Name: Andrew Wilcox
Nationality: American
Occupation: Art Director
Age: 28
Distance/Time: Half Marathon/2.23
Experience: First visit to the Great Wall, first half marathon

What were your expectations for your first half marathon?

I knew it was going to be hard. I wasn't sure I would be even able to run the whole thing. I thought I would probably need to walk parts of it, which is funny because I actually did end up walking a lot on the stairs. Everyone was walking the stairs. I would say there was one full kilometer of just walking up stairs on the Wall.

Was the Great Wall what you expected?

I thought the Wall would be more run down, but it was maintained really well. It was beautiful because it was foggy so the hills looked stunning. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I think because I though it would be so hard, it was a bit easier because my expectations had been so high.

Would you recommend it for first time runners?

With a little bit of training, yes. I would recommend walking a lot of stairs. Find a tall building and walk up and down the stairs. I trained for it by walking a lot of stairs. I was living in a 37-story apartment and I started by walking up and down it twice and then the next time I did it three times and so on, till eventually I got to eight times and that helped a lot. I also did a bit of running on treadmills and outside, but not really that much. I ran once a week about four kilometers.

What were the highlights?
 
I had no idea that the locals would be so excited about it and it seemed like everyone in the nearby village came out to watch and support us. And since 99 percent of the runners were white people, it seems like they took pride in teaching their kids how to say hello and wave and give us high fives when we ran past which had a surprisingly positive effect on the runners. It was fun running through the village 'cause it was kind of like a maze and people had to point you which directions to go.

Would you do it next year?

I would consider doing the full marathon next year.

Recommendations?
 
I regret not bringing a camera on the run. I recommend that you bring a small bag to leave at the locker with a warmer jacket, some cash, something to wear before the race as it's a little chilly in the morning. An iPod. Definitely. For the last kilometer, I had one power song that I kept listening to over and over again to keep my energy up, "Mr Oizo". It helped. Also, don't risk bloody nipples: wear Band-Aids on your nipples (guys and gals). This is especially important for marathoners. We saw some of the full marathoners with bleeding nipples.

Image: Andrew Wilcox holds his medal in one hand and a beer in the other at the finish line of his first half marathon.

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

To view more images from the Great Wall of China Marathon 2009, go here and  here.

For interviews and reviews of the marathon, half marathon and 10 k:

Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Sahibi Noureddine
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Anne Halvorson
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Mathias Guillin
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Sabina Leopaldi
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Brandon Frerking