Name: Sabina
Age: 28
Nationality: Italian
Occupation: Manager/ Logistics
Running level: 2nd Half Marathon
Distance/Time: Half Marathon/2.44

Why did you run the Great Wall Half Marathon?

I enjoy doing sports and because a nice crowd of friends joined. Plus great landscapes and the nice location.

How did you train for the marathon? Alone? With friends? Frequency of training?

I trained alone – at the gym – once or twice per week, 7-9 kilometers each time. This is normally what I do, it wasn’t a specific training.

How would you describe the race course?

Great location, fun, excellently organized.

What were your favorite moments? Highlights of the experience?

Running on the Great Wall and enjoying the landscape while doing something not many people get to do.  

Would you recommend the half or full marathon to friends?

Yess! Cool experience for all the aforementioned reasons.

What would you recommend that people bring with them on the morning of the marathon and for the actual race?

Don't bring a mobile or water, but definitely a bandana 'cause when you’re stuck on the Wall waiting for people to go up and down stairs and there’s a queue and you’re sweaty it’s not good for your throat – I felt it the day after….

Any tips for first timers?

Take the first five kilometers uphill veeeery easy.

What was the most challenging aspect of the run for you?

Actually I was excpecting it to be much tougher.

Did the half marathon meet your expectations?
 
Yes, was nice, if I could go back I would have pushed more, it wasn’t as killing as people write and say.

How you might do it differently next time?

I’d run faster and been less worried about using up all my energies on the Wall – actually the “flat part” was tougher.

Was it as difficult as you expected it would be?

Much easier, I guess also cause we had to stop several times on the Wall and therefore recovered energy.

How much of it did you walk?

Just the part where we were forced to stop and walk – so about 15-20 minutes. 

Did you have injuries before or after the race?

No – well, knees are bad due to an accident several years ago so I used bands for my knees.

What did you wear? What type of shoes do you run in?

New Balance shoes and Adidas outfit ;-)

Did you stay in Beijing for the night before the race or did you stay at hotel locally?

I stayed at local hostel.

Would you do it next year?

With a nice group of friends as I did this time, yes…a bit expensive though.

Image: Sabina tackles the Great Wall in style.

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