel, we saw masses of other marathoners already gathered, with their bright multicolored running gear and backpacks. Everybody looked very fit, which was just a little bit of an intimidation.Nevertheless, we got on the busses and began a long and winding drive towards the start of the run. The idea that we would be able to catch up on some sleep was quickly smashed by the ugly hammer of reality, as the constant turning and shaking bus did not allow us to get too comfortable.
Finally we arrived at the wall. There was a mass run on the restrooms as everyone was getting ready. Jenn and I had just come in our running outfits and were not prepared for the seemingly sub-zero winds. We made our way up to the courtyard were the run was to begin and were welcomed by a fully equipped brass band playing songs from various cultural backgrounds. Beethoven and Jingle Bells rang in our ears as we took pictures and waived to the many excited spectators already gathering. The rest of the race preparation consisted of people spending hundreds of dollars on running gear, going to the bathroom and participating in an zumba warmup led by two very spirited Chinese girls.
 |
| Before |
And then, with the sound of a gun, we were off.
Now, since we spent the next 7 hours and 51 minutes running, I won't be as detailed describing what happened. But what follows is the gist of what happened.
Starting our run, we ran in high spirits. Taking a slow but steady pace, we ran together with many other half-marathoners and participants of the fun run. As we made our way up the initial mountain to the wall, we walked mostly, as did everyone else besides the over-enthusiastic fun runners. "You have no idea of the pain I will be in" I kept thinking as I saw these kids with no care in the world run by us.Eventually, we came to the part everyone had been looking forward to, running on the great wall of China!
However, "running" on the wall turned out to be much harder than anticipated. This was because there were just so many people! We had started in the last wave, which meant that we were running with the fun-run people. The wall sections include many very narrow stairs and half-stair-half-climbing parts and we were literally stuck in traffic. Standing still and walking slowly happened frequently. If I would have known how close we would come to breaking the 8 hour time limit on the marathon, I would have felt much more urgency going through this part.
As it was, it was nice to take it slow while climbing over the wall and enjoying the scenery. The climb was difficult, as all the stairs, both up and down the hill made my legs tired and slightly shaky on the final decent, but nothing too crazy. As we descended, we could make out the courtyard where we had started. This meant that we were just about to start the long running part through the countryside. I also tried to picture us running down the hill in a few hours in preparation for the final decent to finish our marathon. That we would be immensely exhausted was certain, so I tried my best to picture us running into the courtyard, finally finishing the race. I would, however, be disappointed, since the final lap actually went the other way around; but more about that later.
Running through the courtyard to begin our long lap, we still felt positive. This was what we had prepared for, running a long time on a straight road without stopping. So, we ran.
Details blur together, but I do remember that it was hot. The cold wind quickly gave place to the sun, although I must say that it really wasn't too bad for most of the run. We shared our trail with the half marathoners for a while until we hit the restroom tent. This tent, for the record, was just a tent built over a hole in the ground. Actually, it wasn't a hole, just a spot were the ground kind of was more uneven than at other parts. Alright, back to the story. After this primitive outhouse, the trail separated and it was just us marathoners among ourselves. We felt much more at home now, running together with only the toughest of runners, almost like being part of an elite club that we had finally earned membership in. Honestly, I did no exactly feel qualified to be part of this club. After all, a lot of these guys were actual serious runners, already on their 55th marathon and plugging along like little steam engines that could. Nevertheless, we already felt much more serious just running with these guys, especially when, at times, we passed an elderly gentleman or lady.
This long part of the marathon ran mostly along streets that still had open traffic, so we had to look out for vehicles. The area was beautiful, running through green hills and small towns with plenty of little kids happy to give us a high five and handing us flowers. Much of this part looked like our bike ride through the countryside around Guilin, the towns looking very small and deserted, were it not for the many people standing at the sidelines.
Alas, there is not much more I can say about this part of our run. It lasted several hours, and our joints, muscles and bones became more sore with every passing minute. Whatever was left of the overcast was now gone, and the sun shone mercilessly upon our heads. Most of the local people had left their posts and I didn't fail to notice that some of the cars passing us were buses, carrying runners who had already completed their run, back home to the hotel. We ate pounds and pounds of bananas handed out during the run and drank liters of water, yet never felt the urge to use the restroom, as sweating took care of all water output needed. This banana and water-only diet did eventually became a challenge and our stomachs loudly demanded something with substance and delicious, like saltine crackers. That's how bad it was; saltine crackers sounded about as good as a filet mignon from Ruth's Chris.
