Name: Anne Halvorson
Nationality: American
Age: 34
Occupation: Account Director
Distance/Time: Half Marathon/ 2.41
Experience: 5 marathons and one half marathon in the United States

Why did you run the Great Wall Half Marathon?

To kick off the summer in shape and to have a change of scenery—to be able to run in a place where you can't normally run, in an extraordinary setting. For the challenge and the adventure.

Did the GW Marathon meet your expectations?

Totally. Besides being part of a race, it was a rush just being on top of the Great Wall. I really liked the different terrain. It was everything from steady up, steep up, dramatic downs and flat cross-country running through villages and farmer's trails. One thing that I have not liked about other marathons that I've run is that its a lot of the same scenery. But when you are running for that long, it's nice to have a change of scenery.

It was fun going through the village with all the villagers standing cheering and even just getting to run through a tiny rural village is not something you would experience on a normal marathon. There was interaction in a different way than normal spectator race.

This race was really unique because it wasn't about the time, it was about the experience and you could really feel that among the runners: people were really happy and excited to be on the Wall. And people were not taking themselves so seriously, so it had a fun, festive atmosphere.

What surprised you about the event?

Something that surprised me was that it was a great challenge, but it had been so talked up that once I did get to the top of the Wall, I felt great. At the beginning when we drove up a bit of it the night before the race, it seemed so steep and intimidating, but on the actual run, it wasn't bad at all. Everyone in the group of eleven that we came with felt that it was not as daunting as it first looked.

How did you train for the Half Marathon?

I ran for about thirty-five to forty minutes at least six days a week for a few months and then ran up and down the stairs of a 37-floor apartment building four times in one day, but only once.

What were the highlights for you and what were your favorite bits?

There were two major highlights for me. One was when I think it was when I heard someone shout out: "You are now at the highest point of the marathon!" And I was shocked that I still had so much energy left and I realized that I didn't need to worry about not having enough energy to finish. I think the other high point was at kilometer 16 point when they were giving away energy drinks and being so happy that they were offering them and being so thankful for the water stations along the way. It was nicely reassuring.

I also remember watching an 83-year-old woman finishing the half marathon with a big smile. She looked happy and not out of breath. Amazing.

Another highlight was having a beer as soon as I crossed the finish line. It was the most refreshing warm beer I have ever enjoyed.

Photo: Anne Halvorson and Andrew Wilcox do their stretches before the race.

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

For more photos from the Great Wall Marathon 2009, go here and here.

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

Great Wall of China Marathon Interview: Sahibi Noureddine
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: Andrew Wilcox
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Brandon Frerking