Lihu Lake marathon runners vow to return

Runners set off at the start of the Lihu Lake Half Marathon on Nov 19.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It's a marathon; it's all about running.

Though it was Wuxi's coldest day of the winter so far with temperatures at just 2.4 C, the passion of the runners warmed the chilly air as they pounded toward the rising morning sun.

More than 10,000 runners from over 35 countries took part in the 2017 Beverly Around Lihu Lake International Half Marathon in Wuxi on Nov 19.

When the starting pistol sounded, more than 1,300 volunteers started attentively serving runners on the road, handing out supplies and cheering them on. Besides, photographers from Wuxi Volunteering Photographers Group and professional digital imaging service provider IYundong were ready to catch the best moments at points along the route.

What they say:

Liu Jie from Beijing

"I didn't feel cold at all. The crowd is amazing, the cheers impressed me a lot and brought me strength. I finished this half marathon in 01:56. It's good. My husband loves running and I followed him to run marathon five years ago. My personal best performance was in the Hangzhou full marathon, completed in 04:11."

Liu Jie (A21134) runs in the Lihu Lake half marathon in Wuxi on Nov 19.[Photo/m.yundong.runnerbar.com]