Check out CTn's Feature Story: China's Great Wall Marathon: Feel the Love.

Known to be one of the most beautiful marathons in China and probably the world, the annual Great Wall Marathon takes you through parts of the Wall closed to tourism, quaint villages, stunning views and over 5432 steps. This year, the run starts at 7am on Saturday morning, May 16th at Huangyaguan (three-hour drive from Beijing).

Four to eight  kilometers of the route are on the Great Wall itself (depending on if you run the full, half or 10k) and the remainder are passing through little villages and along country trails.

The most challenging part of the marathon is running uphill at the start of the race to get to the Wall, the giant uneven steps of the Wall and the final five kilometers when your legs, calves and knees are vibrating like beat up jello.

The fantastic aspect of this race...um, aside from it being on THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, is that anyone can take part--even your granny if she is sporty and fit-- and there are no time limits, so you can take it at your own pace. You can also be a lazy spectator and drink beer, if you'd prefer to watch.

Note: you can choose to participate in the full marathon, half marathon, the 10K or the 5K, depending on your fitness levels.

Training for the Great Wall Marathon:

While anyone can take part in this marathon, it makes sense to start training a couple months before, so your body isn't shocked, angry and rebellious about this sudden unwelcome surge of physical activity. Seasoned marathoner, Magdalena Wszelaki, recommends the following fitness routine for two months prior to the marathon.

"This marathon is different from the flat, road-based runs most marathons offer. There are 5,400+ steps to master in a full marathon, and 2,700+ if you are doing the half-marathon. This is why the proposed training is more of a preparation for a hilly cross-country run. This is a very simple, pragmatic training table, hopefully everybody can follow."

TUESDAYS
Strength Training
Focus: leg weights
Core body (back, abs)

THURSDAYS
High Cardio Workout
Eg: spin class 45min + step machine 30min

SATURDAYS
Run 10km/ 6.5 miles

SUNDAYS
Yoga/Stretch Low-impact exercise. OR  7km/4.5miles cross country running.

Registration and Costs for the Marathon:

The deadline for registration this year is March 9th and there are only a limited number of spots available for foreigners, so register soon.

I'm still clarifying with the organisers on the final costs, but you need :

1. RMB 1364 for entry fees to the half marathon + transport BJ-GWM

2. RMB 400 for two nights hotel (sharing)

3. Plus budget additionally for meals.

4. Flights: Depending on where you are coming from you might need to purchase flights. For example:  flights from Shanghai to Beijing with Ctrip are going to cost somewhere between 1500-1700 RMB return. Beijing is the closest airport to fly into, but the start line of the marathon is a three-hour dive from Beijing in Huangyaguan.

Event Location: Huangyaguan

The Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 557AD) and repaired with bricks during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Qi Jiguang added watch towers and other defensive features.

In 1984, the people of Tianjin spent three years repairing roughly 3 kilometers of the main wall from Banlagang Mountain in the east to Wangmaoding Mountain in the west. They restored 20 terraces, the Huangyaguan Water Gate, and the Bagua Castle (the Eight Diagrams Castle). The defensive system of the wall is complete. Watch towers, frontier cities, drain holes, emplacements, barracks and other indispensable military facilities are arranged orderly along the wall. Event location information is from Kathy Loper Events.