ARCHIVED RACE: Hangzhou Mountain Marathon @ Hangzhou, China on 14 April 2012

From UltraSportsChina: “The 42 km course is set in the mountains around the lake and city of Hangzhou. What a great place, it’s the Queenstown of China – green bush clad hills, surrounded by mountains full of paved and unpaved walking trails. It started and finished on the steps of the Shangri-La Hotel, by the West Lake, and meandered up and down 12 peaks around the surrounding villages.”

Race Info:

The Hangzhou Mountain Marathon is an informal, honor race, there will be no check points on the way, with a sign-in at the finish line. Everyone, the first as the last, will take home her or his achievement as prize!

The course is not an easy one. It requires stamina and fitness, but also attention and an alert brain for those who want to run it competitively. It is however possible to walk it within the time limit for an experienced hiker. The main risks are twisting an ankle and getting lost.

The race begins and ends at the Hangzhou Shangri-La. The total distance is about 42 Km, with at least 1500 m elevation gain (and the same in loss). Runners can easily stop at Km 5.0, 17.0 or 26.0 and later on the way to take a taxi back.

The race mostly consists of trails (partially paved with stones) in the hills and tea fields of the famous Longjin area (about 70%). The rest is dirt roads partially paved with stones and causeway on the West Lake, plus about 4 Kms open to motorized traffic. Trails are at places very steep and slippery, particularly if in wet weather. Part of the steep parts of the trail can be as slippery during dry weather due to sand and small loose rocks.

The botanical garden (through which the course goes (about 1.5 Km from the Shangri-La) charges an entrance fee of Rmb 10.-. Just before reaching the South part of the causeway, at around Km 39.0, the course goes through another garden free of entrance fee.

The race is set at 10 hours. We estimate that a 4 hour-marathonian needs 7-8 hours to cover the whole course.