Rabbit pacer entertains runners in Mashan Marathon

A marathon pacer dresses himself up as a rabbit and encourages runners to keep running.[Photo/wxrb.com]

The 10-kilometer marathon combines sports and charity, aiming to provide joy to runners and those benefitting from the donations. The organizer donates 10 yuan ($1.5) to the charity fund as soon as one person signs up for the race.

To attract more people to the worthy cause, one of the marathon pacers even dressed himself up as a rabbit, successfully gaining a group of runners to follow.

Marathon pacers, also known as the "rabbits" of marathons, are a demanding role in the race. They should run at a constant rate and act as signals and cheerleaders, encouraging runners throughout the marathon race to keep going.

The final nine pacers in Mashan Marathon were selected from 50 applicants. All of them ran with a purple balloon that can be easily recognized.

The organizer set up 10 massage stations at the finish of the race to relax the muscles of the runners. Over 300 volunteers provided assistance for the participants throughout the race.

The top 20 racers received a corresponding bonus, and the top 500 won a gold medal.