But we kept running. What else was there to do, besides running? Using my phone, we tried to keep track of the time limit. There were two time constraints: You had to reach the courtyard within 6 hours and you had to finish the marathon within 8; that gave you two hours to finish the final wall part.
As we were running on the long stretch leading towards the courtyard, we felt assured that we would have enough time. Fighting off fatigue, we made our way back into the courtyard. The cheering of spectators and the announcer proclaiming that Daniel and Jennifer were making their way up back on the wall, energized me and with newfound speed, we started on the first few steps back up the wall.
This final stretch on the wall was different, in that it was in the opposite direction of the first time. This meant that we would start with a long staircase up the wall, and would end with a long but smooth road back down the mountain.
It took only a few steps up the stairs for our newfound energy to completely evaporate. What followed was the most exhausting thing, physically and mentally, I ever did.
Any strength in our legs that we thought we had left, quickly disappeared. We made our way up the long, long stairs, one step at a time. Both nauseous and feeling close to fainting, all I could do is literally focus on the next single step, take a break, and then try another step. Other people were having similar struggles; many of them were sitting down trying to catch their breath. One women had just woken up from fainting and had lost her pulse for a few moments. (Doctors were trying to persuade her to quit; however, she actually finished closely behind us.) It was during this time that I seriously considered giving up trying to finish within the time limit. We had 2.5 hours when we started back on the wall, but at the pace we were going, it seemed futile to try. In fact, I was honestly just hoping to get back off the wall without serious injury or passing out/throwing up combination. Here I must say that Jenn saved the day. She was obviously having a hard time as well, but when I voiced my doubt about the time limit, she encouraged us to try harder. Taking one step at a time, and avoiding looking up so we would not see how much longer we had to go, we moved on.
As we fought our way up the wall, we met CJ, a fellow marathoner. He had completed the Great Wall marathon multiple times before, but had injured his hip on the run this time and was thus delayed. We talked about our purpose living in China and life itself. It was a very welcomed change to have someone to talk to. His optimism and good nature encouraged us to keep going.
And then, we saw the end. Ahead of us, only a few more sections of stairs, we saw the final steps that led off the wall on on the smooth, winding road down the mountain. I was beyond excited. At that moment I felt we honestly had a shot at completing the marathon in time. How much time exactly we had left, I no longer remember, but it seemed like enough. With that hopeful thought, we started on our descent. We traveled with CJ as long as we could, but eventually we left him behind so that we could finish the race in time. Running down the mountain was extremely painful, but we knew the time was ticking. Signs on the side of the road told us how much distance we still had to cover and the journey was still longer than anticipated. Everything inside us wanted to stop, but we wanted to finish the race in time even more. So we did the only thing we could - keep running. As all of our joints and bones were seemingly about to break. As I just started to think that the sought for ending of the run would never come, we turned a corner and now just feet away from the courtyard. I barely heard the announcer say that Daniel and Jennifer finished the race as we ran across the finish line. Time: 7 hours and 51 minutes, 9 minutes before the time limit.
We welcomed the sandwiches we were handed upon completion of the run (we got one extra each because they had so many left over), although the stomach pain from eating only bananas and running for 8 hours took a while to go away. Our bodies sang praises as we sat down on the shuttle bus that would bring us back to the city. As we started driving, I thought a lot about our experience, not just today but our whole time in China. We had finished something new, exciting and difficult, and we had done it through teamwork. Our time in China was almost at its end, and the accomplishment we felt for the marathon extended to our year in China. Living in China was a great experience, and I don't mean to say that we suffered through the entire thing like a marathon. I only mean to say that it was something new for us, something to challenge us and to help us grow together, both as a couple and as individuals.
Watching the sunset as we drove away from the Great Wall for the last time, I knew that we had accomplished these goals. With that thought, or something like it, I fell asleep.
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