China’s Great Wall Marathon is one of the world’s most breathtaking destination marathons. This year, the race returned for the first time since COVID-19 lockdowns. Let’s take a look at what happened at the Great Wall Marathon 2024.
Races began with over 800 runners on Saturday, May 18, in the Jizhou District of Tianjin, China. As you have probably guessed, the race course traverses the Great Wall of China. This unique location challenges runners to scale 5,164 steps during a marathon, half marathon, or fun run.
“It was awesome, such an amazing experience,” Brandon Posneer, a runner from the United States, said in a video from Reuters. “Definitely the hardest physical thing I have ever done. But going up to that Wall after 35 kilometers was brutal, but it was a blast. It was a lot of fun. Now it’s a lot of fun but looking back at it —” Posneer laughed.
Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners
Ready to meet the Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners? For the full marathon, French runner Nadege Person ranked first among the women with a time of 4:36:26. Among the men, British runner Mark Dickson won with a time of 3:43:32.
The women’s half-marathon winner was Guatemalan runner Ana Isabel Garcia Rodas with a time of 1:52:38. Spanish runner Roman Diez Gea won the men’s half-marathon with a time of 1:58:20.
According to Albatros Adventure Marathons, the organization that hosts the event, the race welcomed “838 runners and spectators from 59 countries, bringing their energy and excitement to tackle this incredibly demanding track.”
Want to join in on the 2025 Great Wall Marathon? Find more information here. Plus, see some incredible photos from the 2024 Great Wall Marathon in this highlights post from Albatros Adventure Marathons.
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