Sunday, 24 March, 2019, is to be a day dedicated to the contribution of women to the running world, with the taking place of the Nanjing Pukou Women’s Half Marathon.
Running has always been a showcase of both mental and physical strength, particularly at long distances, such as the 21k half marathon. This Sunday’s event harnesses admirability alongside a focus on women, thus creating a unique atmosphere in which to showcase female power within the sporting world.
The Pukou, female-only event is part of KISSRUN Women’s Marathon series, a conglomeration of sporting events created by Amazing China Sports Management. The company has been operating a variety of marathons across China for 13 years, naturally, making the KISSRUN series, launched in 2016, a great addition to the organisation and helping give it an internationally recognised stature. Nanjing held the first of this kind of race in 2017, which was also the first ever marathon race solely for female runners in Jiangsu province.
The race is an early one in the marathon season, and a great start for women who are planning to compete with the influx of races that is to come. KISSRUN offers shorter distances than the traditional marathon, with just a half or 5k. For more endurance focused athletes, the longer Wuxi Marathon will be more of a challenge, taking place on the same day.
In the following months, races will be popping up all around the province and neighbouring regions, such as the Thousand Island Lake Marathon. The annual Great Wall marathons will also be taking place, with many different routes and extremities. One notable race, Conquer the Wall Marathon, organised by Stone Dragon Marathons, is the first and longest running international marathon on the Great Wall.
With the lay-over of International Women’s day on 8 March, it seems there is no better time than now to encourage and celebrate women runners from far and wide. China’s running scene has definitely hit its peak.
