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March 9, 2016

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Thousands of runners gear up for half-marathon in Qingpu

NEARLY 5,000 runners from China and overseas will set off for a half-marathon in suburban Qingpu District on March 13.

The CSC Dongfu Group Shanghai Qingpu Half-Marathon is scheduled to start at Oriental Land at 8am on Sunday.

It is the fourth stop of the “550 Country Run.” Runners will make their away along scenic routes in Qingpu.

The event is initiated and organized by “550 Dream Run,” marking the second time a 550 series run is being held in Qingpu. Similar events have been organized in Luhua Town, Chenjia Town and Hengsha Island of Chongming County, and Langxia Town of Jinshan District.

The organization “550 Dream Run” is founded by Liu Chunyan from Antai College of Economics & Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The figure “550” stands for 5:50am, the time that Liu gets up to go for a run.

Since it was established in 2013, “550 Dream Run” has set up branches in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao and Chengdu.

The organizers have initiated a “550 Country Run” series and plan to run through the 100 most beautiful villages of China in 10 years. They hope to get more than 1 million runners from around China involved.

The March 13 event will feature a half marathon and a 6-kilometer “joy run.” The organizers have also made sure that it is more than just a race.

Four fruit stalls will be awaiting runners along the route to provide fresh apples, oranges and tangerines. Several experienced runners have been selected through an online popularity vote and will join the event to boost the atmosphere. Table tennis world champion Wang Liqin, Olympic shooting gold medalist Tao Lunan as well as many other sports celebrities will also participate in the run.

Lou Qin, a contestant in Voice of China 2014, will sing the “550 Dream Run” theme song to reward the runners.

Qingpu is full of culture and history and scenic landscapes. Runners may stay at small inns in Zhujiajiao and tour around the watertown after the competition.




 

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